As of 2026, Hardeep Singh Puri serves as India's Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Since July 2021, Hardeep Singh Puri has led the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, shaping policies that touch every major city in India. His work covers housing, infrastructure upgrades, and the push toward smarter urban spaces.
Where does the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs operate from?
The ministry is headquartered in Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.
That’s the iconic building at 28.60°N, 77.21°E, right in the heart of the capital. It’s not just MoHUA calling Nirman Bhawan home—several other key government ministries share the space. The ministry’s reach extends across India’s booming urban centers, where nearly half the country’s population now lives in cities (over 600 million people, based on 2011 Census projections updated by MoHUA). Needless to say, the work here affects millions of lives every day.
Who currently holds the top positions in the ministry?
Hardeep Singh Puri is the Cabinet Minister, Kaushal Kishore serves as Minister of State, and Durga Shanker Mishra is the Secretary for Housing and Urban Affairs.
| Portfolio |
Officeholder |
Role |
Since |
| Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs |
Hardeep Singh Puri |
Cabinet Minister |
July 2021 |
| Minister of State |
Kaushal Kishore |
Junior Minister |
July 2021 |
| Secretary (Housing and Urban Affairs) |
Durga Shanker Mishra |
Permanent Executive |
2020 |
| Annual Budget (2020–21) |
₹50,040 crore (US$7.0 billion) |
National allocation |
2020–21 |
Puri’s team oversees flagship programs like AMRUT (which tackles water supply, sewerage, and urban mobility) and PMAY-U (the affordable housing scheme targeting the urban poor by 2026).
What’s the history behind the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs?
The ministry began as the Ministry of Urban Development in 1985 and was renamed in 2019 to prioritize housing.
Back in 1985, the government set up the Ministry of Urban Development to tackle the country’s growing urbanization challenges. Then in 2019, it got a rebrand—dropping “Development” to put housing front and center. Under Puri’s leadership, the Smart Cities Mission (launched in 2015) kicked into high gear. The goal? Transform 100 cities with digital tools, sustainability, and services that actually work for residents. By 2026, over 80 cities had already rolled out smart solutions like real-time traffic systems and IoT-powered waste collection (check the Smart Cities Mission dashboard for proof).
India’s urban shift is massive. The United Nations World Urbanization Prospects (2018 revision) predicted India’s urban population would hit 600 million by 2030. That’s a lot of people counting on the ministry to keep cities livable and inclusive.
How does the ministry help citizens with housing or urban services?
MoHUA works through state-level urban local bodies and online portals like PMAY-U Mission.
If you’re looking for housing help or urban services, the ministry connects you to state-level urban local bodies and online tools. The PMAY-U Mission portal (pmaymis.gov.in) is your go-to for affordable housing schemes. Prefer to visit in person? The headquarters at Nirman Bhawan is just a short walk from Janpath metro station (Yellow Line), so it’s easy to reach from central Delhi.
The ministry also teams up with global players like the World Bank and UN ESCAP on projects ranging from climate-resilient infrastructure to innovative housing finance models.
