GRIHA Council, FCC Ink MoU to Promote Green Construction

Two of India's leading think tanks, GRIHA Council and FIRST Construction Council (FCC) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for information sharing in the latest developments in their respective fields of operation. The MoU will see the two organisations work closely in areas of common interest, particularly the construction sector. At the MoU signing ceremony held on Tuesday in New Delhi, the two sides agreed to participate in each other's events and programmes to enhance knowledge sharing and networking. During the inking of the agreement Sanjay Seth, CEO, GRIHA Council and Pratap Padode, Founder & Director, FIRST Construction Council agreed that the country not only presented a vast potential for constructing green buildings but an enhanced cooperation between GRIHA Council and FIRST Construction Council would help in the advancement of such construction in India as a mainstream option for both builders and owners. Areas of Cooperation GRIHA Council and FCC will be working together to create awareness among their membership on their various initiatives. For instance, FCC's annual India Construction Festival and GRIHA Council's GRIHA Summit. The two organisations will also closely work towards developing programmes on sustainable construction practices in association with stakeholders in the industry. GRIHA or Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment Council is a joint effort of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Govt. of India, which is endorsed as the ‘National rating system for green buildings in India’ in the year 2007. GRIHA is an indigenous green building rating system developed specifically to suit Indian climate and construction practices. The rating aligns itself with the national regulatory framework and policies. FCC, headquartered in Mumbai, is an infrastructure think-tank, focused on providing the latest updates on the construction industry in India, and dedicated to promoting its causes and needs. FCC provides a platform to promote the adoption of best practices, and be the torchbearer for all policy initiatives that are needed to enhance the importance and welfare of the construction industry and the industry’s unified voice. FCC, through its various resources, is in constant dialogue with state and city governments, and leaders from the industry in order to identify opportunities to improve its state, as well as provide opportunities to private players to get involved in the next phase of infrastructure growth in the country.