India’s Satellite City List Expands As Gujarat Brings Five New Contenders

In this context, five satellite cities from Gujarat have been added to the list. In particular, following the Delhi and Mumbai models, master plans will be prepared for the development of these cities, and bids will be invited from leading national and international real estate agencies to undertake their development.

The five satellite cities proposed for development in Gujarat include Sanand near Ahmedabad, Kalol near Gandhinagar, Savli near Vadodara, Bardoli near Surat, and Hirasar near Rajkot. The department had issued a notification regarding these five satellite towns in October last year, and they are currently under the jurisdiction of the respective Urban Development Authorities.

The committee has initiated the process of preparing master plans covering aspects such as planning, air connectivity, urban management, modern public transportation, civic amenities, finance, and new infrastructure projects.

A senior official from the state’s Urban Development Department stated that the four major cities in the state are currently witnessing increasing pressure due to traffic and population growth, leading to issues such as high population density, pollution, and traffic congestion.

Under these circumstances, the Urban Development Department has planned the development of land parcels, new Town Planning (TP) schemes and Development Plans (DP), along with core infrastructure facilities. The estimated cost of developing these cities is currently being assessed.

The objective is to create strong connectivity, employment and economic opportunities, planned housing, social infrastructure, urban governance, environmental sustainability, as well as a distinctive lifestyle and urban culture.

A high-level committee was constituted by the Urban Development Department under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary M. Thennarasan. The committee includes Municipal Commissioners of the concerned municipal corporations, CEOs of Urban Development Authorities, and officials from the Tourism, Industries, Civil Aviation, Housing, and Education departments as members.

The committee is in the process of finalising its report. In last year’s state budget, the government had approved a fund allocation of ₹50 crore for satellite city planning. The process for preparing master plans and inviting bids for these five cities will begin in the new year.

Established and Proposed Satellite Cities in India:

Delhi/NCR: Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Pilkhuwa, Sonepat

Mumbai: Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar

Kolkata: New Town (Rajarhat), Howrah, Salt Lake City

Bengaluru: Devanahalli, Whitefield, Doddaballapur, Yelahanka, Kengeri, Nelamangala, Hosakote

Chennai: Sriperumbudur, Tambaram, Avadi, Chengalpattu, Thirumazhisai, Mamallapuram
Pune: Pimpri-Chinchwad

Hyderabad: Vikarabad, Cyberabad, Shamshabad, Gachibowli, Kukatpally

Chandigarh: Mohali, Panchkula, Zirakpur

Jaipur: Sanganer, Bagru