Survey Results: India’s Troubling Development Concerns

Last year, Satellier Inc., announced results from its survey exploring the mindset of the development community and uncovering emerging trends in real estate development in India. The survey revealed that 93% of respondents believe there is a significant gap between international design practices and onshore construction realities for large-scale developments in India, characterized by the many challenges facing the development community today: unprecedented demand for more and better buildings, in every category of use; shortage of local architects with international experience, project overruns, reported to be in excess of 62% in the government sector (Source: Airports Authority India), insufficient number of graduates to fill the growing need for skilled talent, consultant performance issues, and slow adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM), among other pressures.

Moreover, 93% of respondents think that bridging this gap will lead to more successful projects. Significantly, 87% believe that BIM can be a key project delivery system for saving time and money during construction, and 83% believe that the appointment of a design coordinator for large-scale projects is one of the solutions that can bridge this gap.

The survey was conducted jointly with Infor-Media India, organizer of the recent Real Estate India 2008 International Conference, in New Delhi. The online survey polled developers, investors, construction personnel, architecture, and engineering firms.

Satellier CEO Michael Jansen hosted a panel at this conference to discuss the characteristics of the gap and practical remedies. The panel, comprised of leading figures from Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, Hines, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and Geodesic Techniques, discussed how design-to-construction in India works today, how they are addressing the gap, and how technology, namely BIM, can improve project delivery in India.

“Clearly the development community is feeling pain and seeking real solutions, and we’re committed to helping,” said Jansen. “However, it will take the involvement of others to lift all boats quickly,” Jansen continued. “Creating a BIM Commission can be one way to share knowledge and leverage lessons learned, fast-track technology adoption, and ultimately, build better buildings, much faster.”