Bentley Systems Incorporated, the global leader in infrastructure engineering software, successfully concluded Illuminate 2024—New Delhi, part of the Bentley global Illuminate Series. This exclusive conference, held on September 10, 2024, brought together India’s top infrastructure engineering decision-makers and industry experts to explore how digital transformation and next-generation technologies, like open AI-powered digital twins, can accelerate India’s ambitious Vision 2047—the mission to become a fully developed and sustainable nation by 2047.
Inspiring Presentation and Panels
The event opened with a compelling Welcome Address from Kamalakannan Thiruvadi, regional executive, South Asia at Bentley Systems, who framed the discussions around India's journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047. Thiruvadi was followed by Ananyaa Narain, vice president of Consulting at Geospatial World Consulting, who set the stage and led a thought-provoking presentation and panel discussion on the opportunities and challenges faced by the Indian infrastructure sector. On the panel, Narain noted India’s need for an estimated USD 4.5 trillion in infrastructure investment by 2040, and how this would lead to opportunities in transportation, energy, and water management.
Keynote: Vision 2047 in Focus
The day’s keynote, led by Dustin Parkman, vice president, Industry Solutions, Bentley immediately spotlighted the infrastructure technologies and lifecycle management needed to drive Viksit Bharat 2047, which is expected to turn India to a USD 30-trillion developed economy in about two decades for a projected 1.65 billion population. He emphasized the critical role of Bentley’s infrastructure solutions in enabling India to meet its infrastructure goals through technological innovations that support urban and rural development, sustainable growth, and resilience.
Fireside Chat: Engineering Resilience in Infrastructure
An inspiring fireside chat on Engineering Resilience, moderated by Dhruba Mukhopadhyay, senior manager of Product Sales at Bentley Systems, was a key highlight of the event. Featuring Karl Howley, executive vice president of Seequent, and Dan Choudhary, senior manager at Bentley Systems, the panel focused on how open AI-powered digital twins and advanced technologies are helping to improve resilience in critical infrastructure projects across India. Real-world case studies and industry insights on ensuring stability and sustainability in civil engineering projects were shared, offering practical solutions for addressing the growing challenges of urbanization, climate change, and environmental impact.
Product Demonstrations and Industry Tracks
Participants were given an in-depth look at Bentley’s latest digital infrastructure solutions through live product demonstrations, where Bentley showcased tools designed to advance infrastructure projects in Transportation, Water Infrastructure, Electric Utilities, and Airports. Industry-specific tracks provided an opportunity for deeper engagement:
Transportation: Attendees learned how digital twins are transforming transportation agencies’ ability to turn data into actionable infrastructure intelligence.
Water Infrastructure: Experts discussed how IoT sensors, AI, and 4D analytics are revolutionizing water management systems across India.
Electric Utilities: Attendees explored the future of energy infrastructure and how data-centric, interoperable solutions are essential to achieving India’s renewable energy goals.
Airports: Bentley’s digital twin solutions for airports were showcased as key tools for enhancing operational efficiency and handling the projected rise in air travel demand.
Bentley’s Impact on Vision 2047
Throughout the event, Bentley reinforced its commitment to supporting India's infrastructure evolution. Speakers Oliver Conze, senior vice president, Bentley Infrastructure Cloud, Bentley Systems and Amit Shrivastava, senior director, APJ Solution Engineering, Bentley Systems discussed ways to unlock the future of infrastructure with Bentley’s digital twin technology. This session revealed how digitalization is transforming project delivery by speeding up timelines, cutting costs, and enhancing resilience across design, construction, and maintenance.
Reflecting on the event’s success, Thiruvadi, stated: "Bentley Illuminate 2024—New Delhi brought India’s most innovative infrastructure minds together to focus on the future. As the country moves forward on its path to becoming a fully developed nation by 2047, Bentley Systems is proud to be a key partner in driving sustainable, resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure solutions."
Networking and Collaboration
Illuminate 2024 brought in around 300 attendees and provided an invaluable platform to foster networking and collaboration between government, industry, and tech providers—all of whom are crucial to accelerating India’s Vision 2047 roadmap.
Bentley Systems is the infrastructure engineering software company. We provide innovative software to advance the world’s infrastructure – sustaining both the global economy and environment. Our industry-leading software solutions are used by professionals, and organisations of every size, for the design, construction, and operations of roads and bridges, rail and transit, water and wastewater, public works and utilities, buildings and campuses, mining, and industrial facilities.
