655 (577 Urban + 78 Rural) Building Centres have been approved as a part of national building centres, out of which 442 Building Centres are functional an the remaining building centres are at various stages of functionality. The building centres have developed into an effective construction delivery system for affordable housing and also contributing to employment and income generation at local levels. The Centres have imparted training on cost effective technologies to voer 3,10,854 artisans and have introduced technologies in production of building components and construction of houses & buildings worth ¿1820 crores and the range of cost savings has been from 15 to 40% over conventional costs. The Indian Building Centre movement has gained international recognition with its inclusion in the Best Practices Global 100 List 1998 of the UNCHS (HABITAT).

1. Promotion of Self Employment Enterprises

A number of Building Centre have gained recognition for their significant contribution and have ventured into innovative practice to make themselves sustainable by helping creation of micro enterprises. For example INSWAREB has developed a number of self-employment entrepreneurs.

2. Solid/Hollow concrete Blocks

The efforts of Building Centres resulted in production of solid/hollow concrete blocks and pavement tiles by substitution of conventional materials like bricks. These products are widely used in construction throughout India.

3. Ferro Cement, FAL-G Products and Wood Substitute Products

In southern states, ferro cement elements, FAL-G components, MCR tiles, RCC doors/window frames are widely used in construction activities. These products are in substitution of conventional building materials.

4. Support to Building Material Industries

HUDCO extends financial assistance through equity and term loan support to Building Material Industries for manufacturing building materials and components which are innovative and alternates to conventional options and utilizing agricultural and industrial wastes with energy effieicient and environmentally appropriate options. A major thrust to support flyash based building material industries and alternates to timber is now taken up in different parts of the country. Till date 30 building material industrial units have been covered with HUDCO assistance of ¿29.48 crores.

5. Waste to wealth
• Gypsum products being manufactured from phosphogypsum waste of fertilizer industries
• Fly-ash based building products such as bricks, blocks, tiles, pipes etc. being manufactured from fly-ash of thermal power plants are not only waste to wealth but also substitutes of conventional products.
• Cast polymer product being manufactured from marble waste.
• Partition and ceiling boards being manufactured from agricultural waste.
• Wood substitute products. PVC profiles substitute of conventional wooden frames
6. Bamboo Centre of Excellence

The bamboo has emerged as a highly promising green building material in terms of low energy consumption, sustainable, fast growing, as well as being environment friendly. In spite of this, bamboo has not received good response in the construction field other than temporary hutments. The recent research not only proved it’s versatility as a structural material but also suitable for making composite material capable to substitute primary timbers. Traditionally the bamboo is used in the forms of round, split, woven, flattened and other engineering ways.

Bamboo and bamboo related technology from a very important component of the basket of technology options and are of great relevance particularly Bamboo growing regions of the country such as the North East, parts of Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranachal, Jharkhand, etc. Bamboo development in India is now a national goal, as evident by the establishment of NMBA, the National Mission on Bamboo Applications under TIFAC/DST. HUDCO would support in dissemination of the successful experiments, particularly the earthquake resistant house designs/models developed by TRADA in partnership with leading Research Institutes in the country.

HUDCO has entered into an MoU with IIT-Delhi for syne5rgising and spreading Bamboo technologies with HUDCO’s cost component of Rs.71 lacs including Rs.30 lacs as grant from Ministry of Rural Development. The amount of grant has been released to IIT-Delhi for setting up National Resource Facility on Bamboo Technologies to promote rural industrialization with focus on bamboo products by upgrading the artisans skills, developing improved processes technologies and machinery through scientific technological and design inputs. Work has started in IIT-Delhi.

7. Development of Model Villages/Basti Scheme

HUDCO has launched a programme for developing Model Villages / Adarsh Gram and Model Improved Slums / Adarsh Basti in all the States and Union Territories of the country with all infrastructure facilities, as part of its programme in commemoration of 50th year of India’s independence celebrations. The selected village/slum would predominantly cover lower income population and would be provided with a grant assistance of up to 35 lakhs, by HUDCO out of interest accrued from KfW 4th and 5th funds. The matching contribution is to be met by the State Governments/Union Territories/Implementing Agencies/beneficiaries by dovetailing other resources of Central/State Government schemes with a convergence approach to provide community buildings and infrastructure facilities.

HUDCO has so far sanctioned 116 model village/model basti schemes for a total grant assistance of Rs.3891.83 lakhs out of which an amount of Rs.2931.06 lakhs has been released and utilization certificates for an amount of Rs.2634.90 lakhs has also been received. Out of total sanctioned schemes, 36 schemes have already been completed and other schemes are at various stages of completion.