Government of India and UNIDO Promotes South-South Cooperation and Technology in the Area of Materials for Low Cost Housing

Mr. L.M.Mehta, Secretary, Department of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation, Government of India and Dr. Carlos Magarinos, Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Vienna on 12 January, 2004 for technical cooperation between India and UNIDO in the area of low cost housing. 

The delegation led by Mr. L.M. Mehta, Secretary, comprised Shri T.P. Sreenivasan, Ambassador of India & Permanent Representative at UNIDO, Vienna, Austria, Dr. P.S. Rana, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and Shri T.N. Gupta, Executive Director, Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC).

The signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and UNIDO will help in strengthening domestic materials and construction industry, creating policy supports, strong inter-regional mechanisms for promoting investment and technology in developing countries from different regions. The programme is aimed at facilitating capacity building at institutional and enterprise levels for transfer, absorption and diffusion of new and proven technologies based on local resources like natural fibers, plant materials, agricultural, forestry and industrial wastes and by-products for manufacturing of environment-friendly and energy-efficient materials for low cost housing. The India-UNIDO programme of cooperation will further help in building up partnerships for sustainable development and promoting South-South cooperation amongst African, Asian and Latin American countries.

Recognizing the outcome of the joint efforts of the UNIDO and the Government of India under the Pilot Phase Programme initiated in July 2000, the Director General, UNIDO appreciated this project as an excellent example of South South Cooperation and desired the demonstration of Indian Technologies to be arranged during UNIDO’s General Conference held on 1-5 December, 2003 in Vienna. The exhibition drew attention of large number of delegations from member countries.

Taking into account a growing awareness about utilization of local resources, environmental protection, energy saving and employment generation issues and acute needs of materials for low cost housing in Africa, Latin America and Asia and in response to demand generated for Indian technologies, UNIDO’s its International Centre for Advancement of Manufacturing Technology (ICAMT) in close consultation with the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has developed a project “Inter-Regional Programme on Capacity Building for Transfer of Energy-Efficient and Eco-Friendly Technologies and Promotion of Local Investments in the Area of Materials based on Local Resources for Low Cost Housing in Africa, Asia and Latin America”.  This 3-year project aims at benefiting the materials manufacturers, builders engaged in low cost housing researchers and policy makers in participating countries. It will further help in promoting Indian technologies, expertise and experience to strengthen housing delivery systems in respective countries from Asian, African and Latin American regions.

Under the programme mechanisms will be established for bridging the technology divide between the acute needs in shelters, particularly for low-income strata and strengthening the technology base for production of materials based on local resources and capacity building at institutional and enterprise levels by establishing Technology/Shelter Support Centers with the assistance and technical expertise from India. The UNIDO’s role will be to facilitate technology flows, investment in manufacturing sector and training of professionals and technicians in participating countries. The programme is also expected to result in joint R&D programmes between counterpart scientific and technological institutions in participating countries and will promote technological advances in the area of material for housing.