Te Matapihi Delegation Explores Global Housing Innovations During Strategic Mission to India

Te Matapihi, the national advocacy body for Māori housing, has completed a high-level strategic visit to India aimed at identifying global innovations to address the housing challenges facing whānau. As reported by Waatea News, the eight-person delegation traveled from 26 August to 6 September 2026, exploring affordable construction, sustainable materials, and scalable building technologies. The mission was led by Chief Executive Ali Hamlin-Paenga (Te Aitanga ā Māhaki, Ngāti Kahungunu) and included Co-Chair Nanaia Mahuta, who described the trip as an exploratory journey to look at housing issues through a lens of expanded possibilities. The delegation focused on how India, one of the world’s fastest-developing nations, manages urban development and infrastructure at scale. During the mission, the group engaged with a wide range of sectors, including technology companies, government corporations, and housing experts. They investigated advancements such as digital planning tools, modular construction, and artificial intelligence for infrastructure design. For Māori providers navigating the complexities of developing collectively owned whenua, these technologies offer potential pathways to reduce build times and costs while maintaining the cultural integrity of papakāinga. A significant milestone of the trip involved a visit to Osmania University in Hyderabad. The delegation met with academic leaders to discuss formal partnerships in housing research and sustainable construction. These discussions explored potential joint pilot programmes and research exchanges, which could help Māori housing organisations determine how Indian construction innovations might be adapted to meet the specific regulatory and climatic requirements of Aotearoa. Te Matapihi maintains that housing for Māori is intrinsically linked to wai, kai, whānau, and whenua. According to the organisation, the goal is not simply to import foreign products, but to build international relationships that empower Māori enterprise and skills. By integrating smart-community technology and new materials into local developments, Māori housing leaders aim to create sustainable kāinga that support multigenerational living and strengthen the connection to marae and kōhanga reo. While specific projects were not detailed, the focus remained on identifying creative ways to leverage international expertise to address the domestic housing crisis.