LEED in Motion

LEED IN MOTION:
INDIA
LEED in Motion: India builds on the LEED

in Motion report series, launched in 2013. It
is one of many in a special series of reports
focused on the use of LEED in different
countries and regions.
Its purpose is to equip readers with the
insight and perspective they need to
understand LEED as a global rating system
that remains flexible enough to support
regional and local needs.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About LEED ................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Foreword from Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Limited .................................................................. 2
Why LEED? .................................................................................................................................................................. 3
How LEED Works in India ...................................................................................................................................... 4
LEED Project Spotlights ......................................................................................................................................... 9
Who in India is Using LEED? ............................................................................................................................... 22
Companies ............................................................................................................................................................. 23
People ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Resources .................................................................................................................................................................. 43
Data in this report is current

as of December 2014
This is a living document and will
be updated regularly. For questions,
please contact
Joe Crea at jcrea@usgbc.org
ABOUT LEED
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,
is a global, regional and local green building rating system
that provides third-party verification of the features, design,
construction, maintenance, operation and effectiveness of
green buildings.
Developed and maintained by the U.S. Green Building
Council, LEED is a simple and effective program for
navigating complex, often competing building and
environmental issues affecting humans worldwide. It is a
tool that can be used to improve the environment, create
better performing buildings and enhance public health.
With specific achievement paths built in, LEED is designed
for use in a variety of climates and localities, often synching
with local laws and requirements.
Every day, more than 1.7 million square feet of space
in more than 150 countries and territories certifies with
LEED. Nearly 62,000 commercial projects are currently
participating in LEED comprising nearly 10 billion square
feet of construction space worldwide. Building projects
earn points to achieve one of four different levels of LEED
certification: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
With the support of LEED development committees,
volunteers, practitioners, the LEED International Roundtable
and more than 30 green building councils around the
world, LEED is continually evolving and being optimized
for various building types in all global markets.
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan - Ministry of Environment & Forests

(New Delhi)
ITC Grand Chola Hotel (Chennai)

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA
FOREWORD
from Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Limited
ITC entered the hospitality business to support a national priority of developing new
avenues of foreign exchange earnings and boosting tourism. Today, ITC operates 90
hotels in more than 70 destinations across India. And though generating revenue and
boosting tourism remain essential obligations, the company has evolved tremendously in
regards to that initial mandate.
As a corporation, ITC is aware of environmental challenges, both on the Indian
subcontinent and around the world. Many years ago, our management team decided to
not just be aware, but to also do something constructive to take meaningful action that
would benefit the planet and our brand. As such, each of our ten luxury properties has
earned LEED Platinum certification, the rating systems highest level.
We selected LEED because of its globally recognized, highly rigorous, and comprehensive
standards. It also helped that LEED had built a uniquely strong and dedicated following
throughout India.
LEEDs world-class, high-quality standards are helping us to not only realize our corporate sustainability goals,
but also to showcase our accomplishments around a rating system that our clientele recognizes and our investors
respect.
So what have we achieved using LEED?

In regards to energy efficiency, a full 55% of our total energy demand is now met through renewable sources.
The amount of energy we produce through our wind farms, alone, could light up a 1,400 km stretch of highway
for one year.
Over the past five years, we cut water consumption by 50%. Additionally, all of our wastewater is now treated
and recycled. In fact, we recycle enough water to irrigate 65,000 trees, which aids in the sequestering of
approximately 13,000 tons of CO.
Nearly 100% of our solid waste is either reused or recycled. This eliminates up to 5,000 tons of solid waste per
year, the equivalent of 6,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Sustainable material sourcing also enhances our positive environmental footprint. We ensure that more than
30% of the food and beverages at each hotel are harvested and processed within a 100-mile radius. In keeping
with our endeavor to promote local culture, generate regional employment and reduce our carbon footprint,
we also ensure that 20% of the materials used in our new hotels are sourced regionally.
On newly constructed projects, we are even more performance driven:

100% of related electrical energy demand is met through renewable sources
All paints are 100% low VOC
A percentage of our wood is FSC certified
And 100% of all parking is covered, thereby reducing the heat island effect.
Many more items could be detailed here, but the main point is that LEED not only helped us to understand our many
green building options, it also provided a framework by which we were able to package them consistently across
properties and projects, and in a way that every team member readily understood. It helped us to set our green
building standards very high. Which is right where we want to be.
WHY LEED?
Theres something nice about this building that we have never
felt before about our previous buildings.
- Deepa Sathiaram, LEED Fellow

on how people respond to LEED buildings in India
LEED Credits
553
certified
LEED is organized by credits. A credit represents a specific

strategy or outcome to create a green building. The
following shows the percentage of projects in India that
have successfully achieved select credits 20% above the
Global Achievement Rate.
1,375
registered
Total of Registered and Certified

LEED Projects in India:
Sustainable Sites
1,928
SSc5.1: Site development - protect or restore habitat 25%
Total of Registered and Certified Space:
SSc6.2: Stormwater design - quality control 32%
SSc6.1: Stormwater design - quantity control 32%
833 million square feet
Sc7.2: Heat Island Effect - roof 32%
Today, Indian architects, construction firms, energy

companies, city planners, enterprises and politicians
are working together to create the sustainable cities of
tomorrow. In fact, people in more than 150 countries and
territories around the world use LEED because of its:
Water Efficiency
WEc2: Innovative wastewater technologies 40%
Energy & Atmosphere
1. Global recognition
EAc4: Enhanced refrigerant management 35%
2. Quality
EAc5: Measurement and verification 40%
3. Focus on healthier, energy-efficient,

high-performing buildings
87% percent of Indian green building professionals indicated that

they anticipate the use of LEED India to increase overall.*
* From a USGBC survey conducted between September and October 2014 with LEED users in India.
HOW LEED
WORKS IN INDIA
LEED-certified buildings are among the most efficient
and sustainable in the world. LEED credits and strategies
are meant to push the limits of convention for maximum
outcomes. Outcomes are measured in five key areas:
9 out of 10 industry senior

executives in India anticipate
that their LEED-related
work
ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE
will increase over the
WATER
next five years.*
WASTE
More than two-thirds
TRANSPORTATION
of green building professionals in India
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
view LEED positively or very positively.*
LEED Hub
Indian Green Building Council
Based in New Delhi, the LEED Hubresponsible for

the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regionsacts as an
interface with industry stakeholders to inform the
continuous improvement of LEED and to better address
the needs of green building projects in India. This effort
follows the international strategy for LEED to emphasize
global consistency while allowing for regional solutions
in current and future LEED rating system versions. The
LEED hub helps project teams successfully navigate
the design, construction and operations of buildings to
achieve the requirements of LEED certification. It also
delineates the local strategies for business development
and brand advocacy. GopalaKrishnan P. is the director
of the hub and is supported by Puneet Mital, regional
director. They can be reached at
gkrishnan@usgbc.org and pmital@usgbc.org,
respectively.
Over the years, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

has been instrumental in mobilizing the green building
movement in India and helping establish LEED as a
key driver for market transformation. USGBC remains
grateful to IGBCs early support of LEED India and its
ongoing leadership in India. USGBC and IGBC continue
their collaboration in advancing the uptake of green
buildings in India. LEED India projects registered with
IGBC till June 2014, will be certified by IGBC. LEED
projects in India registered after June 2014, would be
certified by the Green Building Certification Institute
(GBCI), the certification body of USGBC. These efforts
are in line with USGBCs goal to handle certification of
LEED buildings across the globe, by one agency, GBCI.
* From a USGBC survey conducted between September and October 2014 with LEED users in India.
4
Regional Priority Credits

Regional Priority Credits (RPCs) are specific LEED
credits that further enhance the rating systems regional
and local applicability in any given country or region.
They incentivize the achievement of credits that address
geographically specific environmental priorities. They
are not new LEED credits, but instead are existing
credits that have been designated as particularly
important for their areas. The incentive to achieve these
credits is in the form of a bonus point. If an RPC is
earned, a bonus point is awarded to the projects total
points. Since RPCs are not new credits, LEED project
teams do not need to attempt them in addition to the
existing LEED credits they are pursuing.
Alternative Compliance Paths

Alternative Compliance Paths, or ACPs, are now
available for all commercial projects pursuing LEED
green building certification using the 2009 versions
of the rating systems. ACPs offer a flexible method for
projects around the world to demonstrate compliance
with the LEED credits that are traditionally more
challenging for projects outside of
the U.S.
LEED International Roundtable
represented on the International Roundtable by The

Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). teriin.org
LEED and Materials

The Materials & Resources section of our latest version
of LEED applies lifecycle thinking at the whole-building
and product levels. Credits reward projects for reusing
as much material as possible and optimizing design
to use less material overall. LEED currently paints a
more complete picture of materials and products,
increases stringency and enables project teams to
make more informed decisions that will have a greater
overall benefit for the environment, human health and
communities.
LEED Volume Program

LEED volume certification meets the special needs of
companies that are ready to apply LEED on a larger
scale. Volume certification facilitates the advancement
of a number of buildings through the process by
focusing on similarities - regardless of the projects
geographic location. Leveraging prototype strategies
in design and operations to certify a large number
of buildings, LEED volume certification streamlines
the process and reduces costs while still maintaining
the quality associated with the LEED green building
program.
The LEED International Roundtable is a team of

practitioners and green building industry experts
from across the globe. These members add profound
insights about regional and local technical requirements,
market dynamics, profound social aspects, and promote
LEEDs growth as a global rating system. As a result,
LEED maintains its rigor as a global tool that provides
support for regional and local needs. The collective
objectives of the International Roundtable are to
study LEED credits across all rating systems, evaluate
their applicability in countries and recommend locally
appropriate alternatives, while maintaining LEEDs
global consistency and technical stringency. India is
EXISTING BUILDINGS
Fighting climate change calls for innovation, cooperation and
will power to make the changes that the world needs.
- Shri Narendra Modi
Existing buildings hold incredible promise. Many older
buildings around the world are energy hogs and water
sieves. With some keen attention to building operations,
that can be turned around drastically by using LEED. You
may have heard the phrase, The greenest building is the
one already built. It can take up to 80 years to make up for
the environmental impacts of demolishing an old building
and constructing a new one, even if the resulting building
is extremely energy efficient.
To date, more than 3,000 existing projects worldwide have
been certified using LEED.
The following Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs) are
available in India for existing building LEED projects.
SS credit 6 (Stormwater Quantity Control) is expanded
to include appropriate sources for rainfall data specific
to India and resources for stormwater management.
SS credit 8 (Light Pollution Reduction) clarifies that
projects achieving certification under LEED 2011 for
India CS or LEED 2011 for India NC and that and earn
SSc8: Light Pollution Reduction can achieve this credit
in LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations &
Maintenance.
WE prerequisite 1 (Minimum Indoor Plumbing Fixture
and Fitting Efficiency) is modified to align flow and
flush rates to UPC- India and the 2013 Green Plumbing
Code SupplementIndia values.
WE credit 2 (Additional Indoor Plumbing Fixture and

Fitting Efficiency) is updated to reflect Indian Standard
values in WE Prerequisite 1 (Minimum Indoor Plumbing
Fixture and Fitting Efficiency.)
EA prerequisite 1 (Energy Efficiency Best Management
PracticesPlanning, Documentation and Opportunity
Assessment) and EA Credit 2.1 (Existing Building
CommissioningInvestigation and Analysis) includes
resources to locate energy auditors in India.
EA credit 4 (On-site and Off-site Renewable Energy)
is expanded to define acceptable Green-e equivalent
electricity in India.
LEED for existing buildings
certify
at higher levels
in India tend to
than projects located in other

countries, with
80% of all
projects in India certifying
at Gold or higher, as compared to

56% at Gold or higher globally.
LEED DYNAMIC PLAQUE

70% of Indian green building professionals say they are willing
and able to share useful data for the purposes of reporting
building performance related to LEED-certified buildings.*
LEED certification was designed to reward projects for
their building performance at the time of certification.
But what about after? How can LEED buildings measure
and maintain the level of building efficiency for which
they achieved LEED certification?
Enter the LEED Dynamic Plaque. The products concept
was first announced by Scot Horst, USGBCs Chief
Product Officer, at Greenbuild 2012. The plaque is now
available to all LEED-certified commercial projects, and
is on display at USGBCs headquarters in Washington,
D.C. among a growing number of projects across the
map. The LEED Dynamic Plaque is a visually engaging
platform that displays a buildings live performance
in energy, water, waste, transportation and human
experience. The platform is updated whenever new data
enters the system, and displays a live LEED performance
score based on current achievement. The LEED Dynamic
Plaque is designed to work seamlessly with the LEED
rating system: each enhances the other. The rating
system advances smarter green building strategies,
and the plaque then plots the ensuing impact and
performance of those strategies, in near real time.
The goals of the dynamic plaque are multi-fold. First, it
provides a solution for how to measure ongoing building
performance in relation to the LEED certification level
awarded. Second, it ignites awareness: it makes tenants,
visitors and building staff aware of the buildings
performance at any given time, enabling them to make
changes, if needed, to increase performance. Finally, it
provides a common language to compare buildings to
one another. Visit leedon.io to bring the LEED Dynamic
Plaque to your project and join the future of building
performance.
*From a USGBC survey conducted between September and October

2014 with LEED users in India.
USGBC & TERI

In 2014, USGBC and TERI formed
a strategic partnership to
accelerate the development of
green, high performing buildings
across India and Southeast Asia.
The demographic trends of India indicate a consistent
rise in urbanization. It is estimated that by 2030, over
33% of the total Indian population would be in urban
areas. The rising population and the rapid urbanization
would push the demand for housing and commercial
spaces, providing a further impetus to the rising growth
of the construction sector in the country.
USGBC and TERI believe that LEED and GRIHA (Green
Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, TERIs
green building rating program)proven market
transformation toolsare essential for Indias resource
efficient future. This is why we have joined forces. Our
partnership focuses on:
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
speedy approvals for buildings. With their longstanding

presences and collaboration in India, LEED and
GRIHA will allow us to take the conversation of green
buildings to a much higher platform. As tools of market
transformation, LEED and GRIHA will become even
more available to the broader public.
Performance: What you cannot measure is not
manageable. While incentives for new buildings rated
under GRIHA are linked to performance validation, we
will be measuring building performance at existing
buildings, community and human health levels. How we
resolve technical aspects and build performance metrics
into the market is critical. USGBCs new LEED Dynamic
Plaque allows us to calibrate each building on its realtime performance to further drive the market. We will
explore many efforts to measure performance but our
approach is to keep things simple so that the common
man can understand and influence the metric. After all,
behavioral transformation is key to success.
Building a green community: We want to deliver

on a shared vision of bringing green buildings
and communities to all, especially in India, within
a generation. Jointly, we are working together on
all aspects of sustainable development of the built
environment. The States of Kerela, Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan have adopted GRIHA and LEED green
building rating systems and passed resolutions
incentivizing buildings to be resource and energy
efficient. The Ministry of Environment and Forests,
Government of India lists GRIHA and LEED pre-certified
projects for out of turn consideration, resulting in
Capacity building: With businesses and stakeholders

combining energies to design and construct sustainable
buildings, the market needs to be aligned with the
required skills and knowledge. Its not just about
quantity. It needs to be about quality. Those two are
essential. This is why we want to continue empowering
existing leaders, influencers and media in India to help
us in this effort. Education is a key anchor of our new
partnership.
R.K. Pachauri and USGBC COO Mahesh Ramanujam
Mili Majumdar
To learn more, visit usgbc.org and teriin.org
LEED PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS

GROUP10 TECHNOLOGIES
Gurgaon, India
Interior Design + Construction: Commercial Interiors
(LEED Gold)
Certified August 2014
The First LEED v4 project to certify in India.
With the use of daylight and occupancy sensors, the

lighting power consumption was reduced by more
than 30% compared to when using conventional light
fixtures.
Key features:
Over 45% of the lighting controls have daylight

sensors and over 60% of the lighting controls have
occupancy sensors installed.
The project is located in a high density area with

access to more than 10 basic amenities including
restaurants, school, parks, banks, temple, pharmacy,
grocery store, beauty salon and shopping malls.
89% of the construction waste and debris was

diverted from local landfills and into recycling
facilities.
There is access to various public transit options

including Delhi Metro and DTC bus lines. Additionally,
shuttle service to the metro station is provided to
100% of the employees.
Used low-flow plumbing fixtures to reduce potable
water consumption by 28%.
Used non-CFC based refrigerants in HVAC equipment
and non-HCFC based fire extinguishers.
86% of the regularly occupied areas have access to

daylight and views.
Low-emitting construction materials including paints,
carpets and adhesives were used to minimize harmful
chemicals introduced into the workplace atmosphere.
A green education program was established to help
promote the benefits of sustainability and LEED.
Sustained energy and cost savings, and improved

indoor environmental quality through monitor-based
commissioning by a highly sophisticated building
management system.
INTUIT
Bangalore, Karnataka
Commercial Interiors (LEED Platinum)
Certified June 2013
Key features:
This IT park project has more than two bus lines
or routes within a walkable distance of 0.25 miles
from the project building entrance for its building
occupants thereby minimizing transportation pollution
and strain on local infrastructure, protects green-field
site and preserves habitat and natural resources.
The project has reduced potable water use by
51.76% from the calculated baseline design fixture
performance requirements established by the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 through the installation of low
flow urinals, showers, kitchen faucets and flush water
closets.
The highly reflective material on roof, high
performance glazing, efficient HVAC design and
heat recovery in the base building, have contributed
to HVAC energy savings of about 30.82% over
conventional building HVAC systems.
In order to support enhanced IAQ and long-term
well-being of all occupants, 30% more than the
minimum ventilation rates as per ASHRAE standards
have been provided.
Other Notable IT Park Projects

HSBC
Chennai, India
Certified April 2012
10
IBMMANYATA EMBASSY BUSINESS PARK

Bangalore, India
Certified December 2011
ANS DHIVYAM JEWELS

Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
New Construction (LEED India Gold)
Certified January 2012
First jewelry store in India to achieve LEED Gold
certification.
Dhivyam Jewels store is owned by ANS Jewelers. The
project includes many green features that directly
contribute to the environment in terms of reduced
energy consumption, impact on the local environment
and usage of natural resources.
Key features:
The project is located in close proximity to public
transportation thereby minimizing transportation
pollution and strain on local infrastructure.
The stormwater system was designed to remove
80% of the average annual post-development total
suspended solids from the stormwater.
Low-flow dual-flush toilets, sensor based urinals and
other low-flow fixtures have been selected to install
onsite to reduce water consumption by over 44%.
Potable water consumption for site irrigation was

reduced by at least 50%.
100% of wastewater is treated onsite to tertiary
standards.
The project has ensured up to 95.98% of total
construction waste has been recycled or reused
thereby diverting them from landfills.
The project has achieved a combined recyclable
content value of 13.22% of total material by cost
thereby reducing virgin material exploitation.
79% of the total projects materials by cost were
manufactured within 800 km of the project site.
Materials sourced regionally include cement, sand,
glass, steel, aggregate, brickwork, granite and ceramic
tiles.
In order to support enhanced indoor air quality and
long-term well-being of all occupants, 30% more
than the minimum ventilation rates as per ASHRAE
standards is provided.
11
VOLVO-EICHER GROUP
HEADQUARTERS
Gurgaon, India
New Construction (LEED India Platinum)
Certified January 2014
the angles at which sunlight reaches it. The blinds

were calibrated to minimize the direct inflow of harsh
sunlight.
The headquarters of Volvo-Eicher Group was designed

with worker health and productivity in mind. The air
inside is cleaner and more oxygenated than the air in
most other office buildings. The building was ahead
of its time, as care was taken to eliminate all VOC in
materials used in the building. Conservation of energy as
well as occupant comfort were of equal consideration.
At the center of the building is a 35-tonne suspended
spiral staircase that heads right up to the sixth floor for
occupants interested in getting some exercise in the
middle of the day.
Key features:
Two dozen varieties of indigenous plantsboth

flowering and non-flowering trees, shrubs, indoor plants
and morehave been planted in and around steel
frames that support the louvers which are covered with
wood recycled from railway sleepers courtesy of Indian
Railways.
The buildings louvers, which act as blinds, are strung
outside the glass walls of the office and have been
painstakingly calibrated after a detailed solar ingress
analysis. The architects and engineers studied the
buildings orientation, latitude and longitude and
12
No false ceilings as the air-conditioning ducts

normally fitted in the false ceilingsare on the ground
since cold air sinks while hot air rises. Through this
placement of these ducts on the floor, the buildings
air-conditioning system uses less energy.
With no false ceilings, there are several wooden discs
suspended in the air. The wood is from pinewood that
has been recycled from crates in which the assembling
units of Volvo trucks travel to India all the way from
Sweden. Normally these crates get auctioned off.
The glass windows are a special type of glass
manufactured by Saint Gobain Glass at its Chennai
plant. It is insulated and double-glazed, allowing
glare-free light but not heat into the building.
The building has a specially-designed sewage
treatment plant that recycles water for use in the
HVAC cooling towers, landscape irrigation, washing
cars and flushing. It has the capacity to treat 50,000
litres of waste. On average, it converts 30,000 litres of
wastewater into usable water every day.
SUZLON ONE EARTH

Pune, India
New Construction (LEED Platinum) and
GRIHA 5 Star Rating
LEED Certified February 2010
Suzlon is Indias largest and one of the worlds biggest
producers of clean wind energy.
One Earth succeeded in:
Decreasing potable water usage in irrigation by 100%
compared to average building consumption
Saving 8.5 million liters of potable water annually
Reducing energy consumption by 2.2 million kWh
per year
Saving more than INR 12.8 million per year
Dr. Sanjay Vashishtha

Senior Member
First Green Consulting
With 18 years of experience and as the senior member
of his consulting firm, First Green Consulting in Gurgaon,
Dr. Sanjay Vashishtha works on a variety of building
projects for key companies in India, notably Suzlon
Ltd. and DLF Ltd. Prior to the inception of his firm, he
was general manager of business development at DLF
Utilities Limited, a subsidiary company of DLF Limited,
where he was responsible for the sustainability aspect
of DLFs building portfolio: My responsibility was to
highlight that our buildings were energy efficient,
Vashishtha said. LEED was a tool, an internationallyaccepted green building rating system.
Through his work as head of First Green Consulting,
he and his team helped make DLF Limited the largest,
private real estate company in India to have a selfsustained model of energy production and consumption.
To date, DLF Limited has 14 buildings which have
pursued LEED certification, 10 of which are already
certified and 4 are under review. F
irst Green Consulting
performed all the related activities for these 14 buildings.
First Green Consulting was involved in notable projects
in India including the DLF Mall of India, the largest LEED
Gold certified mall in North India.
13
INFOSYS SDB 1 (POCHARAM CAMPUS)

Hyderabad, India
New Construction (LEED India Platinum) and
GRIHA 5 Star Rating
Certified April 2012
the requirement to switch on lights during the day.

Daylight and vision panels ensure over 91% of occupied
spaces have natural light and all employees have access
to views, adding to higher comfort and productivity.
With a total built up area of 2.7 lakh square feet, Infosys

SDB 1, Hyderabad, is the first radiant cooled commercial
building in India and the biggest comparison of HVAC
systems in the world. Infosys has made this building a
live lab wherein the building is split into two symmetric
halves, one half with conventional air conditioning
and the other with radiant cooling. Data over the last
three years show that radiant cooling is 30% more
efficient than conventional cooling. EPI of the radiant
cooled building and conventionally cooled building are
as low as 78 kWh/Sq. m/Year & 97 KWH/Sq. m/Year
respectively. This is among the lowest in the world for
this type of climate.
Efficient Lighting Controls: The building has highly

efficient lighting controls with the use of day lighting
and occupancy sensors. The operating lighting power
density is less than 0.17 W/square feet compared to
ASHRAE baseline standards.
Efficient Building Envelope: The building has an

efficient envelope with appropriate north-south
orientation, insulated walls and roof, optimized windowwall ratio of less than 30%, and high performance
glazing with adequate shading.
Day Lighting: Buildings are designed with day light,
vision panels, and light shelves, which let in a good
amount of natural light with little or no glare, removing
14
Building Management System: Building management

system (BMS) to continuously monitor, manage, and
optimize building operations and ensure efficient energy
use. This has enhanced our operative effectiveness
by improving diagnostic capabilities and also giving
recommendations for new building designs
Energy Efficiency: The building design demonstrates
50% reduction in energy consumption compared to
ASHRAE baseline standards.
Water Use: Water use reduction by over 48%
compared to LEED standards with the use of efficient
plumbing fixtures, recycle and reuse (used for flushing,
landscaping, and in cooling towers) of waste water.
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU BHAWAN

New Delhi, India
New Construction (LEED Gold) and IGBC Certified
Certified July 2013
Key features:
The office of Ministry of External Affairs is the

first ministry office in India to receive LEED Gold
Certification. The facility, covering 7.8 acres, was
designed to promote daylight and ventilation. Insulated
building envelope and energy efficient cooling
systems have all been integrated. The project boasts
many water-saving features including an onsite water
treatment plant and low-flow water fixtures.
Reducing energy consumption by 1.6 million kWh

annually
Decreasing potable water usage in irrigation by 100%

Saving 11,700,000 liters of potable water annually
Saving more than INR 9.7 million per year
15
BANGALORE
AIRPORT
TERMINAL 1
Bangalore, India
New Construction (LEED Gold, IGBC Certified)
Certified December 2013
The Terminal 1 expansion is divided by three zones
and is being developed to increase passenger traffic
and to enhance the operational performance of the
airport. The project incorporates many sustainability
features including low-flow water fixtures and effective
stormwater management systems.
16
A TALE OF TWO CISCO BUILDINGS

(B15 & B16)
Cisco B15
Cisco B16
The project has reduced potable water use by 50%.
The project has reduced potable water by 51.3%.
27% of the buildings materials and products were

manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
26% of the buildings materials and products were

manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.
HVAC energy savings are about 49% over a

conventional building HVAC system.
HVAC energy savings are about 50% over a

conventional building HVAC system.
Bangalore, India
Certified June 2012
Bangalore, India
Interior Design + Construction (LEED Platinum)
Certified July 2012
17
ITC WINDSOR
Bengaluru, India
Existing Buildings (LEED Platinum)
Certified March 2011
ITC Windsor, spanning over 298,000 sq ft, is the first
hotel in South India to earn LEED Platinum certification
under the LEED for Existing Buildings program.
Innovation and cutting edge technology combined with
an emphasis on responsible luxury have enabled ITC
Windsor to create new benchmarks in energy, water
efficiency, solid waste recycling and carbon reduction.
ITC Windsor succeeded in:
Using 29% less energy than USGBCs national average
for large size Luxury Hotels
Harvesting 20% of the peak rainfall which helps in
reducing demand for potable water
Treating and recycling enough water to irrigate
65,000 trees annually
Recycling more than 99% of total solid waste
Meeting its total electrical energy demand through
renewable sources of energy i.e. off-site wind turbine
generators
Reducing cooling demand by having over 60% of the
roof area covered with materials having a high Solar
Reflective Index
Reducing annual emissions by approximately 13,000
tonnes of CO2
More than 60% of ongoing consumables used at ITC
Windsor are either local or recycled
Other notable ITC LEED-Certified Hotels in India

ITC Royal Gardenia
Bengaluru, India
New Construction (LEED Platinum, IGBC)
Certified March 2010
18
ITC Grand Central

Mumbai, India
Existing Buildings (LEED Platinum)
Certified September 2012
CITIBANK, NA, FIFC

Mumbai, India
Certified February 2014
Citi in India has a footprint of 0.5 million square feet
of office space certified under LEED. The five major
facilities in Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru cater
to over 5,800 employees.
The Citibank NA at FIFC, headquarters of Citibank
operations in India include six floors measuring 149,295
square feet.
Citi was able to implement various sustainable and
energy efficiency measures. The total connected
lighting power is 32.59% below the ASHRAE standard,
the lighting design is further optimized with daylight
sensors in well day-lit areas and motion sensors in
closed rooms. The air conditioning system design
is zoned-based on the occupant use and space
requirements. The facility purchased green e-certified
products in renewable power equivalent to 50% of the
energy use.
Citibank succeeded in:
Decreasing potable water usage by 42.18% compared
to average office consumption
Saving 3.8 million liters of potable water annually
through use of efficient water fixtures
Reducing energy consumption by 637,290.8 kWh per
year
Saving more than INR 7.65 million per year on energy
bills
Other Notable Financial Institution Projects in India

Deutsche Bank AG, The Capital BKC
Chennai, India
Commercial Interiors
Certified July 2013
Standard Chartered Bank 2nd-3rd Floor

Mumbai, India
Commercial Interiors (LEED Gold)
Certified May 2014
19
YCH LOGISTICS PRIVATE LIMITED

Chennai, India
New Construction (LEED India Gold)
Certified May 2010
YCH India is the Indian subsidiary of the Singaporebased logistics and supply chain management company
YCH Group. The warehouse space was designed in such
a way that it requires no artificial lighting during the day.
At the time YCH was certified, there were no industrial
warehousing projects that had pursued LEED. YCH was
the first and even today they serve as an example for
warehouses in the region.
GREAT LAKES INSTITUTE

OF MANAGEMENT
Manamai Village, Tamil Nadu, India
New Construction (LEED Platinum)
One of the first educational institutes in India to
achieve LEED Platinum for New Construction.
About 45% of the projects material and products by
cost was extracted, harvested and recovered within
800 km of the project site and 60% of the total material
cost was manufactured locally and regionally thereby
reducing the pollution associated with transportation.
The Institute, a residential business school campus,
is introducing a curriculum for global energy and
environmental management degree in India.
20
MINDSPACE BUILDING NO. 06

Madhapur, Hyderabad, India
New Construction (LEED Platinum)
Mindspace Building No. 06 has succeeded in:
Mindspace Bldg. No 6 is the second largest LEED

Platinum rated building in India in terms of built up
area. The project began in 2009 and was completed
in 2010. The project adopted energy efficiency and
water conservation measures. The prominent energy
onservation measures such as roof and wall insulation,
Low e DGU glass, efficient water cooled chillers, VFDs
for HVAC equipment, heat recovery wheels, demand
control ventilation and efficient lighting with sensors.
A Water savings of 50% above standard baseline as

prescribed by LEED.
An energy savings of 35% over & above the ASHRAE

90.1 -2004 baseline.
Enhanced ventilation, better views and day lighting

that has improved the productivity of the occupants.
An average energy consumption of 70-100 Kwh/ Mtr.2
21
WHO IN INDIA
IS USING LEED?
In India, some of the most innovative and successful architectural firms, people and corporations are using LEED.
LEED professionals are key leaders of the green building industry. Earning a LEED professional credential
including the LEED Green Associate; LEED AP (Accredited Professional); LEED Fellow and various certificate
designationsdenotes qualified expertise in green building. LEED credentials mean much more than just a
professional accolade; those who earn them form a network of committed green building practitioners across an
array of industries. As Indias commitment to sustainability continues to evolve and grow, more and more of its
building professionals are earning their LEED professional credentials.
557
Total LEED Professionals

This includes the sum of LEED Green Associates, LEED APs
with specialty, and LEED APs without specialty. Since LEED
Fellows must have a LEED AP with specialty to qualify, they
are not included in the count as they would be duplicates.
LEED AP Event in New Delhi, July 2014

22
COMPANIES
Infosys
Infosys is a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing solutions. Infosys enables
clients in more than 50 countries to outperform the competition and stay ahead of the innovative
curve. Infosys has over 165,000 employees and $8.25 billion (USD) in revenue.
Guruprakash Sastry
Regional Manager, Infrastructure & Green Initiatives
Why have you chosen to use LEED? Our passion to conserve

natural resources and create a sustainable environment has
motivated us to develop solutions and technical expertise
that help us carry out our business activities without
damaging the environment.
We have been constantly setting reasonable goals to tread

a sustainable path for other corporates to follow. We have
implemented many innovative technologies in India, we are
still trying out new things to bring about a transformative
change and create environment consciousness in India.
Infosys SDB 6 | Mysore, India

23
I could feel the difference in the way this building is designed, I hardly need to
switch on lights throughout the day. The floor has daylight, making a natural
and healthy work environment.
Occupant, Infosys SDB 1, Hyderabad
This is further strengthened by LEED as it provides us a

platform to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability
to others in the industry. Also, since LEED is a globally
recognized rating system, it definitely gives additional
credibility to our sustainable endeavors.
How does LEED fit into your companys overall
sustainability goals and objectives? At Infosys,
sustainability is embedded in the core business strategy
and is the cornerstone of the business activities driving
innovations. Our top management is actively involved
in initiating sustainable practices and has set goals of
becoming carbon neutral, achieving 50% reduction in per
capita energy consumption by 2018 against the baseline
year 2008, and meeting our entire electricity consumption
from renewable sources, among other goals. The major
focus of LEED is on sustainable sites, water, energy
efficiency, indoor environment quality, and materials.
These are in line with some of the goals we have set for
ourselves to champion in the area of sustainability. Hence,
LEED facilitates a comprehensive review of our efforts and
adds value to it.
Whats the value (marketing, ROI, business development
and rental rates) LEED provides to your organization and
stakeholders? LEED gives us recognition in environmental
leadership. As it follows an intensive approach with different
levels of certification, it re-confirms the reliability of the
green features of the building and gives market recognition.
For Infosys, which has a global client base, we feel LEED
is an internationally recognized instrument which is more
identifiable by our various stakeholders across the globe.
What measures have you put in place to ensure your
LEED project continues to perform highly and improve
over time? We have implemented the next generation of
smart technology in our buildings. Our smart buildings use
built-in artificial intelligence and energy saving algorithms
to constantly optimize operations. We ensure that each
and every piece of equipment and system is metered and
accurately measured at a granular level. We have a building
management system (BMS) which continuously monitors,
manages, and optimizes our building operations.
24
We have a Central Command Center (CCC) at our Bangalore

Campus which remotely monitors all equipment and
consumption in real time, helping us identify and correct
inefficiencies. It connects all building management systems
and manages energy and other critical operations across
all our campuses from one single place. We have experts in
each of the critical areas at the central command center who
constantly analyze buildings data and optimize operations.
This greatly helps us improve our operational efficiency
and eliminates unwanted waste.
We constantly monitor our lighting, air conditioning, and
UPS energy consumption along with the total EPI of the
buildings. Efficiency of our equipment is reviewed on a
weekly basis against the performance benchmarks we have
set for ourselves. For example, the design and operating
efficiency of chiller plant room is 0.8 kW/TR & 0.6 kW/
TR, respectively. Similarly, for lighting it is 0.45 W/Sq.ft.
by design and 0.17 W/sq.ft operating.
We are proud to disclose and share our green interventions
through our sustainability reports/publications and other
mediums as we have data to back all our initiatives.
Do you plan to use LEED in future projects? If so, which
ones and how? We will continue to innovate to optimize
our operations and increase efficiency. Hence, we plan
to use LEED as one of the certifications for our future
projects. Currently we have eleven LEED India Platinum
rated buildings across our India campuses and we use
LEED for New Construction (NC). We also plan to go for
USGBC certifications in the future.
How do you envision your organization continuing to
maintain LEED as a leadership tool? As mentioned earlier,
LEED adds value to our sustainable actions. It gives us a
platform to showcase to the world that we are leading
the way for others in sustainability. We will continue to
innovate in this area and also encourage others to follow
the same path. LEED will act as a leadership tool for us
and also as a medium to communicate with others about
the significance of sustainable construction.
K Raheja Corp
K Raheja Corp is a leading real estate developer in India. Established in 1956, K Raheja Corp has
diversified into real estatecommercial and residential, hospitality and retail. Their success story
spans across decades and continues to achieve higher targets for quality of performance and
service. K Raheja Corp leases out their commercial spaces to recognized MNCs and Fortune 500
listed companies such as Capgemini, WNS, Accenture, Facebook, HSBC, J. P. Morgan, Novartis
Healthcare, etc. K Raheja has a company policy that its portfolio of commercial, residential, retail
and hospitality projects will all be LEED-certified. Currently, 23 of their 45 projects are LEEDcertified comprised of 8.45 million square feet of LEED-certified space.
Shabbir H Kanchwala
Senior Vice President
Why have you chosen to use LEED? LEED is an

internationally accepted benchmark of excellence for the
design, construction and operation of high performance
green buildings and provides building owners and operators
the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable
impact on their buildings performance.
The environmental impact of a building design, construction
and operation is significant considering the fact that it
is one of the major usages of energy generated in India.
LEED presents an opportunity for us to reduce the substantial
impact buildings have on the natural environment, while
increasing quality of life.
We want to be at the forefront of being environmentally
responsible, albeit voluntarily, thereby paving a way for
others to follow. Hence, the company has decided and is
committed to LEED.
How does LEED fit into your companys overall
sustainability goals and objectives? K Raheja is constructing
its entire portfolio of commercial, retail and hospitality as
LEED-certified buildings. The LEED system addresses
sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy optimization,
materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality
and the implementation of these measures fulfills our
company objectives of energy savings and water savings.
LEED provides us with a good green corporate image and
demonstrates our commitment to environmental protection.
We believe, environmental
stewardship makes good business
sense. We adopt a preventive
approach, striving to make
efficient use of natural resources
and to minimize the environmental
impact of our activities. Our LEED
Platinum rating is the feather in
the cap of Novartis.
Occupant, Mindspace building,
Madhapur Campus, Hyderabad, India
25
Raheja Vistas Phase IV, Pune, India

over time? India is tropical country, hence, to reduce heat
in buildings, the roofs and walls are insulated and glazed
with use of low e glass. Water-cooled centrifugal chillers
are often installed with high coefficients of performance
and eco-friendly refrigerant. Specifically:
Air Handling Units (AHUs) are interlinked with Heat
Recovery Units to reduce the cooling load on the
buildings chiller and AHUs.
For better indoor air quality, we use demand control
ventilation systems with C02 sensors.
Efficient lighting with CFLs, T5 and LED lights with
occupancy and daylight control sensors has been
installed.
Tertiary treatment systems comprised of an activated

carbon filter and multi-grade filter, to treat 100% of
the wastewater generated on-site.
The STP treated wastewater is used to meet 50% of
HVAC makeup water and the balance for flushing and
gardening.
Construction waste like construction debris, steel
scrap, broken bricks, interior waste etc. has been
reused & recycled within the site & thus diverting the
waste going to landfill.
Regional material within 500 miles addresses the
issue of optimizing indirect energy that goes into
transporting goods from their place of manufacturing
to the building site.
Water saving technologies are incorporated into our

LEED-certified buildingsnative and draught tolerant
species, water efficient plumbing fixtures, and rain
water harvesting to recharge the ground water table.
I deeply appreciate the efforts towards reducing GHG emissions by K Raheja

Corp. Water cooled chillers with Hi-COP in its class and integration of the same
with the HVAC system has resulted in a considerable amount of energy savings.
Occupant, Mindspace Building, Airoli Campus, Navi Mumbai, India
26
Grundfos Pumps India

The companys headquarters in Chennai has received LEED Platinum certification and is one of the
first companies in India to voluntarily recertify its existing building. Grundfos is the first company in
India to move from a Gold to a Platinum rating for a building after eight years.
Ranganath N.K
Managing Director, Grundfos India
Grundfos Pumps India Pvt. Ltd. is a wholly owned

subsidiary of Grundfos Holdings, established in March 13,
1998. Grundfos India is responsible for sales of Grundfos
products in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives.
Currently, Grundfos India has more than 250 employees
and works with 200 distributors and dealers with 20 offices
across India. Grundfos India provides pumps and pumping
solutions for various applications heating and hot water
service systems, cooling and air-conditioning systems,
industrial applications, pressure boosting and liquid transfer,
groundwater supply, domestic water supply, sewage and
wastewater, dosing, chlorination systems, disinfection
systems and pumps running on renewable energy.
Sustainability is a core value of

ours at Grundfos. We not only
are the largest manufacturer of
energy efficient pumps, but also
lead by example by having one
of the greenest offices in India
and in other countries too. Our
green building in Chennai is an
embodiment of what Grundfos
stands for and is a proof that we
walk the talk. The fact that we are
able to maintain a green rated
building and make it even more
greener over a period of time
proves that the green rating is
not just a one-time effort but a
continuous process.
Ranganath N.K, Managing Director,
Grundfos India
27
PEOPLE
Pramod Dhir, LEED AP BD+C
Dew Point Services Consultants LLP
LEED definitely has provided me a platform

(and confidence) to express my views on
sustainability in a more structured fashion. I can
now think more pragmatically, while applying
the building sciences in the construction
practices.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? The Indian air
conditioning industry has seamlessly adopted ASHRAE
standards to a large extent.
Traditionally, for some strange reason, all our local codes also
stem from the spirit and essence of American Standards.
LEED refers to all ASHRAE and AHRI standards, insofar
as air conditioning and electrical designs are concerned.
Thus, LEED becomes the natural choice for accreditation
and validation for us in India.
How has LEED helped your career? How does it set you
apart in the market? LEED definitely has provided me
a platform (and confidence) to express my views on
sustainability in a more structured fashion. I can now think
more pragmatically, while applying the building sciences
in the construction practices.
Are there specific LEED credits that you often pursue

when beginning a project? Which credits, in your opinion,
remain the most critical and why? Energy and atmosphere
credits are very close to my heart, and definitely are my
core competencies and passion. Water, for all good reasons,
is the next most critical component in todays scenario
of global warming and depletion of our aquifers. Luckily
energy has alternate sources. Water doesnt and it seems
improbable that we can defeat the law of the water cycle.
Embodied energy seems to be taking a back seat in LEED
certification (unlike TERI Griha standard), and it needs to
be taken up seriously.
Why are people so drawn to LEED? I guess for the
simple reason that it is the most evolved, systematic and
transparent system, easy to understand and implement. It
encourages the implementing team to understand the spirit
of the requirement and allows all flexibility for compliance
and execution. Last but not the least it is time tested and
one of the oldest certification programs.
While I am not a practicing LEED accredited professional

(my core expertise is MEP consulting), it has definitely
given me an edge over my contemporaries (who are not
LEED accredited professionals), in a way that I can now
relate to the LEED process better and makes it easier for
me to incorporate the LEED requirements latently in my
MEP design for efficient buildings. A LEED AP designation
definitely compliments my credentials and to a large extent
creates a better perception.
28
Dhruv K. Futnani, IGBC AP, LEED AP BD+C
India has chosen LEED.

Why have you chosen to use LEED? India has chosen
LEED. India is a country experiencing unprecedented
growth in the last few years and it is critical that this
development is sustainable. Unlike many countries, Indias
national building code does very little to address energy
and water efficiency, indoor environment, materials and
other environmental factors. The LEED system provides
a much-required framework for upcoming projects. The
difference seen in LEED-certified and most other projects
is probably the most glaring in India than anywhere else
in the globe! With many international companies setting
up office or partnerships with Indian companies, I believe
targeting a LEED rating is the logical way to ensure their
employees and interests are protected.
How has LEED helped your career? How does it set
you apart in the market? Providing LEED certification
consultancy and green building services is the goal of the
company. I was very fortunate to be pursuing my Masters
in Architecture in the United States at the time when LEED
was setting the benchmarks there. After completing my
education and a few years of work experience on several
LEED projects, I decided to move back to India. The first
LEED project had just been completed in Hyderabad and
many more were on the horizon, but there were only 7
LEED APs in the country! I have always believed in the
architect being the leader of the LEED team, and our firm
provides sustainability consulting from this approach of
integrated design.

remain the most critical and why? As a policy, at the
design stage we focus on sustainability and project specific
opportunities and issues, not on credits. When a project
is green, a good rating will happen quite easily. Every
project is unique and many credits are achieved inherently
and some credits require incorporation or changes in the
design. These credits become the focus, and as a consultant,
we focus on the most efficient and economic way to meet
the intent and requirements.
For example, in India, electricity and water are scarce
resources and also equate to operational savings vis-vis money. The LEED system addresses these critical
credits and further encourages implementation through
the Regional Priority Credits.
Why are people so drawn to LEED? LEED provides an
international benchmark for sustainability in buildings.
Clients, who are committed to their employees and the
environment, insist on LEED certified projects when they
are looking to lease spaces anywhere in the world, this
ensures a world class comparable building as well as
the best indoor environment for the occupants, resulting
in better health, productivity and savings. LEED is the
most widely accepted rating system and since the project
requires a third-party verification, the interests of the
building occupants and owner are safeguarded. In India,
LEED and green buildings are considered inseparable; this
demonstrates the importance and association of the two.
29
Amor Kool, IGBC AP, LEED AP BD+C

Kaleidoscope, Architect, MSCM
LEED introduced me to the top brass of

corporate management, from Bharti Airtel to
DLF.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? LEED has a market
reach beyond India and Asia; clients in most of the cases
feel benefited by LEEDs market outreach across the world.
As the corporate social responsibility investments are made
mandatory by the Government of India, more corporations
and multinational companies are transforming their built
environment utilizing opportunities available in LEED. LEED
is marketable, and has global presence.
How has LEED helped your career? How does it set
you apart in the market? As a sustainability consultant,
Ive presented LEED and its certifications to the best in
India. LEED exposed me to the top brass of corporate
management, from Bharti Airtel to DLF. LEED gives me
an extra edge to deliver projects quickly and provides me
with tools for the market.
30

remain the most critical and why? ESC Plan, Development
Density, Public Transportation, Stormwater Quantity, Water
Use Reduction, Innovative Wastewater Use, Optimized
Energy Performance, Indoor Air Auality (Fresh Air), and
Daylight. These are the credits, which are specifically
targeted at the start of the project. The most critical are
Water Use Reduction and Optimized Energy Performance.
Does the increased stringency of LEED v4 (material
disclosure, performance, human health) meet your
expectations for where the market is heading? How do
you think the latest generation of LEED will play out in
your market? The Indian market is not yet as matured for
material disclosure, however, performance and human
health are the topics of discussions at various platforms.
Material disclosure may require a paradigm shift in the
thought process of manufacturers in India. However, I
am personally very optimistic about LEED v4 and one of
those who advocates that very stringent norms should be
implemented. LEED v4 may get some resistance initially,
however, some clients have already asked me to prepare
comparisons.
Gopal Np, LEED AP O&M
Project Manager, Architect, Environmental Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd. [EDS]
Having a LEED AP accreditation illustrates

exceptional understanding of concepts and
principles that make a green building.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? I started my career
as an architect and worked on several LEED Platinum
rated buildings. As an architect, you mostly concentrate
on design, whereas LEED brings about the integration of
design, construction and operations, a perfect solution for
being sustainable.
apart in the market? LEED has helped me to recognize
all the aspects that go into making a building green.
It is not only about materials and design. It also talks
about green cleaning practices and indoor air quality
management, which is ignored by most people. Having a
LEED AP credential illustrates exceptional understanding
of concepts and principles that make a green building.

remain the most critical and why? As we all know, water is
an important resource and it is vital to maintain a healthy
water cycle. It becomes important to save water, especially
in a warm country like India. Irrigating landscape in such
areas can be dealt with using recycled water or by using
stormwater available during the brief monsoon periods.
Saving potable water is of supreme importance and I
encourage clients to lay emphasis on water efficiency and
related credits.
Why are people so drawn to LEED? LEED has attained
international recognition due to the holistic approach it
offers as a rating system. USGBC was an early mover and
they are pioneers of the green rating system. People are
conversant with the system as it has been in the market
for a long time. To add to that, LEED has a good support
system.
Yusuf Turab, IGBC AP, LEED AP BD+C, GRIHA Trainer & CAPM
Managing Director, Y T Enterprises
Most businesses that work with international

clients pick LEED over other rating systems
because of its popularity globally. There is
a common perception that visitors from the
United States and the Middle East appreciate
buildings that are LEED-certified.

remain the most critical and why? In any project we first
pursue the water use reduction and innovative wastewater
technology credits. In India, water is a critical issue and
many Indians prefer to invest in projects that are most likely
to provide them with water security in times of drought. Its
a shame LEED awards so few points for water efficiency.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? About three years ago,
when I started my career in the green building sector, LEED
was the obvious choice simply for its sheer numbers. It was
the most popular rating system in the world and at the time
had a very holistic approach towards a sustainable built
environment. Most of these features of LEED still hold true.
Why are people so drawn to LEED? Most businesses

that work with international clients pick LEED over other
rating systems because of its popularity globally. There is
a common perception that visitors from the United States
and the Middle East appreciate buildings that are LEED-
31
certified. At a base price of $3000, it is also very affordable

and in some cases cheaper than the Indian rating systems
like IGBC Green Factory and GRIHA rating systems.
you think the latest generation of LEED will play out in your
market? Constant increases in stringency and decreases
in complexity are the needs of the hour. While LEED has
come a long way in terms of setting higher performance
benchmarks for projects to follow, there is still plenty of
work to be done towards simplifying the whole system.
Integrated design, project management and systematic

documentation has never been a traditional strength of the
Indian project teams. LEED is requiring more and more of
that which puts teams out of their comfort zones. On the
whole, LEED v4 is exactly what the Indian market needs
but only time will tell if it will be embraced.
Shashikiran Udupi, LEED AP BD+C
LEED actually enforces that the measures are

undertaken and documented thoroughly, so
there is no shortcut or bypass of any of the
measures.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? LEED is a mature
and all-inclusive system set-up that genuinely encourages
different users to prioritize and adopt relevant credits
so that the three key global issues of reducing harm to
the environment, enhancing energy savings measures
as well as building healthy living/working environments
are met. Since the evaluation system is water tight, LEED
actually enforces that the measures are undertaken and
documented thoroughly, so there is no shortcut or bypass
of any of the measures. Besides, the LEED system also
gives an opportunity for appeals and credit interpretations
thereby making it a continuously evolving system. It is upto-date and relevant.
apart in the market? I am an architect by qualification
and experience and LEED has helped my career prospects
immensely as the need to hire design professionals with
an innate sense of environmental responsibility has only
increased over the past decade. When I first became a LEED
AP in early 2006, the system was getting traction in the
energy conscious state of California, but now, almost a
32
decade later, the LEED rating system is a well understood

and used system in India where I have been practicing
for the last 5 years. In the last 5 years, I have worked
on delivering 3 LEED Platinum buildings in Bangalore,
India, totaling a portfolio of about 1.8 million square feet
which adds great value to my resume and adds further
responsibility towards sustainability in all the future works
that we take up.
remain the most critical and why? There are specific credits
that are pursued for two reasons.
Credits such as the sustainable sites category are easy to
pursue in India. The inherent density of the population in the
metro areas makes it easy to locate the building in an area
with easy access to public transit and community facilities.
Some of the credits are pursued due to their local relevance
and importance. For example, high population density
metros such as Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore face water
shortages perennially (due to our over dependence on
the monsoons) as well as energy crises pretty often and
it makes perfect sense to target the maximum number
of points for these categories. So, I would definitely lay
an emphasis on the water efficiency credits along with
all the possible measures to make the project as energy
efficient as possible.

you think the latest generation of LEED will play out in
your market? I think that the increased stringency is always
going to get this movement going in the right direction
as it makes the whole process water tight and closes the
loopholes that might potentially encourage some players to
derive shortcuts in achieving some of the credits, especially
with the materials and resources category.
The latest generation of LEED is more spread out and

encompassing in terms of the additional categories. I am
sure that a few glitches that existed in the system have also
been removed to enhance the user experience.
Anupam Jain, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, IGBC AP, GRIHA Evaluator & Trainer,
Registered Architect
Founder and Principal Consultant, Rationale de Design, New Delhi
Adjunct Associate Professor, RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University
LEED Testimonial from India
As an architect, I found myself practicing in a market
where short construction timelines and a lack of
coordinated engineering efforts were more the norm
than the exception. This made me wonder what impacts
such a rapid pace of construction has on the local
ecology of the place. While there were occasional
mentions of green buildings, there wasnt really a
comprehensive framework acceptable in the industry
(like LEED that we see today). There was also an acute
shortage of people trained to deliver anything like it.
It was then, more than 10 years ago, that I decided to
pursue the area of green buildings with nothing more
than a strong desire to fill this skills gap. Well, am I glad
I made that decision then? Oh yes! I was introduced
to an eye opening education in building science that
to date continues to amaze me with new possibilities.
My association with USGBC also introduced me to
a new culture of working with people from different
backgrounds, but with the same sense of urgency to
act on behalf of the environment. The creation of the
LEED rating system has empowered design teams
across the globe to measure and time the progress
of our efforts to build with the environment, and not
against it.
The country is expected to see a rapid rise in
infrastructure and real estate projects in the near future.
And we need industry professionals and frameworks
like LEED to bring lessons in responsible development
to hold our hand during this

journeyto learn from others
experiments and to enhance
our own capacity to lead from
the front.
An important characteristic of LEED that has made it an
industry benchmark in India is its comprehensive set of
solutions for new as well as existing buildings, which has
enabled owners to quantify their green potential and
use it for conducting third-party-endorsed responsible
business. The global appeal of LEED makes it easier
for clients to recognize environmental leadership
seamlesslyproviding an advantage to businesses
while lowering their own operating costs. Overall,
occupants of green buildings are much more satisfied
with their working environment and able to relate to
their organizations efforts to work sustainably.
What LEED has succeeded in doing is to inspire
an entire generation of professionals in the built
environment to pursue training and provide hands-on
contributions to the design, construction, operations
and maintenance of buildings around them. They have
started to ask tough questions and come up with
feasible options at the design table. They are creating
their own solutions and creating new and innovative
business plans. For them, insensitivity towards the
environment is no longer an option - and that is the
biggest contribution any framework can make.
33
Deepa Sathiaram, LEED Fellow
Executive Director, En3 Sustainability Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Past President ASHRAE South India Chapter & Past National Environment ChairCII Young
Indians and has worked on over 450 LEED projects in India and over 50 LEED projects globally.
LEED sets a unique global benchmark of excellence in green buildings. That puts you on a
completely different level.
What can people expect from pursuing LEED? Sustainability
is a problem that everyone wants to address. Every building
wants to save on energy and water and provide a better
environment for its occupants. The LEED rating system
provides a great framework for people to be able to do
that. But we also need to understand what to expect from
it. I often compare the LEED certificate to a college degree.
Lets take an example. Say we are both engineers. We both
have just graduated from a top class university. We both
have been through the same curriculum and academic
rigor. Three to five years, beyond our degrees, you are a
great performing engineer but I am may not be doing so
great. Does that mean that the degree that my university
gave me is at fault? No. What does a degree say? It says
we have the foundation, knowledge and ability to perform.
However whether we perform or not, only time will tell.
LEED certification is very similar. It tells a client that this
building has everything in it - the foundation, framework
and the ability to perform. Now it is up to the building to be
a performing building or not. Any certification is good and
provides the basic foundation to move forward. Of course
we can bring in many checks and balances to ensure that
the building performs, but really it is up to the building
to continue to perform.
RBS Chennai achieved LEED Gold certification for Commercial Interiors.
34
LEEDtells a client that this

building has everything in itthe
foundation, framework and the
ability to perform. Now it is up to
the building to be a performing
building or not.
What has been the primary motivator to going green in

India? At the initial stages of the green movement, the
primary motivator was energy conservation. Anything
that could be done to save energy. That was the primary
focus. The green movement grew here so quickly because
there was a business case for recovering costs from an
energy standpoint. The country grew so fast and energy
could not keep pace with it and any initiative that could
help clients save on recurring energy costs was the key.
There was also a market pull from international and large
socially responsible corporations that were growing rapidly
in India. Other motivators of going green included water
conservation, waste management and better recognition
and branding by the industry.
How has LEED kept up with growth in India? The building
segment has grown significantly in the last six to eight years
in India and with more awareness about green buildings
and LEED, more and more projects began exploring these
areas. Moreover in the last ten years, a lot of multinational
corporations have moved into India. They started saying:
We want to lease spaces in LEED-certified buildings
because they were sure that these buildings would perform
better in terms of energy efficiency, water and indoor air
quality. This has led to many builders and developers who
wanted these good, multinationals clients to pursue LEED

certification for their buildings. If the developers had a
LEED certification, they had an edge. Thats how most of
these commercial buildings started going with LEED. But
as time evolved and many clients started occupying LEED
buildings, they were able to feel the benefits and since then
LEED has grown even more in India.
Was LEED just a hook to get multinational clients? At
first maybe it was for many builders, but the builders and
developers soon realized it was helping them beyond just
securing high-paying tenants. They started to look at the
return on investment: Hey, I am getting tenants but its
[LEED] also a good thing to do. They were also able to
optimize designs and specifications, cut out excess and
optimize initial investments as well.
A lot of the early work with LEED in India was for new
construction. What about existing buildings? Its one of
the key areas of focus. The new buildings are coming up
with better specifications and innovative designs. But ten
year-old buildings in India? They are not so efficient from
a water and energy standpoint and a lot can be done to
help these buildings become high-performance buildings.
Much of the energy efficient equipment & systems we see
today was simply not available back then.
How challenging has it been to make a LEED for existing
buildings pitch in India? We need to change the old
paradigm of considering LEED EB as part of the cost
of doing business to LEED EB as part of sound asset
management. Most building owners and operators have
a huge mindset that any change to existing buildings is
complicated, overwhelming and painful. We have done
many feasibility studies for prospective clients about their
existing buildings, where they stand and what improvements
can be done to help them save energy, water and operating
costs. But they often say its too difficult or time consuming
to do as there are inherent cultural, skill and operational
challenges. That mindset needs to be broken and challenges
overcome.
Existing buildings have huge potential and we have seen
that projects that advance often result from an owner
committed at the highest levels of their organization who
ensures that this happens.
How do you demystify the LEED EB process for clients? We
need to reach out to the facility managers of all buildings.
We are closely trying to work with associations of such
facility managers, the facility heads, the infrastructure
heads to create more awareness and help them understand
the huge potential in greening existing buildings and
operations. They could become leaders within their
organization by helping their organizations save millions
through very cost-effective green initiatives. We converted

close to 350,000 square feet of an existing non-green
campus that eventually went on to achieve LEED Gold a few
years back. That was a huge learning curve as it involved
the procurement department, facility maintenance, building
security...It involved everyone and was a challenge to get all
of these guys on the same page to implement everything.
They did it because there was a high commitment at all
levels within the organization starting from the Board.
Are some buildings too damaged to bother with? Not
really. Yes, there would be scope in all buildings that by
doing some improvements, changes and modifications we
could help conserve and also help get LEED EB certification.
Its also about the timing. In many of these buildings, due to
the aging of their various systems that were installed 10-15
years back, they would be due for a retrofit anyway. We say
to clients, Look, if you are going to replace existing systems
and make changes within this building why dont you just
go green? That way your building not just becomes a highperformance building but also you could get recognition for
the good work done through LEED EB certification as well.
Whats the landscape like beyond existing buildings in
India? Well, you still have a lot of buildings that have yet
to be built in India. Statistics say that 70% of India is yet
to be built. So there is no doubt there is huge scope in
We are closely trying to work

with associations of such facility
managers, the facility heads, the
infrastructure heads to create
more awareness and help them
understand the huge potential in
greening existing buildings and
operations. They could become
leaders within their organization
by helping their organizations
save millions through very costeffective green initiatives.
35
materials to My building is made from low-energy and

green materials.
RBS Chennai office social hub
new buildings. But there are also thousands of existing

buildings that can go green. There are also a lot of central
and state government buildings that could go green,
heritage buildings that can go green. So in terms of absolute
numbers, there is huge number of existing buildings in India
that can go green and save a lot for the country in general.
How has your background led you to your current work?
My first job after I graduated was as a HVAC designer.
Having worked for over 5 years in HVAC design in India,
I got a chance to move to Los Angeles to work for the
International Code Council (ICC) as an accreditation officer
and quality manager for their subsidiary IAS. My husband
was at UCLA pursuing an MBA degree. During my tenure at
ICC, I have worked on various aspects of energy efficiency,
building materials testing and evaluation, accreditation of
testing and calibration laboratories and in various areas of
sustainability. When we moved back to India, we conceived
En3, a specialized design firm focusing on energy efficiency
and green buildings. Being associated with sustainability,
conformity assessment, building materials, design and
testing for over fifteen years has been a huge advantage
and this helped us provide valuable inputs to projects while
helping them go green.
What needs to be done to restore sheen back to local

materials? A lot has to be done in terms of developing
materials locally. Take flooring. We rarely use carpets in
India. We use hard flooring. Natural stone. Local stone. Now
we have these modern materials so its a question of no one
wanting to use the local materials because your building will
not look differently than the materials from the past. This
is where the innovation comes in. A manufacturer recently
approached us with material that looked like wood for floors
but it was made from rice husks waste! These husks are
usually thrown away. Its a wonderful idea, so why do we
then need to import laminated wood from China when we
can come up with products locally? Unfortunately, we need
to have an infrastructure to fund such small manufacturers
to take their products commercial. We need to develop an
infrastructure to encourage such entrepreneurs to come
up with such innovative green materials in all areas.
How important is indoor air quality in India? During the
initial stages of the green movement, interest in indoor air
quality was lower when compared to say energy savings
or water conservation. But what happened is that when
the first set of LEED buildings were built and occupied,
everyone felt it was great they were saving on water and
energy but many would also say, Theres something nice
about this building that we have never felt before about
our previous buildings. This was due to a healthier air
quality, better natural lighting and an overall nicer indoor
environment. It was a game changer. Today clients focus
on IAQ to help them keep their employees healthy and
happy and also to boost employee productivity and morale.
What is the current conversation around building materials

in India like? For many years, we always talked about energy
efficiency when it came to buildings. A lot of discussions
about systems and equipment but not so much about
building materials and such. We, however, never imagined
that within a ten-year period we would begin looking at
materials in a completely different way. Its ironic, because
if you look back at Indian architecture 30 or 50 years ago,
everything we did was green: we built climate-responsive
designs and mostly used only local materials. But in the
last two decades as we have aspired for contemporary
buildings, modern materials and looks, we have kind of
moved away from our Indian roots. Moreover, we now have
some of the best access to material and technologies from
all over the world that made projects easily procure them.
Its now slowly dawning on us that this is important but
we need to look at options at home. We need to change
the paradigm that My building was made from imported
36
Juzer Kothari, LEED AP
Managing Director of Conserve Consultants, a consulting firm in India that works on sustainable
buildings. Founded in 2005, Conserve Consultants was created to help organizations conserve
energy, water, materials and resources. Mr. Kothari has worked on close to 50 LEED buildings in
India for the past nine years.
What interests me about LEED is that it is a very well-designed and articulated process. Its a step
by step process. It quantifies things beautifully. It has a holistic approach in all areas of construction
and design. The LEED process, the way the entire process gets communicated to all building
stakeholdersit is managed quite well.
What is the pitch you make to clients as to why they should
use LEED? The requirements of the client and the project
have to be understood before making a suitable pitch.
The application of the right green certification process is
important to get the best results.
We try and communicate the features and the benefits that
a green certification program offers. LEED, like most other
green certification programs, has a set of standards and
benchmarks to follow. You can actually measure, at every
point of the design and project development, where you
are and systematically build upon the performance of the
building, where you want to be. If you want to see how
you can go up the ladder of sustainable performance, you
would want to use a suitable green rating process.
I also tell our prospective customers that a common rating
target like Platinum, Gold or Silver brings a variety of people
together with common backgrounds. The integration of all
design parts, all the project teamsthey get together to
achieve a common goal. Otherwise, everyone is scattered.
LEED, like most other rating programs, corrals everyone
and gives them a set of focused and achievable aspirations.
In terms of benefits, you are quite sure of creating a
valuable and well-performing asset. LEED and other green
certification programs also enable clients to communicate
their achievements to the market at large.
What should be done to articulate the value of LEED and
green building in India? We should be able to make it clear
to people that LEED or any other certification program is
making good business sense for them. That the process
creates a valuable asset and reduces operating costs.
The owner must be able to see this. It also motivates and
helps organizations and project teams to rally together to
achieve a common set of goals. Case studies, white papers,
seminars, one on ones with leaders and all stake holders,
etc., should be done on a regular basis to disseminate the
benefits.
Is this a challenge? These thoughts are appreciated by

visionary leaders and managers in any organization. To
meet these people in an organization is a challenge. To be
able to articulate this without appearing to be selling to
them is also a challenge. They must be able to see the return
on investment. It should make business sense to them.
There is also a section of the market that has a different idea
of green. They believe that green building certifications,
like LEED and others, do not deliver their idea of green. To
get them to be a part of this movement is also a challenge.
How do you continue raising awareness in the market for
LEED? Awareness continues to grow. The challenge is how
do we rally any third party verification system as a good
choice for integrated design so LEED gets a certain level
of importance? Any certification managed properlywhich
is communicated properlywill grow in India. Third party
certification is there to stay.
Do you highlight the importance of LEED as it relates
to human health? We have measured CO2 levels inside
offices and have shared this information with prospective
clients and how that will affect the health of people inside
the building. Its not a priority right now for clients but we
are getting there. Consider air conditioning. Eight or nine
years back, air conditioning was a luxury in office buildings.
So older buildings never worried about fresh air. Now air
conditioning is expected in buildings. The same will come
true for fresh air.
37
Dr. Satish Kumar, LEED Fellow
Energy Efficiency Ambassador and also served as the Vice President of Professional Services
at Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management. Satish Kumar has worked on
nearly ten LEED projects in India.
How would you categorize the green building market in

India today?
level and awareness and energy prices continue to rise in

the coming years.
Global brand recognition
At the same time, the service levels and our expectations

from newly constructed buildings and indoor environmental
spaces are changing very rapidly. Compared to fifteen to
twenty years ago when air conditioning was more of an
exception rather than a rule, it is very much a given in class
A commercial buildings today. So, we are still evolving in
many fundamental ways, which is changing the baseline
definition of green buildings in India.
3rd party verification

Useful framework for our green building efforts
Why is this the case? By and large, the perception in the
Indian commercial real estate sector is still that you can
build a commercial building, load it up with glazed facade,
use imported marble or granite, create a lovely lobby and
that is likely to sell better than a well-designed green
building with superior environmental performance. So,
LEED is pursued often when theres financial security for
a developer from a multinational tenant or an avant garde
Indian company (e.g. Infosys or ITC Hotels) that realizes the
value of sustainability and has both strong top management
support and a highly competent in-house green building
or facility engineering team. Otherwise most developers
are not willing to take the risk as the average customer or
tenant in India is still unwilling to pay for green buildings.
What will help raise this awareness amongst the general
population in India? I believe there is good awareness and
more and more companies are considering going green
today than say, about ten to fifteen years ago. In my opinion,
it is largely an opportunity cost issue when it comes to
how capital is being deployed by Indian companies along
with a perception that green costs more. This has been a
personal challenge in India - trying to sell energy efficiency.
Every customer that we speak to wants to invest in energy
efficiency or green technologies but any investment with
a ROI of more than three years has a much lower chance
of getting approved.
When you look at India compared to China in terms of the
demand for green building, China is much-better capitalized
and the commercial real estate market is also much, much
bigger. I see India moving in that direction but realistically
speaking, we are about ten to fifteen years behind China.
In my opinion, what will happen is that China will begin
to saturate and the focus will pivot to existing buildings.
In India, the focus will remain on new construction for a
few more decades. Green buildings, in terms of newly built
up area is probably 2-3% of the market currently, but this
should increase as ECBC gets accepted at the national
38
Is disclosure of material ingredients part of your

organizations overall sustainability metrics? If so, why
is this important to you? Schneider Electric tracks its
sustainability performance using Planet and Society
Barometer, which has 14 indicators spread across the Planet,
People and Profit categories. One of these indicators is
Products and Solutions, whereby our goal is to have 75%
of our products revenues achieved with Green Premium
products. As an industrial company selling products all over
the world, we want to make sure that our offers preserve
biodiversity and the health of those who manufacture and
use it. In response to the demand for eco-friendly products
that meet or exceed regulations, Schneider has developed
its Green Premium program. A Green Premium program, as
defined by Schneider Electric, uses the following criteria:
1. Product Environmental Profile available online
2. End-of-life instruction manual available online
3. List of substances of concern according to European
REACH regulation available online
4. Product does not contain lead, hexavalent chromium,
cadmium, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs)
and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) above
the threshold set by the European RoHS directive
over time? We have a cloud-based energy management
information system (EMIS) installed at our facility, with a
network of 80 sub-meters over 10 floors, capturing facility
and system level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which
help in tracking energy consumption at different levels.
The EMIS records energy consumption at an interval of
15 minutes. Specialized energy dashboards have been
developed that track important energy KPIs such as

energy performance index (kWh/m2), energy consumed
per employee, lighting power density, floor wise EPI, etc.,
which can be compared and evaluated against relevant
standards and global benchmarks. The energy dashboards
provide the break-down of energy use by end use, enabling
the facility management team to focus their energy saving
initiatives on the areas where maximum impact can be
achieved. The system also segregates the weekday energy
consumption from weekend energy consumption and also
the working-hours energy consumption from non-workinghours energy consumption, providing further opportunities
for optimization by presenting insights into the leakages
or avoidable energy expenditure.
remain the most critical and why? Commissioning and
Measurement & Verification are the most critical credits as
these ensure that energy consuming systems are actually
operated and maintained as per energy efficient design
intent and specification. We put in significant efforts

to validate claims with regards to energy performance
during the operation of the building. Further, we practice
and preach the importance of load segregation and submetering to ensure superior building performance and
the need to make energy use visible through Energy
Management Systems/dashboards.
Is LEED appropriate for India? Absolutely yes. It is very
important for the Indian building sector any way you look
at it. Keep in mind that 60-70% of Indian buildings (both
commercial and residential) are yet to be built. There is
a huge opportunity here and we have barely started to
tap the residential sector market in India. I graduated
more than 20 years ago and sweating while working in
architectural offices was acceptable because there were
very few air-conditioned offices. Now, this is no longer
acceptable. The market will change, no question about it
and LEED will continue to become even more important
in the future because of the framework that it provides to
address sustainability as a holistic strategy.
Srinivasa Reddi Vanga, LEED AP BD+C

Senior Cost Estimator, Project Management Services, Inc.
Why have you chosen to use LEED? I chose LEED because I

wanted to thank and give something back to the community.
I also chose LEED because this is relevant to my educational
background and I have great passion for LEED concepts. I
firmly believe LEED is moving in right direction.
apart in the market? I feel LEED is my ambition, though it is
part of my career. Our notable client database includes the
Department of State, GSA, the Navy, and the Department
of Justice, who are all using LEED.
remain the most critical and why? Site selection, stormwater management, water efficiency, energy efficiency are
key issues. We can avoid greenfield sites and can select
brownfield sites. It plays an important role to preserve
green habitat, connectivity and lower carbon emissions, etc.
Stormwater Management: If we target for net zero storm
water management usage of recycled water, this could
solve lot of future problems. The reason for getting heavy
floods in India and in Indian cities, even for small rains is

because of improper stormwater management, types of
construction methods and lack of BMPs (Best Management
Practices). Creating concrete jungles, spreading impervious
pavements, creating heat islands, carbon emissions are the
primary causes of global warming.
Water efficiency has a very important role in all the phases
of the green building life cycle like energy efficiency. As a
person who has avid working experience both in India and
the U.S., I can mention lot of information about the present
usage of water and energy resources of the people in India
that will contradict green building standards.
Why are people so drawn to LEED? People are so drawn
towards LEED because LEED buildings are quality high
performance buildings and have less impact on the
environment. Such buildings have good market value and
can earn government incentives. It is really praiseworthy
that LEED professionals are taking this green movement
close to peoples hearts.
39
Lopamudra Khanna
Vice President, Group10 Technologies, Gurgaon, India
Why have you chosen to use LEED? LEED is a universally

accepted certification and the concept of Global-RegionalLocal ensured that in India we could attempt the best
level of quality and commitment of green building. Our
commitment to sustainable habitat encouraged us to go
for the latest and most stringent certification norms and
thus we voluntarily went for LEED v4. We would like to
be seen as an enterprise which professes, practices and
encourages green.
Whats the value (marketing, ROI, business development
and rental rates) LEED provides to your organization
and stakeholders? We have only been recently certified
and are working to derive maximum visibility and gains
from our association with LEED. The tangible returns of
our investment in LEED will take some time to be visible
however the non-tangible returns are being experienced.
Is disclosure of material ingredients part of your
organizations overall sustainability metrics? If so, why
is this important to you? Group10 takes pride in a linear
organization model and transparency in all business aspects
including disclosure of material ingredients. We maintain
robust environmental policies and have a handbook for
occupants and visitors of our building to learn more about
the materials used in the building and other sustainable
features.
over time? We have set-up a team of senior members
in the organization who will now dedicate their efforts
on tracking the building performance through the LEED
Dynamic Plaque. Efforts would include regular tracking,
collection and analysis of performance data. Any corrective
and improvement measures will be done on a monthly
basis and performance metrics will be strictly adhered to.
40
We are very interested in learning more about the occupant

experience of your LEED buildings. Can you share a
few specific anecdotes of how people feel living and
working in your LEED-certified buildings? The occupants
and employees clearly understand and appreciate the
environment that has been derived through the stringent
LEED standards. Now occupants are well aware of the
usage of waste management and have a clear knowledge
on the energy efficiency process. All the employees really
appreciated and commented on the missing odor that they
usually find in other places after a paint job.
Do you plan to use LEED in future projects? If so, which
ones and how? Yes. We would like to get our existing office
space at Chennai certified in the future.
Does the increased stringency of LEED v4 meet your
expectations for market transformation? How do you
envision your organization continuing to maintain LEED
as a leadership tool? Increased stringency of LEED v4 has
raised the bar of performance and expertise required for
sustaining and promoting a green economy. The changes
to material credits in particular will have a huge impact
on the Indian construction market where focused efforts
will now have to be made to report material ingredients
and EPDs.
LEED is a leader in green building rating systems and
recognizes our organizations efforts to promote
sustainability.
Tanmay Tathagat, LEED AP BD+C and LEED Fellow

Director, Environmental Design Solutions [EDS]
EDS has been involved in over 130 certified projects, which include 40 Platinum certified
buildings; another 33 are pre-certified currently, including 14 Platinum pre-certifications. The
projects range from ITC Hotels, Delhi International Airport, INFOSYS Hyderabad, Citibank offices,
Government projects like Thyagraj Stadium and Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan the office of the
Ministry of External Affairs.
LEED often plays the role of a provocateur, and

has resulted in the development of competing
green building rating systems. This might yet
be one of the most underrated achievements
of LEED globally, not just in India. LEED has
started the debate and has successfully
engaged the design and construction industry
in the discussion on green buildings in India.
apart in the market? I got my LEED accreditation in early
2002, when interest in green buildings was emerging
globally. My work at the International Institute for Energy
Conservation [IIEC] enabled me put the newfound
credentials to use immediately for building energy
efficiency and policy projects in Asia, Africa, and the U.S.
The first real life test was to introduce the concept of green
buildings to a visiting Olympics preparation delegation
from China at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. It
was my first presentation on LEED, and I still remember
the wonderment of all the concepts produced among the
delegation, led by the then Mayor of Beijing.
Later, once I came back to India, the first LEED-certified
buildings were coming up, and I, for a while, was the only
LEED AP in the country. Since then LEED has helped us
establish our practice at Environmental Design Solutions
[EDS] as the leading building sustainability firm in Asia
with projects spread across the world. LEED rigor was
evident in two of our projects winning the Holcim Award
for Sustainable Construction awards in 2005 and 2008.
The winning projects were recognized for pioneering
sustainable construction.
At EDS, we are also working on a number of building
energy policy, analysis and market research projects. The
experience of hundreds of LEED projects is reflected in the
unique way we approach the policy work with a rootedness,
contextual approach, and a solid grounding of actual
construction and design experience.
How does LEED work in India? LEED brought the concept

of formal green building certification to India, especially at
a time when the construction boom was just starting. LEED
quickly became the benchmark for all green buildings in
India. It is still the differentiator as well as the benchmark
for sustainable building design and construction. LEED
is now gaining wider recognition for certifying existing
buildings and large neighborhood developments.
Why has India embraced LEED? India has a large number
of buildings that aspire to be benchmarked globally and
LEED has established itself as the de-facto standard for
such high performance buildings. LEED is now a mandatory
requirement for many large real estate firms, IT companies,
and banks. LEED is also driven by green building incentives
offered by many municipal authorities.
The LEED framework can be

used as a reference to address
the critical issues of growing
Indian cities. These issues range
from urban sprawl, transportation
networks, urban design practices,
and most importantly prioritization
of health, well-being, as well as
quality of life considerations into
our development agenda.
41
On a personal note, what is the experience like for you

living or working in a LEED-certified building? Do you feel
healthier? More productive? We are proud to be working
in a LEED Platinum rated office. We were careful to look
at the real intent of each of the credits we attempted and
had the clear understanding that we will not attempt a
credit to just get a LEED point. Each and every measure
we implemented was based on the first principle. It was an
endeavor to prove that LEED can be contextual as well as
cost effective while creating a better, healthier workplace.
One of the most common problems in open office plans,
for example, is the dissatisfaction with the thermal and
visual comfort level. By integrating task lighting, indirect
glare-free ambient lighting, and individual task fans have
resulted in a much more customized and comfortable work
environment for most people. The lights were assembled
out of bamboo and recycled paper, and tasks fans were
made from low voltage DC fans used in computer servers.
There are several such examples where LEED provided
the framework for evaluating decisions based on health,
productivity, comfort and environmental impacts of our
design and construction choices.
Even the LEED plaque in our office was fabricated by a
local stonemason, by hand, on a waste piece of granite,
while still adhering to all the LEED guidelines.
42
How do you plan to use your influence as a LEED Fellow

in India? LEED stands out for the technical rigor in
development. LEED, through a continuous development
process, keeps pushing the boundaries of conventional
construction and operation of our buildings. I have been
advocating similar approaches to look at the challenges
of the built environment in India. The LEED framework
can be used as a reference to address the critical issues of
growing Indian cities. These issues range from urban sprawl,
transportation networks, urban design practices, and most
importantly prioritization of health, well-being, as well as
quality of life considerations into our development agenda.
India has a large number of

buildings that aspire to be
benchmarked globally, and LEED
has established itself as the defacto standard for such high
performance buildings.
RESOURCES
LEED is meant to help identify connections. From the built environment to the site it occupies, between people and the
buildings where they live, work and learn and also connections between one building and another. LEED connects.
For more information about pursuing LEED in India, please contact GopalaKrishnan.P, director of our LEED hub in
Chennai at gkrishnan@usgbc.org, or Puneet Mital, regional director at pmital@usgbc.org.
Learn more about our international activities and how you can get involved by contacting international@usgbc.org.
Go to usgbc.org/leed/credentials to learn more about earning your LEED credentials.
43
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This LEED in Motion report would not have
been possible without the help of the following
leaders in India: Nakul Anand, Pramod Dhir,
Dhruv K. Futnani, Amor Kool, Gopal Np,
Yusef Turab, Shashikiran Udupi, Anupam Jain,
Deepa Sathiaram, Juzer Kothari, Satish Kumar,
Lopamudra Khanna, Guruprakash Sastry, Shabbir
H. Kanchwala, Tanmay Tathagat, Ranganath N.K
and Srinivasa Reddi Vanga.
For questions about this report and for
suggestions on future market reports,
please contact:
Taryn Holowka
Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Advocacy
USGBC
tholowka@usgbc.org

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LEED IN MOTION:

LEED in Motion: India builds on the LEED

Data in this report is current

Indira Paryavaran Bhawan - Ministry of Environment & Forests

ITC Grand Chola Hotel (Chennai)

On newly constructed projects, we are even more performance driven:

100% of related electrical energy demand is met through renewable sources

All paints are 100% low VOC

A percentage of our wood is FSC certified

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA

- Deepa Sathiaram, LEED Fellow

LEED is organized by credits. A credit represents a specific

Total of Registered and Certified

SSc5.1: Site development - protect or restore habitat 25%

Total of Registered and Certified Space:

SSc6.2: Stormwater design - quality control 32%

SSc6.1: Stormwater design - quantity control 32%

833 million square feet

Sc7.2: Heat Island Effect - roof 32%

Today, Indian architects, construction firms, energy

Energy & Atmosphere

EAc4: Enhanced refrigerant management 35%

EAc5: Measurement and verification 40%

3. Focus on healthier, energy-efficient,

87% percent of Indian green building professionals indicated that

9 out of 10 industry senior

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

will increase over the

next five years.*

More than two-thirds

of green building professionals in India

view LEED positively or very positively.*

Indian Green Building Council

Based in New Delhi, the LEED Hubresponsible for

Over the years, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA

Regional Priority Credits

Alternative Compliance Paths

LEED International Roundtable

represented on the International Roundtable by The

LEED and Materials

LEED Volume Program

The LEED International Roundtable is a team of

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA

WE credit 2 (Additional Indoor Plumbing Fixture and

LEED for existing buildings

than projects located in other

projects in India certifying

at Gold or higher, as compared to

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA

LEED DYNAMIC PLAQUE

*From a USGBC survey conducted between September and October

USGBC & TERI

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

speedy approvals for buildings. With their longstanding

Building a green community: We want to deliver

Capacity building: With businesses and stakeholders

R.K. Pachauri and USGBC COO Mahesh Ramanujam

To learn more, visit usgbc.org and teriin.org

LEED IN MOTION: INDIA