India contributes to 16% of the global maternal deaths and around 27% of global newborn deaths. Reducing the burden of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity in urban poor settings today requires an expansion of effective Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) care services and lowering the barriers to the use of such services, especially availability and accessibility. For designing sensitive, responsive and relevant urban health policy and action, it is important for planners and programme managers to understand the context with regard to current systems and mechanisms, potential organisations and best practices. In order to adres this need, Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives programme commissioned a study that reviewed the literature and looked at available secondary data on MNH in urban poor settings.