Andhra Pradesh has started a pilot to build 3D printed houses for rural poor families. It is described as the country’s first pilot housing project using 3D concrete printing. The Centre has also sanctioned 3 lakh houses for the state under PMAY-G 2.0. This note covers the technology, the scheme’s key provisions and the traps aspirants should watch for.
Why in News?
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid the foundation for the 3D printed houses pilot at Burripalem and Obulnayudupalem villages in Tenali mandal, Guntur district.
The Centre also sanctioned 3 lakh houses worth ₹3,600 crore for Andhra Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G) 2.0. This was raised from the state’s initial proposal after a special request from the state.
Key Facts for Prelims: 3D Printed Houses
- Technology: 3D concrete printing. A computer-controlled robotic printer lays special concrete layer by layer.
- Design input: Digital Building Information Modelling (BIM) designs guide the printer
- Speed: 3D printed houses can be built in days instead of months
- Benefits:
- lower labour needs and less material waste
- design flexibility, including curved walls
- durability and better thermal comfort
- Challenges: High cost of printers, need for special concrete mixes and skilled operators, and limited building codes for 3D printed structures
- State goal: A pucca house for every homeless poor family in Andhra Pradesh
How 3D Printed Houses Are Built
- Design: The house is modelled digitally using BIM software.
- Slicing: Software converts the model into thin layers and printer paths.
- Printing: A gantry or robotic-arm printer extrudes fast-setting concrete layer by layer to build the walls.
- Finishing: The roof, doors, windows, plumbing and wiring are added in the conventional way.
Static Link: PMAY-G 2.0 Scheme
- Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development
- Origin: PMAY-G began on 1 April 2016 as a restructured version of the Indira Awaas Yojana (1985)
- PMAY-G 2.0: Approved in 2024 to build 2 crore more rural houses from FY 2024-25 to FY 2028-29
- Unit assistance: ₹1.20 lakh in plain areas; ₹1.30 lakh in hilly states, North-Eastern states and difficult areas
- Minimum house size: 25 sq m, including a hygienic cooking space
- Convergence:
- 90 to 95 person-days of unskilled wages under MGNREGS
- ₹12,000 for a toilet under Swachh Bharat Mission–Gramin or MGNREGS
- Payment: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into the beneficiary’s bank account
- Ownership: In the name of the woman, or jointly with her husband
Cost-sharing ratio under PMAY-G:
| Category | Centre : State |
|---|---|
| Plain-area states | 60 : 40 |
| North-Eastern and Himalayan states, and UT of Jammu and Kashmir | 90 : 10 |
| Other Union Territories (including Ladakh) | 100% Central funding |
Quick Revision Table: 3D Printed Houses and PMAY-G 2.0
| Parameter | Fact |
|---|---|
| Technology used | 3D concrete printing, layer by layer |
| Design basis | Building Information Modelling (BIM) |
| Scheme | PMAY-G 2.0 |
| Nodal ministry | Ministry of Rural Development |
| Houses sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh | 3 lakh (₹3,600 crore) |
| PMAY-G 2.0 national target | 2 crore houses (FY25 to FY29) |
| Unit assistance | ₹1.20 lakh (plains) / ₹1.30 lakh (hilly, NE, difficult areas) |
| Cost-sharing | 60:40; 90:10 for NE, Himalayan states and J&K; 100% for other UTs |
| Predecessor scheme | Indira Awaas Yojana |
Trap / Confusing Points on 3D Printed Houses
| Common Confusion | Correct Position |
|---|---|
| These are India’s first 3D printed houses | No. India has 3D printed buildings already, such as a 3D printed house built by an IIT Madras-incubated start-up in 2021 and a 3D printed post office in Bengaluru in 2023. This project is billed as the first pilot housing project using the technology. |
| PMAY-G is run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs | No. PMAY-G is under the Ministry of Rural Development. PMAY-Urban is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. |
| PMAY-G replaced Rajiv Awas Yojana | No. PMAY-G replaced the Indira Awaas Yojana. Rajiv Awas Yojana was an urban slum scheme. |
| All UTs get 90:10 funding | No. Only J&K gets 90:10. Other UTs, including Ladakh, get 100% Central funding. |
| BIM is a type of printing material | No. Building Information Modelling is a digital design and data model of the building. |
Practice MCQs on 3D Printed Houses and PMAY-G
1. In 3D printed houses, the printer builds walls based on:
a. Satellite imagery
b. Digital Building Information Modelling (BIM) designs
c. Cadastral survey maps
d. GIS land records
Ans: B
Explanation: The printer follows BIM-based digital designs and lays concrete layer by layer.
2. The Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin is implemented by:
a. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
b. Ministry of Rural Development
c. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
d. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Ans: B
Explanation: PMAY-G is under the Ministry of Rural Development. PMAY-Urban is under MoHUA.
3. The unit assistance for a house under PMAY-G in plain areas is:
a. ₹1.00 lakh
b. ₹1.20 lakh
c. ₹1.30 lakh
d. ₹2.50 lakh
Ans: B
Explanation: It is ₹1.20 lakh in plains and ₹1.30 lakh in hilly, North-Eastern and difficult areas.
4. What is the Centre-State funding ratio under PMAY-G for Himalayan states?
a. 60:40
b. 75:25
c. 90:10
d. 100% Central
Ans: C
Explanation: North-Eastern and Himalayan states and J&K get 90:10. Plain states share 60:40, and other UTs are fully Centre-funded.
5. PMAY-G was launched by restructuring which earlier scheme?
a. Rajiv Awas Yojana
b. Indira Awaas Yojana
c. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana
d. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana
Ans: B
Explanation: Indira Awaas Yojana (1985) was restructured into PMAY-G from 1 April 2016.
Exam tip: For APPSC, link the 3D printed houses pilot with PMAY-G 2.0 provisions. Questions usually test the ministry, the funding ratio and the unit assistance.
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