Hyderabad:Indian innovations in cost-effective, large-scale housing could offer lessons for addressing housing needs among Māori and Pacific communities in New Zealand, a visiting New Zealand delegation said during talks with Osmania University.

The delegation, led by Ali Hamlin-Paenga, CEO of Te Matapihi, visited the university to explore partnerships in housing research, sustainable construction and urban development. The visit was part of New Zealand trade delegation to India seeking international partnerships to improve housing outcomes for Māori and Pacific communities.

“India’s scale of innovation in affordable housing, sustainability and digital transformation offered an opportunity for New Zealand to bring global knowledge home while strengthening economic and cultural ties,” Hamlin-Paenga said. The discussions covered housing affordability, climate resilience and infrastructure, with the delegation showing interest in OU’s work on sustainable building materials, scalable construction technologies, water and solid-waste management, and smart-community technologies.

The two sides also explored using artificial intelligence in housing design and digital service delivery, along with indigenous-led research models. The delegation identified potential for exchange programmes aimed at strengthening technical and leadership capabilities among rangatahi, or young people, in New Zealand.

OU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram said the university was interested in developing practical solutions through collaboration in engineering, sustainability and community-focused development. Both sides agreed to identify specific areas of expertise for formal university partnerships, joint research and technology-based pilot programmes. The delegation also visited OU’s Department of Civil Engineering and interacted with faculty and research scholars. The delegation also included economist Dr Jay Whitehead and Hyderabad-based Head of Business Sustainability Naveen Maddisetty.

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