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Pitch Perfect Event 

Refine Your Pitch, Expand
Your Network

Apply now and transform the construction industry by the use of technology at CTD-2025!

Pitch Perfect is a marquee platform for ambitious startups and product companies ready to shape what’s next. It is your space to showcase solutions that boost efficiency, elevate safety, and drive real, predictable outcomes across the industry.

Pitch Perfect connects you with an esteemed panel of investors, industry leaders, and decision-makers who are looking for the next big idea. Bring your boldest vision, your sharpest product, and your passion for progress.

Whether you are disrupting the old ways or scaling what works, this is your chance to be seen, heard, and supported. Get actionable feedback, build strategic connections, and give your venture the momentum it deserves.

How to Participate?

Important dates:

Get Your Pitch Ready

Put together an impactful presentation of your solution that shows what your product does, its benefits, and how it solves a problem in construction.

1st August - 31st August, 2025
Apply

Fill out the application form to submit your pitch.

8th Sept - 19th Sept, 2025
Online Assessment

Top 20 shortlisted applicants will get a chance to present their products/solutions virtually to our panel of judges from VC community.

10th Oct, 2025
1.00 PM to 3.00 PM
Pitch Perfect Event

Top 6 will be invited at CTD 2025 to present their product/solution to a VC Panel and also get a booth to showcase their innovation to the event attendees.

Qualification

Criteria of
submission:

Exciting

Prizes for Pitch
Perfect Event:

Participation:

Our Pitch Perfect Event Participants:

Meet Our

Esteem Panel of Judges:

Submissions for Pitch Perfect are now closed. We appreciate the fantastic response and request all participants to keep an eye on their inbox for updates.

To Participate in the Pitch Perfect Event - 2025

To learn more about the Pitch Perfect Event and how to become more involved, please get in touch with Vineeth Maniyeri (vineeth@ctai.in). +91 8087 866 990

Abhay Garg

Head – Earth Fund Proptech, ECommerce, Fintech

Abhay Garg is the Head of Earth Fund, with extensive experience spanning proptech, e-commerce, and fintech. A seasoned finance professional, he brings deep expertise in venture capital and private equity, with strong skills in investment management, financial structuring, equity research, corporate finance, and banking. Abhay holds an MSc in Finance from the London Business School and is recognized for his strategic approach to business development and investment growth.

Vijay Gupta

Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of SoftTech Engineers Limited.

Vijay Gupta is the Founder and CEO of SoftTech Engineers Ltd., a pioneering technology company driving digital transformation in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry. An IIT Bombay alumnus with over 35 years of experience, he combined his civil engineering background with a passion for software innovation to develop India’s first CAD tools in the 1990s. His landmark innovation, AutoDCR (now CivitPlan), revolutionized building plan approvals and set global benchmarks in e-governance.

Under his leadership, SoftTech has implemented smart permitting and construction solutions across 1,500+ Indian cities, enabling over 2 million online building permits and contributing significantly to India’s Ease of Doing Business rankings. Recognized nationally and internationally for his contributions to urban innovation and sustainable development, Vijay frequently advises governments and global forums on smart cities, AI in construction, and digital governance, while spearheading SoftTech’s expansion across the USA, Germany, APAC, MENA, and beyond.

Stuart McConnachie

Chief Construction Controller (CCC) at M3M

Stuart McConnachie is Chief Construction Controller (CCC) and board member at M3M Development Company, leading the Project Management Office across all projects. A chartered engineer with over 25 years in the construction industry, he has extensive experience in consultancy, contracting, and project delivery across the UK, India, UAE, and Thailand.

Stuart has directed landmark developments, including IKEA’s mixed-use projects in Gurgaon and Noida, St James Quarter in Edinburgh, Pinewood Studios in London, and Jio World Centre in Mumbai. His expertise spans design, construction management, procurement, contracts, and technical delivery.

A proven leader of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, Stuart excels in driving innovation, safety, and efficiency while delivering large-scale, complex developments for some of the world’s leading developers and contractors.

Rahul Sharma

EVP – Urban Spaces Strategic Business Unit at Tata Projects

Rahul Sharma, Executive Vice President of Urban Spaces at Tata Projects Limited (TPL), is a leader with over 25 years of experience in urban development and infrastructure. He heads TPL’s Urban Spaces Strategic Business Unit, driving transformative projects in Data Centers, Airports, Buildings & Places, and Manufacturing Facilities. Rahul’s strategic leadership has fueled TPL’s growth, delivering innovative, sustainable projects on time while integrating digital solutions for enhanced value. As TPL’s former Chief Information Officer, he pioneered digital transformation through initiatives like the Project Neev – ERP system implementation and cloud platforms through projects like Sarovar and Sangrah, strengthening operational efficiency. His prior roles at Worley, Jacobs, Triune Energy Services, and Punj Lloyd honed his expertise in digital acceleration and project controls. Holding a Master’s in Construction Management from NICMAR and a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering Rahul blends technical prowess with a passion for sustainable urban development. His vision leverages advanced construction and technology to elevate quality of life, positioning TPL as a leader in India’s infrastructure landscape

Sumedh Pande

Sector Head – Data Center – India, Senior Associate Director at
Turner & Townsend

Sumedh Pande is a seasoned infrastructure professional with over 20 years of experience in planning and executing large-scale projects across data centers, automotive plants, real estate, and IT parks. As Sector Head – Data Center at Turner & Townsend, he leads data center strategy and execution in India, focusing on technology-driven solutions, cost optimization, and project delivery.

With leadership roles at CBRE and JLL, Sumedh has been instrumental in shaping data center development across India, working on hyperscale facilities and complex build-to-suit projects. His expertise in project planning, budgeting, and coordination continues to help global clients adopt innovative approaches for efficient and sustainable construction.

Anbu Shanmugam

Chief Operations Officer at Digital Connexion

Anbu Shanmugam is a data center expert with 28 years of experience in large-scale projects across data centers, telecom, networks, and real estate. As COO at Digital Connexion, he leads operations and scalable designs, driving global best practices in engineering and supply chain development.

He has successfully built and commissioned power, cooling, security, network, and civil systems for over eight hyperscale data centers, focusing on resilience, efficiency, and scalability. His expertise spans program management, pre-sales, solution design, risk management, and service delivery.

Anbu holds certifications including PMP, CDCS-EPI, and Six Sigma Green Belt. Passionate about transforming data center design, he is committed to advancing reliability and operational excellence through innovative and sustainable solutions.

Amith Parameshwara

AI strategy and Transformation Leader

Amith Parameshwara is an AI strategy and transformation leader with 25+ years at the intersection of consulting, industry, and academia. He builds AI businesses and large-scale programs end-to-end – translating frontier research into operating-model change and measurable P&L impact across APAC, Europe, and the US. His sector range spans consumer and retail to healthcare, manufacturing, and the large conglomerates.

Most recently, Amith has led and scaled AI practices and CoEs, including AI solutions and services practice at Lenovo, a Managing Director role at Accenture Strategy & Consulting, and a Global Head of AI & Data Science for Kimberly-Clark. Earlier in his career, he drove e-commerce analytics at Dell
Technologies and held roles at Shell, Hewlett-Packard, and other technology firms.

Amith’s doctoral research (Indian School of Business) examines AI as a general-purpose technology and its implications for firm-level value and organizational learning. He contributes to executive education, reviews for leading management journals, and speaks regularly at CxO forums and global tech events. His perspective blends rigorous theory with operator pragmatism – clear on “what creates value,” equally clear on “what scales safely.”

Naveen Kumar Reddy

Associate Partner, KPMG India

Naveen Kumar Reddy is an Associate Partner at KPMG India with over 18 years of experience in the infrastructure sector. He specializes in project management, contracts and claims, tendering and bidding, and change management services across diverse sectors including engineering & construction, energy, manufacturing, and water. At KPMG, he has led portfolio management and PMO assignments for some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects—helping organizations set up governance structures, design dashboards, and enable proactive monitoring and oversight.

Naveen’s career spans leadership roles across TRF (a TATA Enterprise), L&T, Grasim Cement, and HT Media, where he worked on high-value thermal power, cement, and bulk material handling projects. His technical expertise is further strengthened by certifications in Power Plant Familiarization from NPTI, Nagpur, and a Diploma in Geomatics.

An alumnus of NIT Jalandhar and NICMAR Pune, Naveen brings a deep understanding of both engineering execution and project governance. His journey reflects a commitment to improving how infrastructure projects are planned, monitored, and delivered in India.

Raman Sapru

Director – Design & Engineering

Mr. Raman Sapru has over 30 years of experience in design and construction and currently serves as Director – Design & Engineering at K Raheja Corp, where he oversees projects across commercial, residential, hospitality, and retail assets. Previously, he was Head & EVP – EPC at Oberoi Realty, leading engineering, procurement, and construction for several landmark projects.

With expertise from structural design to large-scale execution, he is a strong advocate of sustainability, believing green buildings and energy efficiency will define the future of construction. An engineering graduate from MS University, Baroda, he has also completed the AMP at Harvard Business School.

Kiran Gutta

Co-Founder & COO at Track3D

Kiran Gutta is the Co-Founder & COO of Track3D, where he is shaping the future of construction monitoring with an AI-first Reality Intelligence platform. Track3D is the only unified system that centralizes reality data from drones, 360° cameras, laser scanners, and mobile devices, turning raw site data into clear, actionable insights.

Before Track3D, Kiran held leadership roles in the Government of Andhra Pradesh as Chief of Staff & OSD to the Minister for IT, Electronics, and Communications, where he drove investments, digital initiatives, and ecosystem development. He also worked in the Chief Minister’s Office on high-impact investment promotion, after starting his career in investment banking at BNP Paribas.

An alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta, Kiran brings a unique blend of engineering, finance, and public policy experience to the construction technology space. His career reflects a consistent focus on enabling transformation whether through capital, governance, or technology.

Sonali Dhopte

Chief Strategy Officer, Co-founder at Excelize

As an architect and Interior Designer with over 30 years of industry experience, Sonali has worked with top architectural firms in the US and India. She is a strategic BIM and digital construction specialist with a strong passion for new technologies in the AECO industry. She is an industry leader and BIM evangelist, speaker at BIM conferences and seminars worldwide, and is passionate about providing BIM thought leadership and mentoring to young BIM professionals.

As Chief Strategy Officer at Excelize, she oversees and guides the BIM technology team and explores new areas for growth and technology adoption.

She has also published many articles in magazines and research papers and speaks at many national and international conferences.

Maj, Puneet Arora (Retd.)

Business Development Leader – CMI at vConstruct

Puneet is the Business Development Leader – CMI at vConstruct, where he leads a focused group exploring learnings from DPR Construction’s data centre projects in the USA and how these can be adapted for the Indian market. With extensive leadership experience in real estate, infrastructure, and consulting, he has held senior roles at AMs Project Consultants, Colliers, CBRE, JLL, and L&T, helping scale businesses and deliver complex projects across sectors.

A former Indian Army officer, Puneet brings discipline, strategic insight, and a collaborative approach to his work. At vConstruct, he is driving conversations around mission-critical facilities and fostering knowledge-sharing that bridges global expertise with local opportunities.

Durga Saripally

Leadership Team Member at vConstruct

Durga has over 18 years of experience in implementing BIM on Large Healthcare, Advance Life Sciences and Corporate Office Building projects in the USA. She has managed coordination between complex building systems on technically challenging projects using BIM. Her other areas of focus are BIM for Facilities Management and BIM enabled Project Planning & Management.

Over the last six years, her focus has been to build a team that has scaled up VDC implementation across a multitude of projects.  She is enthused by the possibilities of implementing emerging learning methodologies in increasing the adoption of VDC in the industry. 

Durga holds a Master in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a Bachelor in Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.  When not at work, she likes to work on creative projects with her two sons in their Pune home.

Ketan Paithankar

Co- Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Konverge.AI

Ketan is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Konverge.AI, where he has led the design and deployment of AI-powered products and solutions. Drawing on a robust foundation in research and engineering from environmental engineering and networking to cybersecurity, Ketan co-founded ProMax Digital Pvt. Ltd. (2014–2018) before transitioning to Konverge.AI.

He brings deep expertise in AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, and healthcare domains, as reflected in his publications on image classification, DNS tunneling detection, and BERT-based language models. A thought leader and industry participant, Ketan hosts technical podcasts and regularly attends key AI conferences to stay ahead of emerging trends.

Chaitanya Bharech

Founder and Construction Tech Consultant, Cognito Consulting

A Civil Engineer by education and technologist by passion, Chaitanya earned his Bachelor’s degree from the Delhi College of Engineering before advancing his education with a Master’s degree from Purdue University, USA.

With over a decade of industry immersion, Chaitanya has garnered invaluable experience across diverse areas of project management, BIM and construction technology both in India and USA. Cognito Consulting was established in 2019 with a vision to enable construction stakeholders to maximize their potential by leveraging technology.

Omkar Jedhe

Member of Data Leadership | AI Solutions for Construction Technology, vConstruct

Omkar Jedhe combines a solid foundation in construction with deep expertise in data and emerging technologies, driving innovation where these two fields intersect. As AI Team Lead at vConstruct, he leads product development and strategic initiatives that apply artificial intelligence to transform and streamline construction workflows.

With hands-on job site experience and a data-driven approach, Omkar bridges real-world challenges with cutting-edge solutions. He is committed to advancing the industry through intelligent, scalable innovations that enhance efficiency, safety, quality, and decision-making across projects. He brings the same curiosity and drive to every challenge he undertakes.

Dr. Aritra Pal

Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering at IIT Madras.

Dr. Aritra Pal is an assistant professor in Civil Engineering at IIT Madras. He earned his Ph.D. from National Taiwan University, specializing in Construction Automation, and has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Cambridge and NTU. Dr. Pal’s research leverages AI, machine learning, digital twins, and building information modeling to enhance construction efficiency and sustainability. With industry experience in managing major projects in India and the Middle East, he is also actively involved in publishing, peer review, and editorial work for leading academic journals.

Dinesh Kumar

Senior Software Engineer, vConstruct

Dinesh Kumar, Senior Software Engineer at vConstruct, specializes in product development and data-driven strategies for construction technology. With an Architecture degree from IIT Kharagpur, he blends design thinking with advanced software engineering to build intelligent, full-stack web tools that enhance workflows and efficiency. Beyond work, he explores AI-driven SaaS solutions at the intersection of AI, design, and construction, driven by a passion for innovation and real-world impact.

Sidharth Haksar

Vice President, Head of Construction Strategy & Partnerships at Autodesk

Sidharth (“Sid”) Haksar leads Strategy & Partnerships for Construction within Autodesk’s AEC Solutions division. In this role, he is responsible for driving strategic planning, go-to-market (GTM) strategy, and monitoring industry and technology trends to identify opportunities for growth. This includes evaluating potential acquisitions, strategic investments, and partnerships with third-party construction technology companies and service providers.

Since joining Autodesk in 2014 as part of the Corporate Development team, Sid has been instrumental in driving Autodesk’s acquisition strategy in construction. His contributions include the successful acquisitions of Assemble, PlanGrid, BuildingConnected, Pype, ProEst, and Payapps/GCPay, as well as strategic investments in companies such as Aurigo, Bridgit, Rhumbix, Eyrus, and Toric.

Based in Boston, Sid holds an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

Aditya Thakur

Venture Partner, Brick & Mortar Ventures

Aditya, based in Pune, is a Venture Partner at Brick & Mortar Ventures focusing on APAC investments. He helps portfolio companies with product strategy, from market fit to scaling. His 7+ years in Construction Technology include witnessing a startup scale to acquisition.

His global experience spans the US, EMEA, APAC, and Middle East markets. Prior roles include Director of Product Management at Autodesk (building construction software) and at PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk), where he developed enterprise tools and led customer acquisition tools.

He’s involved in his family’s Construction and Manufacturing businesses, further fueling his passion for industry innovation.

Vijay S. J.

Founder & Chairman of Salmon Leap India

Mr. S. J Vijay, post graduated in Science from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and researched in Molecular Biology.

His Banking career began with State Bank of India and was involved in establishing ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and was Country head of Centurian Bank (now part of HDFC) in 2000.

He is currently the Chairman of Salmon Leap India which is the Indian parent of hoMMission India.

Through Salmon Leap, Mr. Vijay was involved in the formulation of Policy and Law relating to Special Economic Zones, Solar Energy, Investment Regions, Industrial Parks.  Salmon Leap has Program Managed some of the largest of these projects from identification of land up to the listing of the company undertaking these projects. 

In 2011, Salmon Leap brought in the 3D Monolithic Volumetric Modular precast into India to manufacture, assemble and install different building types catering to residential, hospitality, educational, logistics and industrial sectors.

He has been a speaker in International Forum and has been invited for Knowledge sharing sessions by countries like Singapore in the recent past.

Salmon Leap and hoMMission together contribute to the full spectrum from Policy to on ground solutions addressing the challenges of the surging Indian economy and its infrastructure.

Lalit Lahoty

Regional Head Mumbai, Sobha Ltd.

Lalit brings a wealth of experience with over 30 years in the Real Estate and Construction industries across India and the UAE. He has held key leadership roles, including his current position as Region Head for Sobha Ltd., where he oversees the company’s strategic real estate expansion into Mumbai. Prior to this, as Executive Vice President of Sobha Group, he led business development for the real estate division, driving significant growth and project initiatives.

Earlier in his career, he served as CEO for Sobha Projects, a contracting firm within the Sobha Group that played a pivotal role in delivering some of India’s largest residential and commercial projects through turnkey construction services.

With a diverse background, he has also worked in IT services and the Oil & Gas sectors, further enhancing his cross-industry expertise. His global experience spans both India and the UAE, positioning him as a versatile leader in the construction and real estate industries.

Geetha Priya G

Senior Director and Sector Head – Infrastructure & Airports,
JLL India

With a distinguished 19-year career in airports & infrastructure development, Geetha leverages her professional journey with diverse key roles across the project cycle for strategic planning, design, governance, risk management and project delivery. At the helm of the Infrastructure & Airports Sector at JLL India, Geetha drives business development and oversight on project delivery for pan India operations.

Adithya Jain

Founder and CEO, Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Adithya VS is the co-founder and CEO of Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, a deep-tech startup specializing in 3D Printing solutions for the construction industry. He graduated from IIT Madras with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s degree focused on Product Design. Driven by a passion for innovation, Adithya chose the entrepreneurial path to pioneer advanced manufacturing techniques in the construction sector.

Under his leadership, Tvasta has developed cutting-edge 3D printing technology aimed at revolutionizing the construction industry by enabling faster, safer, and more affordable building processes. Tvasta has successfully collaborated with industry leaders such as Godrej, Tata Steel, Saint Gobain and India Cements, and has executed projects ranging from 3D-printed toilets to demo structures and full-scale houses. The company was recognized as the Best Startup in Construction (India) by the Construction Industry Development Council in 2018, and was selected as one of eight global technology startups by the Global Housing Technology Challenge to present before Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tvasta has now also expanded its wings to the US and Middle East markets with an intent to be a global player in the Construction 3D printing domain. 

Arun K Vijay

Arun is a seasoned AEC professional with over 22 years of industry experience wearing multiple hats in structural engineering, project management, and design. He also comes with a strong programming and technology development expertise, a passion for openBIM, and works in the intersection of AEC and technology.

He is currently developing cutting-edge AI models for CAD and building advanced web applications.

Keshav Jain

Investor, Earth Fund

Keshav is an investment professional with 15 years in real estate and venture capital. He spent a decade at Piramal Capital, overseeing a USD 500 million portfolio. After transitioning to early-stage ventures as a founder and investor at Core91, he now brings his dual passions—real estate and startups—to Earth Fund. Driven by an unwavering enthusiasm (and a love for coffee), Keshav supports founders harnessing technology to solve built-world challenges.

Manoj Deshmukh

Leadership Team Member at vConstruct 

Manoj is part of the vConstruct leadership team and is leading the DSA (Data Science and Analytics) team. He is playing a leadership role in defining the AI/ML strategy for vConstruct and mentoring the team on some important AI/ML solutions developed by vConstruct.

Manoj also leads operations and is responsible for HR, Recruitment, IT, Marketing, and SEZ operations. He provides mentorship to the Finance and accounting and Software development groups and leads some of the key strategic initiatives at vConstruct. 

Manoj has 30 years of experience working across the US, Europe, and APAC regions. He has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership positions in various organizations. His experience includes managing large-scale programs and leading overall operations for different companies. He played a key role in scaling up multiple organizations in India and overseas. 

Manoj holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Software Application Engineering. 

Vivin Hegde

GP and Founding Partner Zacua Ventures  

Vivin Hegde is the Founding and Managing Partner at Zacua Ventures, a global venture capital firm with a focus on the Built Environment. He works extensively with early-stage startups and corporates in this space and is on several Boards and advisory teams. With a career spanning two decades, both as an operator and as an investor, he has been deeply immersed in the construction technology space. 

Before Zacua, Vivin held several key roles at Hilti, Trimble and McKinsey, including being the General Manager of Hilti-Trimble JV that works on development and productization of new technologies around Positioning, Robotics, IoT and AR/ VR. Prior to that he had set up and led Hilti’s Corporate Venturing arm in North America and led their Sales and Strategy teams across the years. 

He is a Mechanical Engineer from NITK Surathkal and did his MBA from IIM Calcutta. Outside of his professional achievements, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing cricket.

Kalyan Vaidyanathan

CTO – Construction, Tvasta

Kalyan is currently the CTO of Construction at Tvasta. He has nearly 25+ years of combined experience in managing construction projects and enterprise software development, has won many awards and has published widely. 

Prior to Tvasta, he was the co-founder and CEO of Nadhi Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an IIT Madras Research Park incubated company that was acquired by Bentley.  

He won the 2015 Technologist Innovator award from the Construction Industry Development Council, Government of India. Earlier, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 by CII, Chennai. Recently, he co-authored a chapter on “Cloud-based Collaboration and Project Management” in the Construction 4.0 book.  

He holds an M.S. in Structural Engineering from Cornell University and is a Governor’s Gold Medalist with a B. Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Madras.