Smart construction technology is essential for India’s infrastructure future

Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director for India and SAARC at Trimble Solutions, believes that India’s ₹143 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) presents a historic opportunity to transform the country’s development landscape if backed by digital innovation. Reflecting on past project delays and budget overruns, he underscores the critical role of technologies like BIM, GIS, IoT, and AI in ensuring smarter, faster, and more accountable infrastructure delivery.

India is embarking on one of its most enormous infrastructure projects in history. From high-speed rail and national motorways to smart cities and renewable energy corridors, the country is laying the physical and digital groundwork for its next round of economic expansion. The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) aims to invest 143 lakh crore (about $1.7 trillion) by 2030 in many sectors, including transportation, energy, water, and healthcare.

However, as we plan for the future, we must also consider the past. Many of India’s high-profile megaprojects, despite their size and vision, have been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and implementation problems on the ground. These aren’t just lessons in missed deadlines; they’re reminders of how technology, if implemented early and efficiently, could have made a real difference. From digital planning tools to real-time project monitoring, the technology to build intelligently has always existed; what has been lacking is widespread adoption.

What went wrong: A closer look

One of the most pressing challenges has been expense overruns. As of March 2024, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reported that 449 out of 1,873 major central sector projects had exceeded their original budgets by ₹5.01 lakh crore.
Delays are another recurrent issue. According to MoSPI data, over 779 projects have missed deadlines, with an average delay of up to 36 months. Of these, 202 projects were postponed for up to 12 months, 181 for 13-24 months, 277 for 25-60 months, and 119 for more than 60 months.

Poor planning and abrupt scope changes frequently exacerbate the situation. Unrealistic timescales, miscalculated prices, and late-stage design changes commonly lead to inflated budgets and extended timetables. For example, ONGC’s offshore rig conversion project (Sagar Samrat), approved in 2013 with a budget of ₹862 crore, ended up costing over ₹1,448 crore and was delayed by 70 months due to scope modifications and a lack of cooperation amongst contractors.

Land acquisition issues and environmental clearance delays exacerbate the situation. The Yamuna Motorway, for example, had substantial opposition from local farmers regarding compensation, which slowed completion.

In some cases, corruption and poor contractor performance have contributed to failure. The 2025 incident involving the demolition of 14 newly built pillars on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor due to structural issues underscored the lack of adequate monitoring, accountability, and quality assurance.

How technology could have helped

These challenges, delays, budget overruns, coordination failures, and weak oversight could be addressed with the strategic use of technology.

• Building Information Modelling (BIM) enables integrated planning and early detection of design clashes, preventing cost spikes due to late-stage changes. Recognising its potential, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has mandated the use of BIM for all road projects above ₹200 crore.
  
• GIS and drone-based surveys enable faster and more accurate land mapping, reducing acquisition disputes and improving project planning.
  
• IoT devices and sensors can monitor construction progress in real time, track worker safety, and ensure quality compliance.
  
• AI and predictive analytics provide early warnings about risks, cost escalations, and delays, allowing proactive decision-making and resource planning.
  
• Blockchain technology offers transparent, tamper-proof records for contracts, procurement, and payments, minimising corruption and improving accountability.
  

Had these tools been implemented across earlier mega-projects, the scale of inefficiencies and delays could have been significantly reduced.

India’s tech-enabled path forward

The fact that India is currently aggressively implementing these digital solutions is encouraging. However, adoption must be more widespread and profound. Global examples offer a clear framework. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Singapore, and the UAE have used technologies like BIM, digital twins, and blockchain to effectively finish large-scale infrastructure projects on time and within budget.

Closer to home, we’ve already seen the advantages of such technologies in use. Trimble’s advanced construction technology has helped to complete famous Indian projects on time, including the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir and the Dwarka Motorway in Delhi-NCR. These projects show how real-time data, accurate geographic mapping, and collaborative digital workflows can improve project visibility, speed communication, and provide engineering precision even in the most complex contexts.

Importantly, this transition is not solely dependent on technology but on governance and execution discipline. Building digital capabilities within construction teams, promoting transparency in planning and reporting, and institutionalising the use of smart tools in both the public and private sectors are critical milestones.

Inefficiency has far-reaching consequences beyond the financial. Over ₹5 lakh crore lost due to cost overruns in central sector projects might have gone towards important public services such as healthcare, education, and urban development. Delays that last more than three years per project stifle job development, inconvenience millions, and hinder national progress.
Perhaps most importantly, the lack of openness and accountability in infrastructure implementation damages public trust, a cost that no economy can bear in the long run.

Building smart is the only way forward

India is now at a critical moment. The size of infrastructure development ahead provides an opportunity to create bigger and smarter. Digital transformation must be central to the whole project lifecycle, from strategy to execution to monitoring.

By learning from the past and embracing the full potential of construction technology, India can not only meet but exceed its infrastructure targets. Data, cooperation, and smart decision-making are key to building a more connected, efficient, and resilient India.

For more details, visit: https://www.trimble.com/en