We took to multi-storey apartments and soaring commercial blocks much before our counterparts, perhaps because of our peculiar island geography. Even scams involving high- rises are old hat here – Pratibha in Breach Candy was the Adarsh of the 1980s. But the city has found a new passion for the high life.

Almost 200 buildings over 20 storeys have been cleared for construction in the past six years, with most rising above 35 floors to some as high as 80 floors (known as supertalls). Many more high-rises await sanction, mostly in the suburbs. The new buildings are unprecedented in size and scale. Their construction has been facilitated by the opening up of large plots of formerly industrial land, government development bonanzas and, not least, the desire to look like a great global city.