Housing & Development Board (HDB) Scholar Ananya Balehithlu is helping to advance how data science and technology support stronger, smarter, and more connected communities. From building AI tools for estate operations to modelling housing affordability, Ananya’s work turns insights into practical solutions that impact and serve millions of Singaporeans every day. Discover her journey from scholarship recipient to data scientist, driving real-world change at HDB.
A First Glimpse of Purpose
At a career fair I attended after my A-Levels, I was struck by the scale and significance of HDB. With over 5,000 staff spread across its Building, Estate, and Corporate clusters, HDB supports one of Singapore’s most extensive public-service portfolios, covering everything from town planning and estate management to digital services development. Amid this scale, what drew me most to HDB was the opportunity to make a tangible impact through data science and technology. Every improvement, whether in housing policy, town planning, or estate management, touches the lives of millions. The idea of applying data-driven insights and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help make processes smarter and public services more intuitive truly appealed to me.
My Scholarship Journey
The HDB Undergraduate Scholarship offered me the perfect pathway to achieve this purpose. I pursued a Double Degree in Computer Science and Business at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where combining these two disciplines helped me develop both technical depth and strategic awareness—essential skills for navigating the complex intersections of technology, business, and society.
My time at NTU was shaped by exploration and growth. I also had the opportunity to go on exchange to Drexel University in the United States, where I learnt from professors who championed innovation and hands-on problem-solving. Studying abroad not only broadened my academic horizons, but also gave me a deeper perspective on how data and design have shaped communities around the world.
From Theory to Practice
During university, my internships with HDB were instrumental in translating classroom concepts into real-world applications. They helped me bridge the gap between theory and practice by translating my understanding of Machine Learning (ML) architectures and coding skills into tools and analyses that support live decision-making.
My HDB internships also allowed me to experience handling large-scale, real-world data—far more complex than anything I had encountered at university. Beyond handling data, I learnt to think critically about workflows, efficiency, and measurable impact, and, most importantly, how to build systems that not only work but work effectively at the scale and complexity of a public agency.
Data, AI, and Purpose
When I joined HDB full-time, it was an especially exciting time for AI. The public sector was ramping up its AI initiatives, and a fun competition caught my eye: Prompt Royale 2024, a government-wide prompt engineering challenge. Representing HDB, I advanced from intra-agency rounds to the Whole-Of-Government finals, ultimately finishing as runner-up among more than 500 participants! What made the experience truly memorable was the encouragement from my team and supervisors, who supported me through every round. This competition also exemplified how technology has become a shared language across the public service—connecting people, fostering learning, and driving progress together.
In my current role as a Data Scientist, I work on a diverse portfolio of projects that reflect the breadth of HDB’s digital transformation. These range from modelling and simulation studies that inform housing affordability decisions, to deep learning systems that support estate operations through image recognition models, to generative AI tools that improve knowledge sharing and communication within the organisation. The diversity of projects keeps my work intellectually stimulating and socially purposeful. Across every initiative, the goal remains the same: to help HDB work smarter and deliver better outcomes for the communities we serve.
Reflections and Gratitude
Looking back, my double degree programme equipped me with the dual lenses I now use daily: computational thinking from computer science and strategic reasoning from business. But it was through my experiences with HDB (first as an intern, now as a data scientist) that I truly appreciated how technology brings value where it is needed.
The HDB Scholarship has been central to this journey. Mentorship, community, and a clear sense of purpose are among some of my takeaways from this scholarship. Not only that, it connected me with like-minded peers and leaders across the organisation and the wider government who share the same vision of strengthening Singapore’s housing future. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow, learn, and make a meaningful impact through data science at HDB, and I’m excited for what lies ahead!
ANANYA BALEHITHLU
HDB Undergraduate Scholarship
Double Degree in Bachelor of Computing in Computer Science & Bachelor of Business (Specialisation in Business Analytics), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Now: Data Scientist, Information Services Group, HDB