Odisha Government, Tata Steel Foundation Sign MoU To Transform Urban Habitats
Tata Steel Foundation on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Odisha’s housing and urban development department (H&UDD) to foster inclusive, liveable urban habitats in informal settlements
Bhubaneswar: Tata Steel Foundation on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Odisha’s housing and urban development department (H&UDD) to foster inclusive, liveable urban habitats in informal settlements. The collaboration seeks to reduce urban inequality by unlocking public entitlements and creating scalable models of habitat development.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi during the state-level celebration of Local Self-Governance Day at Rail Auditorium, Bhubaneswar.
The ceremony was attended by Usha Padhee, principal secretary, H&UDD; Arindam Dakua, director, municipal administration; and senior officials. Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Tata Steel Foundation, signed on behalf of the organisation.
This initiative builds on a partnership launched in November 2022, which has already impacted over 1.34 lakh slum households across five municipal corporations through improved tenure security, access to services, and better living conditions.
Speaking on the occasion, Roy said: “The MoU marks the next phase of our collaboration with the Government of Odisha towards empowering urban slum dwellers and making cities more resilient. It reflects our commitment to designing and implementing models of change in Odisha that benefit vulnerable communities while serving as templates for social impact and public–private collaboration. We remain grateful to communities, partners, and the government for their trust.”
Under the new agreement, the Foundation will continue managing the State-level Mission Management Unit and deploy dedicated teams across 10 districts and 19 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The programme is expected to directly benefit about 2.28 lakh slum households by facilitating access to welfare schemes and transforming informal settlements into inclusive, resilient urban habitats.
Valid for four years, the MoU reinforces Odisha’s commitment to inclusive urban development by aligning government leadership with corporate implementation capacity. It aims to strengthen city-level systems, empower community institutions, and translate policy into measurable, replicable outcomes. The collaboration sets a precedent for sustainable urban transformation and enhances Tata Steel Foundation’s footprint in Odisha’s social sector.
