Bharat Mandapam Case Study: Convention Centre Plan, Roof and Construction

Bharat Mandapam is the convention centre at the heart of the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It was designed by Arcop Associates of Delhi, led by Sanjay Singh, with Aedas of Singapore, after the pair won an open competition in 2016; Shapoorji Pallonji built it for the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), with NBCC as project manager. The complex was inaugurated on 26 July 2023 and hosted the G20 Leaders' Summit that September. Below: credits, plan, section, materials, services and lessons, with MOA diagrams.

Bharat Mandapam architect: who designed it?

The design came out of an open architectural competition run by ITPO. The Tribune (Aditi Tandon, 8 September 2023) reports that Arcop Associates, which Sanjay Singh runs, won the Pragati Maidan redevelopment through that competition in October 2016. ArchDaily (Andreea Cutieru, 10 November 2021) credits the winning scheme to a consortium of Aedas Pte. Ltd. and Arcop Associates Pvt. Ltd.

Indian coverage, including Entrepreneur India (17 August 2023), presents Singh as the architect and says the project was conceptualised "in association with Aedas Singapore". Aedas's listing on World Architecture Community calls Aedas the design architect, working in joint venture with Arcop. Neither says which firm drew which part, so the fair answer is both, jointly. CP Kukreja Architects also lists Bharat Mandapam on its website as a master planning project, without stating its role; we found no second source for it.

Construction World (29 September 2023) gives the fullest team list: Meinhardt, Envirotech, ARK, TPC and LM Design (facade) among the structure, MEP and facade consultants, Clarity Consultants for acoustics and AV, Integral for landscape and JSA for cost. It does not say which firm engineered the structure.

The brief and the client

ITPO, the Government of India's trade promotion agency, runs Pragati Maidan. In January 2017 the Union Cabinet approved its proposal to rebuild the grounds as an integrated exhibition and convention centre at ₹2,254 crore, according to an NDTV report reproduced on Architexturez (27 January 2017). The plan was to raise exhibition space from about 65,000 sq m to about 1.19 lakh sq m, add a convention centre seating 7,000 and park almost 5,000 cars, in two phases with the first due by mid-2019.

Singh has described the design brief as a single line: a landmark that was modern and connected to India's roots (PTI interview, reproduced by ThePrint, 29 August 2023). He told The Week (Mandira Nayar, September 2023) that "The brief was brief." The team visited convention centres in Germany and China, the PTI reports.

Construction World reports that the venue was chosen for the G20 at concept stage and the timeline stayed unchanged.

Site and context: Pragati Maidan after the Hall of Nations

Pragati Maidan opened as a national exhibition ground in 1972, with Raj Rewal and Mahendra Raj's Hall of Nations as its best-known building. That hall, the Halls of Industries and the Nehru Pavilion were demolished in April 2017 to clear the site, after the Delhi High Court dismissed petitions to protect them. The court cases and the structure are covered in our Hall of Nations case study; this post picks up where that one ends.

ArchDaily describes the site as lying on the bank of the Yamuna, next to cultural and historical venues, and the PTI interview places it beside Lutyens' Delhi: Singh told Entrepreneur India it is "a stone's throw from India Gate". That proximity shaped the section, as the next sections show. A road tunnel now runs beneath the site and connects to the basement car park, according to Construction World.

Architecture of Bharat Mandapam: concept and design ideas

Three readings of the form are on record, and they are not the same.

• The architect's reading: water. Singh told the PTI that the plan is elliptical with no sharp edges and is inspired by the Yamuna, which once flowed through the site: "Fluidity is the nature of water." He told The Tribune the centre was first drawn as a rectangle, and the elliptical form was settled after deliberation with ITPO.
• The official reading: the conch. The government's release for the opening, as carried by Organiser (25 July 2023), says the building's shape is derived from the Shankha, and that its walls and facades depict themes including Surya Shakti (solar energy), "Zero to ISRO" and the Pancha Mahabhuta, the five elements.
• The competition reading: a civic circle. Aedas's text describes circular geometry as the form used for buildings of public and civic importance, with colonnades, water and stepped public spaces, and locally sourced materials in traditional colours. ArchDaily's 2021 description adds a slanted glass facade meant to reflect its surroundings.

The same ellipse carries all three stories. Singh also told Entrepreneur India that "the biggest challenge was managing the footfalls", around the perimeter and in the public spaces.

Bharat Mandapam plan and zoning

The campus has two parts: the convention centre and the exhibition halls around it, set in landscaped plazas with water. The official opening release counts seven exhibition halls; Shapoorji Pallonji's CEO, interviewed by Construction World, describes Phase 1 as 84 acres with six large exhibition halls, a 3,000-seat amphitheatre, an administration building, a covered skywalk and ticket plazas. Aedas says its exhibition halls are close to 18.5 m tall, and ArchDaily's design-stage text describes them as two-storey halls linked at ground level by pergolas.

The convention centre itself, as ITPO's deputy general manager Vivekanand Vivek described it to ANI (28 July 2023), holds:

Space	Capacity (as stated)	Source
Plenary hall (upstairs)	3,000	ITPO via ANI
Multifunction hall	4,000	ITPO via ANI
Both halls combined	about 7,000	PMO via All India Radio
Two auditoriums	900 and 600	ITPO via ANI
Grand amphitheatre	about 3,000	ITPO via ANI; PMO
Meeting rooms	22 rooms of 50 to 500 (Construction World); 20 on the ground level (The Week)	as named

Aedas says mechanised walls can merge the two big halls into one space for 7,000; The Week describes a removable screen. Aedas and The Tribune both give 13,500 as the centre's total capacity across formats.

The zoning is vertical rather than spread out. Meeting rooms, a business centre and dining sit in an elevated podium; the plenary hall is on level 3, with the semi-covered amphitheatre beneath it; and the pre-function space on level 4 opens onto a window facing India Gate (Construction World). ITPO's chairman told ANI that the G20 summit hall was on level 2, so the summit room and the plenary hall are separate spaces. The ArchDaily text adds a ramp that wraps around the building to reach the main hall and the back-of-house spaces.

Bharat Mandapam structure and section

The section is the key to the building. Singh told the PTI that the plenary hall was raised to create a "Window to Delhi" at the top level, framing Kartavya Path, India Gate and the trees around Rashtrapati Bhavan, and that the extra height also made room for a 3,000-seat amphitheatre underneath, protected from sun and rain. The Tribune reports a podium lifted 6 m.

The structural figures come from the contractor. Shapoorji Pallonji's release of 22 February 2021 describes "hundreds of columns that are 32 meters high" and roof trusses spanning up to 120 m, each weighing around 550 tonnes. A span of that size is what lets 7,000 people sit in one room; the same release counts over 700 pieces of lifting equipment on site. The Week describes the finished building as resting on steel pillars and ringed with glass. We found no published structural paper or named structural engineer, so the diagram shows the principle only.

Materials and construction

Construction World's account of the envelope is the most specific. The convention centre is clad in red-sandstone-coloured glass fibre reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels and white sandstone, with a slanted circular glass facade. Lower facades use an artificial stone matching the colour of Agra stone; Simón Núñez de Arenas Fraile is quoted on that choice. The canopy is painted metal with staggered triangular glass panels fritted with a peacock motif. In our reading, GFRC is the practical choice here: it gives a stone colour on a curved, high surface without the weight of solid stone panels.

Inside, The Tribune and Construction World list Madhubani art, stone inlay and brass work, Bidri-motif furniture, Kashmiri carpets and a chandelier about 100 m long made with Preciosa of the Czech Republic.

On the building site, Shapoorji Pallonji reported a workforce of about 5,000 and more than 50 million injury-free man-hours by February 2021. In October 2018 the South Delhi Municipal Corporation briefly stopped work over dust and let it resume after inspecting NBCC's controls (Realty n More, 18 October 2018). The Week puts the total renovation at about four and a half years.

Light, climate and services

The complex was registered with GRIHA in 2018 and received a GRIHA 4-star rating under GRIHA V.2015, with the plaque presented on 11 February 2025, according to NBCC's announcement in Infrastructure Today (12 February 2025). NBCC's claims, which we have not seen in a published measurement study, are:

• a 43.5% reduction in energy use, through efficient air conditioning, BEE star-rated equipment and LED lighting
• over 400 kWp of rooftop solar, cutting dependence on grid supply by 25%
• a 70% cut in annual water use, with a 1.1 MLD sewage treatment plant and low-flow fixtures
• over 800 mature trees retained and 5,000 native trees planted

The opening release lists a building management system, light management with dimming and occupancy sensors, and energy-efficient central air conditioning. The baselines behind the percentages are not published in these sources. For what GRIHA, IGBC and LEED actually measure, see our green building certification guide.

Daylight enters through the glass bands around the ellipse and the glass courtyard lobby that The Tribune describes.

Reception: what officials, critics and users said

ITPO's chairman Pradeep Singh Kharola told ANI in July 2023 that the building "can challenge the big convention centres across the world".

Critics have measured it against what it replaced. Writing in The Indian Express on 1 August 2023 (reproduced on Architexturez), Fahad Zuberi contrasted it with the Hall of Nations and argued that "The building has no inherent formal meaning", relying on applied symbols, while granting that it meets its functional brief.

The one operational problem on record came on the second day of the G20 summit. On 10 September 2023, after overnight rain, water collected in the parking area near gate 5; Delhi's Lieutenant Governor was told at 6 am that it had been drained with contingency pumps (PTI, via ThePrint). Videos posted by opposition politicians that day showed water at the complex; PIB's fact check called the claims exaggerated and said the minor waterlogging was cleared in 20 minutes (Free Press Journal, 10 September 2023).

Cost figures also vary with what they cover: ₹2,254 crore approved in 2017; about ₹2,700 crore for the whole complex in the July 2023 official release; about ₹2,650 crore in Construction World; and ₹750 crore that The Week says is reported for the convention centre alone.

What designers in India can take from it today

Our reading, for practice and for studio:

1. Stack, don't spread, on a tight urban site. Lifting the main hall freed the ground for an amphitheatre and gave the top level a view. For a thesis on convention or civic buildings, draw the section first; our B.Arch thesis topics by typology lists related briefs.
2. Design halls that change size. A 3,000 hall and a 4,000 hall that merge into 7,000 serve far more events than one fixed room. Plan the movable wall, its acoustic rating and the circulation of both halls together from day one.
3. Know which claims are measured. GRIHA ratings and percentage savings are useful, but ask for the baseline before you repeat a number to a client.
4. Record your team. Credits on this project read differently in Delhi and Singapore. Keep dated records of who did what; our case study documentation guide shows what to record when you study a building.

Visiting Bharat Mandapam

Bharat Mandapam is an event venue run by ITPO, not a monument with opening hours. Most people see it during a public trade fair or exhibition; entry rules and tickets are set event by event. ITPO's site currently redirects to a new corporate website, and the venue also posts updates on its Instagram account, itpo.bharatmandapam. Follow the rules of each event inside the halls.

Looking for an architect who can plan a large public building or a small office with the same care for section and movement? Find an architect on MOA.

FAQ

Who is the architect of Bharat Mandapam?

Arcop Associates of Delhi, led by Sanjay Singh, with Aedas of Singapore. The two firms won ITPO's open architectural competition in October 2016. Indian press names Singh as the lead architect, while Aedas lists itself as design architect in a joint venture with Arcop.

Bharat Mandapam is designed by which architecture firm?

Arcop Associates and Aedas, jointly. Shapoorji Pallonji was the EPC contractor, NBCC the project manager and ITPO the owner.

When was Bharat Mandapam built?

The design competition was won in 2016 and the Cabinet approved the project in January 2017. The Hall of Nations was demolished in April 2017, and the complex was inaugurated on 26 July 2023. Aedas lists its completion as 2022, before the formal opening.

How many people can Bharat Mandapam seat?

The plenary hall seats 3,000 and the multifunction hall 4,000; together they make about 7,000. The amphitheatre seats about 3,000, and the centre's total across all formats is given as 13,500.

What is the Bharat Mandapam structure made of?

Its contractor describes columns about 32 m high and steel roof trusses spanning up to 120 m. The outside is clad in red GFRC panels, sandstone and glass, according to Construction World.

Sources

• The Tribune, Aditi Tandon: The Tribune interview: Symbol of tradition and aspirations, Bharat Mandapam stands tall, 8 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• ArchDaily, Andreea Cutieru: Aedas Reveals Design of Exhibition and Convention Centre in New Delhi, 10 November 2021 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• World Architecture Community: The mega G20 Summit 2023 held at Aedas-designed Pragati Maidan, 14 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Entrepreneur India, Punita Sabharwal: The Man Behind the Largest Convention Center in India, 17 August 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• CP Kukreja Architects: Pragati Maidan Redevelopment, New Delhi (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Construction World: Culture Corridor, 29 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Construction World, Shriyal Sethumadhavan: We achieved a remarkable 40 per cent reduction in energy consumption (interview with Akhil K Gupta, SP E&C), 29 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• NDTV, via Architexturez: Pragati Maidan revamp approved by Cabinet, 27 January 2017 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• PTI, via ThePrint: Bharat Mandapam designed as window to India: architect Sanjay Singh, 29 August 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• The Week, Mandira Nayar: Bharat Mandapam, the G20 summit venue, shows India in all its glory, 3 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• ANI, via ThePrint: Bharat Mandapam can challenge convention centres across world, says ITPO Chairman, 28 July 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• All India Radio News: PM Modi to dedicate International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre complex to the nation on 26th July, 24 July 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Organiser: PM Modi to dedicate international exhibition-cum-convention centre built at cost of Rs 2,700 crore (official release text), 25 July 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Shapoorji Pallonji Engineering and Construction: SP E&C achieves 50 million safe manhours at the ITPO Integrated Exhibition cum Convention Centre, 22 February 2021 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Realty n More: NBCC to resume construction work of Pragati Maidan complex redevelopment project, 18 October 2018 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Infrastructure Today: IECC, better known as Bharat Mandapam, achieves GRIHA 4-star rating, 12 February 2025 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• The Indian Express, Fahad Zuberi, via Architexturez: Hall of Nations stood for inclusive nation building, Bharat Mandapam needs an official press release for meaning, 1 August 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• PTI, via ThePrint: L-G activated rain contingency plan to ensure hiccup-free G20 summit, 10 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)
• Free Press Journal: G20 Summit: visuals of water-logging at Bharat Mandapam surface, PIB calls it exaggerated claim, 10 September 2023 (accessed 11 Nov 2026)