RMA Architects
RMA Architects is a Mumbai-based, privately held architecture and urban design practice with a Boston studio, founded in 1990 by Rahul Mehrotra, serving institutional, corporate, heritage, residential, and NGO clients in India and internationally through climate-responsive, culturally rooted design and conservation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RMA Architects does
RMA Architects is a privately held architecture and urban design practice founded by Rahul Mehrotra in Mumbai in 1990 and re-formed under its current name in 2010, operating dual studios in Mumbai (Fort district headquarters) and Boston, Massachusetts. The firm delivers architecture across the full typological spectrum—single-family residences, corporate campuses, academic institutions, heritage conservation, museums, retail, and urban design—serving governmental agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, corporate clients (Hewlett-Packard, KMC, LMW), and high-net-worth private clients in India and internationally. Its technical signature is climate-responsive, contextually rooted design that integrates traditional South Asian passive cooling strategies (double-skin façades with evaporative cooling, operable louvres, courtyard humidification, manual perforated screens) with contemporary materials and craft-led construction techniques developed alongside local tradespeople.
The practice earns revenue through negotiated, project-based professional fees for architectural design, conservation, and urban planning services, with no public pricing, subscription model, or standardized rate card. Multi-year contract cadences are typical given the duration of institutional and conservation projects. Go-to-market is entirely direct: clients are acquired through academic visibility (Rahul Mehrotra's Harvard GSD chairmanship), professional reputation, peer referrals, invited architectural competitions (Sydney Modern Gallery finalist), and editorial coverage in design publications (Architectural Record, Domus, Dezeen). The firm is led by four Principal Architects and roughly 30 design and support staff, with affiliated initiatives—the Architecture Foundation, the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative (TMCC), and The Bombay Collaborative—operating parallel research, conservation, and exhibition platforms. There is no disclosed external equity, debt, or venture funding; the practice remains wholly controlled by its founding principals and operates as a boutique, expertise-led studio.
RMA Architects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RMA Architects
- Legal name
- RMA Architects
- Website
- https://rmaarchitects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RMA Architects is a Mumbai-based, privately held architecture and urban design practice with a Boston studio, founded in 1990 by Rahul Mehrotra, serving institutional, corporate, heritage, residential, and NGO clients in India and internationally through climate-responsive, culturally rooted design and conservation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RMA Architects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)
Keywords
Where RMA Architects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
RMA Architects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architectural Design Services: RMA Architects generates revenue through fees for architectural design and conservation services. Projects span single-family residences to large institutional and corporate buildings and urban design proposals, serving governmental agencies, NGOs, corporate entities, and private clients. The firm also undertakes pro bono work for social causes such as community toilets for SPARC.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional service fees negotiated per engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
RMA Architects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RMA Architects provides full-service architectural design, heritage conservation and restoration, and urban design and planning services. Projects span residential houses, corporate workplaces and campuses, institutional buildings, retail spaces, art galleries, and museums, as well as restoration of palaces and monuments for governmental, corporate, NGO, cultural, and private clients across India and internationally.
Product overview
RMA Architects is an architectural practice offering comprehensive design services structured around three core offerings: Architecture Services (residential, workplace, institutional, retail, and art space design), Conservation and Restoration (heritage buildings and cultural sites), and Urban Design and Planning. The practice complements its design work with Research and Publications including books by Principal Rahul Mehrotra, and operates an Architecture Foundation for research initiatives. Projects range from single-family residences to large institutional campuses and urban design proposals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Architecture Foundation: An initiative by RMA Architects focused on architecture foundation work including the Goa 2100 sustainable cities project and exhibitions.
- Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative (TMCC)
- The Bombay Collaborative
Products and services
- Architecture Services
- Conservation and Restoration
- Urban Design and Planning
Quantifiable outcome
- HP Software Campus reduced air-conditioning by one-third compared to business-as-usual software campus design through passive cooling and cross-ventilation strategies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RMA Architects
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RMA Architects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
RMA Architects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD)coreRahul Mehrotra serves as Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design and John T. Dunlop Professor in Housing and Urbanization at Harvard GSD. This academic position provides ongoing research integration, intellectual leadership, and global visibility for the practice.
- Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative (TMCC)coreEstablished by RMA Architects in July 2001 as a multidisciplinary conservation collaborative bringing together international conservation professionals. The TMCC was formed under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Tata Group and the Government of India (National Culture Fund / Archaeological Survey of India) for the Taj Mahal Visitor Centre project — one of the first private-public partnership projects related to architectural conservation in India.
- The Bombay CollaborativeminorA conservation-focused collaborative mentioned in project work, including the Cappella Da Nossa Senhora Do Monte restoration in Old Goa. The firm collaborates with local craftspeople and contractors on conservation projects.
- Architecture FoundationminorArchitecture Foundation is listed as an affiliated organization. Ela Singhal serves as Executive Director of Architecture Foundation while also listed on the RMA Architects staff. Architecture Foundation co-produced the 'Architecture of Practice' exhibition with Goethe Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai in 2021.
- Charles Correa FoundationminorNondita Correa Mehrotra serves as Director of the Charles Correa Foundation in Panjim, Goa. This connection extends the firm's network in conservation and architectural education in India.
- Aga Khan Award for ArchitectureminorRMA Architects is affiliated with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The CEPT Library was shortlisted for the 2022 award, and Nondita Correa Mehrotra served on the award's Master Jury for the 2017-19 cycle.
- LSE Cities BoardminorRahul Mehrotra serves on the LSE Cities Governing Board, connecting the practice to urban policy research networks at the London School of Economics.
- Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI)minorListed as an affiliated organization. UDRI is a Mumbai-based organization focused on urban design research.
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS)minorListed as an affiliated organization. IIHS is a national knowledge institution working on housing and human settlements in India.
- PUKAR (Partners for Knowledge, Action and Research)minorListed as an affiliated organization. PUKAR is a Mumbai-based organization focused on knowledge sharing and research.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
RMA Architects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- David Chipperfield Architects: Global practice with deep heritage conservation credentials (Neues Museum Berlin, Procuratie Vecchie Venice) alongside contemporary cultural and institutional architecture. Directly comparable to RMA's conservation + contemporary cultural portfolio, but operating globally at substantially larger scale.
- Foster + Partners: Global architecture firm with significant Indian institutional and corporate work (Bloomberg headquarters, Apple Park, and Indian commercial projects). Competes with RMA for marquee international commissions and operates the kind of large-scale campus commissions RMA pursues in India.
Direct peers
- Christopher Benninger Architects: One of India's most established architecture firms with a comparable portfolio spanning institutional campuses, corporate headquarters, and urban design. Both firms serve major Indian academic and corporate clients (IIM-type institutions, large enterprise HQs), though Benninger operates at larger scale.
- Matharoo Associates: Ahmedabad-based practice with craft-based, contextually responsive architecture for residential and small institutional clients. Shares RMA's design philosophy and Gujarat/India regional focus on contextual modernism.
- Studio Mumbai: Bijoy Jain's Mumbai-based practice shares RMA's philosophy of craft-led, contextually rooted, climate-responsive architecture across institutional and residential typologies in India. Both firms work with local artisans and emphasize material honesty, and both maintain internationally recognized design profiles of comparable boutique scale.
- Vir.Mueller Architects: Indian architecture firm similarly focused on heritage-sensitive contemporary design, conservation, and contextual building craft. Operates at a comparable boutique scale and shares RMA's positioning at the intersection of contemporary design and traditional Indian building knowledge.
- SJK Architects (Shimul Javeri Kadri): Mumbai-based architecture firm with a similar typology mix including residential, institutional, and conservation work. Comparable boutique size and Indian-context focus, with comparable emphasis on contextual and craft-led design.
Emerging players
- Sameep Padora and Associates: Mumbai-based practice with comparable focus on craft, materiality, and contextual architecture at smaller scale. Overlaps with RMA in residential and small institutional typologies, particularly in low-cost and material-innovation work like the Loblolly House.
- Architecture BRIO: Mumbai and Zurich-based practice focused on climate-responsive, contextually rooted architecture across India and internationally. Shares RMA's emphasis on passive environmental design and craft-led building, though at smaller scale and earlier stage.
- AANGAN Architects: Indian architecture firm with comparable mix of residential, institutional, and contextual work, particularly in heritage and low-income housing contexts. Overlaps with RMA in social-sector and climate-responsive residential projects but at earlier growth stage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
RMA Architects social profiles
Digital presenceRMA Architects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RMA Architects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
RMA Architects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RMA Architects M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RMA Architects
What does RMA Architects do?
RMA Architects provides full-service architectural design, heritage conservation and restoration, and urban design and planning services. Projects span residential houses, corporate workplaces and campuses, institutional buildings, retail spaces, art galleries, and museums, as well as restoration of palaces and monuments for governmental, corporate, NGO, cultural, and private clients across India and internationally.
Is RMA Architects a public or private company?
RMA Architects is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RMA Architects founded?
RMA Architects was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RMA Architects based?
RMA Architects is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does RMA Architects make money?
One revenue line is on record: architectural Design Services.
Who are RMA Architects's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are David Chipperfield Architects and Foster + Partners. Direct peers are Christopher Benninger Architects, Matharoo Associates, Studio Mumbai, Vir.Mueller Architects and SJK Architects (Shimul Javeri Kadri). Emerging players are Sameep Padora and Associates, Architecture BRIO and AANGAN Architects.
Does RMA Architects have an API?
No public API is recorded for RMA Architects.
What industry is RMA Architects in?
RMA Architects's product category is Architectural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAH, Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning. Its NAICS code is 54131.