Title: Assessment of barriers for small scale contractors in adopting sustainable construction practices: the perspective of Indian construction industry

Authors: Ashutosh Kolte; Deepak Patil; Avinash Pawar; Anushree Patil

Addresses: Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA), Savitribai Phule Pune University, India ' Amity University, Dubai, UAE ' D.Y. Patil Institute of Management Studies, University of Pune, India ' Amity University, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: This paper assesses the barriers faced by small contractors in India from the building sector while adopting sustainable construction strategies and proposing suitable solutions. Small contractors face numerous barriers in the segments of financial, political, management, operational, human resource, and material and equipment. Additionally, high initial investment cost for acquiring advanced technologies and equipment, the long payback period for the investments done for sustainable construction, lack of forceful implementation of sustainable building codes and regulations, uncertainty of getting continuous business in sustainable construction, lack of framework for implementation is endorsed by the respondents as the topmost barriers. The outcome proposes the key solutions that include higher subsidies on sustainable technologies and materials along with the mandatory implementation of sustainable building codes and regulations by the government, use of integrated project delivery for effective collaboration, conducting site training to adopt modernised methods of sustainability, and government support for new start-ups.

Keywords: sustainable construction; small construction contractors; barriers; small business; Indian construction industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2025.144855

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2025 Vol.39 No.3/4, pp.457 - 478

Received: 17 Apr 2021
Accepted: 09 Jun 2021
Published online: 06 Mar 2025 *

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