News: Delhi Master Plan 2047 Cleared by LG: What It Proposes-13-08-2026
Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu approved the Delhi Master Plan 2047 on August 12, setting out how the capital intends to house a population expected to approach 32 million by 2047, which could require nearly 4 million additional homes. The plan now goes to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for final approval and notification.
Sandhu said the plan lays down a roadmap for sustainable and inclusive urban growth, with greater ease of doing business and ease of living and a cleaner, greener capital. The reform aims to cut procedural delays and speed up project approvals, he said.
Background
The DDA had been working on MPD 2041 after MPD 2021 expired, and that plan has now been renamed MPD 2047. Delhi’s first master plan was promulgated in 1962 under the Delhi Development Act of 1957, followed by the plans of 2001 and 2021, each prepared for a 20-year period. A master plan sets the broad framework for population growth, housing, land use, transport, infrastructure and community facilities. This one comes as Delhi faces a growing shortage of affordable housing while Noida and Gurugram keep expanding.
Much of NCR’s housing growth has moved outside Delhi, partly because the capital’s regulations and limited developable land have constrained high-density residential development. Experts said MPD 2047 could ease some of these constraints.
Key proposals
Housing through TOD and land pooling: The plan is likely to raise housing supply under the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) policy, which permits high-rise buildings along metro and rail corridors. PTI quoted sources as saying around 17 lakh dwelling units would be developed under the policy in 10 years, and that large-scale development of sectors in greenfield areas through land pooling would be part of the plan. In July, DDA opened applications for Developer Entity under the policy. Its corridor-based approach opens up 207 sq km, covering 500 metres on either side of Metro corridors and a 500-metre radius of RRTS or railway stations, mainly for affordable housing. Residential high-rises within 250 metres on either side of Urban Extension Road II may also be included. Under the Land Pooling Policy, DDA will develop the road network wherever the right-of-way is 30 metres or more.
Simpler building approvals: At a meeting chaired by Sandhu, the DDA approved amendments to the Unified Building Bye-Laws (UBBL)-2016. According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, the changes de-link building permits from prior no-objection certificates from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Chief Inspector of Factories, Delhi Jal Board and Forest Department.
Commercial activity in 70 villages: The newspaper reported that a Green Development Area (GDA) framework will allow regulated commercial and institutional activity in 70 villages on the city’s periphery, including Tikri Kalan and Mitraon Dhansa, and farmhouse areas such as Mehrauli, Chhatarpur and Satbari. The framework, detailed in the earlier 2041 plan, brings villages in the Green Belt and Low-Density Residential Area (LDRA) under common rules. Of the 70, 47 were earlier governed by rules restricting new residential and commercial construction and 23 were not. An official quoted by the paper said the plan opens the way for Gurugram and Noida-like vertical development with higher Floor Area Ratio (FAR).
Redevelopment of old DDA units: The plan proposes a uniform policy for old two-storey units built by DDA on individual plots in older schemes such as Naraina Vihar. DDA said several such schemes developed under MPD-1962 are over 50 years old and structurally deficient, and lacked a uniform framework. Built-up two-storey units now get redevelopment rights on par with vacant residential plots.
Yamuna O zone: The DDA banned concrete structures in the core area of the Yamuna floodplain. Only recreational activities will be allowed in the remaining area. The source text says DDA "has revealed details of the Master Plan yet", and it is unclear how the O zone will be demarcated. The draft MPD-2041 had proposed including the floodplain, a low-lying zone with a 4% annual probability of flooding, in the city’s database of green-blue infrastructure, the paper said.
Land use changes: DDA approved changing 19.63 hectares in the Narela Sub-City of Zone P-I from "recreational" and "public and semi-public" to "transportation" for a metro depot for the Rithala-Kundli corridor. The proposed Red Line extension is expected to connect north-west Delhi, Rohini and Narela with parts of Haryana. A 24,400 sq metre plot next to the Sarojini Nagar residential area was approved for a change from transportation (rail circulation) to residential use, with public notices to be issued for objections. Three plots at Copernicus Lane measuring 8,494.35 sq metres, allotted by the Land and Development Office to Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, were approved for a change from residential to public and semi-public.
What experts say
Harsh Vardhan Bansal, president, NAREDCO Delhi, said building nearly 4 million homes by 2047 will need a large, skilled workforce and create jobs across construction, engineering, architecture and allied sectors. He urged planned, high-density development, including group housing, redevelopment and affordable and mid-income housing, and wider adoption of TOD.
Ankita Sood, National Director - Research, Knight Frank India, said workable boundaries along the floodplain, vertical and mixed-use potential in peripheral villages and redevelopment rights in ageing government colonies address Delhi’s acute land scarcity. The real operational game-changer, she said, is the removal of separate departmental clearances for pollution, fire, water and forest. The plan’s true value lies in swift approval and notification by the Union ministry, she added.
Amit Goyal, Managing Director of India Sotheby’s International Realty, said the sector is relieved, as the plan spent over four years in bureaucratic limbo. In that time, he observed, circle rates have not moved since 2014, unauthorised colonies filled the planning vacuum, the frozen Green Development Area let unregulated farmhouses mushroom, and developers moved to Gurugram and Noida. He welcomed the easing of bye-laws and said the industry wants more clarity on the GDA and farmhouse policy.
Santhosh Kumar, Vice Chairman - ANAROCK Group, said the approval could be a turning point by encouraging redevelopment, transit-led growth and efficient land use. Provisions on ageing DDA housing, revised FAR, TOD and faster approvals could unlock development potential, subject to the final notified regulations. Better connectivity along Narela and the Rithala-Kundli alignment may strengthen demand for residential, institutional and supporting commercial development. He cautioned that market participants should distinguish between proposals and enforceable rights until the plan and rules are notified, and said success will depend on implementation, inter-agency coordination and timely infrastructure.
Ankur Jalan, CEO, Golden Growth Fund, said more housing within Delhi can moderate pressure on surrounding NCR markets and gives developers more scope in redevelopment, premium and mid-income housing. Effective implementation, timely approvals and matching infrastructure will be key, he said.
Likely market impact
Experts said Delhi could compete more with Gurugram and Noida, particularly for buyers who want central or transit-connected homes, but not immediately, since supply depends on approvals, land assembly, redevelopment feasibility and infrastructure. More supply could moderate price growth in some Delhi micro-markets and is unlikely to cause a broad fall, while areas gaining development potential or connectivity could see land values rise. The main caveat, they said, is that MPD 2047 is a framework and not an instant supply pipeline.
