PMC for Redevelopment in Mumbai: Role, Scope and Responsibilities

The PMC is often the first professional a Mumbai society appoints after deciding to explore redevelopment. That makes the appointment unusually important. Before a developer is selected, the PMC can shape the numbers members use to judge every offer: development potential, rehabilitation area, tender conditions, bidder eligibility and the commercial comparison.

A weak PMC can create a weak tender. A weak tender can create incomparable bids. And incomparable bids can make an attractive headline offer look better than a safer, more financeable proposal.

For the full project sequence around the PMC's work, see Society Redevelopment Process in Mumbai: Step-by-Step from Resolution to Possession.

What Maharashtra's 2019 redevelopment directions actually say about the PMC

The 4 July 2019 Government Resolution issued under Section 79A of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act is the main procedural reference for cooperative housing society redevelopment in Maharashtra.

At the initial stage, the directions contemplate the managing committee obtaining quotations from at least three eligible architects / Project Management Consultants before the redevelopment Special General Body Meeting. The meeting then selects the Architect/PMC and determines the work, terms and conditions.

After selection, the secretary is to issue the appointment letter within 30 days, and the society is to execute an agreement with the Architect/PMC on the terms approved by the General Body.

The directions then identify the PMC's early work:

• survey the society building and land;
• obtain information concerning conveyance / transfer of the society land;
• consider the applicable rules of MHADA, SRA or the municipal authority depending on ownership and the project;
• obtain information on available FSI and TDR;
• consider member suggestions and requirements for residential/commercial area, open space, garden, parking and construction specifications;
• prepare a realistic project report;
• submit that report to the managing committee within the period contemplated by the directions;
• assist with the tender draft;
• scrutinise developer bids and prepare a comparative statement covering quality, reputation, experience, competitive rate and other relevant factors.

The 2026 Bombay High Court position: appointment process matters, but the GR is not a rigid invalidation code

A 24 August 2026 Bombay High Court decision involving Dudhsagar Co-operative Housing Society is particularly relevant to PMC appointments. The Court recorded the 2019 framework requiring quotations, selection of the Architect/PMC in the SGBM, an appointment letter within 30 days and an agreement. It also reiterated the current judicial position that the 2019 GR is directory rather than a rigid mandatory code where every procedural lapse automatically invalidates redevelopment.

That does not mean societies should take shortcuts. It means the legal consequence of a defect depends on the facts, the society's resolutions, fraud or misrepresentation, prejudice to members and any statutory prohibition. The safer commercial approach is still to run a transparent appointment process and preserve the record.

The same 2026 litigation also shows why the PMC's planning assumptions matter. A dispute arose around the development regime and eco-sensitive-zone position presented during redevelopment. Members should therefore insist that every material planning assumption in the feasibility report is sourced, dated and capable of independent verification.

PMC vs architect vs lawyer vs committee: who does what?

The strongest projects keep these roles separate enough to create checks and balances. The PMC may coordinate closely with the society's lawyer and CA, but a technical consultant should not be expected to issue legal opinions simply because the same firm offers a broad “end-to-end” package.

Phase 1: property survey and feasibility

The first serious PMC deliverable should be an auditable feasibility report. It is the society's baseline before developers start offering extra area, corpus or amenities.

A Mumbai feasibility exercise should ordinarily address:

• plot area and property-card / title data supplied by the society;
• conveyance, lease or land-authority status, coordinated with the society's advocate;
• existing sanctioned plans and building records where available;
• existing member carpet-area schedule;
• applicable DCPR 2034 route and any MHADA/SRA/other authority overlay;
• basic and permissible FSI assumptions;
• TDR / fungible / premium components where applicable;
• road width, reservations, setbacks and other planning constraints;
• rehabilitation area, common areas, parking and amenity assumptions;
• likely sale component under the assumed scheme;
• indicative cost and project-economics logic sufficient to test whether developer offers are plausible;
• known approval risks and unresolved dependencies.

Every important assumption should identify its source. A sentence such as “3.0 FSI is available” is not enough unless members can see why, under which regulation, with which conditions and whether any premium/TDR purchase is required.

What a feasibility report should not do

It should not quietly turn a best-case planning interpretation into a guaranteed entitlement. It should distinguish between:

• rights clearly available today;
• rights available only if conditions are satisfied;
• rights subject to authority approval or concession;
• commercial assumptions made for comparison;
• issues requiring legal or title confirmation.

Phase 2: convert the feasibility into a tender that developers can actually price

The PMC's tender function is more important than the formatting of the tender document. The purpose is to force developers to price the same redevelopment proposition so members can compare like with like.

The 2019 directions contemplate keeping either carpet area or corpus as a fixed, non-variable item while defining the remaining technical terms and inviting competitive offers. The deeper principle is comparability.

A strong tender should define:

• verified member schedule and existing areas;
• minimum rehabilitation carpet area or the agreed commercial fixed parameter;
• transit rent, escalation, deposit and shifting requirements;
• bank guarantee / security expectations;
• construction period and delay compensation;
• parking and common amenities;
• material specifications;
• member options for additional purchased area;
• tax/stamp/registration responsibilities;
• developer eligibility and experience requirements;
• financial-capacity information to be submitted;
• RERA track record and disclosed litigation;
• how deviations from the tender must be identified.

Phase 3: scrutinise developers rather than merely tabulate offers

The GR expressly places bid scrutiny and comparative analysis within the PMC's role. That should go beyond copying numbers into Excel.

The comparison should separate at least four categories:

The PMC should identify the exact bidder that will sign the Development Agreement. A familiar brand name is not enough if the contracting entity is a new or lightly capitalised special-purpose company.

Recent Bombay High Court redevelopment cases repeatedly show how financial capacity, bidder qualifications and the society's commercial judgment can become litigation points. A clean comparative report should therefore preserve both the data and the reasoning presented to members.

Phase 4: support the developer-selection SGBM without taking over the decision

The PMC should prepare the comparative presentation, explain technical differences, answer member questions and identify deviations or qualifications in each bid. It can recommend how to evaluate the proposals.

But the PMC should not become the decision-maker. The developer selection belongs to the society's General Body under the applicable process. This distinction matters because members—not the consultant—will ultimately bear the contractual consequences.

Best practice is for the meeting material to show:

• the original tender requirement;
• each bidder's offered term;
• any deviation from tender;
• the PMC's technical comment;
• the lawyer's legal comment where necessary;
• the financial adviser's comment where necessary;
• the final negotiated / no-regret offer separately from the first offer.

Phase 5: technical support during Development Agreement and PAAA negotiations

The lawyer drafts and negotiates the legal documents, but the PMC has an important technical role in ensuring the agreements accurately capture the commercial and physical offer selected by members.

The PMC can help verify schedules covering:

• RERA carpet area and member-unit schedule;
• parking commitments;
• amenities and material specifications;
• plan / floor-allocation principles;
• construction milestones;
• technical conditions precedent;
• sanctioned-plan changes and permitted deviations;
• inspection and quality-control rights;
• handover documentation and warranties.

The society should avoid a gap where the tender contains detailed technical promises but the executed Development Agreement refers only to a vague “developer's standard specifications.”

Phase 6: approvals and design review

Whether approval coordination is included depends on the PMC agreement. For a full-scope appointment, the PMC should maintain an approval matrix showing each required submission, authority, status, date, condition and dependency.

In Mumbai that can involve BMC Building Proposal and, depending on the property, MHADA, SRA, Collector, MMRDA, MCZMA or other authorities. The PMC should distinguish:

• proposal submitted;
• scrutiny comments received;
• comments complied with;
• IOD / development-permission milestone;
• Commencement Certificate stage;
• amended plan approvals;
• Occupation Certificate / lawful occupation stage.

Members should not receive a generic statement such as “approval is in process” for six months. A competent PMC should be able to show the exact pending approval item and who must close it.

For the IOD stage specifically, see What Is IOD in Redevelopment? Meaning, Timing and Why It Matters in Mumbai.

Phase 7: construction monitoring—only if the contract actually includes it

Many societies assume a PMC appointed at the start will automatically supervise construction until possession. That is unsafe. The initial appointment may cover only feasibility and developer selection, or it may provide full lifecycle services. The agreement should say which.

If the PMC is retained through construction, the scope can include:

• review of approved-for-construction drawings;
• baseline construction programme and critical milestones;
• site inspections at defined frequency;
• quality-control checklists;
• review of concrete / material test reports;
• measurement or certification functions where expressly appointed;
• tracking structural, architectural and MEP progress;
• monthly progress report to the society;
• review of plan changes affecting member areas or amenities;
• defect and non-conformance tracking;
• pre-possession snagging and handover assistance;
• collection of warranties, as-built drawings, manuals and approval records.

How should a society appoint a PMC?

The statutory guidance gives the process framework; the society still has to choose intelligently within it.

1. Define the scope before asking for fees.
   Decide whether you want feasibility only, tendering through developer selection, or end-to-end services through possession.
2. Ask comparable PMCs to price the same scope.
   A ₹5 lakh quote and a ₹20 lakh quote mean nothing if the deliverables are different.
3. Identify the actual team.
   Ask who will personally handle planning, tendering, structural review, MEP, quantity/cost review and site supervision.
4. Verify completed projects and difficult projects.
   Do not review only glossy completed towers. Ask about delayed, disputed or changed-regulation projects.
5. Check Mumbai-specific planning competence.
   The team should be able to explain the proposed DCPR route, FSI/TDR assumptions and authority path for your specific property.
6. Require conflict disclosure.
   All current relationships, referral fees or prior business with likely developers should be disclosed.
7. Approve the appointment and written agreement properly.
   The agreement should match the scope and terms actually approved by members.

What should the PMC agreement contain?

How should PMC fees be structured?

There is no single statutory PMC fee for Mumbai redevelopment. Market engagements use different structures, including:

• fixed lump-sum fee for feasibility and tender stage;
• phase-wise fees;
• monthly retainer during construction;
• percentage of construction/project cost for broader services;
• hybrid models.

The society should compare total expected fee for the full project duration, not only the initial appointment amount.

Fee structure can also create incentives. A percentage of project cost can rise as the project becomes more expensive. A success fee linked to appointing a developer can create pressure to complete selection. Neither structure is automatically wrong, but the incentive should be understood and disclosed.

PMC red flags a Mumbai society should not ignore

• the PMC arrives with a preferred developer before feasibility is complete;
• developer referral or commission arrangements are not disclosed;
• the feasibility report gives FSI/TDR numbers without regulatory basis;
• the same consultant claims to provide final legal, tax, architectural, structural and valuation opinions without clearly identified qualified professionals;
• the tender is drafted around one developer's proposal rather than a common comparison basis;
• bid scoring criteria change after offers are opened;
• the PMC refuses to provide its working comparative spreadsheet/report to the society;
• the people presented during selection are not the people assigned to the project;
• construction supervision is described only as “periodic visits”;
• the consultant will not disclose how it is paid by any developer, contractor, broker or vendor;
• the agreement gives the PMC broad authority to commit the society without defined approvals;
• project files are maintained only on the consultant's private email/WhatsApp rather than in a society-controlled record.

12 questions to ask before appointing a PMC

1. Which regulation do you expect our site to redevelop under?
   Ask for the assumptions, not just the headline FSI.
2. What title or conveyance information do you need before feasibility?
   The answer should show coordination with legal counsel.
3. Who will prepare and sign our feasibility report?
   Know the actual professional, not only the company name.
4. Which Mumbai redevelopment projects have you taken from feasibility to possession?
   Ask for society references.
5. Which of your projects faced delays or disputes?
   A credible consultant should be able to discuss difficult work.
6. How will you normalise developer bids?
   Look for a defined comparison method.
7. How do you assess developer financial capacity?
   Ask whether group-company numbers are separated from bidder-entity numbers.
8. What relationships do you have with likely bidders?
   Get the answer in writing.
9. Exactly what work continues after developer selection?
   Do not assume approvals or construction supervision are included.
10. What will members receive every month during construction?
    Ask for a sample progress-report format.
11. Who owns all project documents and working files?
    The society should retain its redevelopment record.
12. What happens if we terminate your appointment?
    Require orderly handover and no data lock-in.

Why the PMC should work inside a society-controlled information system

The PMC generates some of the most important project records: feasibility versions, tender drafts, comparative statements, meeting presentations, approval trackers, progress reports, plan revisions and snag lists.

If those records live only in one consultant's laptop, WhatsApp account or email inbox, the society does not truly control its redevelopment history.

A structured redevelopment portal can keep the working relationship cleaner:

• approved PMC scope and agreement in one place;
• feasibility report version history;
• member comments and responses;
• tender and bidder-document repository;
• developer comparison and final-offer record;
• approval tracker;
• monthly construction reports;
• role-based access for sensitive technical or commercial documents;
• AI-assisted retrieval so members can ask questions without searching folders.

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of a PMC in society redevelopment?

The PMC is the society's technical/project adviser. The 2019 Maharashtra directions identify survey, conveyance information, FSI/TDR assessment, project report, tendering and bid comparison as important early responsibilities. The society may contract for a wider scope through approvals and construction.

Is a PMC compulsory for redevelopment in Mumbai?

The 2019 redevelopment directions expressly contemplate appointment of an Architect/PMC as part of the standard cooperative-housing-society process. Current Bombay High Court decisions treat the 2019 GR as directory rather than a rigid code where every procedural lapse automatically invalidates redevelopment. Societies should obtain project-specific legal advice rather than interpreting that case law as a reason to dispense with competent technical advice.

How many PMC quotations should the society obtain?

The 4 July 2019 directions contemplate at least three quotations from eligible architects / PMCs before the initial redevelopment SGBM, followed by selection in the meeting and a written appointment agreement.

Can the PMC negotiate with developers?

Yes, if the society authorises that function. The PMC can clarify tender terms, normalise offers and support negotiations. Material changes to the selected commercial package should be transparently documented and taken through the society's required approval process.

Can the developer pay the society's PMC fee?

Any developer-funded consultancy arrangement creates an obvious conflict issue that should be disclosed and independently reviewed. If the PMC is meant to advise the society, the society should understand who actually pays, who can terminate the consultant and whether the consultant has any other commercial relationship with bidders.

Should a PMC verify title?

The PMC can collect conveyance/title information needed for feasibility, as contemplated by the 2019 directions, but the society's advocate should give the legal title opinion and advise on conveyance, encumbrances and legal defects.

Should the PMC supervise construction until possession?

Only if the contract says so. A full-scope PMC may supervise construction, quality and handover, but an appointment limited to feasibility/tendering may end after developer selection. The society should define the post-selection scope before appointment.

Authoritative sources and further reading

1. Government of Maharashtra — 4 July 2019 redevelopment directions under Section 79A.
2. SDAD Space Design and Development Pvt. Ltd. v. Mukund Vaman Patankar & Ors., Bombay High Court, 24 August 2026.
3. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai — Development Control and Promotion Regulations 2034.
4. Rudh Systems — Society Redevelopment Process in Mumbai.
5. Rudh Systems — Section 79A Redevelopment in Maharashtra.