Excerpts from the interview:
Tell me about your work and interests.
My work portfolio is diversified. I have designed business centres, corporate office, hotels, residences, clubs, hospitals, labs, institutional buildings, monuments, etc. I have projects in all areas from small to big. I feel a designer should have the ability to design a boutique as effectively as a large office. Having my fingers in all pies gives satisfaction. Each project opens up new dimensions, challenges and one does not stagnate doing same type of projects and the scale of business also grows. I am aware that I am not as creative as my father, I do not possess diversified talents like my parents, so I have not diverted towards fine arts but want to concentrate on building up a bigger practice.

How is your work different from that of your father?
Our roots are similar. I have grown up in the profession under the influence of my father, began with same style and functioning but I have evolved my own identity with my company, Design Plus. The spirit is the same, basic ideologies are the same but because of changing environment, interpretation of ideas has changed.

In what way did your father influence you?
He influenced my choice of career. He shaped my thinking and outlook to life, taught me the values for approaching the profession with honesty and to be creative. The foundations were laid down by him. But a parent's influence is at the incubator stage and then child grows, evolves and breaks away. It's part of growing up. In my case the canvas of influence became large, it entered my professional life, too. I have derived my artistic roots from my parents.

Do you also bring in changes in designing of buildings based on changing economic trends, lifestyles etc?
The basic crevice of architectural business has changed. Because of foreign collaborations the business has been redefined. When things change you have to change to survive. While maintaining certain basic values you change accordingly. The market seems larger, it is ten times more competitive than my father's times. Business is harder these days, people are very cost conscious. Economic depression is still there, the MNCs are waiting and watching for economic and political stability and hesitant to invest. The very look of corporate offices with modular designs and open plans has undergone a drastic change. Interior designing has become an integral feature of architecture.

Do you subscribe to the affinity with symmetry school?
If you see the evolution of history, you will find that classic buildings are symmetrical, balanced. I grew up with affinity to symmetry but the modern trend is different. The definition of acceptance of form has changed, asymmetrical building also has balance. We juxtapose different terms in creative visual balance. Architecture is about creativity and creativity is subjective. The building should be pleasing and functional.

What about form-oriented buildings?
I have an inclination for form-oriented buildings. We break form in creative fashion in designing buildings beyond the brief of a block.

You are reputed to prefer natural material, but has't it been popular always?
By natural materials I mean that I try to use locally available material of the place where building is to be constructed so that it is more cost effective, natural to environment, responsive to values of place, in affinity with local sentiments.

Isn't landscaping very important part of architecture now?
You cannot separate the two. I perceive the building against the backdrop of landscape.

Which ones are your well-known buildings?
My repertoire includes Great Eastern Building, New Delhi; Computer Maintenance Corporation, Hyderabad, and Radisson Hotel, Ahmedabad.