Union Minister Manohar Lal graced Conference on Evolving Landscape of Housing Finance

A two-day international conference has been organized by National Housing Bank & Asia Pacific Union for Housing Finance (APUHF) on 12th and 13th February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam.

Manohar Lal, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs, graced the International Conference on Evolving Landscape of Housing Finance as Chief Guest at Bharat Mandapam today. The conference centred on the theme Inclusivity, Stability and Sustainability.

He emphasised the need for integrated urban planning, including transport-linked housing development and forward-looking policy innovations. He also proposed exploring innovative solutions such as a National Housing Exchange–like mechanism, backed by comprehensive data on available housing across locations, to help citizens identify suitable homes closer to their workplaces and facilitate mutually beneficial property exchanges to reduce commute time.

He highlighted findings from a joint study conducted by NITI Aayog and MoHUA, which estimated India’s urban population at 500 million in 2021 and projected it to surpass 850 million by 2050. This demographic shift, he emphasized, will significantly increase the demand for affordable housing across the country.(updated on 13th February 2026