India has 23 cities with a population of more than one million. By 2050, two-thirds of the population will be living in urban areas, according to urban development ministry estimates. Cities are looking at new redevelopment models to meet demand from the ever-expanding migrant workforce. This includes creating sustainable models and more energy efficient buildings to reduce the carbon footprint of urban habitats.  Mr J M Mauskar, special secretary in the ministry of environment and forests, said that “India needs to design and construct green buildings for bridging the growing gap between energy demand and supply while sustaining the steady migration of people from rural to urban areas and there is an increased need of building infrastructure that can sustain the ever-increasing exodus from rural to urban areas. Urbanization must go hand-in-hand with environmental sustainability measures. Conceived by the Energy and Resources Institute, the ministry of new and renewable energy has already introduced a national rating system, GRIHA, derived from Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment.

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