Varun Maniar, Managing Director, Electromech InfraProjects

How is the emergence of a ‘new infrastructure economy’ changing the role of infrastructure in business competitiveness, and what does that mean for engineering companies?
One of the biggest shifts underway is that infrastructure is no longer just enabling businesses, it is increasingly determining their competitiveness. Whether it is AI, manufacturing, fintech, logistics, or e-commerce, the quality of the underlying infrastructure directly impacts productivity and growth. As a result, infrastructure is becoming far more technology-intensive and performance-driven than it was a decade ago. For engineering companies, this means moving beyond execution and becoming partners in creating resilient, high-performance environments that support critical economic activity.

As India rapidly expands its data centre capacity, what do you see as the key challenges and priorities in building a robust and future-ready digital infrastructure backbone?
The industry often focuses on capacity announcements, but the more important conversation today is around infrastructure performance. As data centres become larger and AI workloads become more demanding, developers are dealing with challenges around power density, cooling efficiency, reliability, and deployment speed simultaneously. The real differentiator will not be who builds the most capacity, but who can deliver the most efficient and resilient capacity.

How has the role of MEP evolved in modern infrastructure projects, and why is it becoming increasingly critical to overall asset performance?

In modern infrastructure, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) systems increasingly determine how an asset performs throughout its lifecycle. Energy consumption, uptime, operational resilience, occupant comfort, and sustainability outcomes are all heavily influenced by these systems. This is why MEP is no longer viewed as a support function, it has become central to how infrastructure is designed, evaluated, and operated.

Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) is gaining traction globally as a transformative approach to construction. What opportunities does it present for India’s data centre sector, and what is needed to accelerate its adoption?
Across global markets, the construction industry is shifting towards industrialised models that prioritise standardisation, off-site manufacturing, prefabrication, and assembly-led execution. In the data centre sector, DFMA is emerging as a key enabler of this transformation. The real value of DFMA is not simply speed; it is predictability. By moving significant portions of construction into a controlled factory environment, organisations can achieve greater quality control, reduce execution risk, and improve schedule certainty. We are among the early adopters in India implementing DFMA for modular data centre construction, leveraging off-site manufacturing to deliver more efficient and reliable project outcomes.  For India to fully unlock this opportunity, the industry must embrace earlier collaboration between designers, consultants, contractors, and asset owners. The transition requires an ecosystem shift, not just a technology shift.

How is the rapid adoption of AI reshaping infrastructure requirements, and what must the industry do to prepare for the next generation of computing demands?
For the first time, software is forcing a redesign of physical infrastructure. AI workloads are fundamentally different from traditional cloud environments. They require significantly higher compute densities, more sophisticated thermal management systems, and entirely new approaches to power architecture. As a result, AI is influencing not just technology strategy but also engineering strategy. The discussion is no longer about accommodating digital growth; it is about designing infrastructure that can sustain exponential computing growth.

As AI workloads drive unprecedented increases in computing density, how do you see liquid cooling reshaping data centre infrastructure, and what opportunities does this create for India?
As AI workloads continue to scale, liquid cooling is expected to evolve from a specialised solution to a mainstream infrastructure requirement. This shift is being driven by the increasing power densities of AI environments, where traditional air-cooling systems are nearing their practical limits. As a result, advanced thermal management technologies are becoming essential for AI-ready data centres. India is well-positioned to support this transition, backed by its strong engineering capabilities and experience in delivering complex, mission-critical infrastructure. There is also a significant opportunity for Indian companies to develop localised solutions, particularly in areas such as secondary fluid networks (SFNs) and advanced thermal management systems, while strengthening domestic expertise and supply chains for next-generation AI infrastructure. In that sense, liquid cooling is not just a technology shift, it is an opportunity for India to play a larger role in the future of global digital infrastructure.

How are digitalisation and emerging technologies reshaping the skills and capabilities required of engineering professionals today?
The infrastructure sector is experiencing a convergence of engineering and technology. Today’s projects generate vast amounts of operational and project data, making digital literacy increasingly important. The professionals who will create the most value are those who can combine engineering judgement with technology-enabled decision-making rather than within traditional silos.

As India’s infrastructure ambitions continue to expand, how important will execution excellence be in determining the success of projects and companies in the years ahead?
India has spent the last decade solving for capital. The next decade will be about solving for execution. As infrastructure projects become larger, faster, and more complex, execution capability will become one of the industry’s most valuable differentiators. The challenge is no longer simply delivering projects, it is delivering them predictably, efficiently, and at scale. Companies that combine operational discipline, technology adoption, and strong project governance will be best positioned to succeed in this next phase of growth.

Looking ahead to 2035, which infrastructure sectors do you believe will create the most significant opportunities, and how will the nature of infrastructure development evolve?
India is entering one of the most significant infrastructure investment cycles in its history. While transportation and manufacturing will continue to remain important, some of the most transformative opportunities will emerge from digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, energy transition, and mission-critical facilities. What is particularly interesting is that these sectors demand a much higher level of engineering sophistication than traditional infrastructure projects. The winners will not necessarily be the largest companies, but the ones capable of solving increasingly complex infrastructure challenges.

How do you see the company positioning itself to capitalise on emerging opportunities in digital infrastructure, data centres, and advanced manufacturing over the next decade?
Over the next decade, our ambition is to evolve beyond being an infrastructure execution company and become a technology and solutions-led engineering partner. As industries such as data centres, advanced manufacturing, and digital infrastructure become more complex, we believe innovation will be the key differentiator. Our focus will be on developing future-ready solutions that improve how infrastructure is designed, delivered, and operated, whether through advanced construction methodologies, next-generation cooling technologies, digital engineering, or integrated infrastructure platforms. Ultimately, infrastructure is a long-term business built on trust, capability, and continuous innovation. Our objective is to keep strengthening each of those pillars as the industry evolves.