Tata to build the world's cheapest house - 20 square metres for US$715

July 21, 2011

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Tata is aiming to build the world's cheapest house

There is absolutely no doubt that the human condition thrives on challenge. Fresh from creating the world's cheapest car, the US$2500 Tata Nano, Tata Corporation is now intending to create the world's cheapest house. The flat-roofed 20 sq meter house will cost Rs 32,000 (EUR500 - GBP440 - US$715 ), can be built in a week and came about from an aim to deliver a viable package for beneficiaries of the Indira Awaas Yojana shelter rehabilitation scheme in Tata's native India. The scheme provides Rs 40,000 per house for people below the poverty line, scheduled castes and tribes, freed bonded laborers and ex-servicemen.

If Tata can hit its targets, the scheme will bring much greater access to shelter for millions of Indians. India is world's second most populous nation with 1.21 billion people and it is growing at such a rate that it is expected to pass China (currently 1.34 billion) by 2030. It has already surpassed China for the number of people who live in poverty (800 million people).

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Mike Hanlon

As a photojournalist, Mike’s work has been published in a dozen languages across 20+ countries. He has edited or managed over 75 different print publications, each with a different target audience: sports, automotive, advertising, marketing, design, ad infinitum. Mike has been working in the internet for more than 25 years and was the veteran of five internet start-ups before founding New Atlas in 2002.

14 comments

Carlos Grados July 21, 2011 10:19 AM

Let\'s see some images of these dwellings.

Krister Knutars July 21, 2011 12:40 PM

Can you buy them at IKEA?

flink July 21, 2011 03:04 PM

It would be great if the design is safe and they can keep the price low enough to make a difference. If they are as safe as the cars, the owners will die in the first major storm that hits them or the first small earthquake.

halofirst July 21, 2011 06:34 PM

Here is a picture about that cheapest house: http://www.caradvice.com.au/128924/tata-announces-worlds-cheapest-flatpack-house/

Slowburn July 21, 2011 08:46 PM

What about shipping shipping containers?

Susan Brown July 21, 2011 11:16 PM

I have a cardboard box that my refrigerator came in. It is just as safe and I bet you can fit 5 Indians in it at least. LOL

Bill Bennett July 21, 2011 11:36 PM

I will take two please, build a home on my Mum\'s property and owe \"The Bank\" NOTHING no thirty year loan and halofirst, ty for the link

Greg Zeng July 21, 2011 11:40 PM

Shipping containers have been re-designed before: heavy, costly, evironmentally unfriendly, uncomfortable. Ready the building trade press over the decades, their have been many such proposals. Few seem marketable, sustainable or usable.
Hence the plastic-cloth cities used for the milions of refugees in the camps all over the world.

Wombat56 July 22, 2011 11:08 PM

I think the form factor of shipping containers is the biggest thing against them for liveability. This proposal is slightly smaller in floor area than a 30 foot (9.14 meter) container, but is not constrained to the long skinny shape (you can buy high containers which have 1 foot/30cm extra headroom).
Also, even second hand containers would cost much more than these, especially after conversion.
I, too, would have liked to see images.

Keith Reeder July 23, 2011 05:56 AM

\"If they are as safe as the cars, the owners will die in the first major storm that hits them or the first small earthquake.\"

Is that right, Flink?

Ever been in a Jaguar? They\'re Tata cars...