Indian corporates go green

Hyderabad: A different kind of green revolution is all set to storm the corporate world.

Many Indian companies want their offices to be housed in buildings that are environmentally savvy.

The concept is American but married to local genius and local materials and such building are called green buildings.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre on the outskirts of Hyderabad is one of the three greenest buildings in India where the walls double up as insulators.

Natural light is the norm in most of the building. Solar panels power a fifth of the building and all the water in the building is recycled. Water discharge is therefore zero.

The capital cost of a green building is about eight to 10 per cent more compared to conventional buildings.

But in the long-term, companies can save about 50 per cent on energy bills and 30-50 per cent on potable water.

"We believe that by the year 2008 there will be 100 green buildings in India. This concept has gone to all nooks and corners of the country. Kolkata is coming up with two buildings, Chennai with three buildings and in Hyderabad we're going to have three buildings, including the new international airport will be a green building," Head of GBC, S Raghupathy says.

The green building initiative came to India through former US president Bill Clinton and he launched the initiative as part of an Indo-US collaborative effort.

"We have learnt a lot from the US Green Building Council. In fact, the US Green Building Coucil has been a friend, philosopher and guide for us. All this has been possible because of Indo-US relations and support of the USA," Raghupathy says.

Green buildings may be more expensive to build now but the cost of constructing such buildings is fast coming down.

GMC officials expect that by 2010, India may well host the maximum number of green buildings in the world.