BHUBANESWAR: The Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Housing and Urban Development department to transform informal settlements and reduce urban inequality by unlocking public entitlements and establishing scalable models of inclusive habitat development.
The pact was signed in presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Under the new MoU, TSF will continue the state-level mission management unit and deploy dedicated teams across 10 districts and 19 urban local bodies (ULBs).
The initiative is expected to directly benefit around 2.28 lakh slum households by enabling their access to social welfare schemes and transforming informal settlements into inclusive, resilient urban habitats.
Effective for a period of four years, the initiative aims to strengthen city-level systems, empower community institutions and translate policy intent into measurable, replicable outcomes. The collaboration sets a precedent for transformative habitat development, demonstrating how strategic partnerships can drive scalable impact in informal urban settlements, officials said.
Chief executive officer of TSF Sourav Roy said the organisation has been closely working with the state government to transform urban habitats across the state. “The MoU marks the commencement of the next phase of this collaboration towards inclusive development of urban slum-dwellers,” he added.