Design Forum International

What Design Forum International does

Design Forum International (DFI) is an Indian multidisciplinary architectural practice headquartered in New Delhi with a secondary office in Chennai. Founded in 1995 by three IIT Kharagpur alumni — Anand Sharma, Anoj Tevatia, and Goonmeet Singh Chauhan — the firm has grown from a residential-focused practice to a 140+-person studio delivering projects across nine vertical segments: Nation Building (government, judicial, transport infrastructure), Luxury Residential, Retail & Mixed Use, Offices/IT Parks, Masterplanning & Townships, Hospitality, Educational, and Affordable Housing. Marquee mandates include Vanijya Bhawan, ITO Skywalk, Delhi High Court, Amritsar Railway Station, Select Citywalk Mall, and multiple Casagrand, DLF, and Adani Realty residential developments across 20+ Indian states.

DFI generates revenue on a project-based professional-services fee model, acquiring mandates through direct business development with government bodies, real estate developers, and institutional clients. Its technical differentiation rests on a People-First design philosophy combined with passive sustainability strategies and BIM-based research for transport and urban infrastructure projects, including AI-augmented façade engineering (kinematic façade deployed at the Odisha Mining Corporation HQ). The firm has invested in international collaborations with DP Architects (Singapore) and UHA London to position for larger mixed-use and branded-residential commissions.

Strategically, DFI is privately held with no external funding rounds, no parent entity, and no M&A activity disclosed. The firm is run by its three founding partners as Managing Partners with a flat governance structure, supported by design heads, studio heads, and a dedicated senior business-development manager. Recognition includes Forbes India Top 30 Architects (2021, 2022), Construction Week India Awards 2023, and UIA Seoul Congress Outstanding Papers and Design Works (2019). The current operating posture is steady organic growth through vertical diversification (transport infrastructure addition) and geographic expansion (Chennai office), supported by technology investment in BIM and selective parametric/AI-assisted design tooling.

Name

Design Forum International

Legal name

Design Forum International

Website

https://designforuminternational.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Design Forum International is a New Delhi-headquartered multidisciplinary architectural practice founded in 1995, serving government bodies and real-estate developers across nine verticals — nation-building, luxury residential, retail, transport infrastructure, offices, education, hospitality, masterplanning, and affordable housing — with 140+ professionals and projects across 20+ Indian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban planning
• Sustainable architecture
• Master planning
• Public infrastructure design

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional architectural and design services for diverse project types including nation building, luxury residential, retail, commercial, educational, hospitality, transport infrastructure, and affordable housing projects

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Design Forum International is an architectural practice that provides integrated design services across nine categories: Nation Building (public infrastructure projects such as government buildings, airports, railway stations, and high courts), Luxury Residential, Retail & Mixed Use, Educational, Offices/IT Parks, Masterplanning & Townships, Hospitality, Transport Infrastructure, and Affordable Housing. The firm collaborates with clients to deliver human-centric, sustainable architectural solutions leveraging BIM technology and passive design strategies.

Product overview

Design Forum International (DFI) is a multidisciplinary architectural practice that provides integrated design services across nine distinct service categories: Nation Building (public infrastructure), Luxury Residential, Retail & Mixed Use, Educational, Offices/IT Parks, Masterplanning & Townships, Hospitality, Transport Infrastructure, and Affordable Housing. Rather than a software product, DFI offers architecture and design services with a 'People-first' methodology. Their portfolio spans projects from government buildings and airports to luxury residences and affordable housing developments. Notable projects include Vanijya Bhawan (Delhi), ITO Skywalk, Select Citywalk Mall, Amritsar Railway Station, Kerala Space Park, and various luxury residential complexes. The firm operates from offices in New Delhi and Chennai, with a team of over 140 professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nation Building Architectural Design Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Vanijya Bhawan won Construction Week India Awards 2023 for Architectural Design of the Year - Institutional
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable.

• DP Architects (Singapore)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration for Emerald Garden township project in Kanpur. DP Architects from Singapore worked with DFI on this approximately 40-acre mixed-use development, combining DFI's local expertise with DP's international design perspective.
• UHA LondonnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration for Michael Schumacher World Towers in Gurugram. UHA London designed this project in partnership with DFI as a tribute to the Formula One champion, combining British design sensibilities with DFI's architectural execution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: World's largest design firm with India offices (Bengaluru, Mumbai); competes for IT parks, commercial offices, and mixed-use mandates overlapping DFI's offices/IT parks and commercial segments.
• AEDAS: Global architecture practice with strong Asia presence, including India operations; competes for transport infrastructure, commercial, and mixed-use developer mandates of similar typology to DFI's portfolio.
• Hafeez Contractor: India's largest architecture firm, focused primarily on high-volume residential and commercial towers; a broader incumbent whose scale and developer relationships make it a competitive force in DFI's core residential and mixed-use segments.
• Foster + Partners: Global architecture major with active India projects (Mumbai, Bengaluru); competes with DFI for high-profile airport, civic, and luxury developer mandates where international credentials matter.
• RSP Architects Planners & Engineers: Singapore-headquartered multidisciplinary design firm with significant India presence (Bengaluru, Mumbai); competes for the same transport infrastructure, mixed-use, and large developer mandates as DFI across the Indian market.
• HCP Design Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd. Large, Ahmedabad-headquartered Indian architecture firm with deep masterplanning, urban design, and institutional practices; a comparable player for townships, public-sector, and large-format developer mandates.

Direct peers

• Christopher Charles Benninger Architects: Long-established Indian architecture practice with strong institutional/government mandate portfolio; comparable to DFI on nation-building, university campuses, and large-format mixed-use projects.
• Sanjay Puri Architects: Mumbai-headquartered Indian architecture firm of comparable size and award-winning profile (multiple World Architecture Festival wins), with strong residential, hospitality, and institutional practices overlapping DFI's verticals.
• Morphogenesis: One of India's leading multidisciplinary architecture practices with strong sustainability and large-scale institutional work; directly comparable to DFI in scale (~150+ professionals), India-centric footprint, and emphasis on nation-building projects.
• Studio Lotus: India-based design practice with comparable headcount, rooted in sustainability and contextual design across hospitality, residential, and commercial — directly overlapping DFI's people-first and sustainable-design positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRsCvZ3GEn28bBwpQVwr5mg
• Facebookfacebook.com/designforuminternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-forum-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/design_forum_international
• Xx.com/DFI_Arch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design Forum International