From Green Buildings to Net Zero: CII–IGBC’s Green Building Congress 2026 to Shape India’s Sustainable Future

As India’s built environment expands rapidly, Green Building Congress 2026 will bring the country’s growing green-building ecosystem with government, industry, finance, and global sustainability leaders to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future.

The CII --Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) will host the 24th edition of its annual Green Building Congress (GBC) from 26–28 November 2026 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai

. As world’s premier event on green and net zero built environments, themed “Forging a Sustainable Future – Do Good, Feel Good. Building Greener Worlds Together,” Green Building Congress will bring together government, industry finance, academia, and the global green building community to explore how India can accelerate green-building adoption and scale solutions for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

India’s green building ecosystem has grown significantly over the past 25 years. IGBC now has 20,000+ registered projects covering the world’s second largest green building footprint of 16.33 billion sq. ft. Till date, the Green Building Congress has welcomed more than 2 lakh participants, reflecting the growing scale of the movement and the role of GBC.

C Shekar Reddy, National Chairman, CII --Indian Green Building Council, says, “India is at a defining moment in its development journey. We are building new cities and infrastructure that will shape the country for decades to come. The question before us is not whether we should build, but how responsibly we can build. Sustainability must move from being a specialized conversation among experts to becoming a fundamental part of every development decision.For 25 years, CII–IGBC has worked to build this consciousness across governments, businesses, professionals, and citizens. Green Building Congress brings this collective responsibility together, providing a platform for stakeholders to share knowledge, collaborate, and turn intent to action. I invite every stakeholder to join us at GBC 2026 and be part of India’s journey towards healthier, more resilient, and sustainable places for generations to come.”

AR Unnikrishnan, National Vice Chairman, CII --Indian Green Building Council, says, “The next phase of India’s green building journey must be about moving from commitment to scale—from individual projects to transformation across cities and infrastructure. This requires stronger collaboration between industry, government, finance, technology and academia, alongside wider adoption of high-performance and net-zero solutions.Green Building Congress 2026 will bring together the ideas, innovations, and partnerships needed to accelerate this transition and connect global knowledge with solutions that are relevant, scalable, and impactful for India.”

The 2026 edition is expected to bring together 3,000+ delegates, 10,000+ business visitors, 150+ thought leaders and 100+ institutional and industry partners, alongside a Green Building Expo. Last year’s edition recorded 1,000+ B2B meetings, 8,000+ delegates and visitors attending the 3-day event, reflecting GBC’s growing role in enabling knowledge, green innovation, and industry collaboration.

CII-IGBC, University of Mysore Sign Landmark Pact to Advance Green Education

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Mysore to advance green education and accelerate capacity building among students and faculty across Karnataka. The agreement marked a significant step toward institutionalizing sustainability-focused learning within higher education. The signing took place at the University of Mysore campus in Mysuru, reflecting the shared commitment of both institutions to foster an environmentally responsible future built on knowledge, innovation and industry-academia collaboration.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Lokanath N. K., Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, University of Mysore, Mr. Vinod Maroli, Chairman, IGBC Mysuru Chapter, and Mr. Srihari D, Co-Chairman, IGBC Mysuru Chapter. The ceremony was attended by several distinguished dignitaries, including Smt. M. K. Savitha, K.A.S., Registrar, Prof. N. Nagaraja, Director & Registrar (Evaluation), Mr. K. Sriram, IGBC Executive Board Member & Fellow, Mr. Somashekhar, Past Chairman, IGBC, Prof. Shamsundar, Mr. Ramesh Kikkeri, and Mr. Adithya Sajjan from IGBC Secretariat. Their presence underscored the importance of this collaborative initiative in shaping a new generation of green building professionals.

Through this MoU, IGBC and the University of Mysore agreed to jointly introduce specialized courses on Green Built Environment across the University’s affiliated colleges. The collaboration aimed to equip students from civil, mechanical, electrical and architecture streams with contemporary knowledge, practical insights and industry exposure to help them become career-ready in the rapidly growing green building sector. IGBC has committed to developing high-quality course content, providing faculty training and facilitating accreditation, while the University took responsibility for integrating the course as an elective or core subject within its academic programmes. The initiative also included classroom sessions, online training modules, and expert-led engagements to strengthen students' technical understanding of green building concepts.

Mr. Vinod Maroli, Chairman, IGBC Mysuru Chapter while signing the Memorandum of Understanding, said, “The signing of this MoU marks a significant milestone in our collective effort to build a more sustainable future. By collaborating with the University of Mysore, we are integrating green building knowledge at the academic level and empowering students to become future-ready professionals in the green built environment. This partnership will not only strengthen capacity-building in the region but also inspire young minds to lead India’s sustainability movement with innovation, responsibility and purpose."

Prof. Lokanath N. K., Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, University of Mysore, said, "This collaboration with IGBC is a meaningful step toward strengthening our commitment to sustainability-driven education. By introducing specialized learning on the green built environment, we are preparing our students to meet the emerging needs of industry and society. The University of Mysore has always championed knowledge that creates impact, and this partnership will enable our faculty and students to contribute actively to India’s sustainable development journey."

In addition to curriculum development, the MoU laid strong emphasis on experiential learning. Both institutions planned to organize joint programmes on sustainability, encourage participation in IGBC’s flagship events such as the Green Building Congress, Green Education Conclave, World Green Building Week, and various webinars and conferences. Students were also to be supported in pursuing the IGBC Accredited Professional – Associate certification, giving them a competitive edge in India’s expanding green building industry. Furthermore, the partnership sought to invigorate IGBC’s local chapter activities by providing students with meaningful opportunities to volunteer, network with industry leaders and gain first-hand exposure to sustainable design practices through site visits and expert sessions.

This collaboration strengthened IGBC’s ongoing mission to create a nationwide ecosystem of sustainability champions by integrating green concepts into mainstream education. With the University of Mysore being one of India’s oldest and most respected institutions, the partnership represented a major milestone in expanding IGBC’s footprint in academia. Both organizations reaffirmed their commitment to nurturing skilled professionals who will play a critical role in driving India’s transition toward a sustainable built environment. The MoU symbolized a shared vision of enabling youth to lead with knowledge, responsibility and innovation in shaping a greener tomorrow.