Tech push aims to revamp Indian construction with AI, prefabs and digital twins

Technology is set to overhaul India's construction industry, promising faster timelines, lower costs and better quality.

Overview

The sector faces long‑standing challenges in project schedules, cost control, quality and lifecycle management. Prefabricated components, factory‑made materials, artificial intelligence, building information modelling (BIM) and digital twins are increasingly used to tackle these issues.

Government Push

Under the PMAY‑Urban Technology Sub‑Mission, the government promotes prefabricated and other innovative methods to deliver housing more quickly and cheaply. The PAIMANA platform, a dashboard‑driven analytics tool, now monitors large central infrastructure projects to improve tracking and data quality.

Industry Perspective

Dr. B. K. Modi, founder‑chairman of Modi Group and chairman of Modi Holdings Pvt. Ltd., says the shift can create a more structured and transparent ecosystem. His interest stems from a broader focus on productive technologies; earlier ventures spanned photocopying, computing and telecom before turning to construction tech. He notes that factory‑made components cut waste and delays, while AI and digital models catch design errors before site work begins. Modi adds that construction now covers the full life cycle—design, build, maintenance, operations and upgrades—making efficiency, precision and sustainability essential. He stresses that sustainability in business is inseparable from profitability, and that digital systems can standardise processes across all stages.

Context

Adoption of AI, IoT, BIM and digital twins mirrors global trends where digital tools are used to make building projects more predictable and environmentally friendly.