Proposed Smart Cities of North India
With the efforts of the central government and various state governments being stepped up to create new smart cities in their states, various cities have emerged as potential smart cities. The state governments have created several new policies and are already working with a number of international organisations to promote a selected number of cities as smart cities. Here is a list of potential smart cities in north India.
Ajmer
Announced in September 2014.
Ajmer is a melting pot of religious diversities with important religious centres in the city. While there is the famous dargah of Khwajah Moinuddin Chisti within the city, Pushkar, which is famous for the Brahma temple and annual camel fair, lies just a few kilometers away from the city.
The city is also an important manufacturing trade hub in Rajasthan. Several industries including cotton, leather, woolen textiles, soap, pharmaceuticals, electronic components and and engineering. Krishnagarh near Ajmer is a key marble products hub.
Infrastructure includes the Ajmer railway junction that lies on the Jaipur-Ahmedabad line and the recently inaugurated Krishangarh Airport. The city is located near the Golden Quadrilateral NH-8. The Ajmer-Jaipur expressway is a 6-lane highway. The Krishangarh Airport is expected to begin operations in 2016.
Real estate
There are several residential houses and plots available in and around the city. There are a small number of apartments also available. Typical housing configurations include 2, 3 and 4BHK houses with average property rates in the range of Rs 2,900-5,600 per sq. ft. There are also few 5BHK houses available. Common apartment configurations are 2 and 3BHK apartments with average prices between Rs 2,300-3,600 per sq. ft. There are also a good number of residential plots available in the city.
Important Areas: Jaipur Road, Vaishali Nagar, Chandra Vardai Nagar, Pushkar Road, Adarsh Nagar
Varanasi
Announced in August 2014
Varanasi is an important cultural and heritage centre for a majority of the population in the country. The city is considered one of the holiest cities in the country where River Ganges flows. One may also call Varanasi the spiritual capital of the country. Varanasi is also considered one of the important centres of spiritual learning. The city is home to the famous Benaras Hindu University.
The key industries that drive the city’s economy are tourism and hospitality. Other important industries include manufacturing, mills, printing and publishing, and electrical machinery. Varanasi is currently being developed as a heritage smart city.
Real estate
There are several apartments that have come up in recent times in the city. Apart from that, there are several independent houses and residential plots in the city. Typical apartment configurations include 2 and 3BHK apartments. The approximate values are in the range of Rs 2,800-5,200 per sq. ft. One may find a variety of configurations when it comes to independent houses. Average property values are in the range of Rs 1,400-7,100 per sq. ft depending on the area. One may find a good number of residential plots in the outskirts of Varanasi.
Important areas: Parao, Shivpur, Paharia, Mahmurgunj, Sigra, Sarnath
Allahabad
Announced in September
Allahabad is an important historical centre in the state of Uttar Pradesh, dating all the way back to the Mahabharata times. It was an important capital for some time during the Mughal rule. Today, it has a number of research institutions, colleges and government offices. The famous Allahabad University is located here. Apart from these institutions, Allahabad also has a good biodiversity due to the prxomity of the Ganges River.
Allahabad city’s key drivers are the construction industry, agriculture, fishing and tourism. In fact, the city is an important agricultural hub in the country. The city is also home to glass and wire-based industries. The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd is currently constructing a 7-million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity refinery in the city. Few other major companies in the city include Food Corporation of India, Reliance Industries, Raymond Synthetucs, Steel Authority of India, IFFCO and HCL Technologies.
Real estate
Allahabad has a good number of apartments and residential plots. There are also a good number of independent houses and villas available here. Typical apartment configurations include 1 and 2BHK apartments with an average property value of Rs 2,600-4,300 per sq. ft. One may find different configurations of houses ranging from 1BHK up to 7BHK houses in the city. The average property values are in the range of Rs 2,300-6,300 per sq. ft.
Important areas: Jhalwa, Allahabad, Jhusi, Naini, Civil Lines, Kareli, Kalindipuram, Ashok Nagar
Faridabad
Faridabad is an important part of the National Capital Region, formed as an extension of Delhi. It is the largest city of in Haryana and is surrounded by Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida and Delhi. It is connected to other cities such as Mathura, Palwal and Agra via NH-2. Faridabad has well defined and well-planned residential and commercial sectors. The Yamuna River creates a border between Uttar Pradesh and Faridabad. The city has several railway stations. Greater Faridabad is a newly formed residential and industrial part of the city, and is being developed as a self-sustained sub-city, with malls, wide roads, tall buildings, commercial centres and educational institutions. There are plans of extending the Delhi metro to the city to ease travel between Faridabad and Delhi.
There are several national and multinational companies headquartered in the city. Some of them include ABB, Escorts, JCB, Yamaha, ACC, GoodYear At&T and Havell’s. The city also has the logistics base for the Indian Air Force.
Real estate
Faridabad is one of the fastest growing real estate markets in NCR. Faridabad sectors 75 to 89 are residential sectors. Greater Faridabad has a potential for developing world-class facilities. The most popular configurations in the city are 2, 3 and 4BHK apartments. The average property values in the city are in the range of Rs 3,000-9,600 per sq. ft. Greater Faridabad is more affordable and has superior facilities compared to Noida and Greater Noida. Some of the most common developers in the city are Emerald Home Developers Omaxe, BPTP Group and SRS Group.
Important areas: Neharpar (Greater Faridabad), Greenfield Colony, Charmwood Village, Suraj Kund
Bodh Gaya
Announced in September 2014
Similar to Varanasi, Bodh Gaya is an important religious, spiritual and heritage centre, situated in Bihar. It is famous as the place for Gautama Buddha got enlightened. As such, Bodh Gaya is the most important piligrimage centre for Buddhists. The Mahabodhi Temple here was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. The temple complex is located at a distance of about 110 km from Patna.
Gurgaon
Announced in August 2014
Gurgaon is the industrial part of Delhi. Popularly known as Millennium City, it lies at around 35 km from Delhi, in the state of Haryana. It is also included under the National Capital Region (NCR). The city has several manufacturing plants, financial and technology firms such as Maruti Suzuki, GE, Siemens, IBM, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Mitsubishi Electric. In current times, the most prominent growth driver in the city is DMIC. The city is currently ranked 3rd in the highest per capita income in India.
The city has a good connectivity to Delhi and Mumbai via NH-8. Delhi-Kherki Dhaula Expressway is another important highway in the city. There is a Rapid Metro and Delhi Metro that provide rail connectivity to the city. There are several intercity trains and buses from Gurgaon to other cities. The Delhi International Airport, which is just outside the city. There are over 25 shopping malls in the city.
Real estate
The city has been witnessing an increased growth in the real estate sector. There are more than 1000 residential skyscrapers in the city. DLF Ltd is a major builder that has acquired vast stretches of land in the city. Other important developers in the city are Vardhman Group, Godrej Properties, Supertech Ltd, Indiabulls Real Estate and Raheja Developers.
Property prices in the city range from Rs 4,600-17,400 per sq. ft. The most common housing types in the city are apartments ranging from 1BHK flats up to 4BHK flats.
Important areas: Golf Course Extension, Golf Course Road, New Gurgaon, Sector-14, Sector-82, Sector-84, Sohna Road, South City
Jaipur
Announced in August, 2014
With the advent of the metro and BRTS, Jaipur has ranked itself as a hot destination of urban living in the country. Other factors driving the city’s growth are its connectivity via road, rail and air. The Jaipur Metro is expected to become operational this year. According to real estate experts, the functioning of metro will make Jaipur the second-fastest group town in India after Bangalore. Jaipur already has a Bus Rapid Transit Service (BRTS).
Real estate
Jaipur is the largest city and the capital of Rajasthan. As such, it offers a plethora of housing types including apartments, individual houses and villas. One may find a good number of 1, 2, 3 and 4BHK apartments in the city. Villas and independent homes are available in various configurations ranging from 1BHK up to 6BHK. There are several residential plots available in the city. Some of the notable developers in the city include Unique Dream Builder, Sun India Developers, GKB Group and Ashiana Housing Ltd. Average property values in the city range from Rs 2,500-8,900 per sq. ft.
Important areas: Civil Lines, Jagatpura, Vaishali Nagar, Bani Park, C-Scheme
Jodhpur
Jodhpur is the second largest city in Rajasthan after Jaipur. The city is known as ‘Sun City’ due to the bright sunny weather it witnesses throughout the year. It is also called the ‘Blue City’ due to blue painted houses around the Mehrgarh fort in the city. The city is a tourist destination with several forts, palaces and temples. Over the past several decades the city has expanded beyond the city’s walls.
The city is mainly driven by the handicrafts industry. Apart from the handicrafts industry, other important industries are furniture export, textiles. Ink and sporting goods. The refinery and petrochemical complex being setup by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) in Barmer is expected to transform the face of the industrial scene in the city.
Real estate
Jodhpur doesn’t witness an apartment culture yet, as most housing types are independent houses and villas. The most common configurations are 2, 3, 4 and 6BHK houses. A 2BHK property costs about Rs 35-45 lakh while a 3BHK property costs about Rs 55-60 lakh. A 4BHK property costs about Rs 80 lakh-1.5 crore while a 6BHK house costs about Rs 1.6-4.8 crore.
Important areas: Pal Road, Choupashani, Pali Road, Sardarpura
Lucknow
The proposed metro project is expected to give a major push to the real estate sector in the city. There are three proposed metro corridors. There are also four national highways originating in the city viz., NH-24, NH-25, NH-28 and NH-58. Apart from metro, there is a proposal for a magnetic monorail between Lucknow and Kanpur. If this project becomes a reality, the monorail and the metro will play a major role in decongesting the city’s traffic. A 6-lane expressway has been proposed from Agra to Lucknow via Mainpuri and Kannauj. The city also boasts of good social infrastructure. All these factors along with the emerging IT/ITeS industry in the city drive the real estate market here.
Real estate
Lucknow is one of the most populous city in India. With new infrastructure initiatives as well as job opportunities, there is a good real estate activity in the city. One may find a wide variety of housing types and configurations in the city such as villas, apartments and independent houses. Interestingly, there are more houses than apartments in the city. Typical apartment configurations are 1, 2 and 3BHK apartments with a small number of 4BHK apartments. There are plenty of 1-6BHK houses and villas available. Some of the prominent developers in the city are Siddhi Kripa Real Estate, Paarth Infrabuild Pvt Ltd, Palm Infra Group and RMPL India.
Important areas: Jankipuram, Indira Nagar, Gomti Nagar, Rajaji Puram, Kalyanpur West
