Tata Steel Foundation and the Odisha Government Ink Agreement to Improve Urban Living Conditions
In a significant move towards empowering urban slum dwellers and fostering sustainable urban transformation, Tata Steel Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Odisha's Housing and Urban Development Department. The ceremony took place during the state-level celebration of Local Self-Governance Day at Rail Auditorium, Bhubaneswar.
Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Steel Foundation, signed on behalf of the organisation. The MoU, valid for four years, aims to strengthen city-level systems, empower community institutions, and translate policy into measurable, replicable outcomes. It seeks to reduce urban inequality by unlocking public entitlements and creating scalable models of habitat development.
The collaboration has already made a significant impact, with over 1.34 lakh slum households across five municipal corporations benefiting from the programme. The impact was achieved through improved tenure security, access to services, and better living conditions. The programme is expected to directly benefit about 2.28 lakh slum households.
The MoU reinforces Odisha's commitment to inclusive urban development by aligning government leadership with corporate implementation capacity. The programme aims to facilitate access to welfare schemes and transform informal settlements into inclusive, resilient urban habitats.
Tata Steel Foundation will continue managing the State-level Mission Management Unit and deploy dedicated teams across 10 districts and 19 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). This initiative builds on a partnership launched in November 2022.
The collaboration sets a precedent for sustainable urban transformation and aims to foster inclusive, liveable urban habitats in informal settlements. The ceremony was attended by Usha Padhee, principal secretary, H&UDD; Arindam Dakua, director, municipal administration; and senior officials.
This partnership between Tata Steel Foundation and Odisha's housing and urban development department marks the next phase of their collaboration, with the goal of making cities more resilient and empowering urban slum dwellers.
