Bharat Mandapam

Bharat Mandapam (officially the International Exhibition + Convention Centre, IECC) is the rebuilt convention centre at Pragati Maidan in central Delhi — opened in July 2023 just weeks before it hosted the G20 Summit on 9-10 September 2023. The complex replaced the original 1972-built Pragati Maidan Hall of Nations (which was demolished in 2017 amidst preservation controversy) with an entirely modern facility.

The project's signature feature is the main convention hall — designed in the form of a shankha (conch shell), a culturally iconic Indian symbol. The 7,000-seat main hall is India's largest convention hall and one of Asia's largest fully-integrated single-room facilities. Total floor area: 1.23 million sqft across 5 halls + 6 conference rooms + amphitheatres + multi-cuisine restaurants + integrated parking for 5,500 vehicles.

L&T executed the construction at ₹2,700 crore between 2017 and 2023, with architecture by Aedas (the firm that designed Beijing's CITIC Tower). The construction itself faced significant timeline pressure to be ready for G20 — the original target had been 2022, but slipped 12 months due to Covid-19 + Pragati Maidan tunnel construction interference.

The G20 Summit (9-10 September 2023) at Bharat Mandapam was the largest international summit hosted by India, with 30 heads of state + 10,000+ delegates. The venue is permanent infrastructure for India's growing convention-tourism, hosting 50+ major events annually.