The State of the Urban Poor Report is a flagship document of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India. During the past decade, inclusive growth has become an integral objective of policymaking in India. The 2013 Report analyses India's performance in achieving this objective for its urban population. Using a combination of rich empirical data and rigorous analysis, this report covers areas such as spatial development for inclusive settlements; institutional, regulatory, and legislative framework for urban planning; economic contribution of the urban poor; maintenance of tenements for slum rehabilitation; and sustainable transport. Apart from these the volume also includes case studies on financing of incremental housing improvements, tenure regularization in urban slums, inclusive planning in South Africa and Brazil, development of a cultural district in Hong Kong, and public housing in Canada.

The report reflects that the present initiatives are not sufficient to achieve equitable opportunities for decent living and livelihoods for the urban poor. Cities and towns in India still suffer from lack of basic infrastructure and excessive focus on mater plans which has also excluded a large section of the population from the benefits of development. The volume highlights such bottlenecks and also elucidates on the policy options and steps required to remove them.