The Indian Prime Minister recently launched the LightHouse Projects (LHPs) via a video conference. This initiative is part of the larger Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) and involves six sites spread across six distinct states. In addition to this, he also announced the winners under Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators – India (ASHA-India) and awarded the annual prizes for excellent implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) Mission. He further released NAVARITIH, a certification course focused on innovative construction technologies.
Global Housing Technology Challenge-India
This challenge was conceptualized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aiming at identifying and incorporating sustainable, disaster-resilient, and eco-friendly innovative technologies from across the globe for the housing construction sector. The year 2019-20 was declared as the ‘Construction Technology Year’ by the Prime Minister during the inauguration of GHTC-India in March 2019.
Components of GHTC-India
GHTC-India consists of three key components. First one being the Grand Expo and Conference held every two years which acts as a platform for all stakeholders associated with housing construction to share knowledge and conduct business. The second, Proven Demonstrable Technologies for the Construction of Lighthouse Projects, aims at demonstrating the chosen technologies’ merits while serving as live laboratories for research, testing, technology transfer, and raising mass awareness. Lastly, Potential Future Technologies for Incubation and Acceleration Support encourages and supports potential future technologies applicable to the housing sector through the ASHA-India program.
LightHouse Projects at Six Sites
The LHPs projects, made up of approximately 1,000 houses each along with physical and social infrastructure facilities, are being constructed at six places – Indore, Rajkot, Chennai, Ranchi, Agartala, and Lucknow. They will showcase the application, learning, and replication of six distinct shortlisted innovative technologies at a field level. The LHPs aims to deliver mass housing ready for living at a faster pace compared to conventional brick and mortar construction, in a more economical, sustainable manner while maintaining high quality and durability.
Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerator – India (ASHA India)
ASHA-India aims to stimulate research and development in housing construction sector, building materials, and related products by providing an ideal platform for promoting and showcasing India’s community of innovators. It lends support to potential future technologies developed in India through incubation and acceleration. Such support is offered to technologies that are not yet market-ready or to technologies that are already market ready.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024