Indian tech giant Tech Mahindra has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay to develop a 3D digital twin of its Gymkhana building.

The collaboration seeks to develop a comprehensive digital replica of the facility, showcasing how immersive digital technologies can enable smart infrastructure and drive campus innovation.

The collaboration will leverage 3D modelling and rendering technologies, digital twin frameworks, building information modelling (BIM) integration, spatial data integration, and a cloud-based visualisation platform to build an immersive, web-based interface of the Gymkhana building. This will enable enhanced visualisation of infrastructure assets while laying the foundation for future monitoring, real-time tracking, predictive maintenance, simulation and smart campus initiatives.

By enabling a virtual representation of physical infrastructure, the digital twin will allow stakeholders to explore possibilities for infrastructure management, such as real-time integration of IoT devices, analytics for operational optimisation, and scalable smart campus development through automated decision-making and resource allocation.

“Organisations are increasingly turning to digital replicas to visualise, manage and optimise infrastructure more effectively,” said Birendra Sen, president for business process services at Tech Mahindra. “Enabling real-time, data-driven insights helps campuses and public infrastructure environments overcome planning and monitoring challenges. Our collaboration with IIT Bombay combines academic research and enterprise technology to develop a scalable 3D digital twin of the Gymkhana building, highlighting how immersive technologies directly enable smarter infrastructure management and lay the groundwork for future smart campus innovation.”

The collaboration also demonstrates how immersive digital technologies extend beyond industrial applications and translate effectively into academic settings. As a practical deployment of digital twin technology on a university campus, the initiative underscores the value of digital replicas for infrastructure visualisation and for building adaptable, smart infrastructure systems.

“The MoU with Tech Mahindra marks a significant step in strengthening industry-academia collaboration,” said Raaj Ramsankaran, a professor at IIT Bombay. “The creation of a 3D digital twin of the IIT Gymkhana building will offer our faculty and students a valuable platform to explore practical applications of digital twin technologies in areas such as infrastructure planning, visualisation and smart campus initiatives.”

IIT Bombay (www.iitb.ac.in) is a public research university established in 1958. The institute places emphasis on research and innovation, with numerous research centres and collaborations with industries. It has unveiled a plan focusing on advancing research in key areas such as AI, machine learning and climate technologies.

Tech Mahindra (www.techmahindra.com) offers technology consulting to global enterprises across industries. With 149,000 employees across 90 countries helping 1100 clients, Tech Mahindra provides consulting, information technology, enterprise applications, business process services, engineering services, network services, customer experience and design, AI and analytics, and cloud and infrastructure services. Tech Mahindra is part of the Mahindra Group, founded in 1945.