“Digital engineering leads to productivity, better decision-making, reduced rework and long-term asset value”

Varunkumar Sagarkar, Director, Desapex

Construction is moving from drawings and delays to data-led delivery. Varunkumar Sagarkar, Director, shares how Desapex is helping developers and contractors make BIM, ISO 19650 and digital twins work on real projects.

How is Desapex helping construction companies move from traditional project delivery to digital-first execution?

When we started, the first challenge was capacity. We saw strong adoption of digital technology in markets such as the Middle East, Europe and the US, but India lacked the depth of resources required to deliver those services at scale. Over time, we also saw many failed BIM and digital transformation projects. That made companies hesitant. The problem was that adoption was often technology-led, without a standard operating process. At Desapex, we use ISO 19650 as a framework across design, construction, asset management and operations. Technology is only an enabler; the real shift is process-led digital execution.

Your hotel digitisation project is an interesting case. What problem was the client trying to solve and how did digital engineering change the outcome?

In hotels, comfort is the core requirement. Whether it is a 300-key or 500-key property, the guest experience depends heavily on MEP systems: HVAC, electrical, plumbing, domestic water supply and heating. The challenge is that these systems are often not coordinated early enough with architectural and structural elements. Service corridors become especially critical because heavy MEP systems pass through them. By adopting BIM and a digital-first approach, Desapex was able to improve coordination at the design stage itself, reducing the risk of clashes, rework and operational issues later. In hotel projects, this directly supports the end goal: a smoother guest experience through more reliable comfort, water supply and building services.

Where does BIM create the highest RoI today – design, construction, cost control or operations?

The highest RoI is not limited to one stage. BIM creates value across design, construction and operations if it is treated as a lifecycle framework. The owner is the biggest beneficiary because the cash flow begins with the owner. But the benefit moves from owner to designer, designer to contractor, and contractor to operations and maintenance. The challenge is that the industry still looks at BIM in silos. The real value comes when information flows across the entire lifecycle.

Can you share specific RoI indicators from BIM, ISO 19650 and digital twin adoption?

We are careful with headline numbers, but the value is consistent. Clash detection is the most measurable benefit, as resolving conflicts in the model reduces rework in critical areas such as service corridors and plant rooms. On one hotel project, coordinating heavy MEP runs at the design stage helped avoid cutting and re-routing of ductwork later.

For data centres, the gain is in sequencing. When a project is built column by column, simulation helps avoid civil, MEP and architectural mismatches that can affect timelines. ISO 19650 reduces the rework of information — the time lost finding files or recreating data. Digital twins extend the value into operations through energy optimisation and predictive maintenance. These gains are achievable, but they depend on disciplined execution.

In complex projects like data centres, airports and industrial facilities, what execution risks can digital engineering reduce most effectively?

In data centres, even a small mismatch between MEP, civil and architectural systems can disrupt timelines. Digital engineering helps visualise and coordinate sequencing, especially because data centres are often built column by column based on demand and commercial requirements. It also supports future expansion, because large data centres are not built fully from Day 1.

Why should developers and EPC contractors care about ISO 19650-compliant information management?

Earlier, there was confusion around BIM levels, LOD and model requirements. ISO 19650 helps demystify digital delivery by showing how information should be structured and exchanged across design, construction, operations, maintenance and safety. For developers and EPC contractors working on major capital projects, it provides a flexible framework for lifecycle information management.

What roadmap should contractors and developers follow for digital transformation?

We treat it as a maturity journey, not a software purchase. The first step is to define information requirements: what data is needed, in what format and at what stage. Then, prove the approach through one contained pilot before scaling.

The next steps are to establish a common data environment with discipline, layer ISO 19650 into the workflow, plan digital handover from Day 1, and then commission the operational twin with one or two high-value use cases. The main pitfalls are buying technology before fixing the process, weak CDE discipline, under-budgeting training and treating handover as an afterthought. Technology-led projects are often the ones that fail.

What measurable business outcomes should clients expect from investing in digital engineering?

The key outcomes are productivity, better decision-making, reduced rework and long-term asset value. Digital engineering allows issues to be resolved during design rather than after materials, manpower and money have already been deployed onsite. It also reduces data loss between stages. When designers, contractors and operators work in silos, data is recreated repeatedly. That redundancy is a hidden cost.

What are the main barriers to BIM adoption, and how is AI being used?

The barriers are more human than technical. They include technology-led adoption without process, skills gaps, cultural inertia and a supply chain that is only as digital as its least-digital subcontractor.

Resistance usually comes from site teams and senior project managers comfortable with 2D, subcontractors with no incentive to invest, and sometimes clients who want digital handover but do not fund the information management behind it.

AI is already useful in repetitive work such as drawings, modelling and quantity take-offs. A take-off that once took days can now be largely extracted in a fraction of the time, with the estimator moving from counting to validating. But the limits matter: poor input gives poor output, ambiguity remains a challenge, and human validation stays critical.

What sectors are currently driving Desapex’s pipeline and where do you see stronger growth?

We see strong demand coming from real estate, data centres, semiconductors and critical infrastructure. In India, developers and contractors are moving beyond software-led BIM adoption and are now looking at process-level digital transformation. Desapex is doing ISO 19650 process consulting for leading real-estate developers such as Prestige, Sobha and Brigade, helping them build standard operating processes that align with technology.

Going ahead, growth will be driven by common data environments and AI, with repetitive tasks such as drawings, quantity take-offs and modelling becoming faster and more automated, while human validation remains critical.