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India is embracing green buildings due to growing awareness among end-users. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, India held the third position among the top 10 countries for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Outside of the U.S. in 2019. According to the same study, India is an evolving leader in green buildings and has certified 3,369 LEED projects with over 167 million gross square meters of certified space. According to ConsTrack360, over the forecast period of 2021 to 2025, the Indian green building industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.5%.
As per Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), India accomplished 7.17 billion square feet of 'Green Building Footprint. As of September 2020, there are nearly 6,000 green projects and more than 5.77 lakh acres of large development projects in the country, which have assisted in reaching the 75% green building footprint target two years before the actual mark.
As per the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank, in emerging countries, especially India, green buildings are likely to provide around US$1.4 trillion investment opportunity, which could further spur economic growth and boost sustainable development in the country.
Both the residential and commercial construction sectors account for nearly 30% of energy consumption, which is expected to increase to about 48.5% by 2042. India is expected to have a deficit of three crore additional housing units by 2022. The country is committed to cutting down emissions as planned in the Paris Agreement on climate change, further promoting green buildings in India. By 2030, the Indian government aims to reduce emissions by 33-35%, increase non-fossil-based power capacity and reduce carbon by almost three billion tonnes.
Many government agencies have also embraced green buildings as well as recognized and incentivized green buildings. These include the Ministry of Skill Development and the Small Industries Development Bank of India. It also includes NOIDA and the Bhuvneshwar Development Authority as well as Pune Municipal Corporation.
LEED hotspots in India include Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata. One of the latest LEED projects includes LEED Gold Metro Bhawan, the first to receive certification through the Arc platform. The project was led by DMRC, a U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Platinum member. Also, global technology capitals, including Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, are likely to offer green sustainable buildings opportunities in India.
Universities have also demonstrated their commitment to healthy and sustainable buildings. For instance, Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) achieved Platinum certification. Moreover, Amity University’s Noida Campus, Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, and NITTE University in Karnataka have also pursued LEED certification.
The LEED’s success in India is attributed to companies such as Huntsman Corporation, DLF, Savvy Group, MGM Healthcare, Colgate Palmolive, Danfoss India, USP India, American Intl School in Chennai, ITC HQ Kolkata, and Grundfos Pumps.
The regulatory environment for green buildings is evolving in India. The National Building Code 2016, regulating the construction activity, was updated in 2017 by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to include the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC). The ECBC recommends a minimum standard for energy use in new commercial buildings. For existing buildings, energy efficiency services and delivery mechanisms, including a market for Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), have been made a norm by BEE. Design guidelines for Energy Efficient multi-storey residential buildings have also been introduced.
Rating systems and certifications for green buildings have also progressed in India. The BEE Buildings Star Rating System rates buildings on a five-star scale based on actual performance in terms of energy usage (in kWh/sqm/year). LEED and Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) are other rating systems used in India. GRIHA is India’s own rating system, jointly developed by TERI and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, whereas the USGBC develops LEED.
