India’s next phase of urban growth will be shaped in its Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The question is whether that growth will be resource-intensive or sustainability-led.
In a move aimed at accelerating green building adoption, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN), and Bengaluru-based climate-tech firm Smarter Dharma have launched the Marketplace for Green Equipment and Materials (MGEM), a national digital platform designed to streamline access to verified green construction products.
The platform addresses a persistent bottleneck in India’s real estate ecosystem. Outside metro markets, developers and self-builders often face limited visibility into which materials and solutions genuinely qualify as green, how they compare on performance, and whether they are eligible for green financing.
MGEM offers structured, decision-ready data on product efficiency, cost transparency, and local availability through a multilingual, mobile-first interface. More significantly, it integrates with Housing Finance Companies to enable faster verification of green eligibility, linking procurement decisions directly with access to green lending.
Smarter Dharma is leading the technology architecture and execution of the platform. GBPN will support institutional outreach and policy alignment to ensure the initiative scales in line with India’s broader decarbonisation and green finance agenda.
“MGEM is built to democratise access to trusted, low-impact materials, especially for India’s fast-growing Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. By bringing hyperlocal information and clear comparisons to users, the platform can help accelerate decarbonisation and make sustainable choices, the new normal,” said Sriram Kuchimanchi, Founder and CEO, Smarter Dharma.
Dr. Sunita Purushottam, MD, GBPN India, said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to making green buildings the norm in India.
The pilot will roll out across 12 cities in three states, with a nationwide expansion expected by year-end.
As capital, policy, and technology converge, sustainability is increasingly moving from compliance to competitiveness in India’s built environment.
(Brand Connect Initiative)
