Interview by Rajeev Jain, Contributing Writer, The Day Magazine

As cities across India struggle to keep pace with their own rapid growth, the question of how to house their most vulnerable residents remains urgent and unresolved. Anoushka Puri, a Canada-based planner and founder of the International Shelter Foundation (ISF), brings together architecture, equity, and urban policy to rethink how design can be used not only to build shelter but to restore dignity, resilience, and opportunity within informal settlements. In this conversation, she discusses the philosophy behind ISF, the promise of participatory design, and how a career shaped by global infrastructure is now driving change in some of India’s most overlooked communities.

Rajeev: You’ve worked on some of the largest airport infrastructure projects in North America. What led you to create a not-for-profit focused on housing in Indian slums?

Anoushka: I grew up in India, and the reality of informal settlements was part of the urban fabric around me from a very early age. Even as I pursued formal architectural training and later moved into aviation infrastructure, I always felt that the skills I was building should ultimately be used to address the kinds of housing inequities I had seen growing up. When I began working at ARUP and was exposed to how urban systems are planned at scale, it gave me a framework for translating that knowledge into action. That’s what led to the formation of ISF.

Rajeev: What is ISF’s core mission, and how does it approach housing differently?

Anoushka: ISF is focused on providing safe, inclusive, and sustainable housing for low-income families living in urban slums. But we don’t look at housing in isolation. Our approach is based on the understanding that housing must also support access to education, health, and community infrastructure. We work closely with local partners and residents to ensure that solutions are participatory, not prescriptive. We believe that good design is not a luxury but a necessity—and that it must be deeply contextual, cost-effective, and scalable.

Rajeev: Can you tell us about the Kamgar Chawl project and why it’s significant?

Anoushka: Kamgar Chawl is a high-density informal settlement in Kolhapur, home to 26 families with one community toilet block. The location is on prime land, but the residents face serious challenges like unsafe structures, limited sanitation, and no long-term security. We saw this as an opportunity to rethink slum redevelopment. Instead of pushing for relocation or conventional flats, we’re trying to create a redevelopment plan that maintains community ties while introducing better housing, sanitation, and services.

Rajeev: You’ve launched a national design competition around this project. What are you hoping to achieve with it?

Anoushka: The competition is currently underway and invites architecture students from across India to submit proposals for the redevelopment of Kamgar Chawl. Participants have been given access to real site data, including spatial layouts and household information, to help ground their ideas in real-world conditions. We’ve partnered with Shelter Associates (SA), a Pune-based NGO with decades of experience in informal settlement data mapping and sanitation infrastructure. Their contribution has been instrumental by providing detailed GIS and household-level data, as well as community insights that allow participants to work with both quantitative and human-centered data. The response so far has been incredible, with student teams from some of the country’s top architecture schools expressing interest. Our aim is not only to generate practical and innovative proposals but also to create a platform where emerging designers can engage meaningfully with housing justice. Once submissions are in, selected entries will move into a refinement phase and will be presented to the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) for review and possible execution.

Rajeev: How has your background in aviation and large-scale planning influenced your work with ISF?

Anoushka: It’s given me a systems-level perspective. At ARUP, you’re constantly balancing
function, flow, and future growth. I apply that same mindset to slum redevelopment, understanding how people live, move, and interact within constrained spaces and how policy, design, and cost all intersect. Working in high-pressure, multidisciplinary environments has also helped me manage ISF projects with the same level of rigor and coordination.

Rajeev: Education has come up several times in your work. Why is that a key focus for ISF?

Anoushka: When we think about breaking the cycle of poverty, housing alone isn’t enough.
Education is critical. Through conversations with community leaders, I’ve become even more
convinced that housing and education should be planned together. We’re working to include spaces for digital learning, reading rooms, and child-friendly zones as part of the built environment in future ISF projects.

Rajeev: What does success look like for ISF in the next five years?

Anoushka: Success means building and implementing housing models that are replicable across different parts of urban India. It means influencing local policy, strengthening community agency, and creating design solutions that are truly inclusive. I want ISF to stay agile and responsive while having the courage and influence to drive national conversations on urban equity.

Rajeev: What advice would you give to other architects or planners who want to make an impact outside the typical development path?

Anoushka: Don’t wait to be qualified enough or senior enough. The issues we’re dealing with, housing insecurity, climate vulnerability, and inequality, need every skill set right now. Your perspective, your training, and your curiosity are enough to start with. Collaborate, listen, and take action with whatever tools you have. The rest builds itself.