How House of Hiranandani is winning the sustainability game

House of Hiranandani, a prominent real estate developer, recently launched its initiative, #TomorrowMatters, aimed at addressing the global climate crisis. This five-year campaign seeks to drive impactful change by focusing on various environmental goals through a collaborative approach. The initiative emphasizes behavioral shifts to protect the environment for future generations, with a specific focus on limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Prashin Jhobalia, Chief Marketing Officer, House of Hiranandani, speaks about the vision behind the #TomorrowMatters campaign, addressing questions about the initiative’s goals and the urgency of combating climate change. Jhobalia highlights the four core pillars – Grow Green, Waste Wise, Eco-Enlighten, and Energy Smart – explaining how each one targets specific environmental concerns. He also shares how the campaign plans to inspire community-driven lifestyle changes and integrate sustainability into their real estate projects. Through this initiative, House of Hiranandani is taking a proactive approach to creating a meaningful and long-lasting environmental impact.

In today’s world, launching sustainability campaigns has become essential. What was the urgency behind launching ‘Tomorrow Matters’, and why is sustainability a top priority for House of Hiranandani?

There wasn’t any urgency. As a real estate developer, we’ve been focusing on green initiatives and sustainability for a long time. For example, our first SCP (Sustainable City Plan) was initiated in the late 1980s to early 1990s, and this was implemented in our township in Powai. One of our early projects, Club Meadows in Thane, had a 100-year-old baobab tree that we preserved. The homes and buildings were designed around it so that we didn’t have to remove the tree.

If you walk through our townships in Powai and Thane, you’ll notice that while they are gated communities, the gates are covered with greenery, giving the entire area an integrated and natural feel. This approach brings residents closer to nature and creates a positive atmosphere within the community.

‘Tomorrow Matters’ is essentially an extension of what we’ve been doing for a while. It’s our way of formalizing these efforts, serving as a platform to communicate our sustainability initiatives to customers, channel partners, and stakeholders. It gives us a voice to share what we’ve been doing all along.

House of Hiranandani is known for walking the talk on sustainability. Could you share some more initiatives the company has undertaken to embody sustainable living in its projects?

Certainly! We have planted over 61,000 trees so far, and our goal is to plant an additional 25,000 trees over the next five years. Tomorrow Matters is a five-year initiative, and we want to stay true to our objectives. We’re not just launching a campaign for a season and then moving on. One of our goals is to plant those 25,000 trees across our projects.

We’re also transitioning to becoming a paperless company and making sure we give back to society. Another focus is on waste management. We are converting 18,000 kg of plastic waste into organic manure, which is used across our townships. Additionally, we have a team of 100 people dedicated solely to horticulture, which is rare for most real estate developers. Our commitment to sustainability is ingrained in everything we do.

How do you see the real estate industry evolving, particularly with sustainability and eco-friendly developments becoming more critical? What role will this play in the future?

In real estate, we are essentially selling homes where people can find peace of mind. When you take a vacation, you often choose places surrounded by nature –  mountains or beaches –  because they bring calm. Similarly, developers need to bring that sense of nature into their projects.

But there’s a difference between doing it just for show and genuinely integrating it into the design and planning. For example, if you walk through the gates of our Powai township, it’s so green that it doesn’t even feel like a gated community. That’s due to careful planning and architectural design.

Developers also have a social responsibility because the homes they build generate waste. If that waste isn’t managed properly, it can harm the environment. That’s why we implement STP (Sewage Treatment Plants) and educate residents about proper waste management. Going forward, more developers will need to invest in these types of sustainable practices.

The House of Hiranandani has developed a strong identity around greenery and sustainability. How do you maintain brand loyalty and differentiate in a competitive market? What role does brand identity play in your marketing initiatives?

The biggest proof of brand loyalty is that about 30% of our sales come from customer referrals – friends and family of existing residents. That tells us we’re doing something right. But it’s important to not just talk about sustainability; we must walk the talk.

We want our customers to feel proud of the communities they are part of, knowing that these communities will be inherited by future generations. That’s why we continue to invest in initiatives like Tomorrow Matters, setting measurable goals to ensure we’re contributing positively to society.

How have you leveraged the festive season this year to connect with consumers?

Festivities, especially Diwali and Dussehra, are always a time when people tend to make major purchases, including real estate. For the past five years, we’ve run a campaign called ‘House of Happiness’ during this time, offering customers special goodies on their purchases.

We also light up our communities, especially in Thane and Chennai, with festive lights, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for both new and existing customers. It’s all part of making the festive season special for our residents while maintaining the sales momentum.

You mentioned cities like Chennai. Are there any expansion plans beyond Mumbai, Thane, and Powai? Could you talk about Hiranandani’s future expansion across the country?

We’re focused on markets we’re already established in, like Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. We’re concentrating on developing those areas further before expanding into new regions.

Also Read: Zee TV launches FB app for it's new show 'Housewife No 1'