India’s construction sector is the second-largest employer after agriculture, contributing over 9% to GDP. The high economic growth coupled with rising urbanization trend have led to a high demand for housing. The Union Government’s flagship housing program ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’ (PMAY), scheme provided further impetus to the construction sector in promoting development of quality affordable housing across urban and rural areas. The scheme supports construction of new affordable housing units for the Middle / Low-Income Group (MIG and LIG) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS) households through financial assistance. Thus, the call to action for stakeholders to prioritize the use of construction chemicals during various stages of construction will aid in addressing large scale issues faced by households such as water leakage, cracks, mold formation and structural defects. In addition, these help reduce maintenance costs and extend the life cycle of buildings

This presents an opportunity for market players to promote sustainable, innovative, and affordable products, expanding their product portfolio and outreach to enable households to make informed decisions to consume quality building materials. Construction chemicals are used along with various building materials at the construction site to improve workability, efficiency, effectiveness and most importantly to provide structural protection.

As India advances toward smart, durable, and sustainable construction, the demand for high-performance construction chemicals is rising rapidly. These materials, essential for ensuring quality, longevity, and climate resilience in buildings are gaining traction in both urban and rural markets. However, despite rising awareness, actual usage remains limited, especially among low-income households (LIHs), revealing a significant gap between knowledge and adoption.

A recent study by the Terwilliger Center in November 2023, revealed that while 80% of surveyed homeowners were aware of waterproofing products, only 38% had used them in their construction project, underscoring the need for greater accessibility, affordability, and trust in these products. It also points to a latent demand for quality construction solutions among LIH consumers, signalling a sizable and largely untapped opportunity.

At the same time, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a significant role in the highly competitive industry, are well poised to cater to this growing demand. However, many MSMEs face significant challenges in R&D, marketing, and scale operations that inhibit their growth and ability to compete against the larger, established players. This highlights an opportunity for a targeted accelerator program designed to support the growth of these businesses.

The Terwilliger Center plans to launch accelerator program for MSMEs in the business of manufacturing construction chemicals to make the market more competitive and inclusive. The accelerator program will be focussed on addressing key challenges facing the MSMEs in the construction chemical sector by offering support in areas like business consultation, refining value propositions to enhance their market outreach, retailing, operational / process efficiency, marketing strategies (conventional and digital), and consumer engagement. These initiatives could help bridge the knowledge gap as well as improve availability of quality and affordable choices for low-income households to promote improved adoption of construction chemicals in housing construction. By strengthening the MSMEs through these accelerators, the industry can better meet the needs of both businesses and consumers, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable construction ecosystem.

Purpose and Objectives
Over the past 6 years, the Terwilliger Center has worked with numerous construction chemicals manufacturers across Tamil Nadu, driving improvements in the access, availability, and awareness of essential products like waterproofing solutions, admixtures, grouts, tile adhesives, and specialty coatings such as heat reflective coatings. As a part of The Terwilliger Center’s scaling strategy, it’s an opportune time to launch an accelerator program for MSME manufacturers in construction chemicals sector. This initiative will enable us to collaborate with multiple firms simultaneously, amplifying our impact and accelerating growth in the construction chemicals sector.

The Accelerator program will provide participating MSME’s access to mentorship from industry experts, networking opportunities with key stakeholders, and the resources necessary to scale their operations. The initiative aims to empower these enterprises to overcome growth challenges and achieve sustainable growth through targeted workshops, technical sessions by domain experts, R&D support, business development and networking opportunities.

The key objectives are:
• Provide the MSME’s with access to mentorship from industry experts and seasoned entrepreneurs.
• Identify and onboard a qualified technical partner with relevant experience in business acceleration to execute the accelerator program for MSME manufacturers in construction chemicals sector
• Develop and deliver targeted workshops and technical sessions to address sector-specific challenges and growth barriers.
• Engage with 2 to 4 participating firms for in-depth handholding to pilot new initiatives and solutions as a part of the program.
• Foster innovation, operational efficiency, enhanced market reach and sustainable growth among the MSME manufacturers in construction chemicals sector through the accelerator program.

Geographic area: Tamil Nadu state

Timeframe
The accelerator program is expected to be completed within 6 months from August 2025-September - January-February 2026 and the dedicated support to 2-4 firms identified to implement specific pilots may be completed by April 2026.

Experience and qualification.
- Experience in designing and executing Accelerator programs
- Experience with the MSME sector, especially in the construction sector
- The profile of key personnel proposed for the program.
- Ability to design and deliver the program in English and local languages (Tamil)

Budget
The total estimated budget should include professional fees, travel and other expenses, to be reimbursed upon submission and approval of receipts expenses.

Submission
Interested companies should submit the following:
A detailed proposal with clearly defined research methodology and financial structure
Profile/resume of the lead expert

Application and Decision Process
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Written proposal (technical and financial) including CVs of key personnel should be sent to slowrence@habitat.org, and vpujari@habitat.org, on or before August 7th, 2025 via email on with subject line: Accelerator program for MSME Manufacturers in Construction Chemicals Sector

How to apply

Application and Decision Process
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Written proposal (technical and financial) including CVs of key personnel should be sent to slowrence@habitat.org, and vpujari@habitat.org, on or before August 7th, 2025 via email on with subject line: Accelerator program for MSME Manufacturers in Construction Chemicals Sector