Business & Finance
NSE Unveils Mumbai HQ Design by Padma Bhushan‑Awarded Architect Hafeez Contractor
On November 9, the National Stock Exchange announced plans for a new headquarters in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The building will occupy plots C‑81 and C‑82 in BKC’s G Block, covering about 10,995 square metres, and will be developed on an 80‑year lease granted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The exchange released an architectural video that shows the proposed structure’s angular design, glass‑fronted façade, landscaped outdoor areas, and a large blue globe bearing the NSE logo near the entrance. Interior plans include a spacious main reception, a public atrium, an experience centre with multiple levels and greenery, a dedicated listing hall with a large display screen, office workstations with large windows, and a market surveillance room with multiple screens and monitoring desks.
The design is by Hafeez Contractor, a Mumbai‑based architect and urbanist who founded Architect Hafeez Contractor (AHC) in 1982. Contractor has led a team of more than 600 professionals and has worked on residential townships, business parks, educational campuses, hospitals, sports stadiums and public projects such as the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, DLF Cyber City in Gurugram and Hiranandani Gardens in Powai. His work has influenced housing and urban policy, including a model that provided free housing to slum dwellers through developer incentives, which helped create landmark high‑rise developments like the 253‑metre Imperial Towers and the 300‑metre Minerva Towers.
Contractor received the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contributions to architecture. He holds honorary doctorates in Architecture (2012, Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad) and Housing (2014, Rai University, Ahmedabad), and has earned more than 75 national and international awards, including the CWAB Architect of the Year (2006‑2013) and the A+D Hall of Fame for the Decade Award. He completed a Master’s degree at Columbia University (1976‑1977) after earning a Bachelor’s from the Academy of Architecture in Mumbai (1969‑1976).
Frequently asked questions
Where will the new NSE headquarters be located?
It will be located in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), on plots C‑81 and C‑82 in G Block.
How large is the proposed headquarters?
The building will cover about 10,995 square metres.
Who designed the new headquarters?
The design is by Padma Bhushan‑awarded architect Hafeez Contractor.