CM inaugurates India’s ‘first carbon-neutral architecture meet’

Bhopal: Chief minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the IIA NATCON 2025, India's first carbon-neutral architecture conference, organised at the Minto Hall on Friday. The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) MP Chapter organised this event, bringing together leading experts in architecture, urban planning, and sustainable design to explore the theme ‘Transom'.The event began with traditional lamp lighting, with CM Dr Yadav delivering the inaugural speech highlighting the importance of sustainability in urban development. The conference theme, ‘Transom – Bridging Makes Sense', established the framework for discussions connecting architectural heritage with contemporary innovation.The Celebrating Excellence ceremony recognised outstanding achievements. Dr Nidhipati Singhania and Pradeep Kumar received the IIA Honorary Fellowship, whilst Ar. C. N. Raghavendran was awarded the IIA Baburao Mhatre Gold Medal. Prof. Ranjit T. Ghogale earned the IIA Madhav Achwal Gold Medal for educational excellence.Ar. Akshay Selukar, IIA Bhopal Chapter Chairman, greeted nationwide participants and stressed the conference's significance as a knowledge-sharing platform. Notable attendees included IIA National Vice President Jitendra Mehta, MP Chapter Chairperson Vibha Srivastava, and Indore Chapter Chairman Ar. Nitin Ghule. The technical programme featured Ar. Hassan Ragab discussing digital fabrication, while Ar. Palinda Kannangara and Ar. Ravindra Kumar addressed contextual architecture. The afternoon included a Charles Correa memorial session, presentations by Ar. Sangeeta Bais and Ar. Sumesh Modi on heritage design, concluding with Ar. Lawrence Wong's keynote on the future of urban design. The conference will continue in Indore on April 13, further advancing discussions on bridging architectural traditions with future innovations.