New Delhi, Oct 05, 2026: Infrastructure leaders across the Asia Pacific are signalling a fundamental shift in how infrastructure will be financed, delivered and operated over the next decade. New findings from Deloitte‘s Future of infrastructure survey 2026 reveal that the future of infrastructure will be defined by the ability to connect capital, policy, technology and delivery across interconnected infrastructure systems.
For India, the findings suggest that the challenge extends beyond mobilising capital to making projects more investable and execution ready. 38 percent of Indian respondents cite lack of private-sector participation as a key challenge, while 42 percent point to complex policies, regulations and permitting processes as barriers to infrastructure delivery. In addition, 38 percent cite budgetary constraints as a key impediment to project execution. Together, these findings underscore the need for stronger project preparation, clearer revenue models and financing structures that allocate risk to stakeholders best placed to manage it.
“India’s infrastructure opportunity is multi-decadal, but seasoned investors view it as two distinct tranches separated by risk. The public sector has helped reduce risk and attract private investment in greenfield sectors such as renewables and highways. However, similar mechanisms are yet to emerge at scale in urban infrastructure. At the same time, private capital is increasingly participating in brownfield assets through asset recycling, M&A, InvITs and listings. The monetisation of de-risked assets is a sign of the Indian market’s growing maturity, helping recycle capital into new infrastructure development. M&A is playing a key role in this process, connecting brownfield monetisation with new greenfield development and helping sustain India’s investment cycle. As deal sizes expand, supported by deeper capital pools and relaxation of acquisition financing norms, investors will need to focus on unlocking embedded value and generating alpha post-acquisition,” said Manish Aggarwal, National Leader – Infrastructure & Capital Projects, Deloitte South Asia.
India’s HAM demonstrates how targeted government support and risk-sharing can improve project bankability and attract private capital. By balancing risks between the public and private sectors and funding 40 percent of construction costs, the model has helped create more investable infrastructure opportunities. Risk-sharing can help unlock private capital.
The survey highlights that APAC is emerging as a global infrastructure innovation hub, with 80 percent of respondents expecting greater integration of digital technologies across public and social infrastructure and 86 percent identifying data infrastructure as a priority investment area.
India’s priorities mirror these trends while displaying even stronger conviction in select areas. 93 percent of Indian respondents expect increased investment in cybersecurity, while 80 percent expect an increase in public Wi-Fi infrastructure investment. At the same time, 77 percent expect growth in alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal, while 82 percent anticipate increased investment in freight rail and mass transit systems.
The survey also underscores India’s strong focus on digital transformation. 71 percent of Indian respondents agree that the public sector needs to modernise infrastructure and integrate digital engineering technologies to meet evolving needs, compared with 36 percent across APAC. Additionally, 83 percent believe that public and critical infrastructure requires stronger protection from cyberattacks, compared with 63 percent across APAC.
Technology, AI and government modernisation
The findings point to growing momentum around AI-enabled infrastructure planning, delivery and operations. 91 percent of Indian respondents expect adoption of advanced technologies such as GenAI, digital twins and predictive analytics to significantly impact infrastructure and transportation operations, compared with 57 percent across APAC. Meanwhile, 50 percent of Indian respondents agree that AI technologies will revolutionise infrastructure planning and operations, and 50 percent believe that integrating digital twins and real-time analytics is essential to improving asset performance and enabling predictive maintenance.
“Technology is becoming the connective tissue across infrastructure systems. Indian leaders are moving beyond viewing AI as a standalone technology and are beginning to see it as an operating layer for infrastructure planning, financing, delivery and operations. Governments will need to combine AI, digital twins, cybersecurity and real-time analytics to improve project delivery, strengthen resilience and make more informed investment decisions. The next generation of infrastructure will be defined by physical assets and the intelligence embedded within them,” said NSN Murty, Government & Public Services Consulting Leader, Deloitte South Asia.
Organisations are already preparing for this shift. 79 percent of Indian respondents report that they are developing AI training and development programmes, 62 percent are building AI vision and implementation roadmaps, and 54 percent are taking actions to strengthen data quality for effective AI adoption. Infrastructure organisations are deploying AI for predictive maintenance, cyber and physical security, energy demand forecasting and real-time asset monitoring.
As India seeks to accelerate infrastructure development and attract greater institutional capital, the ability to build investable project pipelines, adopt fit-for-purpose financing models and leverage technology to improve delivery outcomes will become important to sustaining long-term growth.
