For many Indian women, the 1930s was a fundamental time, particularly in the political domain with their increasing participation in Independence movements.  The advent of the Art Deco style (then simply known as ‘modern’ or ‘style moderne’) in Bombay1  at the same time, ushered in a short-lived but significant era in Mumbai’s architectural and modern history. In 1936, the field of Indian architecture witnessed another landmark event – the professional qualification of the first Indian (and even Asian) woman architect, Perin J. Mistri (1913-1989).2 Yet, a retrospective look at the narrative of Indian architects reveals that women architects were rarely documented when compared to their male counterparts.

• 1. The name 'Bombay' is used in this article to refer to the period before its name change to ‘Mumbai’ in 1995.
• 2. Several sources call her ‘the first professionally qualified woman architect of India’ - the same is implied here by calling her the first woman architect of India. Some Indian newspaper articles also proclaim that she was the first woman architect in the whole of Asia.