Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh government has announced additional development fee concessions for Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)-rated green buildings, providing a fresh boost to sustainable construction in the state.Under the revised incentive structure, silver-rated green buildings will receive a 5% concession on development charges, gold-rated projects 10%, and platinum-rated projects 15%. These benefits are in addition to the existing concessions on impact and AP RERA fees — 10% for silver, 15% for gold, and 20% for platinum-rated projects.The incentives will be available at the building permission stage based on IGBC pre-certification, while final certification will be mandatory before the issuance of occupancy permission.Announcing the initiative at the CII-sponsored IGBC Green Andhra Summit 2026 in Vijayawada on Friday, principal secretary (municipal administration and urban development) S Suresh Kumar said the government wants sustainable construction to become the “new normal” as part of its ‘Swarna Andhra 2047’ vision.“The state is committed to attract investments while ensuring that growth remains environmentally sustainable and future-ready. The government is focusing on system-driven reforms, fiscal resilience, and responsible private sector participation to build a globally benchmarked sustainable Andhra Pradesh. Resources are finite, and the building and construction sector has a significant environmental footprint. We believe growth and sustainability must go hand in hand,” Suresh Kumar said.He noted that green buildings require only an additional 2-3% investment during construction, while savings in energy, water and operational costs can recover the extra expenditure within a few years.Andhra Pradesh has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing green building markets, with 638 IGBC-registered projects covering 627.58 million sq ft. Of these, 300 projects spanning 479.60 million sq ft have already secured IGBC certification.The state’s green building portfolio comprises 438 commercial projects, 57 residential projects, 37 industrial and logistics developments, 18 built-environment projects, 83 transit infrastructure projects and five Net Zero projects, reflecting the growing adoption of sustainable construction across multiple sectors.The summit also witnessed the release of the ‘Guide for Green Buildings in Andhra Pradesh’, a handbook designed to help developers, architects, urban local bodies, and government departments adopt green building practices.Amaravati also received the IGBC Green Cities Platinum Certification by Design, reinforcing its credentials as a sustainable capital city. CRDA commissioner Vijay Rama Raju said Amaravati is being developed through integrated planning, renewable energy, Net Zero buildings, smart infrastructure and climate-resilient urban design.The summit was attended by IGBC national chairman C Shekar Reddy, CII Vijayawada zone vice-chairman and Efftronics Systems Pvt Ltd director Dasari Anwesh, IGBC Amaravati chapter chairman Vijaya Sai Meka, co-chairman Kiran Kumar Paruchuri, and senior representatives from the government and industry.
