Adani Group ahead in Writers’ Buildings restoration race
Times of India | 8 September 2026
Kolkata: The Adani Group has emerged as the frontrunner for the proposed restoration and reimagining of Writers’ Buildings, with a team from the conglomerate already conducting a preliminary assessment of the sprawling heritage structure.
PWD chief engineer and his team, accompanied by Sanjay Thade, a retired IAS officer and adviser to the Adani Group, inspected the building to assess its present condition, structural issues and the likely scope of restoration. The inspection is expected to form the basis of a detailed restoration proposal.
According to state govt sources, CM Suvendu Adhikari had requested the Adani Group to undertake the renovation and reimagining of Writers’, with the aim of restoring its heritage character and administrative grandeur.
A preliminary assessment has indicated that the restoration could cost Rs 100-120 crore, which the Adani Group may consider funding under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, sources said.
The move comes against the backdrop of the BJP govt’s stated intention to bring the state administration back to Writers’ Buildings. Soon after coming to power, the govt expressed its desire to restore the iconic building as the nerve centre of Bengal’s administration. However, an initial inspection found large portions of the building in poor condition, requiring extensive restoration before it could function as the state secretariat again.
Writers’ Buildings ceased to be the principal seat of the state govt in 2013, when the then Trinamool govt shifted the secretariat to Nabanna. The move was initially described as a temporary arrangement, with the administration expected to return to Writers’ after restoration. But 13 years later, Nabanna continues to house the state secretariat, while restoration work at Writers’ has progressed slowly.
The proposed intervention, however, will have to balance restoration with stringent heritage conservation requirements. Writers’ is not merely a govt office but one of Kolkata’s most significant heritage landmarks. Its historic character, facade and original architectural elements cannot be altered in the name of modernisation.
Administrative sources said any restoration would require the necessary statutory approvals and consultations with conservation and architectural experts. If the Adani Group’s proposal is accepted, the project will have to adhere to heritage conservation norms, they said.
For decades after Independence, Writers’ served as the administrative headquarters of the state. The 5.5-lakh-sq-ft complex once housed 34 departments and around 6,000 employees, making it one of the largest administrative complexes in the state.
The Adani Group has previously undertaken a heritage-related project in Kolkata. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, in an agreement with the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority, has taken up the restoration of Kumartuli Ghat and the adjoining riverfront at an estimated cost of around Rs 10 crore.
The project covers nearly 300 metres of riverfront between Kumartuli and Chhapatala and includes conservation of old structures and temples, strengthening of the riverbank, a walkway, lighting and public amenities. Architect Anjan Mitra has designed the project.