VMPL
New Delhi [India], August 21: Nemetschek India today announced the launch of Design for Reality, a nationwide design and digital engineering competition for architecture and civil engineering students, developed in partnership with ICT Academy. The initiative was formalised through an MoU exchange between ICT Academy and Nemetschek Group, strengthening the organisations' collaboration to advance industry-ready digital skills across India's architecture, engineering and construction ecosystem. The MoU exchange took place in Chennai in the presence of Hon'ble IT Minister of Tamil Nadu Dr. Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Dr. Atul Anand, and ELCOT Managing Director, marking another milestone in the partnership.
Reaching more than 1,000 member institutions across ICT Academy's network, Design for Reality is designed to address the widening gap between conventional academic training and the technology-driven skills that the architecture and civil engineering industries increasingly expect from graduates. Rather than another theoretical studio exercise, the competition places students inside an eight-hour, industry-paced sprint to solve real-world-inspired challenges, shifting the focus from classroom-based learning to practical, production-ready outcomes.
The competition was developed based on insights gathered directly from professionals across the architecture, civil engineering and construction ecosystem. Nemetschek India engaged practising architects, structural consultants, EPC contractors and construction technology leaders to understand the skills they believe graduating students need to develop before entering the workforce. The discussions highlighted two key areas of opportunity: strengthening the application of sustainable, climate-responsive and energy-efficient design practices among architecture students, and building greater proficiency in collaborative, multidisciplinary BIM (Building Information Modeling) workflows among civil engineering students.
Design for Reality translates these industry requirements into two dedicated competition tracks - Architecture and Civil Engineering. The Architecture track will challenge students to respond to a sustainable design problem statement, requiring them to consider practical design, environmental performance and real-world applicability. The Civil Engineering track will focus on BIM-based workflows, encouraging students to demonstrate collaborative digital coordination and technical problem-solving.
Participants will receive a discipline-specific problem statement and have eight hours to develop and submit a complete solution. The format is designed to replicate the pace, constraints and decision-making involved in real project environments rather than a conventional take-home academic assignment. Submissions will be evaluated against criteria developed with industry inputs, with a focus on technical accuracy, practical feasibility, digital proficiency and the ability to address real-world project requirements. The competition will be open to students from architecture and civil engineering institutions affiliated with ICT Academy's partner network across India.
"India's next generation of designers and engineers shouldn't meet their first real project on their first day of work. Design for Reality puts live industry challenges in front of students and gives them eight hours to solve them the way practice actually demands whether that means thinking in sustainability metrics and performance-driven design or working through collaborative BIM workflows," said Alok Sharma, Managing Director, Nemetschek Group India. "Leading AECO companies told us what skills they need, and students told us they want opportunities to demonstrate what they can do. Through this initiative, Nemetschek is bringing both sides onto one platform creating an environment where students can test themselves against real-world expectations while industry gains access to fresh thinking and emerging talent."
By combining Nemetschek's software ecosystem, including Archicad, Allplan, Bluebeam, Vectorworks and Solibri, with ICT Academy's extensive higher-education network, Design for Reality is designed to create impact beyond the competition itself. Train-the-trainer programmes will support institutions in developing long-term capacity to teach modern digital design and engineering tools, while hands-on exposure to practical project scenarios will help students build skills that can translate directly into professional environments.
The competition's problem statements will draw inspiration from real challenges facing India's built environment, including rapid urbanisation, sustainable development, affordable housing, smart cities and infrastructure expansion. This approach is intended to ensure that student solutions remain connected to the needs of the industry and the country's evolving infrastructure landscape.
Top-performing students and their faculty mentors will be recognised at a national summit, with opportunities for industry mentorship and career engagement. Through Design for Reality, Nemetschek and ICT Academy aim to strengthen the connection between academia and industry, helping create a future-ready talent pool equipped with the digital skills required to shape India's next generation of buildings and infrastructure.
About Nemetschek
The Nemetschek Group is a leading global vertical software and AI provider driving the digital transformation of the AEC/O and media industries. With our deep domain expertise and intelligent, connected software solutions, we enable customers to turn data into real-time insights and smarter decisions throughout the entire lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure from ideation through planning, visualization, construction, operation, and renovation. Our AI-powered technologies and open standards approach boost productivity, collaboration, and sustainability for architects, engineers, contractors, building operators, and creative professionals. More than 7 million users worldwide rely on our customer-centric, human-led AI solutions. Founded by Professor Georg Nemetschek in 1963, today we employ over 4,000 experts globally and are ISO 27001-certified, underlining our strong commitment to data security and trustworthy digital innovation.
The Nemetschek Group, listed in the MDAX and TecDAX since 1999, achieved a revenue of EUR 1.19 billion and an EBITDA of EUR 371.1 million in 2025.
About ICT Academy
ICT Academy is a leading industry-driven organisation working to bridge the gap between academia and the evolving needs of the technology industry across India. With a strong network of more than 1,000 member institutions, ICT Academy delivers industry-aligned skilling, faculty development and capacity-building programmes that equip students and educators with relevant, future-ready skills. Through its collaborations with industry, academia and government stakeholders, ICT Academy focuses on strengthening employability, fostering innovation and preparing India's talent pool for the demands of a rapidly changing digital economy.
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Nemetschek India Launches "Design for Reality" National Student Competition
