The Role of BIM in India’s Public Infrastructure Development

This article will explain what BIM is, how it has been implemented in India, and some of the factors that have led to the Indian government's current use of BIM and promotion of it for public projects.

What Is BIM?

Architects, engineers, contractors, and other AEC professionals can cooperate on a single 3D model through the highly collaborative process of BIM, or building information modeling.

The word "information" is crucial in BIM and must be emphasized.  A single BIM model contains a ton of data, and BIM is all about sharing and managing information. 

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is gradually becoming an essential and even required technique to guarantee the design, planning, and construction of buildings worldwide.

BIM Implementation in the world

According to studies, productivity gains from BIM projects range from 75 to 240%. Countries are embracing BIM at an increasing rate because to its many advantages, which include cost savings, increased productivity, clash detection, and more. Let's examine the global adoption figures for BIM in general:

United Kingdom - One of the world's top BIM implementation nations is the United Kingdom. All projects must use at least Level 2 collaborative BIM, according to government regulations.

Europe - Initiatives to encourage the broader use of BIM at the national, regional, or public estate level have been launched by an increasing number of European governments and public sector entities.

Netherlands - In 2014, the Netherlands' Government Buildings Agency made the use of BIM mandatory for public projects.

Singapore - The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) mandated that BIM plans be submitted in order to receive regulatory approval in order to encourage the usage of BIM.

India - BIM has grown slowly in India.  BIM has not yet gained traction, with the exception of a few large projects.  However, India has a sizable market for BIM outsourcing, and the country's BIM industry appears to have a bright future.

China - There is still more space for BIM to develop and become universally accepted in China.

Hong Kong - In terms of BIM standards, Hong Kong is on par with the UK and has an amazing rate of BIM adoption.

Australia - In terms of BIM guidelines, standards, national specifications, and corporate research centers, Australia is among the adopter nations whose quick performance is surpassing that of the more established nations.

South America - These regions already have BIM-promoting platforms, such Chile's "Build 2025" strategy plan and Peru's BIM Plan.

BIM Implementation in India

In India, the adoption of BIM progressed from "We are not interested" to "A nice tool to have," "Must-have technology," and finally "Exploring BIM for greater possibilities." Towards the conclusion of the first decade of this millennium, BIM made its debut in the Indian construction industry. 

The requirement for an interactive tool that accurately mimics the intricacies of the project, gathers all the information in one location, and cross-links the data was the initial driving force for interest in BIM in India.  However, there was initially a lot of opposition to the use of BIM since people were reluctant to alter their long-standing customs.

BIM was viewed as a "nice to have" tool over the next five to seven years.  Project stakeholders started to view BIM as a "Must Have" tool around 2015.  By 2021, complex BIM applications, like integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), have gained renewed attention.

By 2025, discussions had shifted to more complex BIM applications.  In terms of the total breakdown of resistance, however, there is still more work to be done.

Government Initiatives for BIM Promotion

1. The Smart Cities Mission 

The Indian government launched it in 2015 with the goal of creating 100 smart cities across the country.  Through it, BIM is becoming more popular for resource management, infrastructure improvement, and urban planning in these projects.

2. The Digital India

This project promotes the adoption of digital technologies in a variety of fields, including building.  The campaign's goal of encouraging digital transformation in infrastructure developments is fully aligned with the use of BIM.

3. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) 

It has backed the use of BIM in urban development projects and recognized it as a useful instrument for raising project quality, cutting waste, and increasing efficiency.

Future Scope of BIM in India

India has more people than China, and its population density is great.  More social housing, educational facilities, and infrastructure will be needed by this population.  As per the BIM Academy, a 2017-2018 Economic Survey estimates that India will need to invest approximately 4.5 trillion dollars in infrastructure development by 2040 in order to achieve its anticipated economic growth.

This implies that India cannot achieve its lofty objectives without BIM.  In India, BIM will grow to be a multibillion dollar industry in the next years.  Soon, being able to use these new technologies will be essential for creative architects who are prepared to face the future.  The following elements indicate the future of BIM in India:

1. Increased Adoption in Infrastructure Projects

Megaprojects supported by the government, such the metro rail systems, Bharatmala, and Sagarmala, show that BIM will likely play a significant role in guaranteeing the sustainability and efficiency of projects.

2. Standardization and Policy Development

India is probably going to create comprehensive BIM standards and guidelines to make it easier for projects in the public and commercial sectors to use it.

3. Upskilling and Workforce Development

To prepare architects and engineers for BIM-centric positions, training programs and professional courses like Novatr's BIM Professional Course are anticipated to be essential.

Obstacles that slow the full implementation of BIM in India

• High costs involved in the digital transformation of the industry.

• Lack of BIM qualified professionals

• Cost of new BIM softwares

• Lack of trust in implementing new software applications

Also check out: 5 Best BIM Courses in Pune for Civil Engineers 2025

Reasons Why the Govt of India Is Now Using BIM

1. Reduced Costs

Model-based cost estimate and 5D BIM are two applications of BIM.  This enables all pertinent experts to estimate the total project expenditure by imagining the expense of the current and upcoming tasks.

It makes it possible for all parties involved—including owners and architects—to receive clear and accurate budget information in order to progress the project.

2. Improved Collaboration and Communication

In order to optimize construction or infrastructure work management, BIM coordination and collaboration entails a coordination procedure between the several stakeholders participating in a BIM project.

3. Better Clash Detection

Conflicts can also be identified externally or internally before the first shovel touches the ground.  Future rework, last-minute modifications, and unanticipated MEP difficulties are reduced or eliminated completely with automated clash identification.

4. Improved Sequencing and Scheduling

Conflicts can also be identified externally or internally before the first shovel touches the ground. Future rework, last-minute modifications, and unanticipated MEP difficulties are reduced or eliminated completely with automated clash identification.

5. Increased Quality

Throughout the project, designers, architects, engineers, and constructors can work closely together thanks to BIM tools and cloud computing.  This makes it possible to have far more precise control over how the design is carried out and technical choices are made during the building stage.

6. Improved Post-Construction Management

Even after the building has been constructed, BIM continues to provide advantages.  The subsequent iteration of the model enables facilities management decision-making and systems to be informed after the facility is finished, enabling preventative maintenance and repairs.

7. Sustainability

We can ensure that the building satisfies the necessary environmental standards by using BIM to forecast how much energy it will need and consume. 

Examples of BIM Projects in India

MAHA Metro

Since 2015, a 5D BIM digital platform has been in place at Nagpur Metro, which is currently known as MAHA Metro.  The first company in the nation to use 5D BIM project visualization is Maha Metro.

Benefits  Among the advantages were savings in money, time, and effort.   Additionally, there were almost no issues with coordination, documentation errors, paperwork, or miscommunications amongst the several parties during the project!

Chenab Bridge 

The Chenab Bridge spans the Chenab River in the Kashmir valley and is a section of the new Baramulla—Srinagar—Udhamptur railway in northern India.  It is among the world's tallest and longest railway bridges of its type.

Benefits include collision detection and improved efficiency and optimization.

Mumbai Airport 

Initiated in 2007, the $2 billion modernization program includes the construction of Terminal 2 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.  The BIM model greatly aided all project stakeholders in identifying conflicts.  Ultimately, the BIM model was used to create walkthroughs, which aided the team in both installation and inspection.

That is all there is to it!  If you would want to study using this approach, enroll in our BIM Professional Course.  Utilize recorded sessions, live lectures, and your final capstone project to get an understanding of these intricate approaches.

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