Dr. Ms. Ponni M. Concessao, Principal Architect of Oscar & Ponni Architects, Chennai, did her B. Arch from National Institute of Technology, NIT, Trichy (1987) and was the first undergraduate women student admitted to NIT Trichy, later did her M. Arch, Cornell University (1989) and Advanced Professional Studies at Harvard University in 1992. She was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Modern Architecture in 2008 in Malaysia, and Universita of Milano for Modern Architecture and Architectural Science, 2014. She has worked with internationally renowned architectural firm Edward Larrabee Barnes in New York City on several skyscrapers, University campuses, and stadiums, before joining her husband in 1996 ushering on an era of diverse award-winning projects from institutions, technology parks, apartments, and shopping malls to hospitality luxury apartments, shopping malls, townships, corporate offices, educational institutions, hospitals, and luxury villas.
She has won more than 124 International, National and State awards for architecture, interior designs and has been widely published in design magazines and newspapers. Architect Ponni received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the National Institute of Technology for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations from his Excellency the former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Ponni was recently awarded the Women Icons of Asia 2019 in Singapore along with 11 women from Asian nations. Ponni & Oscar are involved in the Prime Minister's Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana project and also built noon-meal centers, toilets for underprivileged girl students as well as schools for leprosy afflicted patients' children. Ponni also has annual exhibitions of her paintings to raise funds for Leprosy Eradication.