Across Indian cities and towns, ageing buildings are becoming a quiet but growing crisis. Cracks in walls, leaking roofs, weakened structures and ugly facades are no longer isolated problems. They are now part of the everyday urban landscape.
As cities expand and populations grow, the divide between well-maintained buildings and neglected ones is becoming sharper. Clean, happening neighbourhoods sit next to crumbling structures, creating not just visual discomfort but social and economic inequality. What was once seen as poor maintenance is now a serious engineering, public health and policy concern.
Studies have repeatedly shown that many Indian cities fall short of global standards when it comes to building safety, maintenance and aesthetics. This raises uncomfortable questions for an aspirational India that is preparing for a future where urban population is expected to touch nearly 814 million by 2050.
Why Regulation Alone Isn’t Working
Governments and regulators have not been idle. Courts have stepped in to mandate periodic structural audits and condition surveys for older buildings. Municipal bodies have issued guidelines on health monitoring and safety checks.
Yet, the impact on the ground has been limited.
The reasons are simple. There is low awareness among building owners and residents, a shortage of qualified professionals, and a lack of affordable, standardised repair services. For many housing societies and small property owners, repairs are delayed until problems become emergencies.
The result is predictable: unsafe buildings, rising repair costs, and growing risks to lives and livelihoods.
Introducing RBN: Repairing Buildings Nationally
Against this backdrop, Rehab Technologies has proposed a national mission called RBN – Repairing Buildings Nationally. The idea is straightforward but ambitious: repair, renovate and refurbish ageing buildings across India within a defined timeframe, using professional, standardised and sustainable practices.
RBN is positioned not as a cosmetic exercise but as a national necessity. According to the company, failing to address distressed buildings will worsen public health risks, strain the economy and deepen India’s climate challenges. From water seepage and structural failures to excessive demolition waste, the costs of neglect are already visible.
The Waste We Don’t Talk About Enough
One of the strongest arguments behind RBN is environmental.
India generates nearly 12 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste every year. Much of this comes from unplanned construction, premature demolition and ad-hoc repairs. This waste contributes significantly to air, soil and water pollution.
RBN argues for a shift in mindset: instead of demolishing and rebuilding, cities must focus on maintenance, repair and life extension of existing buildings. Doing so not only saves resources but also reduces the carbon footprint of urban growth.
Stricter compliance with the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the upcoming Environment (Construction and Demolition) Waste Management Rules, 2025, which come into effect from April 1, 2026, will be key to this transition.
Bridging Gaps in the Repair Ecosystem
Today, the building repair sector suffers from multiple gaps. Testing and monitoring are inconsistent. Structural strengthening is often ignored or poorly executed. Extended Producer Responsibility in the retail repair market is weak.
RBN seeks to address these gaps by creating accountability through a structured ecosystem aligned with existing construction and building laws. The emphasis is on inter-departmental coordination, better incentives, stronger compliance and awareness among all stakeholders.
The larger goal is to make Indian cities more liveable, safe and visually appealing, bringing them closer to international standards.
Education, Awareness and the Next Generation
A key pillar of RBN is education.
Rehab Technologies plans to work closely with academic institutions through signed MoUs to promote research, training and awareness. Civil engineering students and faculty will be encouraged to conduct building inspections, compliance checks and maintenance audits as part of their learning.
Refresher programmes will be organised in collaboration with construction chemicals and building materials companies. Joint inspections will also focus on identifying engineering deficiencies in new construction projects before they become long-term problems.
In 2025 alone, Rehab Technologies trained over 1,000 engineering professionals, faculty members and students. These programmes focus on practical skills in waterproofing, structural repairs and diagnostics, areas often neglected in conventional engineering education.
A District-Level Rollout Strategy
RBN’s implementation will begin at the district level in selected states. Rather than a top-down model, the programme aims to empower ecosystem partners including engineers, contractors, material suppliers and consultants to drive compliance locally.
The idea is to build capacity where the buildings are: in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and towns, where a large share of structures are 30 to 40 years old and in urgent need of repairs.
According to estimates, the building repair and renovation market is already valued at around Rs 20,000 crore, with a total addressable market of nearly Rs 80,000 crore when activities like waterproofing, repainting, facelifts and refurbishments are included.
Cleaning Up the Construction Chemicals Market
Another critical focus area under RBN is the construction chemicals sector.
Inspections and studies conducted by Rehab Technologies have flagged serious concerns: misleading advertisements, spurious products, unlicensed shops and godowns, illegal stocking, price violations, expired or substandard materials, and unqualified practitioners operating freely.
RBN proposes surveillance programmes and quality control measures in collaboration with major construction chemicals companies. The initiative also calls for strict legal action against offenders, sending a clear message of zero tolerance.
The goal is not just enforcement but long-term trust, ensuring that building owners and professionals use safe, certified and effective products.
Transparency as Public Policy
Transparency in the repair business, RBN argues, should be treated as public policy.
Awareness campaigns will use social media, FM radio, public posters, short films and community-level engagement through Resident Welfare Associations. The aim is to help citizens make informed decisions and demand professional standards.
By encouraging a more scientific approach to building maintenance, the initiative hopes to reduce arbitrary, unsafe and wasteful repair practices.
Building a New-Age Repair Economy
RBN is also positioned as a new-generation, knowledge-driven business model.
Rehab Technologies plans to create a nationwide network of over 35,000 ecosystem partners, including MSMEs, consultants and micro-entrepreneurs. The company has announced a Rs 10 crore fund for startups aligned with this vision.
Co-branding opportunities with material manufacturers, machinery suppliers and financial institutions are also on the anvil, creating what the company calls a “complete ecosystem”.
The long-term ambition is bold: scaling RBN into a pan-India platform and achieving unicorn status by 2036.
Youth at the Centre of the Vision
Youth play a central role in the RBN roadmap.
Through internships, apprenticeships and six-month hands-on training programmes, engineering students and young professionals will gain real-world exposure. Certificate courses aim to create technology functional consultants in construction chemicals advisory services, a role that barely exists today.
More than 15,000 young engineers trained over the years under the leadership of Dr P Srinivasa Reddy are already working across India and overseas, forming a quiet but significant part of the country’s repair ecosystem.
A National Perspective on Building Safety
At its core, RBN frames building repair as a national priority, not a private inconvenience.
With a planned National Meet in 2026, Rehab Technologies intends to share research findings, field studies and policy recommendations aligned with the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
As India enters a phase of intense urbanisation, the question is no longer whether buildings will age, but how responsibly the country responds. Repairing buildings, extending their life and doing so professionally may not sound glamorous, but it could define the safety, sustainability and dignity of India’s cities for decades to come.
In that sense, RBN is less about a brand launch and more about a long-overdue conversation.
