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Pawan Koyal, Executive Director & Head – Facility and Asset Management Services, Knight Frank India, explores how AI, automation, and operational intelligence are transforming India’s real estate ecosystem. From predictive maintenance and smart sustainability systems to autonomous operations, he explains why technology-led buildings are emerging as the new benchmark for efficiency, resilience, and long-term asset value.
In India’s real estate market, global investors, evolving regulations, and rising tenant expectations are actively reshaping how developers build, operators manage, and owners monetize properties.
Historically, owners and operators treated technology in facility and asset management as a mere operational convenience, introducing tools like building management systems, access control, and energy monitoring only after making significant investment decisions. That perspective has changed dramatically. As technology has advanced rapidly, owners and operators have adapted to stay competitive in the market.
The New Math
Traditionally, facility and asset maintenance was reactive: Teams addressed equipment failures as they occurred, and tenants adapted accordingly.
Today, factors such as economic uncertainty, global events, and climate goals influence investment decisions. Operational intelligence is reshaping dynamics as yield compression and tighter returns impact real estate markets pan-India. Incremental gains rely on building efficiency throughout the asset lifecycle management.
Now, operators are rapidly adopting AI-based maintenance practices embedded in critical systems such as HVAC and elevators, enabling algorithms to identify anomalies before failures occur.
The impact is immediate and measurable, including equipment downtime dropping significantly, maintenance costs decreasing, asset lifespan increasing, and minimizing tenant disruptions.
Impact Felt
Reducing downtime and service interruptions by 30–50% is a significant advantage, as noted by the McKinsey Global Institute. Deloitte highlights that operational intelligence can reduce maintenance costs by 10–40% and extend asset lifespans by up to 20%. For large office parks that manage millions of square feet, this can have a direct positive impact on Net Operating Income (NOI). In the long run, lower costs and longer asset lifespans make these technologies a compelling investment in terms of return
on capital.
Investors are increasingly incorporating operational data such as Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), energy efficiency, reliability-focused strategies, and integrated systems into their valuation models.
“Soon, the market will stop distinguishing between smart and non-smart buildings — only technologically intelligent assets will remain commercially competitive”— Pawan Koyal
Narrative to Numbers
In India, water scarcity is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. Smart water management systems have reduced consumption by 10–20% through effective leak detection and subtle behavioural nudges.
Similarly, the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that utilizing digital energy solutions can lead to a 10–20% reduction in energy use within buildings.
To make real progress toward net-zero goals, companies need to take concrete steps, focusing on adopting clean energy solutions and energy-efficient practices rather than just setting lofty targets. Modern facilities today utilize digital platforms to track real-time energy consumption patterns, Water usage across different systems and zones and waste generation, segregation, and recycling initiatives.
The need for relying solely on periodic reports has diminished, as continuous feedback is now the norm. Consequently, sustainability has evolved from a mere compliance obligation into a strategic investment opportunity.
Institutional investors are increasingly channelling funds toward assets that demonstrate measurable ESG performance. Green-certified, digitally monitored buildings are not only more efficient but also more appealing to investors.
In many instances, their value is higher.
The Quiet Shift
India’s facility and asset management sector has traditionally relied on human resources. Technology is not eliminating jobs; it is enhancing team effectiveness.
Given the importance of Health and Safety, field teams using integrated digital tools streamline task management and, in real time, supervise and monitor progress and performance for greater responsiveness and accountability.
Smart sensors in high-traffic areas such as restrooms and lobbies enable demand-based cleaning, with services initiated based on actual usage rather than fixed schedules.
Next Ops Model
As we move beyond a decade devoted to digital transformation, our focus now shifts to automation. Once seen as experimental in India, autonomous cleaning robots are now commercially viable, especially on large campuses, in airports, and in upscale office developments.
Their value proposition is simple:
• Uniform performance across large areas.
• Reduced dependency on manual labour for repetitive tasks.
• Data generation for continuous optimization.
Combined with smart sensors that monitor occupancy, air quality, and usage patterns, these technologies are creating a new, hybrid, data-driven, and highly scalable operating model.
The Bottom Line
Broader economic and global factors are accelerating this transformation. Shifts in global supply chains, volatile energy prices, and rising costs are prompting asset owners to prioritize building resilience. Operational clarity and efficiency are now essential.
At the same time, India’s robust digital infrastructure and increasing investment position it well for this shift in the global economy. However, this also increases the associated risks. Assets that do not leverage technology effectively risk becoming obsolete more quickly.
We are entering an era where the distinction between ‘smart’ and ‘non-smart’ buildings will disappear. Only smart buildings will remain competitive.
India’s adoption of these technologies has been gradual, primarily due to cost sensitivity. However, this is changing. As labour costs rise and quality expectations increase, the economics of automation are becoming more compelling. Over time, total ownership costs tend to be lower, and service consistency improves significantly.
The key question now is the pace at which technology will scale in India.
