NEW DELHI: The Centre has extended the timeline of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana–Urban (PMAY-U) till September 30, 2026 to facilitate completion of under-construction houses and release of funds, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Launched on June 25, 2015, PMAY-U aims to provide all-weather pucca houses with basic civic amenities to eligible urban households across the country.
Based on the experience gained during the implementation of the scheme, the government has introduced PMAY-U 2.0, which came into effect on September 1, 2024. The revamped programme targets one crore additional urban beneficiaries over the next five years, enabling them to construct, purchase or rent houses at affordable cost.
The mission is being implemented through four verticals: Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) and Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS).
To promote faster and more sustainable construction, the ministry has been encouraging adoption of modern and innovative building technologies through the Technology Sub-Mission (TSM) under PMAY-U.
Under the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) initiative, 54 globally proven construction technologies were shortlisted and grouped into six categories based on geo-climatic conditions for adoption by states and union territories.
As part of this effort, six Light House Projects (LHPs) using different construction technologies have been developed in six cities across the country to demonstrate sustainable and disaster-resilient housing solutions. Additionally, 13 demonstration housing projects have been completed to showcase alternative materials and energy-efficient construction practices.
The ministry has also undertaken capacity-building initiatives to familiarise professionals and stakeholders with emerging construction technologies. These include the NAVARITIH online course on innovative housing technologies and the RACHNA training programme, under which more than 150 workshops have been conducted nationwide, covering over 11,000 stakeholders.
Further, the Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme (PACS) operated by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council has so far certified 88 innovative construction products and systems suited to different climatic regions of the country.
To further promote sustainable construction under PMAY-U 2.0, the government has introduced the Technology & Innovation Sub-Mission (TISM), which focuses on climate-responsive designs, green building standards and adoption of resource-efficient construction materials.
Projects under the Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) vertical that adopt innovative construction technologies are eligible for an additional Technology Innovation Grant (TIG), the minister said.
The ministry also said that construction quality under PMAY-U 2.0 will be monitored through third-party quality monitoring agencies appointed by states and union territories, which will inspect project sites and advise local authorities on quality-related issues.
