In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a mall wasn’t just a mall. It was a destination, a family event, a window into India’s emerging urban aspirations. And in the heart of south Delhi, Ansal Plaza stood at the centre of it all — the first shopping mall in NCR, a glossy, semi-circular marvel that brought together families, couples, fashion, food, and festivity under one gleaming roof.
Today, that roof leaks when it rains.
The escalators — once a thrilling novelty for children and a marker of modernity — are mostly broken. Plaster peels from once-grand walls. On a recent monsoon afternoon, shuttered storefronts lined echoing corridors as a handful of college students wandered the skeletal halls in search of an open café or just a quiet corner.
“I used to spend hours at Shoppers Stop while my husband browsed cassettes at Planet M and the kids played outside in the open-air area. Later, we’d sit together at McDonald’s,” said Rachna Tiwari, a long-time resident of Safdarjung Enclave in her 50s. “Two and a half decades later, the mall is a ghost town.”
Built in 1999, Ansal Plaza wasn’t just a shopping centre — it was Delhi’s initiation into mall culture. Its amphitheatre hosted concerts, the glass elevator was a local wonder, and families flocked to outlets like Marks & Spencer, Pizza Hut, and McDonald’s, making it the preferred weekend haunt for not only residents of south Delhi, but something people came to see from across the town.
“I have such fond memories,” Tiwari added. “It was never a dull weekend there. Half the stores are shut now. The parking feels unsafe, especially if you’re alone.”
“I, like many other Delhiites, have such fond memories here. We celebrated our son’s birthdays. I remember my son loved going up and down the glass lift, which was such a unique feature at the time,” Tiwari said.
A mall, a memory
On weekends during its heyday, crowds spilled across the circular atrium. People queued for tables, for rides in the elevator, for a glimpse of Delhi’s shiny new consumer future. But time hasn’t been kind.
When HT visited on July 22, the escalators were under repair. Water dripped from the ceilings after each downpour. The skeletal structure beneath its once-sleek façade was plainly visible.
Once a space filled with laughter and joy, its long winding corridors only carry echoes. Once filled with colour, the mall lies gloomy and grey today.
“We get around 10 customers a day — mostly loyal, long-time ones,” said Gopal Patwal, a store manager at Meena Bazaar, one of the last surviving retail stores inside. “New customers? There aren’t any. It’s too empty outside.”
On the same floor, staffers at a recently opened tea boutique try to stay optimistic. The store opened two months ago and its staff said they are hoping a “revival” is in the offing. “We opened two small stores here. The crowd is not much, but we have a niche clientele,” a staffer said.
Revival attempt
But it’s not like officials haven’t tried to revive it.
In 2016, in a bid to revive the mall’s fortunes, Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Ltd invested over ₹10 crore in a redevelopment plan.
The plan was ambitious — new rooftop restaurants, aesthetic redesigns, expanded parking, and 16 new brands, including the French sporting goods giant Decathlon. A multiplex was briefly planned but dropped.
For a brief moment, crowds trickled in again, curious about the buzz.
Despite the new attractions, a combination of poor execution, patchy mix of tenants and the pandemic, brought the redevelopment work to a grinding halt.
“There was initial buzz and I remember events would be planned at the amphitheatre outside. Youngsters even came to make reels. But the mall needed more options, both food and retail outlets,” said Rahul Rathore, who works at Limitless, a rooftop bar and restaurant.
“Only around a hundred people visit this section of the mall every day, that too, only for these handful restaurants and pubs that are functional,” Rathore said.
He has been working at the mall for eight years and previously worked at another outlet which has shut down. “After Covid-19, nearly 30-40% of the stores shut down. That was a real blow.”
The company operating the mall – API Ltd – is facing allegations of financial mismanagement and failure to meet its debt obligations. As per its website, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ordered the start of insolvency proceedings on February 25, 2025. The tribunal has appointed Navneet Kumar Gupta as the interim resolution professional (IRP). HT reached out to Pranav Ansal, API’s vice chairman and managing, directed that HT reach out to IRP — Gupta, refusing to comment further. Despite queries to Gupta, no response was received.
The mall also was the site of a shootout in November 2002, where two Pakistani militants were shot dead by a Delhi Police in shopping plaza’s parking lot.
Unsafe and unloved
“Women have told me how the parking area is unsafe, particularly at night. A couple of months ago, a worker’s bike got stolen from the parking lot. This tells you how bad the situation is,” he said, pointing to water dripping from the ceiling after a rain spell. “The AC never works. It feels stuffy inside,” Rathore said.
Over the years, several anchor brands have also moved out.
Decathlon’s exit last year was another major setback. “It had a steady audience. People would spend a sizable time at this outlet, buy products, and then sit around. It brought business,” Rathore said.
HT bumped into two customers who had also come looking for Decathlon.
Google Maps still listed Decathlon at Ansal Plaza. “We came from Cantonment, but the guard told us it had shut down,” said Bhim Thapa, a customer who arrived only to be disappointed.
In its place now stands The Game Palacio — a gaming arcade and dining space that offers a little contrast to the mall’s otherwise deserted surroundings. Opened two months ago, they too are hopeful of change. “Weekdays, you get a handful of customers. On weekends, you see up to 100 customers,” said Bhaskar Jeena, the manager at The Game Palacio.
During HT’s visit, most shops were shuttered while none of the escalators were functional. “Maintenance is a problem. But with limited footfall, one cannot expect much,” said a security guard, who has been working at the mall for two years. “Since I have been here, I have not seen the escalators function.”
Professor Sewa Ram from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) said the initial craze of having food and retail outlets under one roof has gradually faded as more malls have opened in the city. “We are seeing a shift in culture – some people prefer to go to thrift and flea markets. Ansal Plaza also doesn’t have a movie theatre, possibly a reason for lesser footfall,” Ram said.
Students from some nearby colleges still say it’s a nice spot to spend their breaks. “We sometimes come here for the open green space behind the mall, or to grab a bite at McDonald’s. I have not seen how the mall used to be in its early days. I have only seen it like this,” said Aakriti Mathur, 21, a student at Gargi College, only a few hundred metres away.
“This was our hangout spot in college. I’ve so many memories here — I remember watching live concerts, eating momos on the steps,” said Priya Ahuja, 39, who now brings her daughter to eat at Seoul, one of the few restaurants still pulling crowds.
As the city expands and newer malls pop up, complete with cinemas, food courts and entertainment zones. But for those who remember, Ansal Plaza was more than just a shopping centre. It was an idea of Delhi — ambitious, modern, and open to all.