Did you know?
Nearly half of India’s urban population (~49%) still lives in slums, unauthorised colonies, squatter settlements, and shanties.
That’s why, million-dollar homes in Mumbai often overlook slums and Delhi’s skyline reveals a sea of unauthorised colonies but other Indian cities aren’t far behind too.
Why do informal settlements keep growing?
Because while rural-to-urban migration surges, affordable, quality housing is missing.
Formal supply mainly caters to middle- & high-income buyers → pushing migrants into slums & colonies, often carved out by local land mafias.
Is there any Progress? Yes, but it’s mixed across cities.
Slum population share fell from 55% (2002) → 49% (2020) (World Bank).
Cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai saw slum % decline.
But Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad actually saw it rise.
What does this cost India? A lot.
Poor access to water, sanitation, schools, healthcare.
No secure land titles or regulated layouts.
Overcrowding, safety risks & weak infrastructure.
But how can this crisis be fixed?
- Mass supply of affordable housing linked with jobs & transport.
- Affordable rental housing near industrial hubs.
- Livability-focused redevelopment of existing slums.
- Stricter checks to stop unauthorised colonies before they grow.
