Sustainable construction is based on principles that minimise energy consumption, reduce waste and optimise the use of resources throughout a project’s life cycle – from design and construction to operations and maintenance. In line with global trends, these practices are now gaining prominence in India.
Moreover, of late, the adoption of eco-friendly construction materials such as bio-bitumen, fly ash, plastic and urban solid waste, along with the integration of advanced technologies such as internet of things and automation is driving sustainability in the construction sector.
Sustained growth momentum
The construction sector in India has evolved significantly over the past few years, playing a crucial role in the country’s economic growth. As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), the gross value added (GVA) of the construction industry (at constant 2011-12 prices) increased from Rs 13.06 trillion in 2022-23 to Rs 14.36 trillion (provisional) in 2023-24, registering a growth rate of 10 per cent. Building on this momentum, in 2024-25 (April-June), the construction sector GVA grew by 10.14 per cent to Rs 3.69 trillion from Rs 3.35 trillion in the corresponding period in 2023-24. This growth was primarily driven by an improved pace of project execution as well as the moderation in raw material prices, despite the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the general elections.
Leveraging sustainable construction materials
Prefabricated construction materials: While ensuring quality construction, prefabrication offers other advantages such as increased pace of work, energy efficiency, and minimal wastage and inspection woes. Under this method, elements such as walls, floors and structures are manufactured in bulk, off-site and in controlled settings. As per media reports, compared to conventional methods, prefabricated structures can reduce carbon emissions during construction by up to 15.6 per cent. This includes carbon produced from manufacturing, transportation, installation and disposal of building materials. Furthermore, these materials can reduce up to 3.2 per cent of operational
carbon emissions.
While developers and builders are beginning to adopt these technologies, progress so far has been slow. These days, cross-sector infrastructure projects are witnessing the widespread production of prefabricated materials. For instance, a total of 76,940 precast concrete segments are being manufactured to build a 16 km long tunnel, which will form a crucial part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project. Further, the Chardham Highway Project in Uttarakhand has employed precast concrete technology, due to which the project was able to minimise environmental impact, reduce construction time and provide robust infrastructure in a region prone to natural disasters. Additionally, the growing uptake of modular construction in India is expected to provide an impetus to the adoption of prefabricated construction materials. One such example is the Signature Bridge in Delhi, which used prefabricated steel components during construction. The bridge’s design was achieved through the assembly of prefabricated elements, including the steel pylon and deck slabs, which were fabricated off-site and assembled on-site.
Organic construction materials, waste materials and by-products: There has been consistent uptake of alternative sustainable materials, such as modified bitumen, steel slag, plastic waste, eco-friendly concrete, geosynthetics and fly ash for road construction. Till September 2024, around 40,000 km of rural roads have been constructed using plastic waste under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, with 13,000 km completed in the last two years alone. In January 2024, India’s first national highway steel slag road section, on the Mumbai-Goa NH-66 (Indapur-Panvel section), was inaugurated. The Green National Highway Project is also making significant strides in this direction by encouraging the use of local materials and bioengineering measures for slope protection. These include innovative techniques such as coco fibre and jute erosion control blankets, shrub or grass plantations, hydroseeding and shotcrete crib walls with vegetation. Further, the government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Steel, is likely to launch a special incentive package aimed at accelerating green steel manufacturing within the country. The package is expected to promote green hydrogen and renewable energy sources for steel production, offering financial incentives and subsidies for companies investing in green technologies.
Technology to overcome cost and time overruns
Cost and time overruns are significant challenges in the Indian construction sector, and they can severely impact the sustainability of projects. As per the MoSPI, in May 2024, of 1,817 large-scale government projects, around 831 are behind schedule (going by their original timelines), while 458 have reported cost overruns amounting to over Rs 5.71 trillion. To address these
challenges, it is crucial for the sector to adopt technological tools such as building information modelling (BIM) and geospatial technologies.
BIM: BIM employs a digital model of a building’s physical and functional traits to enable architects, engineers and contractors to collaborate, spot issues early and improve resource management, reducing costly reworks. The Jewar airport project in Uttar Pradesh, which is expected to be one of the largest airports in India, is using BIM for planning and construction. Moreover, Bengaluru International Airport Limited has employed BIM for designing, building and operations. It has also been used for Guwahati’s new integrated terminal building at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, and Terminal 3 of Delhi airport. Further, the upcoming airports in Jaipur and Navi Mumbai are set to leverage this technology.
Geospatial technologies: Key actively deployed geospatial technologies include geographic information system (GIS), drones and LiDAR. These technologies have enabled accurate collection of geographic data, monitoring of remote infrastructure and identification of maintenance issues. As of May 2024, the centre plans to finalise the GIS mapping of all national highways. This initiative aims to improve planning, execution and monitoring of the road network for timely project completion. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project was the first project in which National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited employed aerial LiDAR surveying. This technique offers the advantage of delivering comprehensive ground details and data within a span of three months, whereas the conventional approach typically requires 10-12 months.
Conducive regulatory environment
Government initiatives such as the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the Bharatmala and Sagarmala Pariyojanas, the construction of dedicated freight corridors and high speed rail systems, and the development of greenfield airports, ports and urban rail-based transit systems have provided an impetus to the construction business. In line with these ambitious construction programmes and targets, the centre has introduced parallel policy measures to promote sustainability, improve infrastructure and address the inefficiencies in the sector.
In a bid to reduce pollution at construction sites and expedite construction, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has mandated the use of 25 per cent factory-manufactured precast concrete elements in national highway projects within a 100 km radius of a precast concrete factory. This is further supported by the National Highway Pre-cast Concrete Policy, approved in May 2023. Additionally, in September 2024, the MoRTH issued guidelines to promote the use of urban solid waste in national highway construction. Furthermore, in August 2024, the central government urged states and union territories to incorporate plastic waste into road construction within cities, aiming to improve plastic waste management.
The way forward
The decarbonisation of the construction sector is necessary to reduce India’s carbon footprint by 30-35 per cent by 2030, and achieve net zero targets by 2070. Government initiatives are shaping the future of infrastructure, while technological advancements such as BIM, drones and precast concrete are improving the efficiency of construction projects. Despite sector-specific challenges, the industry is making progress towards overcoming inefficiencies and delivering high quality, sustainable infrastructure. Going forward, it will be essential to strike a balance between construction activities and environmental conservation to effectively reduce the country’s carbon footprint. Sustainable materials and construction practices are expected to garner even more attention in the future.
