Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence

What Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence does

CURE (Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence) is a not-for-profit development organization registered in India and headquartered at C-2 Green Park Extension, New Delhi. It partners with low-income and informal urban communities — particularly women-led groups — to co-design integrated interventions across housing, water and sanitation, livelihoods, health, climate resilience, and participatory governance. The organization operates across 40 cities and 16 Indian states, reaching 1.5 million lives (including 113,610 women supported and 586,500 people reached) through co-creation methodologies emphasizing community ownership and ecological sensitivity.

CURE's technology portfolio centers on URBGOV, a proprietary Volunteered Information System that integrates community-generated data with municipal datasets for policy development, alongside three integrated modules: CENT (Citizen Engagement Tool) for bidirectional citizen-municipal communication, InScEnT for registering informal sanitation workers, and SANMAN for city sanitation management. The organization also deploys DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System), a nature-based five-chamber gravity/bioremediation treatment solution capable of processing 50 kiloliters of wastewater daily, recognized by India's Ministry of Urban Development as a best practice. Complementary tools include participatory geospatial mapping, mobile-first applications, and planning frameworks such as TEDIP (Taj East Drain Improvement Plan).

CURE operates as a grant-funded non-profit; it does not sell commercial products or services and pricing is not applicable. Revenue is derived from grants and development partnerships with bilateral agencies (USAID, NORAD via NIPI, Royal Norwegian Embassy), multilateral institutions (World Bank, GIZ, Cities Alliance), Indian and international foundations (Tata Trusts, Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Interglobe Foundation, Arghyam), government ministries (India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, MCD), and corporate CSR programs (Apollo Tyres Foundation, DS Group, KPMG, EY). Cumulative project funding reaches approximately $10 million. Distribution is via direct community engagement, government partnerships, and freely distributed knowledge products/publications. The core team comprises 12 members plus a separate 7-member NIPI CURE technical team.

Name

Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence

Legal name

Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence

Website

https://cureindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CURE is a New Delhi-headquartered non-profit development organization that partners with low-income urban communities across 40 Indian cities to co-create integrated solutions in housing, water, sanitation, health, livelihoods, and climate resilience, using proprietary data platforms (URBGOV, CENT, InScEnT) and DEWATS decentralized wastewater treatment, funded primarily by grants from USAID, NORAD, Gates, Ford, and Tata Trusts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ), Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Urban Flood Resilience & Adaptation Planning (Climate, Nature-Based Solutions) (EUANAEAJ), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

Keywords

• Urban development services
• Decentralized wastewater treatment
• Inclusive sanitation solutions
• Urban governance platforms
• Informal settlement upgrading

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding & Development Partnerships: CURE operates as a non-profit development organization funded primarily through grants and partnerships with international development agencies, governments, foundations, and corporate social responsibility programs. Revenue comes from implementing donor-funded programs in areas like health (NIPI with Norway/India governments), water & sanitation (USAID SAMAGRA, PASS), and urban development initiatives.
2. Donations & Support: Individual and organizational donations supporting CURE's mission to empower marginalized urban communities. The website includes a 'Support Us' section for contributions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) is a New Delhi-based non-profit development organization that designs and delivers inclusive urban development programs for low-income and informal settlements. It provides a suite of urban governance technology platforms (URBGOV, CENT, InScEnT, SANMAN) and physical infrastructure solutions (DEWATS, TEDIP, PASS) targeted at housing, water, sanitation, livelihoods, climate resilience, and governance challenges. Its offerings are directed at government agencies, donor organizations, and vulnerable urban communities.

Product overview

CURE operates as a non-profit development organization offering a portfolio of urban development solutions rather than a single unified product. The core platform is URBGOV, a comprehensive urban governance data system that integrates community-generated data for policy development and resource allocation. URBGOV comprises three integrated modules: CENT (Citizen Engagement Tool) for bidirectional citizen-government communication, InScEnT (Informal Sanitation Workers Engagement Tool) for documenting informal sanitation workforce data, and SANMAN for city sanitation management. Supporting these digital platforms, CURE provides infrastructure solutions including DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System), planning frameworks like the Taj East Drain Improvement Plan, and programmatic initiatives such as PASS (Pani Aur Swachta Mein Sajhedari). The offering combines participatory geospatial mapping tools, interactive dashboards, mobile engagement applications, and evidence-based analytical frameworks for comprehensive urban programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• URBGOV: Comprehensive Volunteered Information System that revolutionizes urban governance through systematic integration of community-generated data. Platform enables municipalities to collate, analyze, and spatialize diverse datasets for policy development and resource allocation.
• CENT
• InScEnT

Products and services

• URBGOV Urban governance platform that enables city and municipal stakeholders to plan, coordinate, and monitor inclusive urban development interventions in low-income and informal settlements.
• CENT (Citizen Engagement Tool) Citizen engagement tool that allows residents of informal settlements to interact with urban service providers and government bodies, and to provide feedback on local services.
• InScEnT (Informal Sanitation Workers Engagement Tool) Engagement tool designed to support informal sanitation workers by enabling service coordination, identity, and welfare linkages within urban sanitation systems.
• SANMAN City sanitation management system that helps municipalities and service providers plan, monitor, and manage sanitation services across urban areas.
• DEWATS (Decentralized Wastewater Treatment System) Decentralized wastewater treatment system engineered for low-income and informal urban settlements, providing low-cost, low-maintenance treatment of domestic wastewater at the community level.
• TEDIP (Taj East Drain Improvement Plan) Urban drainage improvement plan focused on the Taj East drainage area, aimed at reducing flooding, waterlogging, and sanitation risks in surrounding informal settlements.
• PASS (Pond and Storm-water management for Slum Resilience) Pond and storm-water management program designed to improve climate resilience and reduce flood risk in slum and informal-settlement neighborhoods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.5 million lives impacted
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cities AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCities Alliance, a global partnership for urban poverty reduction, collaborates with CURE on urban development projects and knowledge sharing for inclusive city transformation.
• KPMGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG partners with CURE, providing expertise in consulting, data analytics, and implementation support for urban development programs.
• Kailash SatyarthiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi's foundation collaborates with CURE on initiatives related to child welfare and social justice in urban communities.
• London Metropolitan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLondon Metropolitan University collaborated with CURE on the DEWATS project in Kachhpura, Agra, providing academic expertise and research support for decentralized wastewater treatment.
• Newcastle UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewcastle University partners with CURE on research and academic collaboration in urban development, climate resilience, and sustainable infrastructure.
• NIUA (National Institute of Urban Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIUA partners with CURE on urban research and knowledge generation, with CURE's case studies published in NIUA's Urban Narratives publication.
• WaterAidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaterAid partners with CURE on water and sanitation initiatives, combining expertise to improve WASH service delivery in urban poor communities.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ partners with CURE on urban development projects, providing German development cooperation expertise and funding for inclusive urban transformation.
• Aga KhanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAga Khan Development Network collaborates with CURE on urban development and housing initiatives in Indian cities.
• ArghyamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArghyam, a foundation focused on water and sanitation, partners with CURE on water resilience and WASH programs in urban areas.
• Water Trust, UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Trust UK collaborated with CURE on the DEWATS project in Kachhpura, providing technical support for decentralized wastewater treatment implementation.
• Government of India - Ministry of Health and Family WelfarecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCURE implements the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) in support of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, providing technical expertise for RMNCH program implementation.
• Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMCD partners with CURE on urban development projects, including selecting CURE as consultant for community toilet management systems.
• PSI (Population Services International)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSI partners with CURE on the Samagra project, combining expertise in health and sanitation for integrated urban WASH interventions.
• Frank WaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrank Water, a charity providing safe water solutions, partners with CURE on water access projects in urban communities.
• ARTIC (Aga Khan Trust for Culture - Aga Khan Trust for Culture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARTIC partners with CURE on cultural heritage and urban development initiatives, including heritage walks in Agra.
• Mahila Housing Trust (MHT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMahila Housing Trust partners with CURE on initiatives empowering women in housing and urban development.
• Navjyoti India FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNavjyoti India Foundation collaborates with CURE on urban development and skill training programs.
• FINCHAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINCHAM partners with CURE on the Resilient Schools initiative, combining expertise for climate-resilient educational infrastructure.
• OaknorthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOaknorth partners with CURE on climate-resilient school initiatives.
• JSI (John Snow, Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJSI partners with CURE on health programs and implementation support.
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDS collaborates with CURE on development research and knowledge generation.
• Adelphi Consult GMBHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdelphi Consult partners with CURE on climate and development consulting.
• Purpose Campaigns LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurpose Campaigns partners with CURE on advocacy and campaign initiatives.
• Bal RakshaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBal Raksha partners with CURE on child welfare and protection initiatives.
• PFI (Freedom Forum)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFI partners with CURE on development initiatives.
• NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNTNU collaborates with CURE on research and academic exchange in urban development.
• EAWAGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAWAG, Swiss water research institute, partners with CURE on water and sanitation research.
• CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCII collaborates with CURE on industry engagement and urban development initiatives.
• EYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY partners with CURE on consulting and implementation support for urban development projects.
• University of VirginiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Virginia partners with CURE on academic research and knowledge exchange in urban development.
• Tibetan Voluntary Health AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTVHA partners with CURE on health initiatives for Tibetan communities.
• SANEI (Sanitation and Water Advisory)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSANEI collaborates with CURE on sanitation and water advisory services.
• IFPFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFPF partners with CURE on development initiatives.
• NFI (National Fashion Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNFI collaborates with CURE on skill development programs.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS): Bengaluru-based knowledge institution focused on India's urbanization, housing, and climate. Comparable to CURE on integrating research, practice, and urban governance solutions across Indian cities.
• Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI): Global network of community-led savings federations working on incremental housing, sanitation, and land tenure for the urban poor. Comparable to CURE on community-generated data, savings-led models, and city-level federations of the urban poor.
• Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC): Mumbai-based non-profit that works directly with slum and pavement-dwelling communities to co-create housing, sanitation, and tenure solutions. Directly comparable to CURE in mission (urban poor inclusion), geographic focus on India, and community-led methodology.
• Mahila Housing Trust (MHT): Ahmedabad-based NGO that organizes women in informal settlements on housing, WASH, and climate resilience. Overlaps with CURE's women-led, community-empowerment approach across Indian cities, including a direct listed partnership.
• Hasiru Dala: Bengaluru-based non-profit working with informal waste pickers and on solid-waste management. Comparable to CURE's InScEnT tool and Informal Sanitation Workers focus on documenting and dignifying informal sanitation livelihoods in Indian cities.
• Arghyam: India-based foundation focused on water and sanitation, partnering with CURE on WASH and water resilience. Overlaps directly on rural-urban WASH portfolio, funding grantmaking, and knowledge dissemination.
• Shelter Associates: Pune/Mumbai-based non-profit working on housing, sanitation, and water access for low-income urban households. Direct peer to CURE on integrated WASH-and-housing delivery models for informal settlements in India.
• WaterAid India: India country affiliate of the global WASH-focused INGO. Listed CURE partner; comparable on WASH service delivery in urban poor communities, policy advocacy, and government partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Smart Cities Mission (Government of India): Central government initiative driving digital and sustainable urban transformation across 100 Indian cities. Broad incumbent against whose mandate CURE's URBGOV and Smart Cities-Urban Innovation positioning is calibrated.
• UN-Habitat India: UN agency that awarded CURE's URBGOV platform and runs broader urban governance programs in India. Larger, multi-mandate incumbent operating alongside CURE on inclusive urbanization, policy advisory, and slum upgrading.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CURE_INDIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/centreforurbanandregionalexcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-urban-and-regional-excellence-cure-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence