Origin Formal education John Begg, consulting architect for the Government of India, observed a shortage of architectural professionals in the country. To address this, he started a technical course in
architectural drafting at
Sir J.J. School of Art in
Bombay (present-day
Mumbai). This course extended architectural drafting training to Indian students. In 1907, the Government began granting a Draftsman’s Certificate upon completion, allowing graduates to work as drafters in the Drawing Offices of the Public Works Department. As the number of private architectural firms in India grew, so did the demand for fully trained architects. In response,
Claude Batley, principal architect at the prominent Bombay-based firm Gregson, Batley & King, collaborated with Professor Robert William Cable to expand the curriculum into a comprehensive five-year professional diploma program. Later, Henry Foster King, Claude Batley's partner at Gregson, Batley & King, took over as head of the department.
Student association During Henry Foster King’s tenure in 1917, newly graduated students of Department of Architecture at
Sir J.J. School of Art and their instructors formed the Architectural Students' Association.
George Wittet was elected as first president of the association.
Professional association As the number of members practicing as architects increased, the Architectural Students' Association was renamed the Bombay Architectural Association in 1922. The association was reorganized with changes in its constitution and bye-laws. In 1925, the Bombay Architectural Association gained affiliation with
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). In 1929, the association was renamed as the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) and registered as a society under the
Societies Registration Act. == Membership ==