CRCI was founded in 1996 by conservation architect Gurmeet S. Rai. Their vision is to preserve and promote India’s cultural heritage with active community participation. One of CRCI’s early projects was a comprehensive listing of historic buildings and sites across the state of Punjab.

CRCI consistently tries to harmonize the imperatives of heritage conservation with the historic and current realities of the site. Towards this end, they work in participation with communities to develop appropriate strategies for conservation in both rural and urban areas.

CRCI follows an interdisciplinary method and works in close association with environmental, financial and urban planners, as well as social scientists to bridge the gap between heritage conservation and development concerns.
CRCI has extensive experience working in partnership with local, national and global institutions ranging from panchayats, district administrations and municipal corporations, to national and international bodies like ASI, INTACH, UNESCO and UNDP.