The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), the premier think tank under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), marked 50 years of work in supporting integrated and sustainable urban development at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The golden jubilee celebrations were organised under the theme Resilient Urban India @2047 and brought together over 1,000 participants online and offline. National and international delegates, senior government officials, policymakers, urban practitioners, researchers, development partners and institutional representatives attended to review past achievements and priorities for the coming decades.

Senior officials noted that as cities face growing climate-related stresses future urban development must focus on proactive planning, nature-based solutions, green infrastructure and sustainable systems. The Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister commended NIUA for completing 50 years of service and underlined the need for resilience, sustainability and long-term adaptability in urban planning. The Secretary of MoHUA and the NIUA vice president highlighted the requirement for stronger institutions, sharper knowledge and adaptive capacity to meet coming challenges.

The event included an exhibition chronicling NIUA's five-decade journey and a series of releases covering resilient urban strategies, geospatial approaches to settlement classification and a commemorative volume documenting research and policy contributions. The National Urban Learning Platform was launched as the urban arm of iGOT Mission Karmayogi to provide an integrated hybrid learning framework and four new technical courses aimed at technical capacity building. The celebrations also recognised 127 students who completed the Urban Renaissance Tech Programme focused on technology-led urban governance and innovation.

Nine technical deliberations addressed institutional mechanisms, climate-responsive planning, housing and new construction technologies, livelihoods, circular resource systems, urban finance, mobility, industry and skills for resilient cities. Discussions emphasised integrated regional planning, climate-responsive management of water and heat, circularity in resource systems, climate finance and the role of digital technologies in proactive urban governance. The golden jubilee concluded with appreciation for NIUA's five decades of service and a reaffirmation of its role in supporting resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities on the path to Viksit Bharat @2047.