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In Conversation with Bibhuti Aryal, Sr. Director—Transportation, Bentley Systems
India’s ambition to become a $40 trillion economy by 2047 hinges not just on expanding infrastructure but on doing so smarter, faster, and more sustainably. At the heart of this transformation are digital technologies like digital twins, BIM, GIS, AI, and IoT—tools that together enable integrated, real-time decision-making for infrastructure planning, design, execution, and maintenance.
At Bentley Illuminate 2025 in Mumbai, we spoke with Bibhuti Aryal, Sr. Director of Transportation at Bentley Systems, to better understand how these technologies are reshaping India’s transport sector—from highways and bridges to multimodal hubs and digital asset management.
Among roads, railways, bridges, airports, and ports, which sector could be a game-changer for India’s development?
Each sector brings unique value, but if I had to choose one with immediate impact, it’s roads. India already has the world’s largest road network—improving safety, maintenance, and connectivity here can move the needle quickly.
That said, railways offer unmatched energy efficiency and can transform long-distance logistics and commuting. Airports are critical too—look at how countries like the UAE or Singapore drove national growth through aviation and port infrastructure.
But the real game-changer lies in multimodal integration. If we can combine the strengths of each transport mode—and initiatives like Gati Shakti are paving that path—we’ll unlock a new level of national mobility. The challenge is still last-mile connectivity.
What pitfalls should India avoid, based on how other nations scaled their transport systems?
The biggest one is underinvesting in planning. Take Dubai’s recent flooding—despite being a highly developed city, severe unexpected rainfall exposed to which hydrology needs to be factored in transport design in the planning stage. It’s a reminder that transport doesn’t exist in isolation—it must be integrated with water systems, land use, and environmental realities.
Historically, in transportation, we tend to spend less time and money in the planning phase versus the actual design and build and the operate and maintain phases, and the impact of that is felt downstream. We must front-load investments in simulation, investigation, and cross-sectoral analysis. Even in brownfield projects, we need to begin with a systems-thinking approach, not just patchwork upgrades.
Globally, which technologies have proven most transformative for resilience and safety? How well do they apply to Indian conditions?
Digital twins, IoT, and geospatial analytics have made a clear difference. But these tools are only as good as the data environment they operate in.
For India, one of the most urgent needs is subsurface digital intelligence, especially in dense urban areas. The impact of subsurface is felt more in transportation due to the large geographic footprint with a variety of terrain and conditions. India, because of its size and geological diversity, makes this even more important. Due to the size and scale of the transportation projects in India, it’s important to understand the ground conditions first and deliver better projects on time and on budget, and second, to ensure that this infrastructure is operated and maintained optimally for the long term.
Incomplete or outdated utility mapping often causes cost overruns, delays, and safety hazards. This is a good use case for the dense areas in India, where having a better understanding of what is just below the surface (like utilities) would really help in delivering transportation projects. If we map and digitize underground assets from the outset, we reduce long-term risks and enable data reuse for future projects. That’s a huge win.
What role do digital twins and asset analytics play in India’s 2047 development vision?
Digital twins aren’t just 3D models—they’re ecosystems of data. Whether it’s BIM models, photogrammetry, or LiDAR scans, they need to converge in a Common Data Environment (CDE) to drive insights.
If India wants to realize Viksit Bharat by 2047, it must use tomorrow’s technology today. But we must also recognize that technology isn’t the bottleneck; the real challenges are the time required to adopt new processes and the shortage of skilled talent. The way we build infrastructure hasn’t evolved quickly enough. That’s why at Bentley, beyond software, we also offer curriculum, certifications, and access to a global community, helping professionals become future-ready.
How can Indian transport systems be made more climate-resilient using predictive AI and geospatial tools?
It begins with an intelligent base model—layering IoT sensors, geospatial intelligence, and real-time LiDAR data. Once that foundation is in place, you shift from reactive decisions to proactive interventions.
The key idea is that infrastructure intelligence is not a one-time process. It’s about continuously sensing, updating, and improving. Over time, not using these technologies becomes more expensive due to compounding inefficiencies and risk.
What’s a major misconception about infrastructure technology that you’d like to address?
That technology is a luxury or too expensive. In truth, the cost of not adopting technology—rework, delays, accidents—is far greater.
Another issue is our contractual mindset. If tenders reward only the lowest bidder, there’s little room to prioritize quality or innovation. We need to rethink procurement models to value long-term resilience, lifecycle savings, and de-risking through digital integration, not just upfront cost.
India stands at a pivotal moment. With the right technologies and a strong digital foundation, its transportation sector can become the backbone of a $40 trillion economy. But as Bibhuti Aryal rightly points out, it’s not just about software or sensors—it’s about rethinking how we plan, build, manage, and govern infrastructure for generations to come.
In this spirit, the upcoming AEC Forum offers a vital platform to advance this dialogue. Centered around the theme Resilient Infrastructure through Digitalization: Enabling Viksit Bharat, it will be held on August 21–22 at Vivanta, Dwarka, New Delhi, spotlighting transformative themes such as digital twins, BIM, GIS, AI/ML, and IoT across transportation and water infrastructure. Be part of the movement shaping India’s infrastructure revolution.
Register for the event now!
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