The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is stepping up efforts to align infrastructure with investment ambitions. With three operational expressways and two more under construction, UPEIDA has now moved to draft a comprehensive master plan and sector-specific layout blueprints to accelerate industrialisation along these high-speed corridors.
These plans are expected to transform vast swathes of state-controlled land into manufacturing, defence, and logistics zones, offering a roadmap for systematic urban growth, job creation, and eco-sensitive development. Senior officials privy to the blueprint confirmed that the state government is modelling the strategy along the frameworks successfully adopted by agencies like UPSIDA and GNIDA. These master plans will earmark land for diverse uses including green spaces, industrial activities, public amenities, roads, water, sewerage, and electricity networks. The move is a critical push towards ensuring that development around expressways does not remain arbitrary or haphazard. In tandem, sectoral layout plans are being drawn up to determine how land parcels will be utilised, particularly in identifying zones for specific industries. These micro-level blueprints will guide allottees in seeking approvals and building clearances, reducing ambiguity and bureaucratic delays.
In a sign of investor confidence, 19 companies have already been allotted land and are set to sign long-term lease agreements with UPEIDA. Further bolstering the industrial outlook, 21 investors have come forward with proposals to establish units within the UP Defence Industrial Corridor, collectively committing a substantial ₹4,556 crore. UPEIDA has set its sights on rolling out six defence nodes and 29 Integrated Manufacturing and Logistics Clusters (IMLCs), making this a pivotal moment for the state’s economic transition. The authority is also considering land pricing structures to maintain investor interest, with the Aligarh defence node expected to be priced around ₹4,000 per square metre and the Agra node at ₹2,750 per square metre.
These developments signal a major shift towards vision-led, sustainable industrial growth in Uttar Pradesh. The corridors under UPEIDA’s purview — including the Purvanchal, Bundelkhand, and Lucknow-Agra expressways — are being seen not just as transport routes but as future economic lifelines. What makes this initiative particularly crucial is the embedded focus on sustainable infrastructure. By planning green zones, robust water and power infrastructure, and public amenities, the authority aims to create equitable and eco-friendly urban settlements rather than ad hoc industrial colonies.
However, questions around timely execution, environmental clearances, and land acquisition processes will likely continue to linger. Stakeholders have also raised concerns over whether the integration of defence and civilian manufacturing can be seamlessly achieved in a post-COVID investment landscape. Nevertheless, if implemented with integrity and precision, UPEIDA’s evolving framework may become a model for other states, balancing economic aspiration with sustainable, inclusive growth.
UP expressway zones to get infra push
