Odisha Launches ANKUR Initiative to Drive Inclusive and Innovative Urban Development

Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards shaping the future of urban governance and planning, the Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department of Odisha launched ANKUR — Atal Network for Knowledge, Urbanization & Reform today. The ambitious initiative is aimed at fostering inclusive, sustainable, and innovation-led urban growth across the state.

The launch event, held at the 8th Floor Conference Hall of Kharavela Bhawan, witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the department and six prominent national and international institutions working in the urban development ecosystem.

Speaking at the occasion, Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who attended as the Chief Guest, emphasized the transformative potential of the programme. “ANKUR represents a collective promise — to build cities that are efficient, smart, and above all, citizen-centric. This is a movement towards a Viksit Odisha, co-authored by communities, institutions, and government alike,” he said.

Delivering the welcome address, Principal Secretary of the H&UD Department, Usha Padhee, reflected on the conceptual journey of ANKUR. She described it as the culmination of months of collaborative ideation and internal reflection, stating that the programme was conceived to address the fast-evolving urban challenges in Odisha. “The pace and complexity of urbanization required new thinking, new partnerships, and new platforms. ANKUR emerged as a response — a co-creation platform to institutionalize innovation and strengthen long-term partnerships,” she added.

With Odisha’s urban population expected to triple by 2036, ANKUR is envisioned as a strategic platform to build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready cities. Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, the initiative is tailored to Odisha’s unique demographic and economic landscape. It will focus on four key pillars: capacity building, research and knowledge generation, implementation support, and innovation.

Dedicated to the memory of Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and launched under the guidance of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, ANKUR is poised to become the institutional foundation for advancing urban reform and evidence-based policy-making in the state.

The event also acknowledged the contributions of longstanding partners such as the National Institute of Urban Affairs, Tata Steel Foundation, and World Resources Institute, whose expertise has supported Odisha’s urban development over the years.