Ashoka and TÜV Rheinland to develop India’s first certification for affordable housing sector
Mumbai, October 17, 2011: Ashoka Innovators for the Public, India and TÜV Rheinland India announced that they would together develop a certification standard for the affordable housing sector. This would be the first of its kind certification in India that will be made available to different stakeholders who would like to be a part of the affordable housing market. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a certification was signed by Ashoka Innovators for the Public and TÜV Rheinland.
The MoU will define the framework within which organizations can create a credible rating system for affordable housing projects in India, and will be accessible to the public. TÜV Rheinland will develop the certification in consultation with Ashoka. They will also seek feedback from other experts in the affordable housing segment for the development of the certification.
The certification will help outline a successful model for profitability in the construction of affordable houses and set benchmarks for quality and best practices. Through this initiative, TÜV Rheinland and Ashokaintends to create a sustainable rating system that will contribute to a socially responsible way of tapping into the affordable housing market in India.
“Affordable housing has a huge market potential and can have tremendous impact on people’s lives. By seeking to develop a rating system, we intend to empower the low-income customers with a tool to help take qualified decisions about their houses,”explained Ashoka Housing For All Director Vishnu Swaminathan. “TÜV Rheinland is a credible international player and its experience in the field of certificationsmakes it a valuable partner in this initiative.”
“The certification is a much needed step in the right direction,” said Enrico Rühle, Managing Director of TÜV Rheinland India. “With its Housing For All initiative, Ashoka has been significantly contributing towards the affordable housing sector in India for the last two years. Drawing from this expertise, Ashoka and TÜV Rheinland are hoping to change the perceptions of housing for the informal sector by these certifications.”
The certification will comply with applicable law, policies, rules and regulation and will be easily adaptable for use in various parts of India and all over the world.
About Ashoka Innovators for the Public
Founded in 1980, Ashoka is the world’s leading community of more than 2,700 leading social entrepreneurs. It champions the most important new social change ideas and supports the entrepreneurs behind them by helping them get started, grow, succeed, and collaborate. As the rate of change in the world continues to escalate exponentially, social entrepreneurs and Ashoka must play a special role in helping the world evolve new systems designed to serve the good of all. Central to that change is the necessity for everyone to be able to contribute to change. Ashoka, its inner circle of leading social entrepreneurs across the globe, and its other partners ranging from highly successful business entrepreneurs to 12- to 20-year-old Youth Venturers are all contributors – individually and collectively – to the world of helping the world make the transition to its “Everyone a Changemaker™” future.
About TÜV Rheinland India
TÜV Rheinland India Pvt. Ltd. is a member of TÜV Rheinland Group, Germany.Founded in 1872 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, it employs more than 14,500 people in 61 national companies on all continents. Having started its operation in 1996 in India, caters to the Indian market as well as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan & Maldives markets. The independent experts stand for quality and safety in interacting with man, the environment and technology in nearly all industrial sectors and areas of life. In its role as an independent, neutral third party, TÜV Rheinland tests technical systems, products and services, supports projects and designs processes for companies on the basis of recognised standards as well as statutory requirements.
No comments:
Post a Comment