As India moves towards achieving its circular economy goals, it is imperative to bring about transformational changes in the construction industry. Turning fly ash, a byproduct generated from burning pulverised coal, into eco-friendly, durable green bricks has emerged as an innovative solution to support sustainable infrastructure in the country.

Development Alternatives’ fly ash research and on-the-ground work in Bihar have yielded compelling insights in navigating this transition.

This is where DA comes in, with over 25 years of experience in the brick sector. From conducting baseline surveys and mapping 517 fly ash brick enterprises to developing a fly ash brick quality rating system and launching the Fly Ash Resource Centre in Patna, DA has worked to build an enabling ecosystem of knowledge, policy, and enterprise support. With over 25 years of experience in the brick sector, Development Alternatives (DA) has helped build an enabling ecosystem through knowledge creation, policy advocacy, and enterprise support. At the #AshCon Conference on Sustainable Fly Ash Utilisation, Preetika Gupta from DA presented our work on advancing fly ash adoption in Bihar.

However, challenges remain in creating a sustainable and green brick sector in Bihar. These include a strong perception bias in favour of traditional clay bricks, financial constraints, fragmented supply chains, and limited market demand.

At the same time, there is significant potential. Bihar alone has the capacity to generate over 12 million tonnes of fly ash annually, presenting an opportunity to establish up to 4,000 fly ash brick units. This could help mitigate approximately 6.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions while supporting 40,000 jobs.

Beyond environmental and technological benefits, this transition also creates social impact by opening pathways for women to become fly ash entrepreneurs, transforming an industrial byproduct into a foundation for sustainable development.