The following is an edited excerpt from the conversation.
Introduction
Neha: Welcome to the 15th episode of Career Circles Live. I’m Neha Bali, and I’ll be leading today’s session. Career Circles is an exclusive talent community by Taggd. It brings together talent across industries to exchange ideas and understand what the industry is really expecting from professionals today.
Today’s session is with Honeywell. At Honeywell, the belief is simple: the future is what we make it. Let’s begin by watching a short video that shows how Honeywell is working on some of the most exciting and challenging projects in a rapidly changing world. The session focuses on artificial intelligence, how it is being used in buildings and customer experience, recent advancements in AI, and how this is opening up new job opportunities.
Neha: Joining us today are our speakers:
- Pinaki Lahiri, Senior Engineering Manager
- Piyanki Biswas, Senior Customer Experience Manager
Pinaki has over 26 years of experience in Honeywell and the automation industry. He joined Honeywell Automation India as a trainee and has worked across project engineering, commissioning, customer support, technical assistance, program management, and learning and development.
Bianchi brings 18 years of experience in customer service, digital transformation, operational excellence, and technical support. She joined Honeywell in 2008 and supports security and video product support. She has led business transitions, e-commerce deployment, training design, execution, and talent development.
Great to have both of you with us today.
AI Job Landscape in India
Neha: What the current job landscape in India within the AI industry?
Pinaki: Artificial intelligence is clearly the buzzword today. Broadly, there are two tracks.
One is traditional artificial intelligence, where intelligence is built into software to enable decision-making. The second is generative AI, which can learn from existing data sets and create new ones, improving decision-making efficiency. This has created two clear job opportunities. One is in development, where professionals build AI into products and services, largely in software development. The second is adoption, where professionals use AI to improve productivity and decision-making using existing AI models.
Going forward, almost every role will benefit from AI. As models mature and deep learning improves, AI will span industries like commercial buildings, healthcare, hospitality, data centers, and retail complexes. The potential is tremendous, both in building AI systems and applying AI across roles.
Piyanki: From a customer experience lens, AI helps us build faster, more efficient, and more personalized experiences.
It starts with understanding the customer journey and touchpoints. Once that is clear, and we understand what AI solutions can do, we can marry these two to create the kind of experience customers expect today and in the future. Customer journey mapping is critical. AI helps us use insights from that journey to design better customer experiences.
AI in Buildings: Real-World Applications
Neha: Could you share examples of how Honeywell is using AI to improve building design and construction?
Pinaki: Building automation has existed for years, but what has changed is the addition of IoT and AI.
Today, buildings have connected sensors for temperature, air quality, and occupancy. These sensors feed data into building management systems. Automation already manages many operations, but when we add AI and deep learning, the benefits multiply.
For example, AI enables energy optimization by correlating temperature, air quality, and occupancy data. This is critical for commercial buildings, hospitals, residential complexes, and industrial facilities.
Another area is occupant comfort. AI can dynamically adjust lighting, ventilation, and temperature based on real-time occupancy and preferences, enhancing how people experience buildings.
Security is another key area. AI improves facial recognition, anomaly detection, and real-time decision-making without waiting for manual intervention. There’s also space utilization, indoor air quality management, and smart lighting, where AI adjusts lighting based on occupancy, preferences, and natural light. All these areas benefit from generative AI layered on top of building management systems.
AI and Customer Experience in Buildings
Neha: How does AI improve personalized and seamless customer experience in buildings?
Piyanki: Speed and simplicity matter to customers today. Earlier, resolving customer queries required manual research and time. With AI, we can detect patterns in customer queries, understand sentiment, and personalize responses.
AI helps us predict what a customer may need next, based on buying patterns or product usage. This allows us to be proactive instead of reactive. For example, if a customer is frustrated or has a critical issue, AI can route the case to a more experienced agent rather than a new team member. This improves resolution time and customer satisfaction. Personalization, prediction, and better insights together redefine how we serve customers.
AI Success Stories at Honeywell
Neha: Could you share a success story from Honeywell?
Piyanka: In Honeywell Building Technologies, we started our AI journey about three years ago.
We implemented chatbots to handle simpler queries. Earlier, customers waited 15–20 minutes for responses. With AI models, many queries are now answered instantly or within minutes. Customers appreciated this shift, especially in India, where there’s often an assumption that customers are not ready for digital tools. The response proved otherwise.
AI models need continuous training. Simply deploying an algorithm isn’t enough. The more data we feed, the smarter the system becomes. That’s the stage we’re in now.
Honeywell’s Long-Term AI Vision
Neha: Could you share Honeywell’s long-term vision for AI in building solutions?
Pinaki: There are two focus areas.
- End-user experience: indoor air quality, occupant comfort, predictive maintenance, energy efficiency, and security. Predictive maintenance is especially important. AI improves uptime, helps plan spare parts, and enhances system reliability.
- Implementation: AI enables faster deployment, quicker technical support, and better use of Honeywell’s vast project data. AI helps even less-experienced engineers deliver high-quality solutions by learning from thousands of past implementations.
AI, Self-Serve, and Omnichannel CX
Neha: Would you like to add anything from a CXO perspective?
Piyanki: Self-serve is the next big shift in customer experience. Customers want to track orders, resolve issues, and access information independently. AI enables this.
We are also using AI to understand buying patterns across sectors like hospitals, banks, government, and commercial spaces. Each segment has different sensitivity and urgency. AI helps us route issues through the right channels, enabling omnichannel support based on customer context.
Career Challenges in the AI Era
Neha: Many professionals feel unsure about entering AI. What challenges do you see?
Pinaki: AI is new, especially generative AI. Formal education helps, but it’s not just for freshers. Professionals must upskill. There are online courses, sandbox platforms, and learning resources available. Adaptability is key. Waiting on the fence will not help. AI adoption is happening, and skills must evolve. There are ethical concerns, but governments and organizations are actively defining regulations. AI will be adopted in phases, but it will be adopted.
Piyanki: People often ask if they need to become AI engineers. That’s not always true. You must first understand where you fit. Engineers build systems, but customer experts give AI its purpose.
Human intelligence is needed to build artificial intelligence. AI will not replace growth. If someone doesn’t evolve, another human will replace them, not AI.
Limitations of AI in Buildings
Neha: Pinaki, are there limitations we should be aware of?
Pinaki: AI models need maturity. Algorithms must be tested extensively to ensure they consider all data points correctly. Ethical considerations, especially around facial recognition and emotional analysis, are still evolving. These gaps are being addressed, and models continue to improve with training and regulation.
Diversity and Inclusion at Honeywell
Neha: Inclusion is a Honeywell priority. Could you share best practices?
Pinaki: Honeywell believes in equal opportunity at every stage, from hiring to career progression. Diversity brings better ideas, better decisions, and stronger customer understanding. We walk the talk, not just define policies.
Piyanki: Inclusive culture makes a real difference. Compensation and titles matter but belonging matters more. In my 18 years at Honeywell, strategies have changed, but inclusion has remained constant.
Hiring: Skills and Competencies
Neha: What do you look for when hiring?
Pinaki: Ethical behaviour is non-negotiable. Adaptability is critical. Technology and customer expectations change constantly. Confidence and hands-on experience
Piyanki Biswas: I prioritize mindset and attitude. Skills can be trained, but attitude cannot. Trainability, flexibility, and willingness to learn are key.
Learning & Development at Honeywell
Neha: What development programs support career growth?
Pinaki: Honeywell invests heavily in training. Programs include Honeywell Accelerator, on-demand learning, technical training, soft skills, ethics, and leadership development. There are structured programs and just-in-time learning options.
Piyanki: Learning is customized by role and career stage. Formats include instructor-led training, workshops, and digital modules. Continuous learning is a core part of Honeywell careers.
IoT + AI at Honeywell
Neha: How do IoT and AI work together at Honeywell?
Pinaki: IoT provides vast sensor data. AI gives context to that data. For example, HVAC systems use weather data, occupancy, and indoor conditions to optimize comfort and efficiency. IoT and AI together enable predictive, adaptive, and intelligent building systems
Closing
Neha: Thank you, Pinaki and Bianchi, for sharing such valuable insights. This session gave us clarity on AI, career opportunities, customer experience, and future skills. Thank you to our audience for joining us. Stay tuned for more Career Circles Live sessions. Please join the Career Circles community through the link shared in the chat. This is Neha Bali, signing off. Thank you.
