Architectural Softwares: Offering Myriad Benefits
Architectural software is an integral part of any BIM methodology. Developed countries such as the USA., the UK and Singapore have mandated BIM processes for new infrastructure projects. Though India is still to frame a policy around BIM methodologies and mandate their use, most owner-operators of big infrastructure projects, be it private or public, are demanding BIM advancements.
Meanwhile, the adoption of architectural software in India has been growing at a steady pace. “The major growth in adoption is on large infrastructure projects such as airports and metros. We have seen the new tenders that are floated for design and construction of new metros mandating the use of architectural software and BIM processes,” says Atanu Pattanayak, Vice President – India, Bentley Systems. Nagpur Metro is one such example. Incidentally, almost all the colleges teaching architecture have included the use of architecture software in their curriculum. This makes the student job-ready with minimal training required.
And, though adoption is steady, challenges remain. According to Greg Bentley, CEO, Bentley Systems, India faces challenges in its desire to become globally competitive in procurement transparency. For example, outcomes-based commercial models such as software subscriptions and cloud services are becoming the preferred choice elsewhere, but enterprises in India are still generally unable to take advantage. He added that for foreign companies, costs, other burdens of administration and regulatory
compliance, while slowly modernising, still compare unfavorably. The upshot being that these challenges are minor compared to the scale of opportunities to contribute to ever-smarter infrastructure in India.
