Autodesk strengthens India play with BIM, AI and skills training for infrastructure growth

Haresh K Autodesk

Autodesk is ramping up its presence in India by promoting its “Design and Make” platform, strengthening Building Information Modeling (BIM) adoption, and integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance productivity and reduce waste. The company sees India’s trillion-dollar infrastructure agenda as a key opportunity where digital workflows can deliver efficiency at scale.

Haresh Khoobchandani, Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan at Autodesk, said the Indian market is distinctive due to its size but aligned with global priorities of efficiency and sustainability. “Whether you are building bridges, hospitals, or roads, your objective is to be more productive and reduce waste,” he noted.

BIM and digital workflows

Autodesk’s focus is on connecting the entire project lifecycle—from design to construction and operation—into one digital ecosystem. BIM sits at the core of this strategy, supported by the company’s “Design and Make” platform.

“The only company in the world that is actually creating a design and make platform is us,” Khoobchandani said. “Connecting design, construction and operation into a single digital workflow requires a platform that connects data across the board.”

He pointed to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) beginning to mandate BIM for large projects as evidence of India’s gradual but significant move toward digital-first construction.

AI to augment, not replace

On AI adoption, Khoobchandani stressed that the technology is designed to augment human capability, not displace workers. He said automation of repetitive tasks is not new, but AI must be applied thoughtfully to create value.

“Our belief has always been that AI is going to augment human capability and engineering,” he said. “AI for the sake of it is not going to solve anything for anybody.”

Building local skills and trust

Autodesk is pairing its technology push with skill development initiatives. Its software is free for all students in India, and the company partners with institutes such as IIT Mumbai to train engineers and architects.

“Technology is an enabler, but you cannot just buy and apply technology. You have to realign culture and skill sets,” Khoobchandani said.

To address data sovereignty concerns and support faster adoption, Autodesk has also launched a local data centre in India. “We are aligning with government regulations on data sovereignty while ensuring lower latency and improved compliance,” he added.

With India’s infrastructure spend crossing $1 trillion, Autodesk is betting on its platform, BIM integration, AI augmentation, and local skill-building as levers to reduce inefficiencies and enable smarter construction. The company sees this as a long-term opportunity to drive digital transformation in one of the world’s largest infrastructure markets.