Cyond is bringing engineering-led diagnostics, AI-assisted data and standardised repair systems to building preservation, after screening nearly 1.5 lakh buildings and finding water-related deterioration in 67 per cent. In this interaction with Construction World, Sunil Gorle, Founder, Cyond, discusses how building health insights can make maintenance more predictive.What business opportunity did Cyond identify in structural diagnostics and waterproofing?India has invested trillions of rupees in creating its built environment. Yet, many assets expected to last 70-100 years begin showing deterioration within 10-20 years. We identified a major gap in building preservation and maintenance. Through screening nearly 1.5 lakh buildings, we found that about 67 per cent showed signs of water seepage, dampness, leakage or related deterioration. Cyond was founded to bring engineering, technology, standardisation and trust to this space.How is Cyond building its AI-led diagnostics platform through service-led data collection?We are currently a service-led company because the construction sector does not have structured data. Through our services, we are collecting and organising that data.Every repair is diagnosed, digitised and mapped with metrics. When a customer uploads images, our system can identify 60-70 per cent of the likely problem before the engineer even reaches the site. Our engineers use the app for diagnosis, reporting, solution documents and cost sheets. The goal is to enable a customer to click a picture through the app and understand the probable source, solution, vendor and likely cost. Over time, we are also building a customer dashboard for asset maintenance, similar to how car owners receive service alerts.What was the first major project or client that validated Cyond’s business model?My Home Bhooja in Hyderabad became one of our early validation projects. The facility management team had been trying to solve persistent dampness issues for nearly a year. Our team diagnosed the root cause and resolved the issue within a few days. It reinforced our belief that customers are looking for certainty, accountability and permanent solutions.That became one of our customer success stories. Today, we have a 4.9-star rating from around 650 genuine Google reviews and are doing around 300 diagnoses per month in Hyderabad.How do you balance technology with human expertise when onsite engineering judgement remains critical?Technology enhances engineering judgement but does not replace it. AI can identify patterns and probable causes, but diagnosis still requires trained professionals who understand building behaviour, materials, moisture movement and structural systems. We see AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for engineers.What barriers has Cyond faced in promoting predictive diagnostics?The biggest barrier is that many customers believe service visits should be free. Earlier, the unorganised sector would say, ‘I will come for free’, but the customer could later be overcharged. We initially charged nothing, then gradually moved to ₹ 499, ₹ 999 and now around ₹ 2,999 plus taxes. A professional diagnosis has costs: travel, customer acquisition, digital systems and trained engineers. More important, it can prevent customers from spending unnecessarily. There have been cases where a customer was advised to spend ₹ 3 lakh on redoing a bathroom while the actual issue was solved for ₹5,000.What role can Cyond play in broader B2B expansion, especially through products for developers and facility managers?We have applied for a patent for water leak-sensors that can be embedded during construction. Many customers told us that if they had known about the leakage earlier, they could have avoided damage to furniture and termite-related issues. In some cases, especially gravity pipes, problems cannot be detected by any equipment in the world after construction. That is why we started working on sensors that can be placed under the floor during construction. This is a global problem, whether in India, the Middle East or Europe.As Cyond scales, what are the company’s next strategic priorities?Our immediate focus is to strengthen Hyderabad and build systems that can scale nationally. We are investing in CDT training, AI-assisted diagnosis, engineer productivity tools, automated BOQ systems, smart leak detection sensors, preventive maintenance programmes and franchise enablement. Our long-term vision is to build India's building health operating system, where every building has a digital health record, predictive maintenance alerts and access to trusted repair ecosystems.-PRANJAL PATIL