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Research and Development

Cities are becoming the engine of economic growth but at the same time enormous problems/ issues come to the fore front while evolving any intervention for the betterment of the cities. In order to achieve sustainable city development, creative decision making with the support of new and emerging technologies, energy efficiency, cost reduction approaches are required in the present times. In addition to this, research and development is also necessary to have specific practical application in view so as to improve the quality of life in cities.

Sponsored & Collaborative Research and Impact Evaluation Studies are the other side of the activity coin of HSMI. HSMI research programmes support its training activities and have been developed through small budget research studies. HSMI has devised the Operational Guidelines for Collaborative Research and Development Activities under Research and Development Plan. The Corporate R&D Policy of HUDCO which was approved in 2012 focuses on the following key areas.

  • Collaborative research and capacity building on urban sector through establishment of chairs in national and repurted research institution.
  • Collaborative research in urban sector by way of encouraging scholars in various reputed educational institutions/ Fellowship grant.
  • Collaborative short term research on urban sector with the reputed agencies.

The following themes and sub-themes in research areas in habitat sector are considered for HUDCO research grant.

  • Affordable Housing and Public Private Partnership
  • Study & Evaluation of NPA of HUDCO
  • Shelter for Urban Poor with focus on homeless
  • Public Transport and Land Use Integration
  • Eco-cities concept development and implementation
  • Climate change Impact, Adaptation, Mitigation strategies for cities
  • Sustainable Urban Environmental Infrastructure
  • Urban Governance/Municipal Finance/Urban Management
  • State Development Report with focus on Housing and Urban Infrastructure – to identify potential in the low demand states for HUDCO loan such as:
  • Technologies and Innovation in Housing and Infrastructure

During the last 7 financial years (2012-13 to 2018-19), HUDCO’s HSMI has sanctioned a total of 35 Research Projects from 26 Institutions of repute as part of its R&D activities under the HUDCO Research Plan on the themes relating to housing and urban development sector. A few good research studies include

  1. The project titled “Preparing for Long Term Care Needs of Elderly in India: Design Guidelines for Old Age Homes, Assessment of Manpower for Institutional/Home Based Care of Elderly and Curriculum Development” by IIT Delhi is aimed to assess the need of the care of elderly in India especially the ones who belong to economically weaker sections (EWS and LIG).
  2. The project titled “Assessing Urban Sustainability in the context of Urban/Spatial Cluster Typologies Using GIS and Multivariate Analysis” by VNIT – Nagpur is aimed towards understanding and percolating the idea of urban sustainability and its assessment at the local and micro level.
  3. The Project titled “Municipal Infrastructure Potential for HUDCO Lending” by Indian Institute of Public Administration examines the potential for investment in the municipal Infrastructure by Urban Local Bodies with a particular reference to loan finance from HUDCO.
  4. The Architectural Typologies project by Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbaiaimed to bring in a fresh approach to affordable housing by applying industrial design thinking to relook at a market that currently does not look for solutions beyond the formulaic BHK, optimized along two dimensions - area and cost per unit area.

HSMI has adapted and translated thirteen UN-HABITAT manuals on “Leadership and Management for Elected Representatives of Urban Local Bodies”. A Research study was undertaken on “Transit Corridor Development” under the CITYNET National Chapter. Another study was undertaken on ‘Improvement of Public Transportation system, the missing links’, under the CITYNET National Chapter.In the ensuing years, HSMI is geared up to undertake more sponsored and collaborative research and impact evaluation studies, as per the requirements of different stakeholders including in-house requirements.