It was launched in mission mode (2015-19) by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as a central sector scheme. The primary objective of the scheme is to integrate modern features and intangible historical/cultural heritage of 12 Indian cities (Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal).