Harshavardhan Neotia hails from a distinguished family that migrated from Rajasthan to Kolkata more than 100 years ago. He is an Entrepreneur, and presently Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group. His work in social housing earned Harsh Neotia the honour of being conferred with Padma Shri from the hon'ble President of India in 1999. He is also a recipient of the YPO Legacy of Honour Award. He was recently conferred the D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) by the Vidyasagar University, West Bengal, and 'Honorary Life Fellowship' by AIMA (All India Management Association). He is an active Member and Past President of FICCI, and also Past President of AIMA. He is presently member of the National Culture Fund, India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) Trust, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), and Chairman of National Institute of Technical Teachers' T r a i n i n g & R e s e a r c h (NITTTR). Harshavardhan Neotia harles Correa is one of the few contemporary architects who n o t o n l y e x c e l l e d i n C a r c h i t e c t u r e b u t a l s o i n t e r p o l a t e d t h e c a u s e s a n d functionalities of low-income housing and urban planning into the folds of commercial architectural ethos. This world-class architect, urban planner and activist had a special relationship with the Ambuja Neotia Group and Kolkata. It was a natural bond that grew out of a shared philosophy of environment-friendly and sustainable architectural development. Hence, the Group readily agreed to support the Annual Memorial Lecture in memory of the legendary architect. The architectural fraternity, followers and admirers of Correa are grateful to Ambuja Neotia for their support. In conversation with Chairman, Ambuja Neotia In a face-to-face conversation with Naresh Singh, Editor of GLITZ architecture and interiors magazine, Harshavardhan Neotia sheds light on his journey and philosophies, his beliefs and contributions towards the field of architecture and design.
You have always been a great patron of design, your buildings being notable landmarks of Kolkata today. How do you consider your ideas in the design of buildings that you are associated with?
Design starts with the Almighty. Design lies in the basics of life- in the creation of man and nature. Essentially, I am privileged to be born in a family which, since many generations, has been deeply T July 2022 involved inarts, literature and philosophy. Growing up amidst such people Ambuja Neotia is one of the and among such interactions, I always believe that architecture, art, most prominent and respected landscape or any form of design should always be in harmony with nature. c o r p o r a t e h o u s e s Hence, when I chose building and structure as an activity of pursuit, I headquartered in Kolkata with naturally was drawn towards architects and architecture that appealed to my idea of design. its forte in real estate and s u b s e q u e n t f o r a y s i n t o As an entrepreneur, by when do you see the real estate and building sector hospitality, healthcare and overcoming the after-effects of Covid-19? education. The company, under I believe the real estate sector has already overcome the adverse times. t h e s t e w a r d s h i p o f The hospitality industry was worst-affected and it is still recovering at its Harshavardhan Neotia, has pace. One of the most interesting things we came across after the first wave been responsible for landmark of the pandemic was: since people were locked in their homes for long projects in and around Kolkata stretches, they demanded more space. A lot of people moved to bigger including Correa's only large houses or apartments to cope with children studying from home and project in Kolkata – City Centre parents working from home. Salt Lake, the mall that went on It suggests that the pandemic was an opportunity for the designers and to re-write several retail rules. In businessmen to learn and evolve in terms of design and implementation of the all its projects, Ambuja Neotia is same with regard to the changing demand. What do you think? d e e p l y m i n d f u l o f i t s environmental responsibility Absolutely. People were faced with unique situations which required and creating spaces that offer a unique solutions. Work and interaction went digital, the human element better and greener life was majorly lost, habits changed and so on. T July 2022 Chairman Harshavardhan Neotia shared a special bond with architect Charles Correa. When the two visionaries met, they created City Centre in Salt Lake, the mall that reflects lifestyle, thoughts and culture of the people of Kolkata. You have done distinctive works towards social housing in the country. Do share some inspirational words for the growing designers and businessmen. The Government of West Bengal invited tenders from the private sector for social housing projects. We were among the successful applicants who got the opportunity to fill the requirement at fixed subsidy rates. We cannot take credit for the idea or model, but tried our best to process the same judiciously. Having architect B.V. Doshi on board for the first project, who had recently won the Aga Khan Award then, made sure that the project got the special sensitive dimension in terms of comfort, ventilation, daylight and more. The project received recognition from all across the country and, later, I received the Padma Shri in 1999.
It is highly appreciated because your intent and sincerity made all the difference. How, according to you, can the housing demand across all scales be fulfilled, not only in terms of infrastructure and space but also design and aesthetics?
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Design and aesthetics are very subjective. However, the design of our spaces is governed by three things - use of contemporary design which is contextual and does not mimic what is already done in the past, use of local materials to reduce carbon footprint, and use of earthy and warmer colours and palette in a sensible Indian fashion. We choose our art, lighting fixtures, and accessories like cushions carefully so that they not only align with contemporary aesthetics but also hold a distinct Indian- ness in them.
Finally, do share some best practices and way forwards towards sustaining in this industry?
One has to be conscious about using the newest green technologies - one that conserves power, recycles water, disposes waste more sensibly and reduces the carbon footprint at large. We take each day at a time. The future is in front of us; we face it in the best way we can. I believe, this is the most reasonable way to go about it. T July 2022