The last decade has witnessed an amazing upsurge in the realty market and infrastructure sector across the board in India, specifically in IT designated cities. This has resulted in a proliferation of projects offering more choice to the property customers. Globalization is bringing in new technologies exposing our country to international standards and practices. Customers are insisting on quality and demanding better amenities.
On the other hand, however, quality of housing projects has been on the downslide due to many factors. The construction industry is characterized by activities, which are discontinuous, dispersed, diverse and distinct. Quality management in the construction setting is, thus, more difficult. Scarcity of skilled workers, non-availability of consistent or standardized materials and lack of proper on-site monitoring / supervision leads to overall dilution of construction quality.
All this makes even more difficult for promoters to achieve the quality goals they set for the project.
The problem is compounded in the housing industry where the buyer is not empowered to judge quality. All products look alike at the time of purchase. He relies on the reputation of the builder and the aesthetics of the construction to make a choice. Terms such as "high quality standards" have become more of a marketing cliché rather than a true reflection of quality of work.
The construction industry has always lagged behind the other sectors in the adoption of quality management systems. Quality remains a subjective parameter based on individual judgment and perception.
Lack of performance standards for quality of finished product is one of the main reasons for poor standard of construction. Even professionally managed construction companies find it difficult to bring accountability towards quality amongst their own staff and the subcontractors, even after mobilizing all the necessary resources.
The remedy for this worsening situation is third-party certification for quality in construction. CQRA addresses this need of the hour. It, in collaboration with CIDC [Construction Industry Development Council] - the nodal apex agency for all construction related activity in India, audits and certifies the quality of construction.