Overview
- Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar pledged full cooperation for Kerala’s proposed Regional Rapid Transit System once the state submits its detailed project report, which officials said is in its final stages.
- Local Self-Government Minister M. B. Rajesh said the two-day meet produced 300 actionable suggestions to shape a 25-year urban policy grounded in stronger local governance, data systems and financing tools.
- Kerala highlighted economic momentum at the conclave, noting IT exports nearing ₹1 lakh crore, a 21-fold rise in startups over nine years, and about 3.75 lakh new enterprises attracting ₹23,000 crore in investment.
- Kerala Urban Policy Commission chair M. Satish Kumar projected a northward shift of urban growth toward the Kozhikode–Kannur–Kasaragod belt over the next three decades, citing ecological limits in the south and gaps in decentralised data.
- International linkages advanced, with Letters of Intent signed with UNU‑CRIS and UN‑Habitat and KwaZulu‑Natal signaling a likely pact to exchange expertise on climate‑resilient urban infrastructure.