Ease of Living in India: 2014–2026

Housing and Urban Transformation

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) has significantly expanded affordable housing in both rural and urban India. Under PMAY-Urban, more than 1.25 crore houses have been sanctioned and over 98 lakh completed, while PMAY-Gramin has sanctioned 3.91 crore rural houses, with 3.05 crore completed. Women own or co-own a large share of these houses, strengthening housing security and women’s empowerment.

AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 have complemented housing expansion by improving water supply, sewerage, green spaces and urban transport, with AMRUT 2.0 extending coverage to 4,800 statutory towns.

Universal Access to Basic Amenities

Clean Cooking, Water and Sanitation

The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) expanded access to clean LPG, with more than 10.57 crore connections, helping reduce indoor air pollution and improving women’s health and dignity.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019 with the vision of Har Ghar Jal, increased rural tap-water coverage from 16.72% in 2019 to 81.94% by June 2026, providing connections to more than 15.86 crore rural households.

The Swachh Bharat Mission transformed sanitation coverage, with rural sanitation increasing from 39% in 2014 to 100% in 2019. More than 12.14 crore household toilets were constructed, while urban waste collection and processing also expanded substantially.

Reliable, Affordable and Clean Energy

India’s installed electricity generation capacity increased from 248 GW in 2014 to over 532 GW in 2026, while renewable energy capacity rose from 76.38 GW to 274.69 GW. Solar capacity alone expanded to 150.26 GW.

The Saubhagya Scheme connected nearly 2.86 crore households with electricity. The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana further promotes rooftop solar through subsidies of up to ₹78,000, while UJALA has promoted energy efficiency through large-scale LED distribution.

Financial Inclusion

The JAM Trinity — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile — created the digital foundation for inclusive welfare delivery. Jan Dhan accounts increased to more than 58 crore by June 2026, while Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) enabled large-scale transfer of welfare benefits directly to beneficiaries, reducing leakages.

The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) expanded access to collateral-free credit, with more than 57.7 crore loans worth ₹40 lakh crore sanctioned. Its large participation by women and disadvantaged communities has strengthened entrepreneurship and financial inclusion.

Mobility and Connectivity

India’s road network expanded to 63.73 lakh km, while National Highways increased to 1,46,572 km and more than 3,644 km of expressways became operational. Under PMGSY, almost all eligible habitations have been connected through all-weather roads.

Railway electrification reached 99.6% by March 2026, while Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, Kavach and the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme have improved railway safety, speed and passenger experience.

The UDAN Scheme expanded regional air connectivity to 665 routes across 95 airports, while operational airports increased to 165. Metro rail also expanded from 248 km in five cities in 2014 to 1,155 km across 26 cities in 2026.

Responsive and Citizen-Centric Governance

Ease of Living also depends on efficient interaction between citizens and government. The Jan Vishwas Acts reduced compliance burdens by decriminalising several minor offences, while MyGov expanded citizen participation in policymaking. CPGRAMS strengthened grievance redressal and administrative accountability.

The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan integrates 58 Ministries through a GIS-based platform, enabling coordinated infrastructure planning and more efficient project implementation.

Key Challenges

Despite major progress, affordability of LPG refills, groundwater stress, maintenance of infrastructure, regional disparities, the digital divide and inadequate creation of quality employment remain important challenges to achieving sustainable Ease of Living.

Way Forward

India needs to move from mere coverage to quality and reliability of services. Greater convergence of housing, water, sanitation, electricity, health and livelihood programmes, along with climate-resilient infrastructure, stronger local governments and greater citizen participation, can make Ease of Living more inclusive, sustainable and citizen-centric.