The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Northern Chapter, held its First General Body Meeting (GBM) for the 2026–2028 term on September 19, 2026, at the India Islamic Cultural Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. The meeting marked the formal beginning of a new chapter term and brought together members to review the previous term, present the new leadership’s vision and discuss the way forward for the profession and the chapter.
The GBM also came at the conclusion of the IIA’s wider 2026–28 election process, which saw elections conducted for the National Council, Chapters, Centres and Sub-Centres across the country.
Reviewing the Previous Term
The meeting began with confirmation of the minutes of the previous GBM, followed by a report on the activities undertaken by the Northern Chapter during the 2023–25 term.
According to the presentation made at the meeting, the chapter conducted approximately 15 chapter activities, in addition to around 10 external representations. These included professional programmes, student interactions, architecture-related events, competitions and collaborations with allied organisations.
The chapter also reported collaborations and MoUs with organisations including BMTPC and GRIHA, while discussions were underway with other professional and industry bodies.
An important achievement highlighted during the meeting was the Northern Chapter’s representation at the national level, with outgoing Chairman Ar. Ashish Gupta having been elected as a Joint Honorary Secretary of the IIA at the national level. The chapter leadership said this would provide the Northern Chapter with a stronger voice in national-level professional matters.
The GBM subsequently took up the audited accounts for the financial years 2024–25 and 2025–26. The financial presentation indicated that the chapter’s corpus had increased marginally during the term, while efforts were being made to strengthen future revenue streams.
New Leadership for the Northern Chapter
The IIA’s official election results for the term 2026–28 show that the Northern Chapter leadership was elected unopposed.
Ar. Archana Khanna has been elected Chairperson, with Ar. Rohit Jain as Vice Chairperson and Ar. Avanindra Batra as Hon. Treasurer. The Joint Honorary Secretaries are Ar. Harish Tripathi and Ar. Rajiv Biala. The Executive Committee comprises Amit Sharma, Amrita Madan, Anurag Bansal, Anura Bhardwaj, Geetika Sethi, Manoj Jain, Mohit Manchanda, Sharad Kumar Chopra, Sujata Chatterjee Hingorani and Tarun Wadhwa.
The election result records all these positions as “elected unopposed.”
During the GBM, the transition to the new leadership was formally acknowledged. The proceedings also noted that Archana Khanna is the first woman to serve as Chairperson of the Northern Chapter, marking a significant development in the chapter’s leadership history.
Seven-Part Vision for 2026–28
The new leadership presented a broad vision for the 2026–28 term, organised around several areas of professional and institutional engagement.
A major focus is connect and collaboration. The proposed initiatives include stronger engagement with young architects, students, senior architects, professionals, institutions, industry and communities. The chapter also intends to strengthen institutional membership and create more opportunities for student participation.
Research and publication emerged as another important priority. The leadership discussed reviving the chapter’s publication activities and undertaking research that can contribute directly to architectural practice and professional knowledge. The presentation referred to earlier research publications produced through the chapter’s collaboration with BMTPC.
The new team also proposed developing signature programmes and events for the Northern Chapter, while continuing strategic collaborations with industry and professional organisations. The vision includes professional meets, exhibitions, conferences and other programmes that can provide the chapter with a stronger independent identity.
Another area of emphasis is community engagement and support for young architects. The leadership discussed increasing the chapter’s interaction with communities and creating more opportunities for younger members of the profession.
IIA Elections 2026–28: A Revised Schedule
The Northern Chapter’s new leadership is part of the larger IIA election cycle for 2026–28. The election process covered the IIA National Council, Chapters, Centres and Sub-Centres.
The official election schedule began with the preparation of voter lists and nomination procedures during June and July 2026. The Northern Chapter was among the chapters included in the election process.
The election schedule subsequently underwent a revision. On August 28, 2026, IIA announced that the awaited STQC report had been received and that the election process would resume. Under the revised schedule, e-voting was conducted from September 1 at 6:00 a.m. to September 3 at 5:00 p.m., followed by counting and declaration of results on September 4 at 10:30 a.m.
The election process had earlier been postponed, with IIA stating that the STQC certification was awaited. The originally scheduled August 19–21 e-voting process was consequently deferred, along with the earlier scheduled GBM.
National Council Results
The September 4 results also established the new IIA National Council leadership for 2026–28. The published result records Ar. Jitendra Mehta as President, Ar. Akshaya Kumar Beuria as Vice President and B. Sudhir as Hon. Treasurer. Shilpa Sharma, Ashish Gupta and Bawdekar Sandeep M. were elected as Joint Hon. Secretaries.
The national results formed an important backdrop to the Northern Chapter’s own transition, particularly as the chapter had highlighted its increasing participation in national-level IIA affairs during the GBM.
From Election to a New Term
The September 19 GBM thus represented more than a routine organisational meeting. It brought together three important developments for the Northern Chapter: the conclusion of the 2026–28 election process, the formal transition to a new leadership and the presentation of a programme for the next two years.
With Archana Khanna taking charge as Chairperson, the Northern Chapter enters the new term with an agenda centred on professional collaboration, research, publications, membership participation, young architects, industry engagement and community outreach.
The emphasis placed during the GBM on building stronger connections within and beyond the profession suggests that the chapter’s activities during the 2026–28 term will extend across professional practice, education, research, industry and community engagement.
For the Northern Chapter, the new term therefore begins with both continuity and change—building on the programmes and collaborations of the previous term while seeking to establish new platforms through which architects can participate in professional dialogue and contribute to the wider built environment discourse.
TheAPN Team attended the IIA Northern Chapter GBM to bring its key developments, leadership updates and professional discussions to a wider audience through responsible journalism.
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