The release of the Indian Space Policy-2023 in April 2023 by the Government of India was a watershed moment for the Indian space sector. This policy permitted NGEs to participate in space activities end-to-end. In line with the role of IN-SPACe defined in ISP-2023, IN-SPACe has formulated and released today the Norms, Guidelines, and Procedures (NGP) for implementation of the Indian Space Policy 2023 in respect of Authorization of Space Activities.

The NGP would complement the Government’s endeavor to provide a predictable regulatory regime, transparency, and ease of doing business in the Indian space sector. The NGP document lists space activities that need authorization from IN-SPACe, specifies criteria for granting such authorizations, and provides necessary guidelines/pre-requisites to be fulfilled by an Applicant for making authorization application to IN-SPACe. The NGP document can be viewed and downloaded from IN-SPACe digital portal (www.inspace.gov.in)

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Developed by a multi-stakeholder task force, including environmental experts, the draft guidelines are open for public feedback until December 31, 2023, post which they will be finalized. The guidelines target greenwashing, the deceptive practice of making misleading environmental claims, and emphasize the paramount importance of substantiated, comparable, and verifiable claims to combat misinformation.

Environmental claims include claims that suggest or create an impression that a product or service has a neutral or positive impact on the environment, is less damaging to the environment than a previous version of the same product or service or a competitive product or has specific environmental benefits. Environmental/Green claims can be explicit or implicit and can appear in advertisements, marketing material, branding, packaging, or other information provided to consumers.

The proposed guidelines establish clear criteria for environmental claims, including absolute claims such as “environmentally friendly,” “eco-friendly,” “sustainable,” and “planet-friendly” that imply that the product advertised has no impact or only a positive impact must be supported by a high level of substantiation. Comparative claims such as “greener” or “friendlier” can be justified if the advertised product or service provides a total environmental benefit over that of the advertiser’s previous product or service or competitor products or services, and the basis of such comparison is made clear.

The guidelines also require that environmental claims be based on the full life cycle of the advertised product or service, unless the advertisement states otherwise, and must make clear the limits of the life cycle. Advertisements must not mislead consumers about the environmental benefit that a product or service offers by highlighting the absence of an environmentally damaging ingredient if that ingredient is not usually found in competing products or services or by highlighting an environmental benefit that results from a legal obligation if competing products are subject to the same requirements.

Certifications and Seals of Approval should make clear which attributes of the product or service have been evaluated by the certifier, and the basis of such certification provided. Visual elements in an ad should not give a false impression about the product/service being advertised, and advertisers should refrain from making aspirational claims about future environmental objectives unless they have developed clear and actionable plans detailing how those objectives will be achieved.

For carbon offset claims, advertisers should clearly and prominently disclose if the carbon offset represents emission reductions that will not occur for two years or longer. Ads should not claim directly or by implication that a carbon offset represents an emission reduction if the reduction, or the activity that caused the reduction, was required by law.

The proposed guidelines also require that claims about the product being compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, non-toxic, free-of, etc., be qualified, and the extent of the same be specified. All such claims should have competent and reliable scientific evidence to show that the product or the qualified component, where applicable, will break down within a reasonably short period after customary disposal and that the product is free of elements that can lead to environmental hazards.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary-General, ASCI said, “ASCI’s draft guidelines on Environmental/Green Claims are a crucial step to ensure that consumers who wish to support green brands have the correct information to make an informed decision. These guidelines set a standard for advertisers and aim to foster a culture of transparency and authenticity in advertising in the best interest of the consumers. We encourage all stakeholders, including consumers, industry, civil society members, and experts, to provide their feedback on the draft guidelines to enable us to sharpen and strengthen them.”

The public consultation period is open until December 31^st, 2023. Feedback can be submitted via email to contact@ascionline.in

In conclusion, the proposed guidelines by ASCI aim to establish a clear framework for advertisers to present truthful and evidence-based environmental claims and combat greenwashing practices. The guidelines are open for public feedback until December 31, 2023, and are expected to foster a culture of transparency and authenticity in advertising in the best interest of consumers.

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MUMBAI: MahaRERA (Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority), a real estate regulatory body, will propose a discussion paper on quality guidelines for realty projects in the state.  These directives will help monitor the quality of housing with a view to safeguarding the interests of homebuyers in order to get houses of good quality, announced Mr. Ajoy Mehta, Chairman, MahaRERA while addressing the Real Estate Forum, 2023 in Mumbai. JLL was the knowledge partner at the event.

Mr Mehta said, “In Maharashtra, 1.6 crore citizens are waiting for homes and about 14 lakh homes are under construction. Hence, the Government recognizes the importance of the real estate sector and good housing. While the foundation of regulation will remain the same, more emphasis will be laid on the issue of timely construction, delivery, and quality of housing, as well, in order to make good housing available to all.“

The Real Estate Forum, 2023 organized by NAREDCO Maharashtra was inaugurated today at the hands of Mr. Atul Save, Minister of Housing, Government of Maharashtra in the presence of Mr. Ajoy Mehta, Chairman, MahaRERA; Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA; Smt Valsa Nair Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Government of Maharashtra and Mr. Pravin Darade, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Government of Maharashtra. Also present were Mr. Sandeep Runwal, President, NAREDCO, Maharashtra, Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, Vice Chairman, NAREDCO, and Mr. Rajan Rajan Bandelkar, President, NAREDCO National. 

Appreciating NAREDCO Maharashtra’s efforts to organize the Real Estate Forum, MrAtul Save, Minister of Housing, Government of Maharashtra said, “The Government understands the importance and contribution of the real estate sector in the State’s development. The Government aims to ensure good housing to every person in the State and in order to achieve this; it will sort out any issues in the real estate sector.”   

Welcoming the real estate sector fraternity to the mega Real Estate Forum, 2023, Mr Sandeep Runwal, President, NAREDCO Maharashtra said, “When the real estate sectors in countries like China, and USA are struggling, India’s real estate sector is a global bright spot. In Maharashtra, infrastructure projects are driving the growth of the State while the RERA is evolving well to bring transparency and quality to the functioning of development. In these interesting times, we foresee seamless growth of the State’s real estate sector with conducive policies from the Government and issues getting addressed in real-time.” Mr Runwal further announced the launch of an ambitious  RealTech Fund (RTF) with an initial corpus of Rs 50 crore to propel technology innovations in the real estate sector and inculcate entrepreneurship. 

Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, Vice Chairman, NAREDCO National lauded India’s prominence globally as an emerging economy and the real estate sector’s contribution to the growth story. Calling Maharashtra’s strides in ensuring ease of doing business, transparency through RERA implementation, and infrastructure development phenomenal, Dr Hiranandani said, “Housing and infrastructure development in the state has grown significantly. With more urban infrastructure projects underway, the State and the city of Mumbai need housing for all. The State’s real estate sector’s aspiration is to give a home to every person. We need a further slew of pro-housing initiatives like reducing stamp duty and registration charges to boost housing demand.”  

Mr Rajan Bandelkar, President, of NAREDCO National said, “The earlier decade was for Information and technology, telecommunications, but now it is of the real estate sector; mainly due to the Central and State Government’s focus on housing for all and making commensurate policies.” 

During the event, NAREDCO Maharashtra unveiled two new State Chapters of Karad (in Satara District) and Akola. NAREDCO Maharashtra also announced another flagship event Homethon, 2023 to be scheduled on 24, 25 & 26th November, 2023. The event also saw the launch of a NAREDCO – JLL Research Report titled: Unlocking Opportunities with Infrastructure Development. According to the report, residential sales value in Mumbai is projected to exceed INR 2 lakh crore by 2030.

The report further states that mid-segment projects still account for most of the market activity in Mumbai. However, with changing customer preferences, there is an increased focus on upper mid and premium segments. Mumbai has been the fastest-moving city in terms of its home purchase affordability index score and became an affordable market with its threshold hitting 100 in 2021.

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