In November 2025, Union Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, Ministry of Power (MoP), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) inaugurated the 18th edition of the Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition, in Gurugram, Haryana.
- The three-day event, held from November 7 to 9, 2025, was organized under the theme “Urban Development and Mobility Nexus”.
Exam Hints:
- What? Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition
- Inaugurated by: Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
- Where? Gurugram (Haryana)
- When? November 7 to 9, 2025
- Edition: 18th
- Organizers: MoHUA, Government of Haryana, IUT India, GMRL
- Theme: Urban Development and Mobility Nexus”
- UMI 2025 Awards: 8 Categories, including City with the Best Public Transport System (MTC Chennai), City with the Most Innovative Financing Mechanism (PCMC), Special Award for Mizoram’s Traffic Management System (Town & Country Planning Department, Mizoram)
- PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme: Logo & website launched
- UMI 2026: October 23 to 26, 2026, in Bhubaneswar (Odisha)
Background:
Overview: The UMI Conference and Exhibition, originates from the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) 2006.
- The first conference was held in 2008 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, Delhi.
Components: The conference includes four components, including Conference, Exhibition, Research Symposium, and Awards for Excellence in Urban Transport.
About 18th UMI Conference & Exhibition:
Organizers: The event was jointly organized by MoHUA,and the Government of Haryana, in collaboration with Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) (India) and Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL).
Dignitaries: Union Minister of State (MoS) Tokhan Sahu, MoHUA; Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary, MoHUA; Dr. Raja Sekhar Vundru, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport), Government of Haryana; and Dr. Chandra Shekhar Khare, Managing Director (MD), GMRL were present at the event.
Participation: The 2025 edition witnessed participation from over 170 speakers, over 1,600 delegates from 8 countries, including representatives from Central and State government departments, MDs of Metro rail corporations, heads of transport undertakings, international experts, and representatives from academic and research institutions.
Event Structure: The event encompassed multiple sessions such as 1 Conclave session, 2 Plenary Sessions, 8 Technical Sessions, 8 Round-Table Discussions, and 8 Research Symposia.
Research Symposium: The symposium, organized by the IUT, enabled young researchers to present academic papers on sustainable transport, Intelligent Transport System (ITS), and TOD, promoting evidence-based policymaking.
About UMI 2025 Exhibition:
Exhibition :The exhibition displayed 25 industry and government stalls, featuring Electric Vehicles (EV), ITS, transport management technologies, and smart mobility innovations, highlighting advancements in clean mobility, smart technologies, and integrated urban transport planning.
Demonstration : During the event, Union Minister Manohar Lal took a demonstration ride in a retrofitted e-auto, an eco-friendly vehicle converted from a conventional Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) model.
Highlights of 18th UMI Conference & Exhibition:
Logo & Website of PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme:
Overview: During the event, Union Minister Manohar Lal launched the logo and website of Pradhan Mantri (PM) e-Bus Sewa Scheme, reflecting the Government of India(GoI’s) vision of green mobility, Accessibility and inclusivity, and Efficiency and Innovation.
PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme: The scheme, launched on August 16, 2023, by the MoHUA, aimed to deploy 10,000 e-buses across Indian cities with populations above 3 lakhs. It operates under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with financial assistance from the central government.
- Total cost Rs.57,613 crore, with Rs.20,000 crore from the central government; supports bus operations for 10 years or until March 2037.
UMI Awards 2025:
UMI Awards 2025: During the event, the UMI Awards 2025 were presented in 8 categories to state and city authorities for “Excellence in Urban Transport” and best practice projects.
2025 Awardees:
| Category | Award | Organization | City (State) |
|---|---|---|---|
| City with the Best Public Transport System | Winner | Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) (Chennai) Limited | Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN) |
| Commendation | Hubballi-Dharwad BRTS Company Limited | Hubballi-Dharwad (Karnataka) | |
| City with the Best Non-Motorized Transport System | Winner | Udaipur Smart City Limited (USCL) | Udaipur (Rajasthan) |
| Special Mention | State Mission Management (SMM) | Thrissur (Kerala) | |
| City with the Most Innovative Financing Mechanism | Winner | Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) | Pimpri Chinchwad (Maharashtra) |
| City with the Best Green Transport Initiative | Winner | Telangana Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited (TGREDCO) | Hyderabad (Telangana) |
| Commendation | Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) | Kochi (Kerala) | |
| Metro Rail with the Best Multimodal Integration | Winner | Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) | Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN) |
| Metro Rail with the Best Passenger Services and Satisfaction | Winner | Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) | New Delhi (Delhi) |
| Commendation | Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) | Chennai (Tamil Nadu, TN) | |
| Running trophy for the State/ Union Territory (UT), which has Implemented Best Urban Transport Projects during the previous year | Winner | West Bengal Electronics Industry Development Corporation Limited (WEBEL) | Kolkata (West Bengal, WB) |
| Winner | Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) | Mysore (Karnataka) | |
| Special Mention | Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) | Bhubaneswar (Odisha) | |
| Special Award for Mizoram’s Traffic Management System | Special Award | Town & Country Planning Department, Mizoram | Aizawl (Mizoram) |
Awarded Exhibitors: Additionally, the exhibitors of the UMI 2025 exhibition were also awarded for their quality of exhibitions. It includes:
- National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) secured the First Prize
- Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MAHA-METRO) received the second prize
- Embassy of Spain secured the third prize.
India’s Metro Expansion:
India’s Metro Network: He highlighted that with an operational metro network spanning nearly 1,100 km(kilometer), India is currently the world’s third-largest metro system and is poised to become the second-largest soon.
DMRC’s Role in Metro Projects: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), via its subsidiary Delhi Metro International Limited (DMIL), will serve as the nodal agency for MoHUA to execute consultancy, construction, turnkey projects, management services, and operation & maintenance projects in India and abroad.
- Additionally, DMRC, through another subsidiary, will act as the nodal organization to assist MoHUA in planning, coordinating, and managing Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS) nationwide.
UMI 2026 Conference & Exhibition:
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the schedule of UMI 2026 Conference and Exhibition, which will be held from October 23 to 25, 2026, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
About Haryana:
Chief Minister (CM) – Nayab Singh Saini
Governor – Ashim Kumar Ghosh
Capital – Chandigarh
Zoological Park (ZP) – Surinder Singh Memorial Mini ZP, Rohtak ZP
