The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are referred to as a roadmap to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all people and the planet as a whole by 2030. Attaining these goals requires a multifaceted approach that integrates social development, economic growth, and environmental protection. The construction industry plays a crucial role in all three areas. This paper provides an overview of the SDGs and outlines the specific ways in which the construction industry can contribute to achieving all 17 goals. The progress made by India in achieving the SDGs over time is examined by analyzing the SDG index, SDG dashboard, and trends. India is ranked 99th out of 167 in the SDG index in 2025. From this position, to achieve the SDGs within the timeframe, India has to make rapid progress and has to focus on multiple fronts, including its construction sector. Despite some progress in the right direction, the Indian construction industry still faces significant challenges in fully aligning with the SDGs. For instance, India’s green building footprint is around 954 million m2, compared to China’s 8.5 billion m2, despite comparable population sizes. Persistent challenges include the unavailability of sufficient skilled manpower, scarcity of advanced construction equipment, highly uneven demand across geographical regions, lack of enforcement, over-reliance on fossil fuels, gender inequality, and inadequate research funding, among others. This paper provides an in-depth examination of the obstacles hindering the efforts of the Indian construction sector to meet the SDGs and explores the necessary course corrections to address these challenges.
Tanmoy Konar (Sun,) studied this question.