The Sustainable Buildings Division at TERI is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with Krisala Developers and VK:e Environmental Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP), marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by distinguished representatives from all partnering organizations, including: Mr Aakash Agarwal, Managing Director, Krisala Developers; Mr Vishal Agarwal, Joint Managing Director, Krisala Developers; Mr Sanjay Seth, Senior Director, TERI and CEO-cum-Vice President, GRIHA Council; Ms Shabnam Bassi, Director, TERI and Deputy CEO-cum-Secretary, GRIHA Council; Dr Poorva Keskar, Partner, VK:e Environmental LLP; Mr Hrishikesh Kulkarni, Partner, VK:e Environmental LLP; and Ms Kanchan Sarbhukan Sidhaye, Partner, VK:e Environmental LLP.

This collaboration marks the beginning of TERI’s role as the knowledge partner for the landmark 105-acre Hiranandani Communities Krisala Unicity Township in Darumbre, Pune—a pioneering model of large-scale, climate-responsive urban development. Designed to accommodate over 68,000 residents and 10,000 tenants, Unicity presents a transformative opportunity to embed sustainability at the core of urban planning and design. The township will serve as a living laboratory, showcasing how strategic interventions and strategic evaluation can foster inclusive, liveable, and resilient communities.

As the exclusive knowledge partner, TERI will lead key efforts in:
✅ Developing a comprehensive liveability index, customized to Indian climatic and policy contexts.
✅ Implementing township-wide air quality index (AQI) monitoring, a first-of-its-kind integration to enhance environmental quality and resident well-being throughout all project phases.

Following the MoU signing, an intensive stakeholder workshop was held to foster collaboration and build a shared understanding of liveability measures to be integrated throughout the project lifecycle.

This partnership sets a strong precedent for knowledge-driven collaboration in the construction and real-estate sectors—advancing climate-resilient infrastructure and reaffirming our collective commitment to creating a more sustainable, inclusive, and liveable future.

The Sustainable Buildings Division of TERI successfully conducted site visits for technical evaluations at several prominent locations, including Siemens Limited’s Office (Mumbai), Hotel Ginger and Vivanta (TATA Projects, Kevadia), Hotel Namah (Jim Corbett and Nainital), and a hydroponics site in Purquazi. These evaluations aimed to assess water-usage patterns, existing management practices, and conservation measures implemented at each site.

The assessments will inform tailored recommendations to enhance water efficiency and support each site's goal of achieving water self-sufficiency or neutrality. Upon successful implementation of the suggested measures—and demonstrated improvements in water conservation, recharge, and reuse—sites may qualify for GRIHA Water Positive Certification, subject to final verification through post-implementation water audits.

The technical evaluation process includes comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of water consumption, identifying opportunities for reducing, reusing, and recycling water at both building and site levels. The outcome of these evaluations will guide strategies to minimize freshwater demand, improve infrastructure efficiency, and promote circular water-use practices.

TERI has a strong track record in advancing water sustainability and has successfully conducted technical evaluations and facilitated GRIHA Water Positive Certification for several prominent projects across India. We have conducted studies for projects such as industrial facilities of ABB India Limited, hospitality chains like Lemon Tree Hotels, residential developments by Mahindra Lifespaces, academic campuses such as KL University, and multiple industrial units of the DS Group, including their dairy and pan masala plants.

For more information: https://www.teriin.org/services/habitat/water-positive-certification

The divisional retreat for the Sustainable Infrastructure Programme (SIP) was convened at Laxmi Villas Palace, Bharatpur, from 10 May to 12 May 2025. Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, joined the team members from SIP during this event. The retreat featured detailed divisional presentations, followed by focused brainstorming sessions.

Various dignitaries along with their teams visited the Mahindra TERI Centre of Excellence (MTCoE) Lab to understand the on-going testing of opaque and transparent construction materials utilizing cutting-edge tools and technology. TERI team provided a walkthrough tour of the CoE along with a demonstration that made visitors acquainted with the various sustainability principles and design strategies espoused by the CoE building.