IGBC Marks 25 Years as Green Building Movement Crosses 16.33 Billion Sq. Ft.

India’s green building movement has expanded from a single 20,000 sq. ft. project into a 16.33-billion-sq. ft. development ecosystem, reflecting the growing role of sustainability in residential, commercial and infrastructure projects. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), which marks 25 years this year, now has 20,012 registered green building projects across the country. 

Established by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2001, IGBC has developed 33 Green and Net Zero rating systems covering different segments of the built environment. Its portfolio includes around 41 lakh residential dwelling units, more than 11,770 commercial projects, 1,320 transit infrastructure projects and 985 industrial buildings.

The Council’s silver jubilee celebrations were held in Hyderabad on August 31, bringing together government officials, developers, industry representatives and green-building professionals to discuss the evolution of sustainable construction and the next phase of Net Zero development.

Addressing the silver jubilee, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said sustainability needs to remain at the centre of the state’s infrastructure and economic growth. He said the state is working towards greater adoption of renewable energy and clean-energy-powered buildings, industries and data centres, while stressing the need to make sustainable infrastructure accessible to Tier-II towns and rural areas.

As part of the celebrations, IGBC released a 25-year commemorative video and the IGBC@25 memoir dossier documenting the council’s journey and key milestones. 

Meanwhile, Telangana IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu said IGBC has helped move sustainability from an option towards a standard practice in the built environment. He said clean energy, water security and resource-efficient infrastructure will become increasingly important as Telangana expands as a technology and industrial hub.

Hyderabad has also played a role in IGBC’s development. The CII–Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, inaugurated in 2004 by former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, was India’s first Platinum-rated green building. It achieved Net Zero Energy status in 2019.

For the real estate and construction sectors, the scale of the movement is reflected in the resource savings reported by IGBC. Its assessments indicate average reductions of about 35% in carbon emissions, 40% in water use, 50% in energy consumption and 70% in solid waste across certified projects.

IGBC National Chairman C. Shekar Reddy said the council’s 25-year journey has taken green building from an emerging concept to a nationwide movement. He noted that the next phase will require sustainability practices to become deeper, more measurable and accessible across the built environment.

The Council’s Net Zero Mission, launched in 2021, has attracted commitments from more than 350 organisations. More than 271 projects covering around 298.4 million sq. ft. are registered under the mission, while over 155 projects have received Net Zero certification.

IGBC’s programmes now extend beyond buildings to townships, cities, railways, mass rapid transit, high-speed rail, logistics, healthcare and industrial facilities. It has worked with more than 2,800 government projects, trained over 60,000 professionals and operates through 32 local chapters. Thirteen state governments have introduced incentives for IGBC-certified projects.

With housing, commercial development and infrastructure continuing to expand, the next phase of green construction will focus on wider adoption of resource-efficient design, lower carbon emissions and Net Zero development across India’s built environment.