In 2020, on a quiet farm far from the chaos of Bengaluru, Gaurav Chauraria began reimagining shipping containers not as cargo carriers, but as homes. Inspired by the prefab and tiny home movements abroad, he saw potential in the abundant used containers lying idle in ports and yards. That epiphany became the foundation of Alternate Real Estate Experiences Private Limited (Altree Pvt. Ltd.), and its flagship brand, The Habitainer. Chauraria was joined by a group of collaborators who shared his practical imagination. Architect Karan Nadig brought in design thinking rooted in global sensibilities. Industrial engineers John Kunnath and Shiv Choudhari added technical depth and a sharp focus on sustainability. Arun Choudhari, from the Surin Automotive Group, contributed business strategy and logistics know-how. Together, they built The Habitainer around a simple question: what if homes could be manufactured as precisely as cars? Their answer was modular, factory-made structures built using repurposed shipping containers and prefabricated steel frames. “These containers are incredibly strong, being made of high-grade, corrosion-resistant steel. Their shape makes them naturally modular,” says Chauraria. “They’re just waiting for a second life.”
At The Habitainer’s factory, the containers are reengineered into finished living and working spaces: homes, cafés, offices, even hospitality units. They arrive on-site nearly turnkey: fully built, insulated, plumbed, wired, and clad according to the local climate. Features like concrete floors, insulated drywall interiors, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and custom exterior finishes come built-in. It’s not just faster, it’s cleaner. Traditional construction involves almost 10 specialised teams from plumbers and electricians to steel fabricators and tilers. By centralising all processes in a single facility, The Habitainer reduces construction waste, shortens build time, and cuts carbon emissions significantly. “You’re removing chaos from the equation,” says Nadig.
Globally, modular construction is gaining ground. The Habitainer team tracks the work of leaders like Modscapes in Australia, Clayton Homes in the US, and architect Danny Foster, whose modular hotel projects are changing the face of commercial construction. “We learn from their successes, but our context is unique,” says Kunnath.
That uniqueness brings its own challenges. “Delivering large modules through narrow rural roads to remote properties is where it gets tricky,” says Arun Choudhari. The market is growing fast. As fewer workers enter traditional construction, and as people look for second homes outside cities these homes are practical and stylish solutions. Construction costs are rising about seven per cent annually. “The Habitainer offers a future-proof alternative: efficient, sustainable, and ready for deployment,” says Shiv Choudhari. It may have started with a shipping container, but it’s now reshaping how India thinks about building and living.