Published Paper Details:

India's urban transformation is occurring alongside rapid economic growth, expanding infrastructure, and increasing climate-related risks. As the country advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, ensuring access to affordable, inclusive, and climate-resilient housing has become central to sustainable urban development. This paper examines the evolving concept of housing affordability in urban India, arguing that affordability extends beyond housing cost to encompass accessibility to livelihoods, public transport, social infrastructure, housing finance, and climate-resilient urban services. It highlights the importance of preserving existing community resilience mechanisms through in-situ upgrading, tenure security, and participatory planning rather than displacement-led redevelopment. The paper further explores the growing interaction between climate vulnerability and housing insecurity, particularly among low-income households residing in environmentally fragile locations. It emphasizes the need for climate-sensitive planning, resilient housing design, risk-informed land-use policies, and green infrastructure to reduce exposure to environmental hazards. The study reviews policy instruments for expanding affordable housing supply, including Transit-Oriented Development, land value capture, public-private partnerships, viability gap funding, rental housing reforms, and blended finance mechanisms. It also discusses the role of digital technologies in improving rental market transparency and housing governance. Additionally, the paper advocates for gender-responsive and universally accessible housing, integration of vernacular building knowledge with modern standards, passive cooling strategies, circular construction practices, and adoption of sustainable building frameworks. The analysis concludes that the future of affordable housing in India lies in the integration of accessibility, inclusion, resilience, sustainability, and economic opportunity. By aligning housing policy with climate adaptation and inclusive urbanization goals, India can create resilient communities that support social equity, environmental sustainability, and the aspirations of a developed nation by 2047.