Experts call for innovation-driven, cross-sector collaboration to embed resilience and sustainability into India’s built environment

Innovation and collective action have emerged as central forces shaping India’s response to the climate crisis, as policymakers, researchers and industry leaders called for technology-led solutions that integrate sustainability into the built environment.

At a gathering hosted by the GRIHA Council in New Delhi, speakers underlined that India’s climate strategy must move beyond intent to implementation, with innovation serving as both a driver and a bridge between design, policy and public participation. Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI and President of the Council, said that resilience should be designed into systems rather than added as an afterthought, stressing that collaboration across sectors is essential to achieve climate goals.

Sanjay Seth, CEO of the GRIHA Council, described sustainability as a “continual journey shaped by knowledge, collaboration and conviction,” while HUDCO Chairman and Managing Director Sanjay Kulshrestha noted that the institution’s financing strategies, aligned with GRIHA’s green rating systems, were advancing low-carbon and inclusive development across India.

Exhibits at the event displayed innovations such as building-integrated photovoltaic façades and student-led models for adaptive architecture. The evening also honoured projects demonstrating excellence in sustainable design and resource efficiency.

The deliberations reaffirmed a growing consensus that India’s urban future depends on the seamless integration of innovation, policy, and community engagement—ensuring that climate resilience becomes an intrinsic part of national development planning rather than an external ambition.