India can cut 8 gigatons of building emissions by 2050: NIUA-RMI

04 Jun 2025 CW Team

India could reduce up to 8 gigatons of carbon emissions from its building sector by 2050 through high-impact, low-carbon strategies, according to a new report launched by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI).

Titled Build Right for the First Time, the report was released during the “Heat Resilient and Low Carbon Housing in India” convening in New Delhi. It defines net-zero carbon buildings and outlines five strategic interventions that could be implemented at a modest cost premium of Rs 4,566 per sq m.

India’s urban population is expected to reach 843 million by 2050. With a doubling of building stock projected, the report calls for urgent decarbonisation backed by policy support and technological innovation.

Johnson Controls–Hitachi Air Conditioning’s Satish Chandra Vishnubhatla highlighted the gap between policy and implementation. RMI India’s Akshima Ghate underscored the alignment of growth with climate goals.

The report also introduces behavioural change frameworks and policy interventions to enable adoption. NIUA Director Dr. Debolina Kundu urged stakeholders to build a coalition for future-ready, heat-resilient housing.

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..