By: The Ground Floor Desk | ThrvyX Journal
The buildings are rising.
The cities are growing.
But the workforce isn’t ready yet.
India is adding thousands of new residential towers, IT parks, airports, malls, metro stations, and hospitals every year.
But who’s managing them?
More importantly — who’s trained to manage them well?
A Skill Gap Hiding in Plain Sight
According to CBRE India’s 2024 real estate outlook, over 300 million sq. ft. of Grade A commercial and residential space will be added across major metros in the next 5 years.
Each of those spaces needs 24/7 oversight — power systems, water supply, HVAC checks, vendor coordination, complaint handling, safety audits.
And yet, the talent pool isn’t matching pace.
Industry insiders estimate a shortage of nearly 20 lakh skilled FM professionals across India by 2030 — especially in mid-level operational and supervisory roles.
In simple terms:
There are jobs. Plenty of them. But not enough skilled people to take them.
Why This Gap Exists
It’s not that Indians don’t want to work — they do.
But there are three key problems:
- Facility Management isn’t visible – It’s not taught in schools, promoted on job portals, or explained clearly in career counselling.
- Training is disconnected from ground reality – Most technical education lacks real-world exposure to building systems, audits, and vendor processes.
- There’s a mindset block – Many people still think FM is just cleaning and maintenance — when in fact, it’s leadership under pressure.
Who’s Already Filling These Roles?
Interestingly, some of the most effective Facility Managers in India today didn’t come from top institutes.
They came from:
- ITI or diploma programs
- Ground-level technical jobs
- Security, housekeeping, or front-desk roles
- Rural and Tier 2 cities with no exposure to formal FM systems
What they had was curiosity, discipline, and a willingness to learn.
With the right guidance, many now run entire residential societies, office towers, or commercial clusters — managing teams, handling vendors, and earning between ₹40,000–₹75,000/month.
The Stakes Are Rising
As cities get denser and buildings more complex, FM isn’t just about operations — it’s about risk prevention and system efficiency.
FM teams are now responsible for:
- Fire safety compliance
- Diesel consumption tracking
- Real-time BMS monitoring
- Energy audits and license renewals
- Resident or tenant satisfaction metrics
In many high-end properties, the Facility Manager’s report is reviewed weekly by the leadership team — because it directly affects customer experience and asset performance.
That means:
More responsibility. Better pay. But higher expectations.
Final Word: This Is Not a Back-End Job Anymore
India doesn’t just need engineers to build its future.
It needs facility professionals to run it — efficiently, safely, and proactively.
The doors are wide open.
The job postings are real.
And the demand is rising faster than most people realize.
So the question is no longer:
“Are there jobs?”
It’s:
“Who’s skilled and ready to take them?”
Because the buildings are already here.
Now they’re waiting for someone to lead them — from the ground up.