Holcim and NCAER commission study on rural housing in India

31 January 2008

New Delhi: The world's leading cement manufacturer, the Switzerland-based Holcim Group, has mandated the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to conduct the first comprehensive study on rural housing in India.

The study titled Rural Housing in India aims to review the current status of housing in rural India with a view to assess the prospects for its growth. The report will identify the regional barriers and drivers of growth in rural housing. The final report will also provide insights that would help develop customized solutions to address the problem of inadequate housing in rural India.

NCAER will review the existing policies and programmes of the Union and State governments to consider the potential role for public-private partnerships in the area of rural housing.

"Holcim recognized the need of working together with a credible partner on a project of such social and economic importance," said Paul Hugentobler, member of Holcim's executive committee and head of Asia Pacific. "We are proud to have associated with NCAER on this project."

Suman Bery, director-general, NCAER, said, "Rural housing is of immense economic and social importance, and we are extremely pleased that our association with Holcim has allowed us to examine the economic and policy issues associated with this area. While housing for the rural poor has received considerable policy attention, the issues and constraints facing the great mass of the rural population are relatively unexplored. 

The NCAER is an independent nonprofit policy research organisation headquartered in New Delhi, India. It is particularly known for its capacity to collect original household data to address important issues of public policy. Members of management from both Holcim and NCAER met in Delhi with selected experts including members of the project's Advisory Committee to review the completion of the first phase.