SUNREF (Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Finance) Housing India programme held its 3rd regional promotional event in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on 28th February, 2022, to highlight the importance of green affordable housing and present its key features to the 80-housing market key stakeholders present at the event. Aimed at scaling up green affordable housing projects in India, SUNREF Housing India programme was launched by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) in partnership with the National Housing Bank (NHB) and with financial participation from the European Union (EU) in July 2017. More specifically, it consists in an innovative credit line of €100 million from AFD which enables banks, housing finance companies (HFCs) to fund green and affordable housing projects and allied investments. This financing is reinforced by a €9 million investment grant and €3 million technical assistance grant, both provided by the EU, to soften the interest rates offered to HFCs and implement promotional and capacity building activities – making of this project an ambitious and first-of-a-kind programme.

Mr. Gagan D Kechira, Manager, Southern Region, GRIHA Council had delivered a session on ‘Eligible GRIHA rating systems and their certification process, green building incentive and best practices’, which was well received by the participants. There was also a panel discussion round at the end where challenges and issues were discussed. The event in Bengaluru was attended by representatives of banks, housing finance companies (HFCs), real estate developers, government agencies, green-building experts, architects and green material producers from the Southern States.