Interview: Biju Mahima, CEO, U-Sphere

ULCCS is celebrating its 100th year. What inspired the launch of U-Sphere, and how does it align with ULCCS’ long-term vision for the future of construction?
The launch of U-Sphere marks a natural progression in Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society (ULCCS) century-long journey of nation-building. Over the past 100 years, ULCCS has successfully delivered more than 7,000 projects across roads, bridges, public buildings, tourism infrastructure, and social infrastructure, earning a reputation for engineering excellence, quality, and community-centric development. As the construction industry undergoes a significant transformation driven by digitalisation, industrialisation, sustainability, and evolving client expectations, we recognised the need for a platform dedicated to the next generation of infrastructure delivery. U-Sphere was established to address this shift. We are focused on bringing advanced construction methodologies, digital technologies, and integrated Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) capabilities to sectors that demand speed, precision, and sustainability. The timing is equally significant. India’s infrastructure ecosystem is entering an unprecedented phase of expansion, supported by programmes such as PM Gati Shakti, industrial corridors, semiconductor manufacturing, logistics parks, renewable energy, and digital infrastructure. Clients increasingly seek partners capable of delivering integrated solutions rather than standalone construction services.

How do you see U-Sphere addressing the evolving needs of India’s construction industry, particularly in terms of speed, quality, and sustainability?
India’s construction industry is witnessing a structural shift. Today’s projects are larger, more technologically sophisticated, and subject to significantly tighter timelines than ever before. At the same time, clients expect greater transparency, higher quality standards, lower lifecycle costs, and stronger sustainability outcomes. This is precisely where U-Sphere’s integrated approach creates value. Our 3S framework—Speed-Build, Smart-Build, and Sustain-Build—guides every stage of project delivery. Speed-Build focuses on industrialised construction through pre-engineered steel structures, modular methodologies, and integrated project planning that compress construction schedules without compromising quality. As demand rises for manufacturing facilities, logistics parks, commercial developments, hospitality assets, and data centres, accelerated delivery becomes a significant competitive advantage. Smart-Build combines civil engineering, structural steel, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP), Extra Low Voltage (ELV) infrastructure, architectural finishes, and digital project management into a single delivery ecosystem. This integrated approach improves coordination, reduces interface risks, enhances quality assurance, and provides clients with a single point of accountability throughout the project lifecycle. Sustain-Build embeds environmental responsibility into engineering decisions from the outset. Through optimised structural design, efficient material utilisation, reduced on-site waste, energy-efficient building systems, and lifecycle-focused engineering, projects are designed not only to perform better but also to minimise their environmental footprint.

U-Sphere integrates IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, and digital project monitoring. How do these technologies improve project execution, asset performance, and lifecycle management?
The future of construction extends far beyond building physical assets; it lies in creating intelligent infrastructure that can be monitored, analysed, and continuously optimised throughout its lifecycle. Digital technologies are therefore becoming central to modern EPC delivery. We view technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and digital project monitoring not as standalone innovations but as enablers of better engineering and decision-making. During construction, IoT-enabled monitoring can provide real-time visibility into equipment utilisation, environmental conditions, workforce productivity, and project progress. This enables faster identification of potential delays, improves safety oversight, optimises resource allocation, and enhances coordination across multiple work fronts. Artificial Intelligence further strengthens this capability by analysing large volumes of project data to identify execution trends, predict schedule risks, optimise procurement planning, and improve quality control. Rather than relying solely on reactive interventions, project teams can increasingly make predictive, data-driven decisions that improve delivery certainty. For us, digital transformation is therefore not about technology adoption alone; it is about improving project outcomes, enhancing operational resilience, and delivering infrastructure that continues to create value long after construction is complete.

Which project segments do you believe will see the highest adoption of modular and pre-engineered construction over the next five years?
The adoption of modular and pre-engineered construction in India is moving beyond being a niche engineering solution to becoming a strategic necessity. As projects become larger and timelines more compressed, developers are increasingly prioritising certainty of delivery, quality consistency, and lifecycle efficiency over conventional construction methods. Among all sectors, industrial and manufacturing facilities will witness the fastest adoption. India’s push towards becoming a global manufacturing hub through initiatives such as Make in India, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and new industrial corridors is creating demand for factories, warehouses, and production facilities that can become operational in the shortest possible time. The opportunity ahead is substantial. India’s modular construction market is projected to grow at nearly 10% CAGR through 2033, while the pre-engineered building market is expected to expand at over 13% CAGR through 2030, reflecting increasing industry acceptance of industrialised construction. We also foresee strong growth in logistics parks, commercial offices, hospitality, healthcare, airports, education campuses, and public infrastructure. Hospitals and educational institutions, for instance, increasingly require phased construction with minimal disruption, while commercial developers seek faster project completion to improve returns on investment.

Sustainability is becoming central to infrastructure development. How does U-Sphere reduce embodied carbon, construction waste, energy consumption, and overall environmental impact?
Sustainability is no longer an isolated objective within construction, it has become a defining parameter of engineering excellence. We believe environmental performance is determined long before construction begins, through thoughtful design, engineering optimisation, material selection, and efficient execution methodologies. Pre-engineered steel structures play a central role in this strategy. Steel is highly recyclable and allows for precise factory-controlled fabrication, significantly reducing material wastage compared to conventional construction. Optimised structural designs also minimise embodied carbon by ensuring that every tonne of steel and every cubic metre of concrete is used efficiently without compromising structural integrity. Equally important is our emphasis on industrialised and modular construction. By shifting a significant portion of project activities away from traditional construction sites, we reduce construction debris, minimise water consumption, lower noise and dust pollution, and improve resource efficiency. Factory-controlled manufacturing also enhances quality while reducing the need for rework, one of the largest contributors to construction waste. For us, sustainability is measured not only by the environmental footprint during construction but also by how efficiently a building performs over the next 30 to 50 years. The industry’s transition towards low-carbon, resource-efficient infrastructure will increasingly depend on engineering innovation, integrated project delivery, and lifecycle thinking, areas where we believe U-Sphere is well positioned to contribute.

Which sectors present the biggest growth opportunities for U-Sphere, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, healthcare, education, affordable housing, or public infrastructure? Why?
India’s infrastructure story is becoming increasingly diversified, creating opportunities across multiple sectors rather than a single asset class. For us, the strongest opportunities lie where engineering complexity, speed of execution, and integrated delivery capabilities create meaningful value. Industrial and manufacturing infrastructure remains one of our highest priorities. India’s continued focus on domestic manufacturing, supported by the PLI schemes, industrial corridors, semiconductor investments, electronics manufacturing, and logistics expansion, is creating sustained demand for high-performance industrial facilities that require rapid execution. The second major growth segment will be data centres. Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, digital services, and increasing data localisation requirements are driving unprecedented investments in digital infrastructure. India’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure ecosystem including a data centre market projected to grow from around USD 10 billion in 2025 to over USD 22 billion by 2030 will increasingly require integrated engineering partners capable of delivering both physical infrastructure and digitally enabled operational intelligence. What differentiates us is not our focus on any one sector, but our ability to deliver end-to-end engineering solutions across diverse asset classes. Our capabilities span design and engineering, civil works, structural steel, MEP systems, ELV infrastructure, architectural finishes, and technology-enabled project execution. As India continues investing in physical, industrial, and digital infrastructure, we believe organisations that combine engineering expertise with technology-led execution and sustainable construction practices will be best positioned to support the country’s next phase of growth.

How do you see government initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti, Smart Cities, industrial corridors, and affordable housing driving demand for technology-led construction solutions?
India’s infrastructure sector is entering one of the most transformative phases in its history, and government-led initiatives are fundamentally changing the way infrastructure is conceived, planned, and executed. Programmes such as PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), industrial corridors, Smart Cities Mission, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and Pradhan Mantri AwasYojana (PMAY) are not merely increasing project volumes, they are raising expectations around execution speed, engineering quality, sustainability, and digital integration. PM Gati Shakti, in particular, represents a paradigm shift by bringing together multiple ministries and infrastructure stakeholders onto a unified digital planning platform. This integrated approach improves project coordination, reduces implementation delays, optimises logistics, and enables infrastructure to be developed with greater efficiency and long-term planning. Affordable housing is another segment where industrialised construction can significantly improve productivity by reducing construction time, improving quality consistency, and enabling large-scale standardisation. Similarly, industrial corridors and manufacturing clusters require rapid delivery of factories, logistics parks, warehouses, utilities, and commercial infrastructure, creating substantial opportunities for integrated EPC solutions. We see these initiatives as catalysts for transforming the construction industry from labour-intensive execution to engineering-led, technology-enabled delivery. As India’s infrastructure ambitions continue to expand, success will increasingly depend on organisations that can combine engineering expertise with innovation, sustainability, and execution excellence.

Despite its advantages, what are the key barriers to the adoption of modular construction in India, and how can policy support, standardisation, and skill development help accelerate its growth?
India has reached an important inflection point where modular construction are gaining significant momentum. However, despite the clear benefits of faster execution, better quality control, reduced material wastage, and improved sustainability, widespread adoption still faces several structural challenges. One of the primary barriers is industry perception. Modular construction is often viewed purely as a method for accelerating project delivery, whereas its true value lies in integrated engineering, lifecycle efficiency, and enhanced project certainty. Greater awareness is needed among developers, consultants, and project owners regarding its long-term economic and operational benefits. Another challenge is the limited availability of standardised design practices and specifications across project categories. Unlike mature international markets, India is still developing comprehensive standards that encourage wider adoption of industrialised construction methodologies. Greater standardisation can improve interoperability, simplify approvals, and build confidence among clients and consultants. Skill development is equally critical. As construction increasingly adopts digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, and off-site fabrication, the workforce must evolve accordingly. Policy support can further accelerate adoption by recognising industrialised construction as a strategic enabler of national infrastructure development. Incentivising sustainable construction methods, encouraging prefabrication in public projects, promoting performance-based procurement, and integrating modular construction into government infrastructure programmes would significantly strengthen industry confidence.

What are U-Sphere’s key priorities over the next three years in terms of technology development, capacity expansion, and market presence?
Over the next three years, our focus will be on establishing U-Sphere as one of India’s leading technology-driven Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies, with expertise spanning industrial, commercial, digital, and institutional infrastructure. The first priority is strengthening our technology ecosystem. We will continue investing in digital engineering capabilities, Artificial Intelligence-enabled project management, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled project monitoring, and integrated digital workflows that improve planning, execution, quality assurance, and lifecycle asset performance. Secondly, we are focused on expanding beyond Kerala into high-growth markets such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and other emerging infrastructure hubs. Our Bengaluru regional headquarters marks an important milestone in this journey and reflects our long-term commitment to serving the wider South Indian market. Backed by ULCCS’ century-long legacy of engineering excellence and community-driven development, U-Sphere’s ambition extends beyond business growth. We aspire to redefine how infrastructure is delivered in India by combining advanced engineering, industrialised construction, digital innovation, and sustainability into a single integrated delivery model.