SN Gupta & Co has hired Planning Commission consultant Rashi Anand Suri as a partner to start up the firm's infrastructure and projects practice.

Suri will be based at the firm's Delhi office from 10 January 2010.

She said: "My initial time would largely be based on business development and my first focus would be to get in work for the firm. Going forward, once we've got sufficient focus, the focus would be to build up a team."

She explained that a team of existing non-infrastructure lawyers and support staff would be assisting her in projects work until a dedicated team became necessary.

"Let's see what the response is," she added. "There's already a lot competition in the market."

Since December 2007 she was legal consultant to the Secretariat for Infrastructure in the Planning Commission, where she worked on policies related to public-private partnerships (PPPs) and monitoring the progress of key infrastructure projects.

She first qualified as a lawyer in 1999, starting her career at Titus & Co.

Mumbai managing partner Rajesh Narain Gupta said: "Infrastructure is one area that India lacks and a lot of developments are taking place."

SN Gupta counts a number of banks as its long-standing clients and Gupta said that many had "large commitments" in the practice area and indicated that they would instruct the firm if it developed the capacity.

"A lot of foreign players are looking at the infrastructure space in India and it is one area that even banks and institutions are putting lots of money in," he added.

"Plus a couple of foreign law firms in overseas markets are willing to share information and knowledge with us where required."

In November 2009 SN Gupta started up an M&A and corporate practice in Mumbai, diversifying from its original banking roots.