XRBIA, one of the pioneering brands in the Indian affordable housing sector, is to launch in the UK in a bid to help tackle the extreme housing crisis in Europe. Founded in 2012, XRBIA’s first project consisted of 3,500 houses forming a 120-acre ‘future-ready’ city in India. It has already built over 15,000 homes and has a pipeline of 1,00,000 homes. It aims to deliver 100 future-ready cities in India by 2030.

XRBIA is now bringing its scale efficiencies and expertise in affordable housebuilding to the UK, and is seeking joint venture opportunities with UK property developers with social housing experience to leverage their local market expertise.

Initially, XRBIA will focus on building homes in London, where the housing crisis is most extreme. XRBIA is responding to the demand for affordability and accessibility from the next generation of homeowners, who value convenience and efficiency over square footage. This year alone, the company has spread across India and has launched 40,000 houses across Maharashtra. With the fast-paced urban development in major cities across the globe, XRBIA’s innovative approach is well-positioned to expand internationally.

With its innovative construction technology, based on a hybrid of steel framing and concrete form work that produces homes at low cost within short timeframes, XRBIA has managed to slash build times to just six months. In addition, all utilities are delivered via renewable sources, with water, electricity and sewage recycled and controlled through customers’ smartphones. Meanwhile, Internet of Things technology powers a customer portal, access, security, and billing systems. The entire system operates on the SAP ERP system, a world-leading platform for business processes.

In India, XRBIA’s standard product is a seven-storey building with apartments of 40 square meters. In London, XRBIA is setting out to deliver these ‘micro’ homes at a cost of around £80,000 and will support them with numerous finance packages, including a rent-to-own facility.

“We have been researching Western markets in depth and, given the extent of the housing crisis in the UK and dearth of affordable accommodation, feel our low-cost and technology-led construction model could have a very positive impact on the volume and type of homes being built.” says, Rahul Nahar, Founder, XRBIA Developers Ltd.

He further adds, “We are looking to work with forward-thinking social housing developers who have moved on from the legacy approaches that are holding back several more established players. To build the number of homes the UK needs is not just about bricks and mortar but fundamental changes in philosophy and process.”