BMTPC Hosts Conference on Sustainable & Innovative Building Materials

The National Conference-cum-Expo on Innovative Building Materials & Construction Technologies was held on March 19–20, 2025, in New Delhi, with the objective of bringing all stakeholders onto a common platform to share their knowledge and experiences, and to promote alternate, innovative, environment-friendly, and disaster-resistant building materials and construction technologies.

The conference proceedings were structured around thematic areas such as Emerging Building Materials & Construction Systems; Industrialized Building Systems, including Futuristic Technologies; Green Building Materials & Sustainable Development; Energy & Thermal Efficiency in Building Construction & Operations; and Industrial, Agricultural, and Plastic Waste-based Components, as well as C&D Waste Processing Technologies.

The event was graced by Shri Kuldip Narayan, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (HFA), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, in the presence of Shri Sanjay Kulshrestha, Chairman & Managing Director, Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO); Dr. V.K. Paul, Director, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi; Prof. (Dr.) Anil Kashyap, Chancellor, NICMAR University & Director General, NICMAR; Shri Sanjay Seth, Senior Director, TERI and Vice President & CEO, GRIHA Council; Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar, VSM (Retd.); and Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agrawal, Executive Director, BMTPC. Presentations were given by several dignitaries.

Highlights from Key Presentations

Kuldip Narayan, Joint Secretary & Mission Director (HFA), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, commenting on the all-pervasive consumerism in our economy, said: “Everyone is talking about speed, new materials, and faster construction: but how much do we really need? We should be more concerned about a building’s sustainability, usability, and durability.

Today, most innovations are happening in concrete, even when we have natural materials like bamboo that could serve the same purpose. The real systemic change we need is to ensure that innovative and sustainable materials are also more economical, so that they are preferred over conventional ones.

A “pakka” house is considered durable; but it need not be made of concrete or bricks. In most Tier 3 or Tier 4 cities, 80% of the residences are G+1 or a maximum G+3, so, do we need to make them with foundations or concrete columns designed to bear loads of five stories? Many builders advise homeowners to build their houses with a provision for expansion 25 to 30 years down the line. But should we be putting so much effort and resources on something that is uncertain in the future?

Building construction technology is decided by the architects, developers, and technology providers. But we should also create a system whereby buyers can know their house’s energy and resource efficiency through a rating system, without having to understand the technical details. As academia and industry, we should help them understand active and passive design elements so that they can make informed decisions on the necessary architectural or structural features.

Buyers normally place their trust on the easily marketed and available solutions. But we, as architects, developers, government, and tech providers, need to align technology upgradation and economy, and make responsible decisions to gain buyers’ trust.

A study shows that by 2050, India will be 85–90% urbanized. We will need more buildings, particularly in the affordable housing segment. This is a huge opportunity to set in place the right policies and practices. As trustees of the housing ecosystem, we have the responsibility to ensure that consumers are provided homes that provide thermal comfort, good air circulation, low pollution, and are durable, and ergonomically comfortable.

Dr. Shailesh Kr. Agrawal, Executive Director, BMTPC, opined that the need for change stems from our goal to enhance resource efficiency, climate resilience, eco-friendliness, and energy efficiency. He informed that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is already at the forefront of this movement as it is facilitating the creation of innovative materials and technologies and promoting them through demos and model projects.

“We want to bring a paradigm shift in the construction sector. The conventional construction practice that typically involves building walls brick by brick or using cast-in-situ methods, are neither sustainable nor efficient as they often lead to time and cost overruns, as well as significant material wastage.

Today, energy efficiency and decarbonization of the built environment have gained immense importance, hence, we must incorporate considerations like lifecycle analysis of the embodied carbon, waste minimization, fast-track construction, and deploy innovative construction methods like precast and prefab. Why build walls, beams, columns, and slabs on-site when you can manufacture them in a factory or casting yard and transport the components to the site and assemble them there? Houses built in this way are almost 80% complete before they reach the construction site. Once the foundation is laid and basic services are in place, the house is ready.

Sanjay Seth, Vice President & CEO, GRIHA Council and Senior Director, TERI, informed that the construction and building sector is making a transition towards green practices with the use of eco-friendly building materials, and is exploring more resource-efficient materials.

“India has a vast history of traditional knowledge and access to indigenous materials, technologies, and construction practices that are inherently resource-efficient and environmentally friendly. We must work on integrating this ancient wisdom with modern practices to promote innovative green building materials and technologies for a low-carbon future.

There must also be a strong emphasis on switching to alternative materials such as recycled and naturally occurring renewable materials. This encourages responsible consumption behavior and supports the circular economy—especially when combined with lifecycle assessment. Globally, if we look at emissions, about 40% are attributed to construction, and if you consider embodied carbon as well, it may go up to 80%.

At the national level, we are all aspiring toward our intermediary benchmarks — 2047 being a significant year as we look toward becoming Viksit Bharat on the centenary of our Independence. It is a prime opportunity to showcase sustainable and resilient national development. In the context of global settings, the 2030 Agenda—the Sustainable Development Goals—is also approaching, and we are soon to evaluate how we are progressing.

2050 is another benchmark year where we are aiming to achieve net zero and decarbonize the construction and building sector; hence, integrating green practices into construction processes becomes extremely important. This will help reduce operational costs, lower GHG emissions, and improve the resource efficiency of buildings.

Materials such as cement, steel, and aluminium, are amongst the largest carbon emitters due to the high embodied energy consumed in both their production and deployment. While these materials remain indispensable for now, there must be an increased focus on researching alternative building materials and technologies, and how by integrating low-impact building materials and techniques can reduce both embodied and operational carbon emissions.

The Ministry of Power and TERI have recently signed an MoU to establish a Center of Energy Transition in Hyderabad, which will focus on decarbonizing all sectors of the economy. Research will be conducted across all segments of the economy. TERI and GRIHA are actively working to bring down ambient temperatures and make urban spaces more livable.

India, in its NDCs at COP21, also highlighted GRIHA — our indigenous green rating system—as part of our mitigation strategy. The environmental impact of GRIHA-rated projects is measured in terms of energy and water consumption, installed renewable energy capacities, and other impact data. This data is shared in our national communications (BURs) submitted to the UNFCCC by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

GRIHA variants promote the use of locally available materials in the construction process and encourage innovation to cultivate retrofit solutions specific to regions, thereby contributing to a holistic and region-specific approach to retrofitting.

It is also important to integrate the concepts of lifecycle cost assessment and lifecycle costing, which reduce the environmental impact of material selection and encourage projects to optimize resource consumption. These concepts help us evaluate preemptive mitigation strategies and optimize a building's overall design impact by guiding material and equipment selection. While these are important, they are still in their nascent stages in India and need to be scaled up significantly if we are to see a meaningful impact. The GRIHA Catalogue lists efficient and sustainable building materials for urban practitioners.

Mahindra and TERI have come together to establish the Mahindra Center of Excellence. This platform shares open-source information for urban practitioners about the thermal properties and performance of building materials.

The GRIHA Council has entered into an MoU with NICMAR to work on sustainable development. Partnerships with industry, academia, and the government are vital for making the transition toward a low-carbon economy.

Prof. (Dr.) Anil Kashyap, Chancellor, NICMAR University, elaborating on the need for innovative materials and technologies, said, “Globally, the building and construction sector contributes about 11 to 13% of the global GDP, and is expected to reach about 15 trillion US dollars by 2030, driven by urbanization, infrastructure development, and technological advancement. In terms of wealth, the real estate and built environment sector represents more than 50% of the global wealth.

However, one of the critical environmental consequences is that 40% of global CO2 emissions are contributed by this sector alone. The challenge lies in how we can reduce these emissions. By using innovative materials and technologies, and following sustainable practices, we can unlock an estimated 1.8 trillion-dollar market opportunity in the near future.

The Indian construction industry is also growing rapidly and is expected to reach about 1.4 trillion US dollars by the end of this year. Considering our national goal of becoming a 5-trillion-dollar economy, this sector’s contribution is substantial. Given the national agenda — including the infrastructure pipeline and the government's mission of achieving a developed nation status by 2047, we all are, in one way or another, part of this nation-building journey.

Many innovations on materials and technologies are already in practice or in various stages of implementation. For instance, we are seeing low-carbon concrete and self-healing concrete, and biophilic designs and materials that help reduce carbon footprint, cost, and environmental impact.

Technologies like smart buildings are becoming more common in our built environments. The number of rated green buildings is growing steadily, showing our progress in energy efficiency, water conservation, comfort, enhanced living and working environments. Emerging construction technologies like 3D printing and volumetric construction can be scaled up to support mass housing initiatives. They can significantly speed up construction and delivery timelines. However, innovation is not just about speed and efficiency; it reflects the environmental responsibility and responsiveness of the sector.

Institutions like NICMAR, in collaboration with GRIHA and other rating agencies, are taking positive steps toward addressing these challenges. We are also training future professionals to think and act sustainably, ensuring they carry forward this vision as they enter the workforce.

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar, VSM (Retd), sharing his views on reducing energy consumption said: “Sustainable solutions and practices can become a reality only if each one of us gets involved – right from doing small acts like switching off lights and air conditioners in their homes and offices when not needed.

Our forefathers made houses out of mud, mortar and bricks. Now, it’s just concrete. But new materials are being created and new technologies being developed, and research is being done on how materials can help structures breathe, and the impact on the health of the people in these buildings.

Professors from IITs are doing significant research. Government bodies are also involved in planning the infrastructure of the future. Metro rails in cities are expanding, and skyscrapers rising—mostly clad in glass. We need to consider the amount of heat being generated inside these buildings. So, while using our resources we must learn to differentiate between need and want.

Sanjay Kulshrestha, CMD, HUDCO, giving his views on financial viability and sustainability, said, “While innovating, the focus should be on cost and financial viability, which are key to building the assets required for a Viksit Bharat. The Government of India has taken several initiatives towards achieving this, such as the recent Urban Challenge Fund. I believe that management of valuable resources such as water, land, air, waste, and finances must take centre-stage.

India has achieved a lot in terms of innovative technologies. Centers of excellence have been established, and many startups are working in this space. It is the responsibility of a PSU of the Government of India to take responsibility as a lender and consultant, and also through our involvement in capacity building. Whether it is ideating on rental housing concepts or adopting new technologies, we are actively working with several states along with our administrative ministry. Around 70% of households in India are self-constructed, and such technologies must reach that level.

Conclusion

The event was attended by around 350 delegates, who included representatives from Urban Local Bodies, State Governments, faculty and students of technical and architectural institutions, executives from various PSUs, architects, and engineers from private organizations. An expo showcased innovative products, technologies, and systems developed by companies, while technology providers gave technical presentations of their solutions.