some stories don’t begin with grand plans they start with a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. For Ar. Divya Gupta, that feeling grew every time she worked in cities that were expanding fast but forgetting their relationship with nature. Raipur was one of them. Roads were getting wider, buildings taller, but green spaces were shrinking and the heat was rising. Instead of simply noticing it and moving on, she felt responsible to do something about it.
That is when PrakTattva slowly took shape. The name blends two Sanskrit words, Prakriti and Tattva, and reflects what she believes in design that respects natural elements rather than fights them. She wanted to build landscapes that actually solve problems, not just decorate empty corners of a project. Many people still saw landscaping as the final “finishing touch,” and that mindset became her biggest hurdle in the early days. She found herself explaining, again and again, why planning the land comes before everything else.
But Divya didn’t get discouraged. She kept showing real examples how proper drainage reduces waterlogging, how the right plants cool down a space, how natural slopes save money during construction. Slowly, clients began to understand the difference, and trust followed.
Over time, PrakTattva grew into a practice known for clarity and ecological thinking. Large developers and institutions started approaching her, not for beautification, but for solutions that help cities breathe better. Her research work and involvement in academics further strengthened her voice in the field.
What makes her story inspiring is not just the brand she built, but the patience and conviction behind it. Divya didn’t chase trends or shortcuts. She simply chose to honour the land and in doing so, built a purpose-driven practice that is quietly reshaping how Central India thinks about its future.
-MAHAK JAIN
