NHB and AFD expand funding to green and affordable housing projects

20 Nov 2019 Editorial Team

The India’s apex housing finance institution National Housing Bank (NHB), together with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union (EU), today announced their commitment to expand allocation of resources in order to promote green and affordable housing projects, through the SUNREF India Housing Programme.

Under this programme, housing finance companies, banks and home buyers will have access to competitive funding opportunities to finance green and affordable housing projects. The programme will also provide stakeholders with training opportunities on various technical aspects (norms, planning and project design regarding green and affordable components).

A comprehensive approach based on NHB’s experience

The programme includes a credit line of Euro 100 million granted by AFD in order to provide the stakeholders with adequately priced resources in the form of loans. It also includes a subsidy of Euro 12 million from the EU’s Asia Investment Facility (AIF) that embraces a technical component (worth Euro 3 million), and an investment incentive (worth Euro 9 million) to reduce the loan cost for final borrowers. Out of the latter, up to Euro 1 million will be used to support the cost incurred for housing projects’ green label certifications.

Speaking at the occasion, SK Hota, Managing Director, National Housing Bank, explained, “With nearly 70 per cent of India’s housing development lined up in the next decade itself, it is imperative that the environmental impact of construction is reduced. The SUNREF India programme not only encourages green housing through concessional funding but also supports the upgrade of technical knowledge and practices. I am confident our programme will serve as a catalyst in accelerating use of environment friendly strategies in housing.”

Strong support from international partners

According to Bruno Bosle, Country Director, AFD India, “The Euro 100 million credit line will support NHB’s refinancing operations to housing finance companies, banks or home buyers carrying eligible green building projects certified by local labels (IGBC and GRIHA). Doing so, it will encourage further adherence to green norms by housing projects. I am convinced that NHB’s programme will be a major achievement for the Indian housing sector”.

Elaborating on the technical assistance component of the programme, Henriette Faergemann, First Counsellor, European Union to India, spoke about the comprehensive training plan which includes trainings, capacity building activities and awareness campaigns. “Indeed, EU is a committed partner of India and working extensively over the past years addressing issues like climate change, green housing, energy efficiency and waste management, to name a few. SUNREF India programme fits well with the EU priorities in India as well as EU’s global priorities. With a Euro 12 million grant and technical assistance from the EU, we hope to support and reinforce the stakeholders understanding and expertise on green affordable housing through awareness campaigns, trainings and other capacity building initiatives.”

High commitment to deliver environmental and social positive outcomes

Green buildings deliver environmental, economic and social benefits for both, promoters and users. Indeed, the building sector has a large potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to other major emitting sectors. Certified green buildings result in energy savings of 40 to 50 per cent and water savings of 20 to 30 per cent compared to conventional buildings in India.

By 2025, 12,000 households will benefit from SUNREF Housing Programme India, of which, at least half of them will be from the economically weaker sections of society.

The India’s apex housing finance institution National Housing Bank (NHB), together with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union (EU), today announced their commitment to expand allocation of resources in order to promote green and affordable housing projects, through the SUNREF India Housing Programme.Under this programme, housing finance companies, banks and home buyers will have access to competitive funding opportunities to finance green and affordable housing projects. The programme will also provide stakeholders with training opportunities on various technical aspects (norms, planning and project design regarding green and affordable components).A comprehensive approach based on NHB’s experienceThe programme includes a credit line of Euro 100 million granted by AFD in order to provide the stakeholders with adequately priced resources in the form of loans. It also includes a subsidy of Euro 12 million from the EU’s Asia Investment Facility (AIF) that embraces a technical component (worth Euro 3 million), and an investment incentive (worth Euro 9 million) to reduce the loan cost for final borrowers. Out of the latter, up to Euro 1 million will be used to support the cost incurred for housing projects’ green label certifications. Speaking at the occasion, SK Hota, Managing Director, National Housing Bank, explained, “With nearly 70 per cent of India’s housing development lined up in the next decade itself, it is imperative that the environmental impact of construction is reduced. The SUNREF India programme not only encourages green housing through concessional funding but also supports the upgrade of technical knowledge and practices. I am confident our programme will serve as a catalyst in accelerating use of environment friendly strategies in housing.”Strong support from international partnersAccording to Bruno Bosle, Country Director, AFD India, “The Euro 100 million credit line will support NHB’s refinancing operations to housing finance companies, banks or home buyers carrying eligible green building projects certified by local labels (IGBC and GRIHA). Doing so, it will encourage further adherence to green norms by housing projects. I am convinced that NHB’s programme will be a major achievement for the Indian housing sector”.Elaborating on the technical assistance component of the programme, Henriette Faergemann, First Counsellor, European Union to India, spoke about the comprehensive training plan which includes trainings, capacity building activities and awareness campaigns. “Indeed, EU is a committed partner of India and working extensively over the past years addressing issues like climate change, green housing, energy efficiency and waste management, to name a few. SUNREF India programme fits well with the EU priorities in India as well as EU’s global priorities. With a Euro 12 million grant and technical assistance from the EU, we hope to support and reinforce the stakeholders understanding and expertise on green affordable housing through awareness campaigns, trainings and other capacity building initiatives.”High commitment to deliver environmental and social positive outcomesGreen buildings deliver environmental, economic and social benefits for both, promoters and users. Indeed, the building sector has a large potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to other major emitting sectors. Certified green buildings result in energy savings of 40 to 50 per cent and water savings of 20 to 30 per cent compared to conventional buildings in India. By 2025, 12,000 households will benefit from SUNREF Housing Programme India, of which, at least half of them will be from the economically weaker sections of society.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Jun 2026

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..