North India has emerged as a major hub for green building development, with 2,475 projects spanning 2.81 billion sq ft across the National Capital Region (NCR), as highlighted at the IGBC GreenTech Summit 2026 held in New Delhi.

Organised by the CII Indian Green Building Council, the summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders and technology experts to accelerate the adoption of climate technologies in the built environment.

Uttar Pradesh ranked second nationally with 1,673 IGBC-registered projects covering 1.78 billion sq ft, while Delhi accounted for 794 projects spanning 0.63 billion sq ft. Across NCR, Noida and Greater Noida contributed 748 projects (0.83 billion sq ft), followed by Gurugram with 651 projects (0.71 billion sq ft). Faridabad and Ghaziabad together added 282 projects covering 626 million sq ft, indicating strong cluster-based growth.

The summit emphasised that green buildings are evolving beyond energy efficiency to include resource optimisation, low-carbon materials, and integrated digital technologies. Industry leaders noted that certified green buildings are increasingly cost-competitive with conventional construction, further accelerating adoption.

Policy support continues to play a critical role. Uttar Pradesh has introduced incentives such as additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for IGBC-certified projects and reimbursement of certification costs for hospitality developments, improving the financial viability of sustainable construction.

The event also highlighted key industry initiatives. Brookfield is advancing Net Zero strategies and embodied carbon reporting, while DLF and Emaar India are integrating decarbonisation, solar energy and sustainable design into their developments. In the energy sector, NTPC showcased long-duration storage innovation through a 3 MWh vanadium redox flow battery.

Technology adoption was another key theme, with discussions focusing on AI, IoT and digital twins enabling intelligent, data-driven buildings. Experts also stressed the need to upgrade existing buildings alongside new construction to achieve national Net Zero goals.

The summit recorded strong participation through IGBC’s Green Crusaders initiative, with 140 projects covering over 113.9 million sq ft registered across sectors including commercial, healthcare, education, housing and logistics.

With growing policy support, technological innovation and industry participation, North India is set to play a pivotal role in advancing India’s transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient built environment.