1 Why Hyderabad’s IT corridors favour campus style data centers

Hyderabad’s IT corridor from Madhapur and HITEC City through Gachibowli, Financial District and Kokapet concentrates IT parks, GCCs and tech tenants that need low latency access to cloud and data center infrastructure. West and south of the core IT belt, locations like Kokapet, Raviryal, Chandanvelly and Kandukur offer larger land parcels where operators can build multi building, campus style data centers.

This geography favours campus layouts because:

• Space for multi block campuses. Sites in Kokapet and Kandukur can host several data center blocks, shared plants and on site substations without the footprint constraints of core city plots.
• Direct links to IT corridors. Road and metro connectivity allow low latency links between data centers and IT parks in HITEC City and Gachibowli.
• Room for phased expansion. Campus layouts support long term, multi phase growth in IT load as cloud and AI demand in Hyderabad expands.

These same features make coordination significantly more complex, which is where BIM led approaches become essential.

2 Why BIM is critical for these Hyderabad campuses

Campus style data centers combine multiple high density buildings, shared utility yards, fuel farms, cooling plants and high voltage substations in one site. Industry case studies on BIM for data centers show that these projects see thousands of potential clashes and routing conflicts if coordination is left to 2D or late stage reviews.

On Hyderabad campuses, BIM directly addresses:

• Complex multi building routing. Power, chilled water, fuel and fibre must be routed between buildings through tunnels, trenches and corridors with minimal conflict and clear separation of risk zones.
• Phased construction and live expansions. Many campuses are built in phases while earlier buildings go live, so BIM based planning is needed to avoid clashes between new work and live systems.
• Higher AI and liquid cooling densities. AI deployments and possible liquid cooling add more equipment and services that have to be coordinated vertically and horizontally through buildings.

BIM turns these coordination challenges into manageable digital problems instead of expensive on site surprises, especially when combined with structured processes like those described in digital engineering in data centers.

3 BIM led coordination workflows that de risk Hyderabad campuses

Successful Hyderabad campuses use BIM not just for 3D visuals but as a backbone for master planning, clash detection, prefabrication and commissioning. These workflows extend from early concept through to as built digital twins.

1. Campus wide master planning in BIM

The first step is building a campus wide BIM model that includes site grading, roads, all data center blocks, substations, plants and major underground utilities. This becomes the base for evaluating routing strategies, separation distances and future expansion.

• Service corridors, utility tunnels and yard layouts are tested digitally before civil contracts are let.
• Fire and blast separation between fuel, power and white space buildings can be visualised and adjusted early.

2. Structured clash detection and risk mitigation

Once discipline models are developed, they are federated for clash detection using tools like Navisworks or similar platforms. Multi step clash cycles focus first on high risk zones such as plant rooms, tunnels, risers and cross overs between buildings.

• Critical clashes between cable ladders, chilled water, generators, tanks and structures are resolved before issue for construction, following principles in clash detection and risk mitigation.
• Clash reports and logs help track accountability and ensure coordinated models are truly construction ready.

3. Prefabrication, modular builds and 4D planning

BIM also supports off site fabrication of skids, pipe racks, cable ladders and equipment assemblies, which is particularly valuable when multiple buildings must be delivered in parallel. 4D sequencing uses the model to simulate installation steps and crane movements for constrained Hyderabad sites.

• Prefabricated components reduce on site labour, improve quality and speed up installation, all of which are critical for cloud go live dates.
• 4D simulations help avoid site level clashes between construction logistics and already installed equipment.

4 What cloud and colocation owners should demand from BIM in Hyderabad

To get full value from BIM led coordination in Hyderabad’s IT corridors, owners need to treat BIM as a strategic risk reduction tool, not just an add on. Clear expectations in RFPs and contracts ensure BIM teams deliver usable, clash tested models.

Key BIM requirements to include

• Project specific BIM Execution Plan. Demand a BEP with defined LOD, clash cycles, responsibilities and model handover milestones, and consider independent review using BIM auditing and consulting.
• Campus level and building level models. Ensure that BIM covers both building interiors and campus infrastructure so routing and separation can be coordinated holistically.
• As built, FM ready digital twins. Specify what data and asset information must be in the final models so campus operations, capacity planning and future phases are supported.