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Balkrishna Doshi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth26 August 1927

Age94 Years

BirthplacePune

ProfessionArchitect

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseKamala Parikh

FamilyThree daughters: Tejal, Radhika, Maneesha

Balkrishna Doshi Biography

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi is an Indian architect whose six-decade career blended modernist principles with Indian traditions. Born in 1927, he trained in

Early life and background

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was born on 26 August 1927 in Pune. He grew up with an early interest in making and craft that was encouraged by visits to his grandfather’s furniture workshop. He studied at Fergusson College in Pune and then trained in architecture at the J. J. School of Architecture in Mumbai before continuing his studies at the Polytechnic of North London.

Career

Doshi began his professional life in the 1950s and quickly became associated with some of the leading figures and projects of the era. In 1951 he traveled to London to sit for the Royal Institute of British Architects examinations; shortly after, he joined the team of Le Corbusier. His early work in India included involvement with projects in Chandigarh and later with buildings such as the Mill Owners’ Association building and Shodhan House in Ahmedabad.

In 1956 Doshi established his own practice, Vastu Shilpa (later Vastushilpa Consultants). Over the following decades he designed a wide range of buildings and campuses, from private houses to institutional and urban projects. Notable commissions mentioned in his career include the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad—where he played a role in bringing Louis Kahn to the project—the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, and the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai, which required him to open a Mumbai office.

Doshi also founded the School of Architecture at the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad in 1962. He taught there for many years, serving as director until 1972 and remaining connected to the institute as an educator until 2008. In 1976 he established the Vastushilpa Foundation for Studies and Research, which became a nonprofit organization in 1978 and later engaged in rehabilitation work after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

His studio, Sangath, was completed in 1980 and served as the base for much of his practice. Throughout his career Doshi engaged with both local craft traditions and modern construction methods, and he participated in international competitions and exchanges, including an entry for the Toronto City Hall competition in 1959.

Awards and honours

Doshi received numerous recognitions over many decades. Early national honours include the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 2020. International recognition grew through awards such as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1993–1995) for the Aranya community housing, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture in 2007, and France’s Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2011. He was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2018, becoming the first Indian recipient, and in 2022 he was chosen for the Royal Gold Medal for architecture.

Doshi also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and was made an associate member of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1954. Other honours named in his career include recognition as Architect of the Year by JK Cement in 1993 and the Dhirubhai Thakar Savyasachi Saraswat Award in 2017.

Public profile

Doshi’s work has been shown and discussed widely. A feature-length documentary about his life was released in 2008. In 2014 an exhibition of his work titled Celebrating Habitat: The Real, the Virtual and the Imaginary opened at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. He has lectured internationally, including in the UK, the United States and Europe, and delivered a TEDx talk at Nirma University in 2016.

Beyond architecture, Doshi has made appearances in Indian cinema, with credits in the Tamil film O Kadhal Kanmani (2015) and the Hindi film Ok Jaanu (2017).

Personal life

Doshi was married to Kamala Parikh; the marriage is noted as having been formalized after some delay due to family differences. The couple had three daughters: Tejal, Radhika and Maneesha. His parents are listed as Vithaldas Doshi and Radha.

Latest updates

In 2018 Doshi was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and in 2022 he was announced as the recipient of the Royal Gold Medal for architecture. Those honours were presented in recognition of a career that combined an appreciation of India’s architectural traditions with innovations in materials, craft and urban thinking.
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Recent Work

Royal Gold Medal for Architecture

Chosen as the recipient of the Royal Gold Medal for the year 2022 by the United Kingdom.

2022
Pritzker Architecture Prize

Awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, becoming the first Indian laureate.

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded Vastu Shilpa (later Vastushilpa Consultants) in 1956
  2. Founded the School of Architecture at CEPT, Ahmedabad in 1962; served as director until 1972 and taught until 2008
  3. Designed campuses and buildings including IIM Ahmedabad (collaborative role), IIM Bangalore and the Bharat Diamond Bourse
  4. Established the Vastushilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in 1976
  5. Completed his studio Sangath in 1980
  6. Received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2018 and the Royal Gold Medal in 2022
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Balkrishna Doshi born?

26 August 1927

What is Balkrishna Doshi known for?

Architect

What is Balkrishna Doshi’s marital status?

Married

Who is Balkrishna Doshi married to?

Kamala Parikh