Bhubaneswar, August 25: A three-member delegation from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MoHUA) on Tuesday called on Additional Chief Secretary (Housing and Urban Development) Usha Padhee at Kharavela Bhawan and discussed preparations for the upcoming 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2026, scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar from October 23 to 25.

The prestigious national flagship event, being hosted by Odisha, will bring together policymakers, urban transport experts, administrators, industry leaders, academicians and practitioners from India and abroad to deliberate on emerging trends, challenges and opportunities in urban mobility.

The ream consisting of Sudhir Singh, Ranjish Kumar and Rina Arora Shrivastava held a detained discussion with the ACS. The conference will be organised on the theme “Urban Accessibility and Livability in Digital Age”, focusing on accessible, sustainable, inclusive, technology-enabled and climate-resilient urban transport solutions.

During the interaction, Padhee emphasised the State Government’s commitment to ensuring a well-coordinated and impactful UMI Conference. She highlighted that hosting the event in Odisha would provide a significant opportunity to showcase the State’s transformative journey in urban mobility, including modern public transport systems, transport electrification, non-motorised transport initiatives, smart urban infrastructure and sustainable multimodal connectivity.

The meeting covered various aspects of event preparedness, including venue arrangements, technical sessions, exhibition pavilions, accommodation and movement of delegates, local transit arrangements, protocol, safety and security, as well as technical site visits. The officials also discussed ways to integrate Odisha’s urban mobility initiatives and best practices into the technical sessions and exhibition, providing participants with an opportunity to understand the State’s experience in developing citizen-centric mobility solutions.

Padhee stressed the need for close coordination among MoHUA, the Housing & Urban Development Department and all concerned State agencies to ensure seamless execution of the conference. It was discussed that appropriate joint coordination mechanisms and working teams would be put in place for effective planning and timely implementation of various components of the event.

Both sides discussed the roadmap for the coming weeks, with emphasis on timely completion of key logistical, technical and operational arrangements.

The 19th UMI Conference & Exhibition is expected to provide Odisha with an important national and international platform to showcase its urban mobility initiatives, while facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration on the future of sustainable, accessible and livable cities.

Additional Secretary-cum-CRUT GM Sahadev Samadhia, H&UD Joint Secretary Mamatarani Naik and other concerned officials were present during the meeting.