Can India's Modern Buildings Find Their Own Identity?

India is experiencing a construction boom—everywhere you look, new buildings are going up. But architects and designers are asking an important question: should these modern buildings look like copies of Western designs, or should they reflect something uniquely Indian? Menaka Doshi explores how some architects are designing buildings that work with India's climate, cultures, and the way Indian people actually live, rather than just importing ideas from the West.

This approach matters because a country's buildings tell its story. When architects design with local climate in mind—think about how intense heat and monsoons affect construction—and incorporate cultural values, the result feels like it belongs there. These buildings aren't rejecting modern design; they're making modern design work for India, creating something that's both contemporary and rooted in place.