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As India moves toward a future of rapid urbanisation, climate resilience and sustainable growth, the way homes are evaluated is changing. Beyond location, price and amenities, homebuyers are increasingly seeking homes that offer lower energy costs, better water management, healthier living environments and long-term resilience to climate challenges. Yet, despite India being one of the world’s largest green-building markets, sustainability remains difficult for consumers to understand and compare during the home-buying journey.
The Square Yards Green Living Index (SYGLI) addresses this challenge by creating a transparent, consumer-friendly framework that converts complex sustainability disclosures into a simple, standardised score. Developed in collaboration with The Habitat Emprise, the index leverages public disclosures, RERA filings, developer brochures and geospatial intelligence to evaluate residential projects across four critical dimensions: Resource Efficiency, Health & Comfort, Safety & Resilience, and Connectivity & Mobility.
Inspired by global best practices where sustainability ratings, climate-risk indicators and energy-performance scores are integrated into property discovery, SYGLI introduces a much-needed transparency layer for India’s housing market. Rather than replacing established certifications such as IGBC, GRIHA or EDGE, it complements them by making sustainability information easier to understand and compare at the point of purchase.
By rewarding measurable sustainability interventions and encouraging greater disclosure, the index creates value for all stakeholders. Homebuyers gain access to clearer information, developers receive recognition for meaningful sustainability investments, financial institutions benefit from structured sustainability data, and policymakers gain a stronger foundation for advancing sustainable urban development.
The Green Living Index represents a significant step toward making sustainability as visible and comparable as price and location, helping shape a more informed, resilient and future-ready residential real estate market for India.
