India's Green Construction Sector In The Making
Interiors

India's Green Construction Sector In The Making

We're talking about the construction industry, which includes not just houses, offices, and factories, but also huge infrastructure projects including as highways, airports, dams, bridges, and a nationwide metro train network in tier 1 and tier 2 cities. The most recent federal budget raised infrastructure capital expenditure allocation to Rs 5.54 lakh crore, or about 34% more than what was authorised in 2020–21, which would be spent mostly on road and rail projects. This year, another Rs 55 000 crore would be invested on public housing projects.

All of this is unquestionably good news for the building industry in terms of growth. But it also implies that environmental pressure will rise correspondingly, if not more so. According to a 2010 projection by the McKinsey Global Institute, metropolitan India's population would expand by about 250 million people, requiring 700-900 million m2 of new residential and commercial space.

The good news is that major areas of the building industry, such as steel, electricity, and cement, as well as the wider build materials sector, have begun to transition toward greener goods and manufacturing processes.

The potential for a more sustainable construction sector is enormous, and the use of environmentally friendly building materials is only one aspect of it. The circular economy, which is focused on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), is at the heart of these industries' sustainability activities.

The concept of a circular economy is gaining traction in the construction industry, with increasing use of recycled building materials and more sustainable techniques that allow us to create more with less input, such as water and energy. In India, a science-driven approach to developing more sustainable construction materials is gaining traction, prompting businesses to form outcome-driven partnerships with universities. Here, the steel and cement industries are leading the way.

The consumer's side of the tale is equally intriguing. Consumers today, in both residential and business settings, are playing an active and critical part in ensuring that their carbon footprint is as little as possible. Rooftop solar with net metering is quickly gaining traction across a number of user groups, including households, industries, and commercial buildings. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in demand for green buildings. What began as a trickle at the beginning of the millennium has now expanded to over 7.5 billion square feet of green built-up area, making India one of the world's largest and fastest expanding marketplaces for green buildings.

The Indian Green Building Council hopes to reach the 10-billion-square-foot goal by next year, when India will be 75 years old. The outlook appears to be extremely promising. It will only be a matter of time until green building is fully mainstreamed and made accessible to the general public. Given the scope of the potential in India, this should position us as a green building leader.

Also read

https://www.constructionworld.in/latest-construction-news/real-estate-news/interiors/a-man-used-beer-bottles---soil-to-build-a-home-just-for-rs.-6-lakh/29856

https://www.constructionworld.in/latest-construction-news/real-estate-news/interiors/bamboo-construction-to-replace-plastic-and-cement-in-buildings/27927


We're talking about the construction industry, which includes not just houses, offices, and factories, but also huge infrastructure projects including as highways, airports, dams, bridges, and a nationwide metro train network in tier 1 and tier 2 cities. The most recent federal budget raised infrastructure capital expenditure allocation to Rs 5.54 lakh crore, or about 34% more than what was authorised in 2020–21, which would be spent mostly on road and rail projects. This year, another Rs 55 000 crore would be invested on public housing projects.All of this is unquestionably good news for the building industry in terms of growth. But it also implies that environmental pressure will rise correspondingly, if not more so. According to a 2010 projection by the McKinsey Global Institute, metropolitan India's population would expand by about 250 million people, requiring 700-900 million m2 of new residential and commercial space.The good news is that major areas of the building industry, such as steel, electricity, and cement, as well as the wider build materials sector, have begun to transition toward greener goods and manufacturing processes.The potential for a more sustainable construction sector is enormous, and the use of environmentally friendly building materials is only one aspect of it. The circular economy, which is focused on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), is at the heart of these industries' sustainability activities.The concept of a circular economy is gaining traction in the construction industry, with increasing use of recycled building materials and more sustainable techniques that allow us to create more with less input, such as water and energy. In India, a science-driven approach to developing more sustainable construction materials is gaining traction, prompting businesses to form outcome-driven partnerships with universities. Here, the steel and cement industries are leading the way.The consumer's side of the tale is equally intriguing. Consumers today, in both residential and business settings, are playing an active and critical part in ensuring that their carbon footprint is as little as possible. Rooftop solar with net metering is quickly gaining traction across a number of user groups, including households, industries, and commercial buildings. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in demand for green buildings. What began as a trickle at the beginning of the millennium has now expanded to over 7.5 billion square feet of green built-up area, making India one of the world's largest and fastest expanding marketplaces for green buildings.The Indian Green Building Council hopes to reach the 10-billion-square-foot goal by next year, when India will be 75 years old. The outlook appears to be extremely promising. It will only be a matter of time until green building is fully mainstreamed and made accessible to the general public. Given the scope of the potential in India, this should position us as a green building leader.Also readhttps://www.constructionworld.in/latest-construction-news/real-estate-news/interiors/a-man-used-beer-bottles---soil-to-build-a-home-just-for-rs.-6-lakh/29856https://www.constructionworld.in/latest-construction-news/real-estate-news/interiors/bamboo-construction-to-replace-plastic-and-cement-in-buildings/27927

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code