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The DigiFM 2025 Conference held on November 26 at the Clean India Show brought together a diverse ensemble of professionals and leaders from the Facilities Management (FM) industry and various other verticals pan-India. This event served as a crucial platform for sharing knowledge, bringing talent and service providers together and driving a dynamic change in the way the FM industry operates.
The conference began with an opening address emphasizing the importance of digitalization in the FM industry and its impact on all stakeholders. It highlighted the significant growth of the ‘DigiFM world’ over the last seven years, growing from just a handful of agencies to over 120 agencies offering products and services to make digitalization a reality in the FM sector. Attendees had the opportunity to discover how leaders are shaping the future of smarter, sustainable workplaces, gaining actionable insights for ESG-driven growth.
The conference agenda was structured around four core panels, each focusing on a different facet of FM and its intersection with people and sustainability:
From Data to Decisions: Harnessing Data Intelligence for Next-Gen FM Focus
The first panel discussed how Big Data is driving transformation in FM, enabling smarter, faster decisions for efficiency and savings.
- Sustainability Angle: Data empowers organizations to measure and reduce carbon emissions, track energy/water consumption and align with ESG goals
- Expert Insight: Data has been the “biggest game changer,” positively impacting millions of people and stakeholders. Correctly used data has led to effectiveness, efficiency and significant cost savings. Panellists shared individual experiences on how data helped them move from long decision-making processes to effective performance
The speakers included Chetan Jadhav, Head Infrastructure and Administration, Aditya Birla Capital; Lt Col Ravindra Bhati, General Manager, Cluster Head-Security, Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corp. Ltd; Mahesh Madgavkar, Head Group Administration, ACG Worldwide; Milind Patil, Head Administration-India, Bureau Veritas India Pvt. Ltd and Nilesh P Gokhale, Regional FM Lead-Central AMEA, Mondelez India Foods Private Limited.
The Digital Pulse: Digital Solutions Driving Sustainable Operations
The second session explored how digital solutions (IoT, analytics, smart systems) are the “heartbeat” of modern organizations, enabling smarter, healthier and more sustainable operations.
- Impact: These technologies track critical sustainability metrics—energy intensity, air quality and resource utilization—while enhancing workplace wellbeing.
- Expert Insight: This panel focused on digital interventions like IoT, software improvements and integrated packages that bring about effective working solutions across the industry. Panellists shared their experiences on how digital solutions better overall performance.
The speakers included Dr Sayantan Sinha, Vice President, JMD Group; Sangeeta Ray, Lead Consultant, EFKON India and Vinayak Patil, Head Administration Facilities and Infrastructure, Cyient.
Anil Sathe, SBU Head, Kinetiq Rrobotics spoke next on “Going Beyond Experiencing the Ultimate in Service Automation.”
Human-Tech Equation: Healthier People, Smarter Workplaces
The session, powered by Tenon FM, explored how technology and people can work in harmony to create smarter, healthier and more sustainable workplaces. It emphasized how the human-tech balance drives resilience and long-term value.
- Expert Insight: Discussions centered on human-tech, human touch and technology related to human welfare through digital interventions. The panel and audience discussed mental health, physical health and emotional health, focusing on solutions to mitigate fatigue, stress and pressure, emphasizing the need for personal touch and emotional care alongside technology.
The speakers included Maj Nitesh Kala, Head Corporate Administration, Datamatics Global Services Ltd; Capt. Naveen Kumar, General Manager Administration, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited; Capt. Sandeep Chauhan, Vice President-TFM, Nesco and Ralph Sunil, Senior Vice President-Administration, JSW Steel.
This session was followed by Ankur Sachdev, CEO, Tenon FM discussing “Reimagining Facility Management Through Technology & Innovation.”
Commanding the Table: Shaping Deals, Driving Value, Defining the Future
The session covered how FM leaders are moving to the forefront of strategy, embedding sustainability into procurement, contracts and vendor management. Prioritizing vendors of green cleaning, energy-efficient equipment and circular economy shapes a sustainable future.
- Expert Insight: The panel focused on how FM professionals are rising to greater heights and having a crucial say in business strategy, emphasizing the industry’s impact on growth and wellness. They noted the heightened recognition of FM as a core vertical during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions also covered how better education, training and skill development can bring the industry and its professionals to the next level, ensuring a future commanding role in all verticals.
The speakers included Ralph Sunil, Senior Vice President-Administration, JSW Steel; Nikhil Navalkar, Head of Operations, Horizon Industrial Parks Pvt. Ltd; Sanjeev Kumar NGS, CEO, Dusters Total Solutions Services Pvt. Ltd and Senthil Kumar, Sr Director & Head Facility, Arcolab Private Limited.
The DigiFM conference turned out to be an effective, productive and fruitful get-together, acting as a launchpad for service providers and offering various insights into the FM. It showcased how activities like IoT, ML, AI and robotics are giving substantial benefit to organizations. The benefits of digitalization are evident in high footfall areas like malls, railway stations, airports and hospitals, impacting everything from climate control and access control to visitor management and washroom management, ultimately elevating facilities to a global standard.
