From digitising procurement to AI-led project monitoring, Bandhoo is transforming construction execution through its integrated SaaS ecosystem. In this conversation, Prashant Gupta, Founder & CEO, shares how a 3.5 lakh worker and 1.5 lakh thekedar network is driving efficiency, transparency and scale. What industry challenges or personal experiences inspired you to start the platform? I have seen the challenges of the construction sector across three stints over two decades – as CEO of Emaar India, Infrastructure Practice Co-Leader at McKinsey India, and Head of Chairman’s Office at Aditya Birla Group. The most recent was when I was CEO of Emaar India; it became clear that technology use is largely restricted to the F&A and sales and marketing areas of a company. This inspired me to think about doing something using technology in construction to help companies/businesses run their operations better. How does the platform currently integrate procurement, subcontracting, workforce mobilisation and project monitoring within a single ecosystem? We have three SaaS products and related services. First, we offer Project Lifecycle Cost Manager (PLM) for procurement, subcontracting and billing/invoice/contract management. This solution competes with SAP’s Ariba and is considered to be better for real-estate and construction use cases. Second, we offer CONSTRA for project monitoring, quality management and safety management. This uses a lot of AI-based features that makes it easy to adopt and be more accurate and faster than purely manual processes. Third, we also offer construction manpower services to clients using our proprietary high-quality database of 3.5 lakh workers and 1.5 lakh thekedars/labour contractors. Each of these three products and services are world class in terms of features and ease of use. Please share examples of projects where Bandhoo’s technology has delivered measurable improvements in efficiency or cost management.The proof of our success is evident in the list of clients that use our solutions/services. Almost all the big companies in India (except DLF) are using our solutions and services: Lodha Group, Godrej Properties, Birla Estates, Oberoi Realty, L&T Realty, Emaar India, Embassy Group, Prestige Group, Brigade, RMZ, Signature Global, myHomes, Runwal Enterprises, Gera Developers, Piramal Realty, Marathon Realty, Assetz, and many more. Most of them are using our solutions across multiple projects, and in many cases across the entire enterprise. How do Bandhoo’s drone monitoring and digital-twin solutions enhance decision-making and project oversight for developers and contractors?Conventional tools/apps like Procore, PowerPlay and FalconBrick require a lot of effort to configure projects and then require data entries on a daily basis by site teams. This makes adoption extremely hard and it is also a GIGO (Garbage-In-Garbage-Out) kind of system. Contrastingly, 360° cameras and drones make it very easy to accurately create a digital twin. No data entry is required by site teams, which changes the game completely. Adoption is very easy and the leadership team gets an accurate perspective on progress, quality and safety on a regular basis without undue burden on site teams. How is Bandhoo’s marketplace model improving labour mobilisation and transparency in construction?Some of our clients are using our manpower staffing model to augment their site workforce. This helps them keep up the pace of work even as their contractor is struggling to mobilise adequate number of workers/thekedars. Additionally, some of our clients use our managed marketplace to reach thousands of skilled thekedars for measurement-based works. Our mobile app is unique in this aspect actually. You can reach out to civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, flooring, painting, fabrication, welding, scaffolding, and all types of skilled thekedars/labour contractors reliably to solicit their interest in your works. Which key collaborations have driven Bandhoo’s platform growth?The most important ones have been with Lodha Group for PLM, Oberoi Realty for CONSTRA, and with Godrej Properties for manpower staffing. These three are our biggest clients and their collaborative approach with us has been very helpful in our journey. Looking ahead, what is Bandhoo’s long-term vision for digitising India’s construction sector?  Are there any upcoming products, technology deployments or expansion plans you are particularly excited about? Both PLM and CONSTRA are undergoing AI-based improvements and these will significantly enhance their value for clients. Companies who understand the value of technology will adopt these new features soon and capture a lot of value. We are really excited about these two solutions growing massively in the next three to five years. How does Bandhoo’s platform address the 81 per cent unskilled workforce gap in construction?We do not undertake any activities with respect to upskilling workers. Our focus is on matching skilled workers to relevant jobs, which in itself brings greater transparency and efficiency to the construction manpower market.Which cities or regions is Bandhoo currently active in and how is its geographic presence expanding?Most of our operations are in the North, West and South. Eastern India is virgin territory for us. We have tried to sell our solutions in Kolkata but, somehow, we haven’t found enough interest or acceptance for our products in that market.