In a move to provide a thrust to construction and rural infrastructure in India, cement major  ACC Ltd has entered into a strategic partnership with Development Alternatives, a Delhi-based private agency.  
 
The partnership will address the area of sustainable construction and rural infrastructure in the country, thereby making sustained contributions to improvement in the quality of life of rural communities, a release said here today.  
 
ACC is an operating company of the Holcim Group.  
 
Both ACC and Holcim will provide technological support and will also evolve the strategy required for successful implementation, the release said.  
 
The partnership has identified market development, training and capacity building, sustainable community development and habitat policy and knowledge products as its strategic priority areas.  
 
ACC will establish and develop a Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Housing and Rural Infrastructure in New Delhi.  
 
This centre would focus on facilitating mainstreaming of sustainable housing and rural infrastructure solutions and providing innovation, technical support and outreach services to the construction industry.  
 
It would enable the creation of livelihood opportunities and provide enterprise development support connected to rural habitat and infrastructure.