A significant expansion is anticipated in India's built environment, though the industry faces a major hurdle in finding enough skilled personnel to support this growth. The built environment sector is experiencing a rapid transformation in its job roles, driven by shifts in infrastructure, real estate, sustainability, digitalisation, and AI, despite ongoing talent shortages in technical, managerial, and new fields. In a conversation with ET Digital, RICS South Asia's Managing Director, Ashwani Awasthi, shares insights on the growing talent shortage, the true meaning of being "industry-ready," and the crucial role of closing the education-workplace gap for India's Viksit Bharat 2047 goals. Edited excerpts.
Economic Times (ET): The built environment is often cited as one of India's largest employers and a major GDP contributor. How central is it to the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal, and what does that ambition actually demand on the ground?
