How Data, Design and Technology Are Reshaping India's Workplaces

In an interaction with Homes India Magazine, Raja Khan, Chairman, FocusOn Interiors, shares how Indian​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ workspaces are transforming from traditional ways of showing to a more performance-driven system which is influenced by data, design and technology. The contemporary workplace is gradually transforming into a living, responsive ecosystem designed for long-term resilience rather than short-term ‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌impression.

For a long time, offices in India were designed to make a first impression. Polished floors, dramatic lobbies, impressive boardrooms. They looked successful, even if they did not always work particularly well. That expectation is changing.

According to an industry brief, “India’s fit-out and workplace design ecosystem is undergoing a powerful shift.” The reason is simple. As the same brief points out, “organisations are no longer looking for offices that simply look impressive. They want spaces that are intuitive, people-centric, efficient, and future-ready.” The office is being judged less by how it photographs and more by how it performs, day after day.

Technology has become the quiet force behind this change. As per the brief, “technology is becoming the creative enabler that brings this vision to life.” Not in the sense of flashy gadgets, but as a way to reduce guesswork and make better decisions earlier.

That shift begins at the planning table. Tools such as BIM, Revit-based workflows, 3D modelling and digital twins have changed how workplaces are designed. According to a large academic review published on ScienceDirect, “BIM resulting in rework cost reduction of 49 percent.” In practical terms, this means fewer surprises on site. When designers, engineers and contractors work inside a shared digital model, mistakes surface early instead of during construction. In India’s fast-moving commercial projects, this saves time, money and frustration.

Also Read: How Bengaluru Can Lead India in Sustainable Real Estate by 2030

It has also changed how clients engage with design. Offices are no longer explained only through drawings. They are experienced. As per a review published in Frontiers in Built Environment, “Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality facilitate design, engineering, construction, and management for the built environment.” Walkthroughs allow clients to feel the scale of a space, understand how it flows and respond with clarity. In projects with multiple stakeholders, this matters. Decisions are made faster because everyone is reacting to the same experience, not interpreting the same plan differently.

Once people move in, another layer of intelligence comes into play. Offices today are expected to respond to how they are used. According to a systematic review published in MDPI Buildings, “IoT technology may decrease energy consumption by as much as 30% and operating expenses by 20%.” Occupancy sensors, energy-efficient lighting and smart environmental controls make spaces more responsive. Lights dim when areas are empty. Air-conditioning adjusts based on real occupancy. Energy is spent where people actually are. The result is an office that feels more comfortable without becoming wasteful.

What makes this even more powerful is what happens to the data generated every day. As per a review published by NCBI, “Post-Occupancy Evaluation applications improve building performance by capturing occupant feedback and performance data.” Designers can see how people move through a space, where they pause, which rooms are overused and which sit empty. Meeting rooms get resized. Circulation improves. Quiet zones and collaboration areas find better balance. Design decisions start reflecting behaviour rather than assumptions.

All of this comes together where technology, sustainability and creativity meet. Digital twins are a good example. According to a global industry survey cited by Sustainability Magazine, “77% of organisations report that implementing a digital twin helped reduce carbon emissions, averaging a 15% reduction.”

By connecting digital models with real operational data, offices can be tuned continuously. Sustainability stops being a promise made at launch and becomes something measured over time.

This does not make workplaces colder or more mechanical. If anything, it makes them more humane. Designers work with clearer information. Spaces adapt more easily. People spend their days in environments that respond to them rather than forcing them to adjust.

India’s transition is still uneven. Some offices are far ahead. Others are just beginning. But the direction is clear. As organisations look harder at productivity, wellbeing and long-term costs, workplaces are being asked to justify themselves.

The modern office is no longer a static object. It is something closer to a living system. Planned carefully, tested early, observed continuously and improved quietly. And in an economy that moves as fast as India’s, those are the spaces that will last. 

About The Author

​‍​‌‍​Raja Khan is an experienced interior and workplace design expert with broad knowledge of commercial fit-outs, workspace planning, and project execution on a large scale. He has been directly involved with the design and fit-outs of corporate offices, industrial sectors, and institutional spaces. His expertise covers the interiors of a complete cycle—starting from strategic planning and cost-saving, then through the quality of execution, the timelines, and finally, the performance after the occupancy period.