Tvasta: 3D-printed housing in India

As the 3D-printed construction market grows, start-ups and non-profits alike are beginning to leverage advances in concrete 3D-printing technology to address the affordable housing crisis.

In October 2021, Habitat for Humanity International, through its Shelter Venture Fund, invested USD411,000 in Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions Ltd. To increase production of affordable 3D-printed homes in India.

In November 2020, Tvasta Manufacturing printed a 600-square-foot home in concrete over the course of 30 days. With improvements, the start-up hopes to cut that time down to about a week. The concrete used in this 3D printing is specially formulated for faster drying times, allowing the company to build these homes more quickly and efficiently than traditional construction, which can sometimes take three to five times longer for a similarly-sized structure.

Tvasta plans to ramp up operations through partnerships with materials and industrial companies, as well as by licensing their technology to affordable housing developers who they hope can take 3D-printed homes to scale across the country. That could translate into many more sustainable, affordable homes in countries like India, where at least a third of urban residents live in informal settlements with inadequate shelter.

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