Who’s who: The 3rd PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (India) independent panel of expert judges

The industry’s biggest minds gather annually to evaluate the premier candidates of the property sector

Since the PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards expanded its series to India three years ago, the programme has achieved its mission to reward real estate leaders that showcase commitment to improving the built environment, catering to the evolving needs of its users, serving the communities around them, and ensuring minimal carbon footprint for the good of the environment. 

With a primary mission to honour excellence in real estate, the Awards has served as a quality benchmark for property seekers and investors across the globe. 

To ensure that the programme showcases only the highest of standards, we appoint the biggest minds of the industry to gather and evaluate the accomplishments of the candidates. The independent panel of judges – who devote their time and expertise for free – guarantees that the credibility, fairness, and transparency of the Awards are upheld throughout the process. 

Here are the highly respected judging panel of the 3rd PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (India): 

Amit Khanna

The Founder and Managing Director of transaction advisory and multi-family office firm Phoenix Advisers holds the great honour of being the Chairperson of the independent panel of judges since the launch of PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (India) in 2020.  

His more than 20 years of experience as an adviser, business leader, entrepreneur, and investor, as well as in-depth know-how in real estate development and investments, large corporates and family offices, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt investments, make him the most capable to lead the prestigious panel. 

Ajai A Kapoor 

Ajai has been a valued member of the judging panel for three years. His profound understanding of the sector as an engineer, realtor, and Chief Executive Officer of real estate services firm 360 Degrees, along with his two decades of mastery in the residential, commercial, and retail sectors have proven to be quite an asset as a judge. 

Avinash Khater 

As the Founder and Chairman of The Real Estate Kings, an association of Mumbai’s top realtors, Avinash has a great advantage of knowledge sharing with his peers and keeping up to date with the sector. He has been a member of the panel since 2020 and has since then provided critical insights to his fellow judges. 

Jitender Girdhar FRICS, FAIQS 

Jitender has been a respected judge since Awards inception. He serves as the Managing Partner and Director at construction consulting company Qonqests Technical Solutions and Co-Founder and Director of virtual design and construction consulting firm VDC Technologies. His involvement in both businesses enables him to deliver more distinct feedback to projects during the assessment of entries. 

Madhav Raman 

Having been with the programme since the expansion in India, this Co-Founder of award-winning multi-disciplinary firm Anagram Architects imparts his all-encompassing design wisdom when it comes to evaluating the design, materials used, and sustainable solutions implemented within a project. From 2014 until 2020, his firm has been named among the most influential South Asian designers by Architectural Digest. 

More: 2022 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (India) launches in revitalised property market, nominations open

Mallika Desai Thakker 

Mallika, the Co-Founder and Creative Head of design studio Vibe Design Lab, has been an integral member of the judging panel since 2020. Her creativity, design prowess, and vast experience in residential, commercial, and retail properties add a layer of design scrutiny, encouraging entrants to pursue higher standards each year. 

Shradha Mithal 

Resettle Destination Services’ Managing Director and PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards (India) Judge Shradha has appraised candidates and their projects in a unique way for the past three years. Her background in managing real estate portfolios for the privately-owned and –operated mobility company enables her to perceive developments and solutions from a more user-friendly angle.  

The values of the Awards programme have remained steadfast throughout these years, thanks to the judges’ dedication and adherence to stringent policies that guarantee unbiased results. As an added layer of transparency, Awards’ Official Supervisor HLB, an award-winning global network of auditing and accountancy firms, oversees the judging process from start to finish to ensure that all parties involved remain fair and impartial. 

Find out more about the judging process at asiapropertyawards.com/judging-process/