The first CREDAI Bengal Techcon, presented by the CREDAI Bengal Youth Wing, was held at ITC Sonar on September 19. This day-long programme featured an array of insightful speeches from various figures from the fields of real estate and construction, each of whom spoke on the transformative role that technology has played in their respective industries. The talks covered everything from digital innovations and marketing strategies to the use of AI and smart technologies in transforming how the industry operates. Experts shared insights on how the latest tech-based advancements are driving efficiency, improving project management, and reshaping business models.
The event brought together thought leaders and innovators, sparking conversations on the future of real estate in a tech-driven world.
A couple of these sessions may be of interest. Kush Agarwal, president and CEO of ‘aerial intelligence’ company YelloSKYE, delivered a 15-minute talk on how to transform real estate risk and cost management through drones, which touched upon the concept of drone technology bringing about change by optimising operations, reducing costs, and offering solutions to various problems in the field. At YelloSKYE, Agarwal said, the goal was to exemplify how drones can transform the construction sector by providing aerial surveys, 3D modelling, and real-time site monitoring. This technology not only aims to enhance project efficiency and safety but also ensures precision and quality in construction management.
“We have diversified into five types of solutions: construction monitoring, media and marketing, land survey, scan to BIM solutions, and asset inspection. We use drones that come with a series of censors and we use aerial maps to facilitate our work better. The difference between these maps and Google Maps is the resolution: our resolution is 900 times better. Our maps also follow perfect-grid patterns and we use AI effectively to help replace the hassle of conducting in-person site surveys,” Agarwal said during the session.
Prashant Gupta, founder and CEO of construction-tech firm Bandhoo, spoke on how to solve tricky problems in the industry by using technology that helps save both time and money. Three problems in construction may be solved: difficulties in forcing tech adoption in the field/site for monitoring purposes; manpower shortages at the site, which lead to delays and overruns; and the use of spreadsheets and emails in costing, procurement and billings. Gupta highlighted three solutions: first, the use of Constra, an AI-based visual intelligence platform that uses photos and videos for project monitoring; second, making use of the Bandhoo app which provides easy access to labour contractors and workers; and lastly having a proper product lifecycle management system which is also AI-enabled, which allows easy management of budgets, rate analysis, tenders, contracts and billings.
“I founded my own venture because I felt there was a lot of opportunity in using tech in construction. That was the genesis of Bandhoo, and we have some fair aspirations — to become the infrastructure tech firm in India, to which people can come and ask questions about what is cutting-edge and what can make life simpler and easier. Our main theme of solutions so far is to save cost and time for all and incur profits. Bandhoo was launched in 2019 and we wanted to solve problems that we thought were unsolvable in real estate. We’re very proud to be able to serve our clients,” Gupta said.
Kush Agarwal, President & CEO, YelloSKYE, Prashant Gupta, Founder & CEO, Bandhoo
The highlight of the programme came in the form of an hour-long interactive session conducted by popular tech-content influencer and motivational speaker Varun Mayya, co-founder of Avalon Labs, who is known for sharing insights on technology, startups, and self-development. Mayya, whose work revolves around AI, digital content, and the impact of technology on various industries, addressed the audience in a session entitled ‘AI Content and Applications in Real Estate’. The talk touched upon a myriad of topics, including the impression that content creation leaves behind, the hype surrounding AI models like ChatGPT, the advantages of using AI and the platforms he uses to create videos for his own content. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, where Mayya addressed queries from the audience, offering practical advice on leveraging AI-driven tools for creating impactful digital content and enhancing business strategies in the real estate sector.
“I create content around AI and I’ve also been working around the newest tools in technology for the last few years. My goal is to take all the new tech of the world together and create interesting things. Everything one hears about AI on an average is at a very high level, but we still haven’t had many people effectively use AI to make real things happen. Let me give you an example: I bought a house recently and a lot of my buying decisions were influenced by content. Content influences emotional decisions, including what we buy or eat and so on. The reason why I wanted to focus on content was to get into the root cause of how people think, and in turn, lead their lives,” Varun said.
