UK architects are likely to face increasing competition from Indian firms as clients look to the subcontinent for cheaper professional services, write Joey Gardiner and David Matthews

Benoy chairman Graham Cartledge, speaking on his return from last week鈥檚 prime-ministerial trade mission to the subcontinent, said that the skills of Indian architects were rapidly improving, and that clients could start outsourcing 鈥渓ower value or regularised鈥� parts of their business to Indian architects.

The quality is increasing quickly. Very shortly, I can see them getting European jobs

Graham Cartledge, Benoy

Benoy, which is working on 40 projects in the country, already works with Indian architects who are employed by clients in the country as executive architects on buildings Benoy has designed. Retailer Tesco started using Indian QSs and architects for early project work last year.

Cartledge said: 鈥淭he quality is increasing quickly. Very shortly, I can see the industry giving them European jobs, the bits that are lower value or regularised.鈥�

However, Cartledge, who is on the UK India Business Council, said there were 鈥渧ast鈥� amounts of work for UK firms in what is now a 鈥渄ynamic, forward-thinking economy鈥�. According to analyst Global Construction Perspectives, India鈥檚 construction market is the world鈥檚 ninth largest, just above the UK, but has the second highest predicted growth over the next five years, at 9.6%.

Along with Balfour Beatty, Mott MacDonald and Arup, Cartledge was one of just four construction industry representatives on the trip. His company picked up three jobs with a fee value of 拢1.6m while in India. The firm may now try to import the skills learned from its Indian residential market to the UK.

Philip Dilley, chairman of Arup, said: 鈥淲e see India as a very interesting market where rapid growth and urbanisation will continue to provide us with plenty of opportunities.鈥�

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