Nirmiti Kendra, Dhar had been setup as a public trust with an initial grant of Rs. 1.5 lacs from HUDCO in February 1997 for promoting low cost housing technology in the district. Collector, Dhar is the Chairman of the Trust while the C.E.O. of Zila Panchayat is the Secretary of the Trust. It has only two employees viz. engineering assistants employed at its Dhar and Manawar Centers.


Till date the Kendra has produced over 300 thousand tiles with a daily installed capacity of 2000 tiles from 5 machines. Nirmiti Kendra has managed to indigenise technology and the last machine has been locally manufactured by an entrepreneur financed under the Special Employment Programme of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission. So far 250 buildings have been laid with MCR tiles. Besides Indira Awas houses, Angandwadi buildings and school rooms, garages, dhabas, a public outpost and a leather complex have also been laid with MCR tile roofs. Several private buildings have also been laid with MCR tile roof and thus the technology has become locally accepted and market based.

The cost of an MCR tile roof turns out to be almost equal to that for an earthrn Mangalore tile roof. It is cheaper, safer, more aesthetic and more comfortable than a GI or asbestos sheet roof. Compared to an RCC slab roof, cost of an MCR tile roof turns out to be 60 to 70% depending upon the length of span of roof.