India’s construction sector—a key economic driver yet responsible for roughly 25% of the nation’s total emissions—faces an urgent need to decarbonise ahead of a projected doubling of built-up area by 2050. A new joint report by Villgro Innovations Foundation and Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, backed by Saint-Gobain and knowledge partner Terrarium, presents groundbreaking insights into the booming green building materials (GBMs) ecosystem in India.
Titled Accelerating Innovations in Green Building Materials in India, the study synthesises data from over 100 stakeholders—from startups to policymakers—and finds that GBMs such as fly ash bricks, geopolymer concrete, fibre panels and waste-based pavers are gaining traction for their lower embodied carbon and better thermal performance . Supported by McKinsey projections, the report estimates India’s GBM market at USD 70–80 billion by 2030, growing at a 10–12% CAGR.
Beyond emissions reduction, GBMs unlock social and economic benefits: energy-efficient affordable housing, rural manufacturing jobs, and circular-material innovation. Startups like RecycleX, Tvasta, Zerund, Paving+, and CarbonCraft are already piloting scalable, low-carbon applications in real-world construction projects.
The authors advocate four actionable pillars to scale GBM adoption: public procurement mandates, standardized certification frameworks, market access platforms, and innovation-focused ecosystem funding. As India pursues its Net-Zero by 2070 goal, this report positions green building materials not only as a climate solution but as a leap toward a sustainable, inclusive construction economy
