In a scenario where the building and construction sector consumes high energy and emits high energy-related CO2 emissions, India is witnessing a gradual emergence of startups that have developed more efficient and eco-friendly sustainable construction materials
By Dheeraj Kapoor
With the expanding population in India, the demand for housing has been only rising. However, there is a growing realization and concern about the ill effects of conventional building materials globally and in the country. As per the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2021, brought out by an annual report UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the buildings and construction industry’s share in global final energy consumption was 36 percent along with 37 percent energy-related CO2 emission in 2020.
The process of building construction exposes the construction workers to toxic materials such as silica dust, which has been found to cause lung issues such as inflammation of the lung tissue, Silicosis, Bronchitis, and Lung cancer. Against this backdrop, sustainable construction materials are gaining high significance in the country and globally. In India, many start-ups have come up that manufacture sustainable construction materials to tackle the above concerns by focusing on decreasing resource consumption, waste output, and carbon footprint. This piece explores the various start-ups that are working in sustainable construction materials space in the country.
Various Initiatives
Tvasta (https://tvasta.construction/), a startup founded by three mechanical engineers from IIT-Madras uses 3D printing technology to build a sustainable house in a matter of fewer than three weeks as reported by the Times of India on 8 December 20220. The cost of the house is less than half of what goes into the construction of a traditional house. The company puts together a 2D plan and once it is ready, it is used to build the house using 3D printing technology. The start-up does not use any conventional construction materials such as bricks and instead uses a proprietary concrete mix for construction.
The founders assert that the construction’s material is stronger, lighter, and more environmentally safe because it leaves a smaller carbon footprint than conventional materials. The founders are aiming for the affordable housing segment using this technology. Tvasta is backed by IIT Madras, which hosts ‘ASHA’, a housing incubator by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to identify and support innovative housing technologies, reduce construction costs, and upscale startup ideas.
A significant initiative in this area is that of Villgro offering funding and incubation support to startups and entrepreneurs in the affordable and sustainable housing sector in India in partnership with Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter as per the news story by Business News This Week dated 24 May 2022. A social enterprise called GreenJams is one such selected initiative that produces ‘Agrocrete’, a carbon-negative building material created from crop leftovers like cotton stalks, paddy straw, wheat straw, and industrial by-products such as slags, sludge, and fuel ashes. Construction expenses can be cut by up to 50 percent when using Agrocrete instead of traditional building materials, which is available in the form of blocks.
Zerund is another selected enterprise that produces recycled bricks called ‘Plastic Embedded Lightweight Bricks’ that are 50 percent lighter than conventional red clay bricks, offer thermal and noise insulation, and are pest, fire, and earthquake resistant. The company’s website (https://zerund.com/) claims that the company’s product reduces construction time by half and cuts costs by 30 percent. It also claims to have sold more than 25 lakhs units to above 2,000 clients.
Angirus (https://www.angirusind.com/), a Udaipur-based startup, creates environmentally friendly bricks from plastic waste and construction and demolition debris, resolving two issues with one solution. The bricks contain 20 percent plastic waste, with the remainder being construction and other inert debris. Named ‘Wricks’, the product offers an eco-friendly replacement for clay bricks and is 30 percent lighter, 20 percent stronger and 80 percent waterproof states the company’s website. It also claims that the overall construction cost reduces by 20 percent. It brings in other savings as no additional waterproofing cost and repair cost of the wall structures is required.
Another sustainable construction firm in the state of Rajasthan, the Jaipur headquartered Heexpressions (http://hexpressions.org/) constructs recyclable homes from composite paper honeycomb panels. The material consists of an inner core made up of paper honeycomb developed using recycled paper and exterior face material, which can be of any local materials such as cement board, wood, stone, and so on. This modular construction system, according to the company, can replace conventional building materials such as cement, concrete Polyurethane foam (PUF), Rock Wool Mineral wool, and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS). It cuts carbon emissions, facilitates fast construction, has high thermal insulation, high strength and durability, and is lightweight and 100 percent biodegradable. The company stated that its product is 30 percent more economical than any traditional construction method in an interview with Impact Collective website on 9 August 2020.
Future Pathway
While it is very clear that the startups engaged in the sustainable construction sector have a vital role to play given the adverse impact of traditional building materials on the environment and rising housing requirements, especially for affordable and low-cost housing. However, for this to happen, scaling up is necessary by creating a conducive ecosystem for such startups to flourish. There are many policies developed by the Government of India to encourage the use of sustainable construction materials such as the Fly Ash Utilization Policy amended by The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2016.
However, more steps need to be taken such as certification of sustainable building materials developed by the startups as green products, where possible. Certified green products are a vital requirement for the construction of green buildings. An example of this is the GreenPro-Certification for green products, materials, and technologies offered by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Such certifications help sustainable building materials start-ups enhance their credibility and brand equity, besides getting newer customers. The startups should also get together with other like-minded organizations to create large-scale awareness campaigns to raise consciousness among the masses by disseminating multiple benefits including ecologically sound nature, durability, and their claims of cost savings of the sustainable construction materials for their greater adoption.
The startups need to network with various levels and arms of the government to explore the possibility of getting government-funded housing and community buildings, wherever possible, built using sustainable construction materials for higher visibility and trustworthiness. Other initiatives that can be taken include offering subsidized loans for houses to be built of sustainable construction materials along with developers of such projects. This would give a major push to such start-ups, who can then attract more funding and achieve scale. Only such steps will make the vision to make the widespread availability of sustainable construction materials and growth of sustainable housing in the country a reality.
(Dheeraj Kapoor is a Social Sector Professional)
