In the rapidly evolving landscape of India’s design and engineering sectors, Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) are no longer just local players—they are becoming agile, global competitors. Driven by a “Cloud Revolution” and the adoption of high-end technologies like BIM, Digital Twins, and AI-driven Generative Design, these firms are bridging the gap between traditional drafting and modern, data-centric execution.

Thomas Jacob, Director of MicroGenesis, discusses how his organization acts as a strategic “steering” partner for SMBs. From navigating the shift to the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to overcoming the “talent crunch” through specialized staffing, Jacob explains why a software license is merely an entry ticket to a much larger journey of business value, profitability, and national growth.

Q1. What major technology trends are you seeing in India’s design and engineering sectors, especially among SMBs? 

In the Indian SMB space, we are seeing a massive shift from traditional 2D drafting to 3D Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Project Collaboration using Cloud Technologies:

Cloud Revolution in the Indian Market: The Indian design and engineering sector is undergoing a definitive “Cloud Revolution” that has transformed SMBs from localized players into agile, global-standard competitors. At MicroGenesis, we’re witnessing a massive migration where firms are moving from siloed on-premise servers to Cloud-based Common Data Environments (CDE) to achieve a “single source of truth.” This shift is democratizing high-end BIM and AI-driven workflows, allowing even the leanest teams to collaborate in real-time across diverse geographies while maintaining strict data sovereignty. 

Digital Twins: We are moving beyond static models to live, “breathing” digital versions of assets that integrate real-time sensor data.

Generative Design & AI: Firms are using AI-driven tools to explore thousands of design permutations quickly, optimizing for material use and sustainability.

Industry 4.0 Integration: SMBs in manufacturing are increasingly adopting Integrated CAD/CAM workflows to bridge the gap between design and the shop floor.

Q2. How important are global partnerships like Autodesk and Adobe in helping SMBs adopt new digital tools? 

Global partnerships are the “engine” of digital transformation. Leaders like Autodesk and Adobe provide world-class, standardized platforms that ensure Indian SMBs can compete on a global scale.

Standardization: Using these tools ensures that a small firm in Pune can seamlessly collaborate with a lead consultant in London.

Innovation Access: These partnerships allow us to bring the latest cloud and simulation features to the Indian market as soon as they are released globally.

Local Delivery: While they provide the tech, MicroGenesis provides the “steering”—the local context, implementation, and technical support that makes the software actually work for an Indian business.

Q3. What skill gaps do you see among SMBs when it comes to using advanced design and BIM tools, and how can they be addressed? 

The biggest gap isn’t just the software skills; it’s the process-oriented mindset. Many SMBs use BIM tools as “fancy 3D modeling” rather than project and data-management systems.

The Gap: A lack of specialized training in data coordination and multidisciplinary workflows.

The Solution: We address this through our MicroGenesis Services Team. We don’t just teach which button to click; we teach project-based workflows. We advocate for “Pilot Project Support,” where our engineers work alongside the customer’s team on a live project to ensure skills are transferred in a real-world environment.

At MicroGenesis, Our Goal is to deliver business value to customers. Apart from providing software, training, and services, we aim to ensure that the solution we provide is making a real difference to the business of our customers. It could be in terms of improving productivity, helping them to get more business, or helping them to become more profitable. The business outcome that we provide to customers is one of the reasons why MicroGenesis is one of the most successful solution providers to the design, engineering, manufacturing, and construction community today.

Q4. How are SMBs adapting to cloud-based collaboration in engineering and construction, and what challenges do they face? 

The shift to Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and BIM Collaborate Pro has been a game-changer.

Digital Backbone: The CDE environment provided by ACC is not just a storage solution, but it is the essential digital backbone for delivering the high-speed, high-precision infrastructure projects our nation demands. By centralizing every 3D model, 2D drawings, RFI, submittals, and other Project Data into one unified environment, we eliminate the dangerous fragmentation of “local copies”, outdated email attachments, one-to-one messages, and other shortcut approaches that traditionally plague construction projects. With BIM Collaborate Pro facilitating real-time updates, every stakeholder—from the architect in the studio to the contractor on-site—is guaranteed to be working from the most current, verified data set. This transition effectively replaces guesswork with a definitive, cloud-based audit trail, ensuring that the “truth” of the project is never up for debate, only for execution.

Adaptation: SMBs are realizing that the cloud eliminates the “silo” effect, allowing architects, structural engineers, and MEP consultants to work on a single “truth” model.

Challenges: The primary hurdles are bandwidth issues at remote project sites and a lingering concern over data security. We help overcome these by implementing robust data management protocols and demonstrating the high-level encryption provided by global cloud providers.

Q5. Beyond selling software licences, how do you help SMBs get real business value from these tools? 

I often tell my customers that a software license is merely an ‘entry ticket’. The real destination is a transformed business process that is more profitable, faster, and less prone to error. For an SMB, every investment must justify its existence on the balance sheet.

Beyond the license, we help SMBs bridge the gap between “having the tool” and “reaping the profit” through these four specific pillars:

• Pilot Project Support (PPS): Bridging the “Confidence Gap.” :

The biggest hurdle for an SMB is the fear that adopting a new tool like Revit or Inventor will slow down a live, high-stakes project. We solve this by working alongside our customers’ team.

Live Implementation: We don’t just teach in a classroom; our engineers sit in the customer’s office (or virtually) to help set up the initial project templates, BIM Execution Plans (BEP), and coordinate models.

Risk Mitigation: By having our experts handle the “heavy lifting” of the software setup while the customer’s team provides the design expertise, we ensure the first project is delivered on time, effectively eliminating the learning-curve deficit.

• Design Automation: Scaling Without Adding Headcount :

For manufacturing and AEC firms, time is the most expensive resource. We use Design Automation to turn days of work into minutes.

iLogic & Product Configurators: If you manufacture variants of a product (like pumps, cabinets, or trusses), we build custom rules using iLogic. You enter the new dimensions into a dialog box, and the system automatically regenerates the 3D model and all the required 2D production drawings.

Dynamo for AEC: We automate repetitive Revit tasks—like room numbering or sheet creation—allowing a small team of three designers to produce the output of a ten-person team.

• Data Management (PDM) & IP Protection :

Many SMBs struggle with “version chaos”—using the wrong drawing on the shop floor or losing days of work due to file corruption.

Autodesk Vault Implementation: We help firms implement Product Data Management (PDM). This ensures that every designer is working on the latest version, files are securely backed up, and past designs can be easily searched and reused for new bids.

Business Value: This “Single Source of Truth” reduces rework by as much as 20-30% by eliminating manual data entry errors between design and manufacturing.

• Specialized Manpower & Deputation Staffing :

The “talent crunch” in India is real. SMBs often win a large contract but lack the immediate staff to execute it in BIM or advanced CAD.

Agility through Staffing: We provide Deputation Staffing, where our pre-trained engineers work under the customer’s direction for the duration of a project.

The Benefit: You can scale up to meet project demands without the long-term overhead of permanent hiring, ensuring you never have to turn down a major contract due to a lack of skilled hands.

• Driving Real Business Value – Hands-On Approach to ACC Implementation for SMBs :

At MicroGenesis, we recognize that for SMBs, the Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is a strategic investment rather than just another line item, so we move beyond the transaction by acting as a dedicated implementation partner. We help firms unlock real business value by conducting a deep-dive assessment of their current workflows, followed by a structured “Common Data Environment” (CDE) setup that ensures data flows seamlessly from design to the job site. 

By providing localized, hands-on training and establishing standardized digital protocols, we reduce the “learning tax” often associated with new tech; this allows SMBs to minimize rework, improve project predictability, and compete more effectively with larger firms—transforming a software license into a measurable engine for growth.

We are not here to be just another vendor, but to be a ‘Consulting Partner’ to our customers. We succeed only when our customers’ design-to-delivery cycle becomes a competitive advantage.

Q6. How are advanced design and simulation technologies helping smaller firms contribute to India’s manufacturing and infrastructure growth? 

Advanced simulation and BIM are leveling the playing field. Smaller firms can now participate in massive nation-building projects—like the Gati Shakti initiatives, metro projects, and highway expansions—because they have the digital maturity to meet government mandates. Simulation technology allows small manufacturers to “fail fast” digitally, saving them lakhs in physical prototyping costs and accelerating India’s “Make in India” goals.

Q7. What are your key expansion plans for the coming years—whether in new markets, new solutions, or new partnerships?

Our vision is to continue being the preferred technology solution partner for India’s design community.

Partnership Update: Apart from Autodesk and Adobe, we have partnered with Trimble, Bentley, Nemetschek, ESRI, and Unity to provide a complete AECO workflow solution to our customers and acquire 20-25% market share in the AEC sector by 2027.

Geographic Reach: We are expanding our footprint deeper into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where the next wave of industrial and infrastructure growth is happening.

Solution Focus: We are doubling down on ACC, Digital Twins, and Design Automation, helping our clients move from “designing for today” to “operating for tomorrow.”

Sustainability-First mission: We are moving into India’s emerging industrial hubs, empowering firms to slash material waste and carbon footprints. We’ve evolved beyond software delivery—and are now strategic partners in the transition from traditional CAD to data-rich, green manufacturing and construction.

We are playing a very essential part in building a greener, more efficient India together with our customers.