A surge in cloud, AI, and local digital needs is fueling rapid growth in India's data center sector, marking a new era of infrastructure expansion for its digital economy. The ability to engineer and execute is now a key advantage for developers building bigger, better, and AI-ready facilities. In this conversation, Varun Maniar, Managing Director of Electromech Infraprojects Ltd, discusses the evolution of the company, the future of data centre infrastructure, and the technologies reshaping project delivery in India and beyond. Edited excerpts:The Economic Times (ET): Electromech Infraprojects has delivered over 600 projects across sectors. How has the company evolved from a traditional electrical services provider into a technology-led infrastructure platform, and what were the key milestones in that journey?Varun Maniar (VM): Our evolution has been driven by the changing nature of infrastructure itself. We moved from conventional electrical contracting to integrated MEP delivery and subsequently into mission-critical infrastructure such as data centres. As project complexity increased, we invested in BIM-led design coordination, digital project management, prefabrication, and advanced commissioning capabilities. Today, our focus is on delivering integrated infrastructure solutions that prioritise reliability, scalability, and lifecycle performance.A key milestone in this journey has been our adoption of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA). We are among the first companies in India to implement DFMA for data centre construction, enabling modular and factory-built infrastructure delivery. Today, our focus is on delivering integrated infrastructure solutions that prioritise reliability, scalability, and lifecycle performance.ET: India is witnessing unprecedented investment in data centres and digital infrastructure. What factors are driving this growth, and how do you see the market evolving over the next five years?VM: India is benefiting from multiple tailwinds simultaneously, digital adoption, cloud migration, AI workloads, and growing enterprise demand for localised infrastructure. What is particularly interesting is that the market is moving beyond traditional colocation demand. AI is introducing an entirely new layer of infrastructure requirements around power density, cooling architecture, and operational resilience.Industry estimates suggest India could add between 7 GW and 10 GW of data centre capacity over the next five years. Over the next five years, we expect the industry to become increasingly focused on energy efficiency, integrated delivery models, advanced cooling technologies, and faster deployment cycles. The conversation will gradually shift from megawatts of capacity to gigawatts of capacity, while placing greater emphasis on quality, efficiency, and operational performance.ET: Data centres have become one of the most critical components of the digital economy. What are the biggest infrastructure challenges developers face today, and how is Electromech helping address them?VM: The challenge today is less about attracting capital and more about delivering infrastructure at the pace the market requires. Developers are balancing faster deployment schedules, rising technical complexity, and increasing reliability expectations. Success increasingly depends on planning, coordination, and execution discipline rather than engineering capability alone.At Electromech Infraprojects, we address these challenges through strong engineering capabilities, disciplined planning and execution, a skilled workforce, and the adoption of advanced construction methodologies such as DFMA and offsite modular construction.ET: Emerging technologies such as modular construction, DFMA, digital twins, and liquid cooling are reshaping project execution. Which of these innovations do you believe will have the greatest impact on the future of infrastructure development?VM: The broader shift towards industrialised construction will have the greatest impact on the future of infrastructure development. Technologies such as DFMA and modularisation improve quality, predictability, and speed while reducing site dependencies and enabling greater control over project outcomes.At Electromech Infraprojects, we are among the pioneers driving DFMA adoption in India and we have invested significantly in building these capabilities, supported by a manufacturing footprint of over 2 lakh square feet across Mumbai and Hyderabad.While technologies such as digital twins will enhance planning and operational efficiency, modularisation and DFMA are likely to have the widest impact because they fundamentally change how infrastructure is designed, manufactured, and delivered.For data centres specifically, liquid cooling will become increasingly important as AI-driven workloads continue to increase rack densities and thermal loads. The industry is steadily moving from site-built infrastructure towards engineered, assembly-led infrastructure, while also adopting next-generation cooling technologies required for AI-scale computing. Both trends will play a defining role in shaping the next decade of infrastructure development.ET: Artificial intelligence is driving demand for larger and more sophisticated data centres while also changing how infrastructure projects are designed and executed. How is AI influencing both the demand side and the construction side of the business?VM: AI is reshaping the industry on both fronts. On the demand side, it is driving unprecedented requirements for compute capacity, which in turn is increasing demand for data centres with higher power densities, enhanced cooling capabilities, and more resilient infrastructure frameworks.What is encouraging is that the infrastructure being built in India today is comparable to leading global markets such as the United States, Europe, and Australia. The design standards, engineering capabilities, technology adoption, and operational requirements are increasingly aligned with global benchmarks.On the execution side, AI is also changing how projects are planned and delivered. The complexity of AI-ready facilities requires greater design precision, tighter coordination, and stronger integration between engineering disciplines. At the same time, digital tools and analytics are helping improve project planning, resource allocation, risk identification, and operational visibility.ET: Speed-to-market has become a critical differentiator for data centre and industrial infrastructure projects. How are digital tools, prefabrication, and technology-enabled project management helping improve efficiency, cost control, and execution timelines?VM: Speed-to-market has become one of the most important competitive differentiators in infrastructure delivery. In sectors such as data centres, every month of delay can have significant commercial implications.Digital tools provide greater visibility and coordination across project stakeholders, enabling faster decision-making and reducing execution risks. BIM platforms, digital project management systems, and real-time monitoring tools help improve planning accuracy and workflow efficiency.At the same time, prefabrication and modular construction reduce on-site complexity, improve quality control, and shorten installation timelines. The combined impact is not only faster project delivery but also better cost predictability and reduced rework.However, speed is not driven by construction methodology alone. It also depends on strong design and engineering capabilities, robust planning processes, supply chain strength, execution discipline, and access to skilled manpower. We continue to invest in building this ecosystem through our project teams, technicians, welders, and training initiatives that support long-term execution capability.The industry is increasingly recognising that speed is not simply about working faster—it is about creating more efficient and predictable delivery systems.ET: Electromech Infraprojects has expanded beyond India into markets such as the UAE. What opportunities do you see in international markets, and how does the infrastructure landscape there differ from India’s? How is the present geopolitical environment in West Asia playing out?VM: Markets such as the UAE offer significant opportunities, particularly in data centres, advanced commercial infrastructure, and industrial development. The region continues to invest heavily in technology, energy transition, logistics, and digital infrastructure, creating strong demand for specialised engineering capabilities.Compared to India, project execution environments in the Gulf tend to be more mature in terms of procurement frameworks, standardisation, and technology adoption. However, expectations around quality, timelines, and operational performance are also significantly higher.The facilities being developed in India today are comparable with leading global markets in terms of quality, engineering standards, and technology adoption. This makes our expansion into international markets a natural progression as we take capabilities developed in India to other high-growth regions.While geopolitical developments in West Asia are closely monitored by businesses across sectors, infrastructure investment in the region has remained relatively resilient. Long-term economic diversification programmes continue to support investment across strategic sectors, including digital infrastructure, which remains a positive indicator for future growth.ET: As India pursues its ambitions in manufacturing, digital infrastructure, and industrial growth, what policy measures, investments, or ecosystem developments are needed to ensure the country remains globally competitive in infrastructure delivery?VM: India has already created strong momentum through investments in physical infrastructure, manufacturing incentives, and digital transformation. Going forward, competitiveness will increasingly depend on execution efficiency.Three areas will be particularly important. First, strengthening power infrastructure and grid resilience to support energy-intensive industries and digital infrastructure. Second, accelerating adoption of advanced construction methodologies, including modularisation and prefabrication.Third, continued investment in technical skill development and specialised engineering capabilities.India’s growth opportunity is significant, but maintaining global competitiveness will require moving beyond scale and focusing equally on productivity, quality, and execution excellence.ET: Electromech Infraprojects has seen significant growth alongside India’s infrastructure and data centre expansion. Could you share the company's current order book, key revenue drivers, and how you expect the business to grow over the next few years? Which segments are contributing most to this growth?VM: We continue to see strong momentum across data centres, industrial infrastructure, and other mission-critical projects. Data centres today account for nearly 70% of our business and remain our largest growth driver. Having delivered and currently executing over 350 MW of data centre capacity, we are well-positioned to participate in the next phase of industry growth.Data centres have emerged as a significant growth driver, reflecting the broader expansion of India’s digital economy. Looking ahead, we expect sectors requiring specialised engineering expertise and integrated delivery capabilities to remain key contributors to our growth trajectory.Over the next few years, we are targeting growth of approximately 40% CAGR, supported by continued demand for mission-critical infrastructure, our growing DFMA capabilities, and our reputation for quality and execution excellence. Modular manufacturing and DFMA-led delivery are also expected to become an increasingly important part of the business as adoption accelerates across the sector.