SRDC likely to be renamed as Indraprastha Virasat Redevelopment Corporation

Delhi government plans to rename Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation to Indraprastha Virasat Redevelopment Corporation to honor Old Delhi's heritage.

New Delhi: The Delhi government is likely to rename Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) – the body tasked with protecting and restoring the heritage of Old Delhi – as Indraprastha Virasat Redevelopment Corporation, officials said on Tuesday.

The decision follows a review meeting on March 13, chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, after which she announced the government’s plan to rename SRDC. (Representative photo)

The decision follows a review meeting on March 13, chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, after which she announced the government’s plan to rename SRDC.

“The SRDC board decided to rename the body as Indraprastha Virasat Redevelopment Corporation. The new name will be registered with the Registrar of Companies,” said an official.

Earlier this month, HT reported that the government was considering three names for SRDC – Indraprastha Virasat Punarsthaapana Nigam, Indraprastha Dharohar Sanrakshan Evam Vikas Parishad, and Indraprastha Punarutthan Parishad.

In November 2025, during a corporation meeting, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk, Praveen Khandelwal, suggested the organisation should be rebuilt from the ground up and proposed alternative names such as “Indraprastha Redevelopment Corporation” and “Chandni Chowk Redevelopment Corporation.”

The development also comes amid repeated demands – mostly from BJP leaders – to rename Delhi as Indraprastha.

Earlier this year, Khandelwal wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah requesting that Delhi be officially renamed Indraprastha, citing historical texts, archaeological findings, and traditions linking present-day Delhi to the ancient capital of the Pandavas, as described in the Mahabharata, an ancient Hindu epic, he said in the letter.

The demand was also raised by BJP MLA from Wazirpur, Poonam Sharma, during the Budget Session of the Delhi Assembly last month.

SRDC was established in 2008 by the Delhi government with the aim of protecting and restoring the Capital’s cultural and natural heritage. It brought together experts from history, architecture, and conservation to coordinate restoration work across heritage areas.

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