The 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition 2026 opened in Bhubaneswar on Friday, October 23, bringing together around 1,500 delegates, including national and international speakers, for two days of deliberations on the future of transport in Indian cities, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via DevDiscourse

The conference, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) through the Institute of Urban Transport (India) with the support of the Government of Odisha, is being held at Hotel Mayfair Sanctuary on October 23–24, IANS reported. It will be followed by the second edition of the National Urban Conclave at the same venue on October 24–25.

Source: IANS via India Tribune

'Urban Accessibility and Liveability in the Digital Age'

MoHUA Joint Secretary Praveer Kumar said this year's UMI theme is 'Urban Accessibility and Liveability in the Digital Age'. The conference will deliberate on sustainable and low-carbon public transport, integration of different modes of transport, first- and last-mile connectivity, and the role of technology — including Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and real-time GPS-based solutions — in improving urban mobility. The event is being inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu in the presence of Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra.

1,500delegates expected at UMI 2026 in Bhubaneswar
28exhibitors from government, metro rail companies and the private sector
46research papers selected for the Research Symposium
19thedition of the Urban Mobility India conference

Urban Conclave and Odisha's e-bus rollout

The National Urban Conclave, whose theme is 'Urban Rising – Rethinking Urban Systems, Solutions and Delivery', will be inaugurated by Tokhan Sahu in the presence of Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, MoHUA Additional Secretary Satinder Pal Singh told the curtain-raiser press conference. The National Institute of Urban Affairs is the knowledge partner, with HUDCO and NBCC as principal sponsors. Its sessions cover themes including the 'Right to Walk', water and waste efficiency, affordable housing and model municipal laws.

During the events, the Odisha government is set to roll out the PM e-Bus Sewa in the state, advancing cleaner public transport. A dedicated pavilion of the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) will showcase Odisha's public transport journey through Ama Bus services, electric mobility and feeder services. The best three research papers at the symposium will receive a cash award of ₹25,000 each — and the UMI conference, an annual MoHUA initiative under the National Urban Transport Policy, 2006, will also feature an exhibition of urban transport best practices and technologies from India and abroad.