L&T Drives Dholera’s Rise as India’s First Smart Greenfield City
Dholera, located 100 km southwest of Ahmedabad, is emerging as India’s first smart greenfield city—a showcase of intelligent infrastructure, advanced utilities, seamless connectivity, and cutting-edge technology. Spearheading this transformation is Larsen & Toubro (L&T), tasked with delivering world-class infrastructure under the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), a key node of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
Covering 920 sq. km, the project is designed to become a global trading and manufacturing hub. L&T’s scope includes utility works across 57 sq. km and the construction of a 174.25 km highway network. Within these road reserves run an integrated network of portable water, sewer, industrial effluent, recycled water lines, power ducts, ICT ducts, SCADA systems, and street lighting.
Initially, conventional CAD tools created data exchange and coordination challenges. L&T switched to Bentley Systems’ OpenFlows and OpenRoads applications, creating a unified 3D BIM model for utility and roadway design. This connected digital approach enabled seamless collaboration, real-time clash detection, and optimized workflows—leading to:
- 25% improvement in productivity
- 10% faster project completion
- ₹1 crore in cost savings
According to Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Head of Digital at L&T, the adoption of Bentley’s subsurface utility design and analysis workflow was key to integrating power, water, and road infrastructure efficiently.
As Dholera advances, it is set to become a global benchmark for sustainable smart cities. Future plans include integrating BIM with IoT to boost infrastructure performance, promote environmental stewardship, and enhance residents’ quality of life. Dholera’s journey reflects the transformative power of technology, innovation, and precision engineering—positioning it as a city of the future.
