1 Green and modern construction solutions, including companies like Tvasta, have witnessed an increasing level of interest in recent years. Can you elaborate on how this industry has evolved and expanded from the time you commenced operations, in 2016, until now?

Habitat for Humanity's estimations indicate a staggering 1.5 billion people worldwide in dire need of improved housing. India, recognizing this pressing need, has set ambitious goals to construct 20 million houses and 120 million toilets by 2024, aiming to provide essential amenities to its citizens. However, the current state of construction technologies falls short of meeting these demands, as they are characterized by sluggish processes, limited customization options, varying quality, and a lack of sustainability.

In the realm of construction, it's evident that the sector faces a unique challenge; there is a substantial pent-up demand, but the supply side struggles to keep up. This disparity is growing day by day, underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue. We are closely collaborating with the government, aligning our efforts with their proposed schemes, including the PM Awas Yojana and various state-level initiatives, to tackle this housing crisis head-on.

The construction industry is in dire need of automated technologies capable of bridging this widening gap at an accelerated pace, thereby aligning with the growing demand for housing and amenities.

2 Can you tell us the story of Tvasta from your perspective, including its founding, evolution, and key milestones that have led to its current success?

Tvasta is a tech-driven start-up, developing and deploying advanced industrial 3D printers to digitise manufacturing and construction sectors. It is India's leading full-stack developer for 3D printing solutions, offering the complete 3D printing portfolio of Machine, Material, Software and Printing Strategy. It has been in the industry for 7 years and has completed more than 5000 sq. ft. of 3D printed construction.

Tvasta has its roots in the erstwhile 3D printing Club at IIT-Madras. As a part of the club, the founding members had attended a conference on Construction 3D printing. Identifying the immense potential in the industry for 3D printing, Tvasta was founded to address the challenge of automation in construction. We developed the first version of our printer in 2018 and constructed the first 3D printed structure at IIT-M campus. We rapidly improved on the technology and completed the proof of concept structure of a fully functional house - India’s first 3D printed house.

There was no looking back after that. We developed 3 different variants of concrete 3D printers and also executed numerous pioneering projects for esteemed clients like the Indian Army, India Cements, Godrej Construction and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

3 Could you elaborate on how Tvasta addresses the pressing shortage of affordable housing in India? Can you share a few instances that highlight the impact of your 3D printing technology in making housing more accessible and cost-effective for Indian communities?

In the construction industry, the technology that Tvasta is developing is intended towards solving the issue of lack of productivity and sustainability in the sector. We aim to provide basic infrastructure and affordable housing to millions who currently lack it in the developing world with a better quality in a short time with the motto of 'Giving back to the society' by Aiming at faster construction and making construction more widely accessible to the public.

Our solution aims to address the issues of low productivity and sustainability in the construction industry by automating 80% of the construction processes thereby minimising wastage of materials, reducing the labour requirement and decreasing the time of construction. Our proprietary technology offers an integrated solution for automated and digitised construction and provides affordable housing and infrastructure across the globe. Further, We take pride in developing our printers indigenously, following the principles of Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India. We are confident that our technology will be on the forefront of the automated construction industry and make the dream of owning houses at affordable cost, a reality.

4 Can you discuss any partnerships or collaborations that Tvasta has established with other organizations or stakeholders to maximize its impact in the construction space? How have these collaborations contributed to advancing your mission and expanding the reach of your 3D printing technology in construction?

We constantly strive to better our machines, materials and practices through our extensive R&D. The end to end technology developed by Tvasta (Machine, Material, Software, Printing Strategy) is being used by several large companies in India currently. Our strategic partners include Habitat for Humanity - Terwilliger center for innovation in shelter, Saint Gobain, India Cements, Tata Steel, Shriram Group, KESNIK, IIT madras and Crain Company 3D. Scaling up of the technology and the exercise of making it suitable to the wider market (Middle East, USA and South-East Asia) is being planned.

5 Can you help our readers understand Tvasta's financial sustainability model and outline your plans for future growth?

Over the past six years, we have achieved significant milestones in the development of our cutting-edge technology, fostering strong relationships with promising clients and successfully completing construction projects across the nation. As of October 2023, we are thrilled to announce our expansion into the US market.

Our journey has been enriched by the support of esteemed investors, such as the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, the Asian Development Bank, and the Shriram Group. These strategic partnerships not only ensure a steady influx of resources but also empower us to extend our outreach.

Furthermore, we are proud to have received support from the Government of India through the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC). We are actively collaborating with BMTPC to establish construction norms for our technology, and we have already been honored with a Performance Appraisal Certificate (PACS) for execution of G+2 structures in India.

One of our major goals is Sustainability & Green Construction in order to address the prominent issue of the high carbon footprint of construction industry. We are involved in developing material mix designs of various types for concrete 3D printing that incorporate minimum water usage, low carbon emissions and improve thermal insulation. In addition, we are also experimenting with sustainable materials like industrial waste, fly ash, geopolymers, blast furnace slag and recycled aggregates and have built few structures using these advanced materials. We will soon be expanding into international markets like US, Middle east and South east Asia to cater to much wider clients.