Foreign hands building India

Time was when there was only the occasional eruption of concrete. Today, India's skyline is a work in progress. But while the towering new skyscrapers, sprawling IT parks, glitzy airports and swanky townships reflect desi aspirations, the blueprint, more often than not, is foreign.

Be it a slum redevelopment project in congested Mumbai or Kolkata's new museum of modern art, the global imprint on the country's fast-changing urban landscape is evident. Made in India but designed by a clutch of foreign architects looking to cash in on the country's real estate boom. For Edinburgh-based RMJM, the company behind the distinctive Scottish Parliament, a foray into India four years ago has translated into business of £1 billion. That, the company says, is unprecedented for a UK architecture firm doing business in India. "There's a cue here for UK business — we need to be in India in a very big way," says RMJM CEO Peter Morrison. RMJM, which currently has 38 projects under way in India, is now looking to establish a permanent base in Mumbai.

Many others have taken the cue. Celebrated British architect Lord Norman Foster, who shaped London's skyline with buildings such as the Gherkin and designed the Reichstag in Berlin, has entered India in a tie-up with a Mumbai real estate firm, the Neptune group. Other big UK names in India are Laing O'Rourke, Davis Langdon and Mott MacDonald. Not just UK, firms from Canada (Arcop) to Australia (Omiros One) have designs on India.

But does India really need foreign architects or is it just about getting a brand on the brochure? Most builders agree it's as much about star power as it is about international quality. After all, well-heeled buyers respond to designers with international reputations as much as they respond to a luxury label like Gucci or Prada. "When people purchase an expensive apartment, a famous architect is extra validation they're making a good choice," says Kunal Banerji of Ansal API which signed up US firm Chelsea West to design Manhattan-style condos at its Aquapolis project in Ghaziabad.

The Mahindra group's real estate arm Mahindra Lifespaces, which has roped in US-based architect and design firm HOK (of Dubai marina fame), says their reasons go much beyond the brand. "The selection of an international architect or planner is driven by the unique needs of the project. For instance, the 325-acre Mahindra World City project is one of the largest such developments under implementation and to that extent the width and depth of on-ground implementation experience is currently available only with international firms who have conceived and implemented such projects in different parts of the world," says Anita Arjundas, COO of Mahindra Lifespaces.

Size does matter and with Indian developers going beyond stand-alone commercial blocks and residences to converting huge swathes of land into townships and IT parks, a 'foreign hand' does come in handy. "Foreign firms can visualise and handle massive scale. Also, their designs are very innovative. They create landmarks and not just buildings," says Shantanu Malik, DGM-Architect, Unitech Ltd.

It's a win-win for Indian architects as well. "Working with foreign firms gives us exposure to international standards. There is a lot to learn from their use of detailing and modern materials," adds Malik.

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