Our Partners

Gurmeet Rai

Gurmeet S Rai, an architect with specialization in heritage, has worked on conservation of heritage sites, planning for historic areas and policy documents in both India and abroad. In 1996, she established CRCI India Pvt. Ltd., a leading firm in heritage practice in India. Since its inception, CRCI has prepared cultural heritage conservation and management plans for several sites across the country and abroad such like the world heritage sites of Red Fort in Delhi, Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lumbini in Nepal and Bagan in Myanmar.  

In Punjab she has worked on the conservation of over fifty heritage sites including Gobindgarh Fort, Rambagh Palace Garden, the Summer Palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, 19th-century buildings such as the city gates, the Town Hall and the Office of District Magistrate designed by the renowned late 19th-century architect-designer, Bhai Ram Singh.  In 2015, she was appointed HRIDAY City Anchor for the historic cities of Amritsar and Puri by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India and continues to engage with the ministry on several projects in the area of heritage and urban planning. In 2021 she was appointed as heritage specialist for preparing the conservation plan of the Parliament House in New Delhi. 

Gurmeet has been an advisor to UNESCO in the heritage sector in several countries in South East Asia. She was appointed as lead consultant for the preparation of the Cultural Heritage policy for Punjab in 2011. In 2012, the World Monuments Fund, New York appointed her as project management consultant for the conservation of forty-three protected monuments in Madhya Pradesh. Gurmeet received the Award of Distinction from UNESCO for two projects under the Asia Pacific Architectural Heritage Awards in 2002 and 2004 following which she was on the jury for over 15 years. 

She is currently engaged in authoring books and publications in the subjects of her interest and experience as well as establishing a ‘conservation residency’ in her village in Punjab to undertake research and training in the area of cultural and natural heritage. 

Maninder Gill

Maninder Singh Gill is an art conservator and archaeological scientist based in Noida, India. He did his Masters in Art Conservation from the National Museum Institute (NMI), New Delhi, and later obtained a doctoral degree in Archaeological Science from University College London (UCL). He has been working in the field of conservation in India for over two decades, mainly on art works/embellishments on historic buildings. His work and responsibilities have included practical aspects of conservation encompassing documentation, assessment, and treatment, technical studies involving research and investigations, and managerial functions that include planning, coordination, and supervision. Maninder has a particular interest in the scientific studies of architectural embellishments and has conducted and published his research on a variety of art and archaeological materials from the medieval to early modern period. He is a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) and an active member of organisations working towards the promotion of art and heritage conservation in India. 

Ajaydeep Jamval

Ajaydeep Singh Jamwal is an architect based in New Delhi, India. Since his graduation in architecture in 2000 he has been working towards developing a professional practice in building conservation and vernacular design. In 2004, he was awarded The Charles Wallace Trust scholarship to pursue a post graduate degree in conservation of historic buildings from the University of Bath, UK. 

In a career spanning over two decades, Ajaydeep has been a consultant to several notable organizations/institutions and worked on numerous built heritage conservation projects across India, primarily in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. To address a shortfall in the quality of skills and supervision in the field of heritage conservation, he has been instrumental in co-founding a firm that executes conservation projects through the engagement of experienced masons and artisans specialising in building conservation work. 

Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar is a Senior Project Manager for M/s Heritage Conservation Management Services, and is currently based in Amritsar, Punjab, India. He did his Masters in Conservation, Preservation and Heritage Management from Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management (DIHRM), New Delhi, and later qualified as a JRF-NET (Museology & Conservation) fellow through a national level test conducted by the University Grant Commission, India. He has been working in the field of conservation since 2003, mainly on historic building projects. He has been responsible for the site supervision, management, and execution of several major conservation-restoration projects in his career, including the Attari Samadh complex at Attari, Ramgarhia Bunga at Amritsar, Summer Palace at Amritsar, Jahaz Mahal Haveli at Fatehgarh Sahib, Yadvindra Gardens complex at Pinjore, and Ramgopal Temple complex at Damtal amongst others.