Builders Take a Fancy to Names That Ring a Bell

In the sprawling suburbs of Bengaluru rises El Dorado, a city of gold in legends but now an upcoming township.

- Madhurima Nandy

For developer Brigade Group, which tagged its launch campaign as #StrikeGold, the name signals the rich potential of the project, the largest in the city's Bagalur special economic zone.

For India's top property developers, the art of naming a residential project has evolved from whimsical flourishes to calculated strategy.

Builders, once prone to exotic but meaningless monikers, are increasingly crafting titles that resonate with location, design, and target clientele. The transition reflects a maturing market, where Mumbai's Prestige Nautilus aims to signal status, while DLF's floral series, like The Dahlias, seeks to establish a recognizable brand.

"Naming a project involves intensely debated discussions. A project name needs to be a potential differentiator, describe the product or location and set the context. The best names are the ones rooted in the design of the project," said Smarajit Mishra, head of marketing and strategy at Brigade Group. Hence, Brigade Icon in Chennai's Mount Road because of its 'iconic location', and Brigade Altius (Latin for higher) that soars 43 floors high in the southern city.