Telangana leads in sustainable housing with major green building footprint

Hyderabad: Telangana is among India's frontrunners in sustainable housing, with over 1,245 Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) registered projects and a green building footprint exceeding 1.67 billion sq ft, much of it in Hyderabad.India has more than 19,000 IGBC-registered projects representing 15.74 billion sq ft, making it the world's second-largest green building footprint, said IGBC national chairman C Sekhar Reddy at the IGBC Green Telangana Summit 2026 on Friday.He highlighted the scale of India's urban growth and Telangana's role in shaping sustainable development. "India is witnessing one of the largest waves of urbanisation in its history, with the country's built-up area expected to grow nearly 2.5 times by 2040. At this critical juncture, Telangana is demonstrating how rapid urban growth can go hand in hand with sustainability," he said. Telangana's green building footprint includes over 715 commercial projects, 335 residential projects, 110 Metro transit projects, more than 40 logistics facilities, 15 built environment projects, and over 20 net-zero projects. Delaware governor Matt Meyer said cities and states worldwide are increasingly confronting climate change, and that Delaware is looking for opportunities to collaborate by fostering global partnerships, bringing leaders together to exchange ideas, share technologies, and explore pathways to accelerate climate action. He said Telangana's emphasis on smart, sustainable, and net-zero development reflects the forward-looking leadership needed for resilient and inclusive growth. Bill McQuade, president of ASHRAE, said India is at a pivotal moment in shaping sustainable, high-performance buildings, and that Telangana's momentum reflects a convergence of policy leadership, industry commitment, and technical innovation. The day-long summit brought together policymakers, developers, architects, and sustainability experts on the theme ‘Smart, Green & Net Zero: Transforming Telangana's Built Environment Together.' It featured plenary discussions, industry panels, and technical sessions on climate-responsive urban planning, net-zero buildings, and smart technologies aimed at accelerating a low-carbon transition in construction and infrastructure.The summit also unveiled a Telangana coffee table book featuring more than 40 IGBC-certified green and net-zero projects, and concluded with recognition of 47 projects covering 46.3 million sq ft for adopting IGBC green building practices.