The Vision of Dholera Smart City: A Blueprint for Tomorrow
Envisioned as India’s first greenfield smart city, Dholera Smart City represents a paradigm shift in urban planning. Located approximately 100 km southwest of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, this ambitious project is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), designed to become a global manufacturing and trading hub. Unlike retrofitted urban developments, Dholera is being built from scratch on 920 sq km of land, with a dedicated Activation Area spanning 22.5 sq km for initial development.
The masterplan integrates cutting-edge technologies like IoT-enabled utilities, automated waste management, and intelligent traffic systems. Sustainability forms its core DNA – 11% of the city is reserved for parks and water bodies, while solar energy generation and rainwater harvesting are mandatory. The city’s strategic coastal location near the Gulf of Khambhat provides direct access to international shipping routes, positioning it as a logistics gateway for northern India. Designed for 2 million residents, Dholera aims to generate 800,000 jobs across manufacturing, IT, and healthcare sectors, creating a self-sustaining economic ecosystem.
What truly sets Dholera apart is its layered infrastructure planning. Utilities and transportation networks are being built in underground service corridors, eliminating road-digging chaos. The city features dedicated utility zones for power, water treatment, and data centers, ensuring uninterrupted services. Its grid-based sector design allocates specific zones for international finance, electronics manufacturing, and knowledge parks, fostering specialized clusters. This holistic approach addresses chronic urban challenges faced by existing Indian cities, making Dholera a living laboratory for future urban settlements.
Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR): The Engine of Growth
Governed by the Dholera Special Investment Region Act (DSIR), this zone operates with unprecedented administrative autonomy and business-friendly regulations. Spanning a massive 920 sq km – nearly twice the size of Mumbai – the Dholera SIR offers investors a streamlined single-window clearance system, making it India’s largest integrated industrial area. The regulatory framework allows 24×7 operations, simplified labor laws, and faster environmental clearances, creating a globally competitive manufacturing environment.
The SIR’s infrastructure is its crown jewel. A six-lane access-controlled expressway directly connects to Ahmedabad, reducing travel time to 90 minutes. The region will house India’s first high-speed rail station on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor. Its power infrastructure includes a dedicated 400 KV substation and mandatory renewable energy integration. Crucially, the development includes flood mitigation systems like 22-meter-high coastal embankments and tidal regulators to protect against climate vulnerabilities in this coastal region.
Investors benefit from plug-and-play industrial plots with pre-approved building plans and ready utility connections. Major commitments include Tata Group’s semiconductor facility, Bosch’s EV components unit, and Japanese investments in electronics manufacturing. The SIR’s economic model prioritizes export-oriented industries, with designated zones for automotive, pharmaceuticals, and defense manufacturing. With 40% land reserved for industry and 25% for residential use, the SIR balances productivity with livability, attracting both Fortune 500 companies and supporting MSME clusters.
Infrastructure Revolution: Connectivity, Aviation and Real-Time Progress
Dholera’s connectivity framework is rewriting regional logistics. The upcoming Dholera International Airport, being developed in partnership with Airbus, will handle 20 million passengers annually and feature dedicated cargo terminals. Its strategic location positions it as an alternative aviation hub for the Ahmedabad region, with a 3,200-meter runway capable of accommodating next-generation aircraft. The airport will integrate with the city’s multi-modal transport hub, linking high-speed rail, metro, and bus rapid transit systems.
The Ahmedabad-Dholera stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor is already under construction, promising 55-minute connectivity between the two cities. This high-speed connectivity effectively makes Dholera an extension of Ahmedabad’s economic orbit while offering lower operational costs. Recent developments include the operationalization of the first 100 MW solar power plant, completion of 30 km of internal roads in the Activation Area, and commencement of water treatment plants with 27 MLD capacity. The dholera smart city project update reveals advanced stage tendering for integrated command and control centers and sewage networks.
Real-world momentum is visible with phase-one construction accelerating across 1,100 hectares. International consortiums from Singapore, Japan, and the UAE are executing trunk infrastructure projects worth ₹4,300 crore. Case in point: Sterling and Wilson have commissioned solar-powered street lighting across completed zones, while Tata Projects deployed India’s first underground utility corridor housing electricity, water, and fiber optics. The Gujarat government’s recent allocation of ₹2,500 crore for peripheral expressways underscores the project’s strategic priority. As industrial plots in the first development phase near 90% allotment, Dholera is transitioning from blueprints to boots-on-ground reality at unprecedented speed for an Indian infrastructure project.
Lyon food scientist stationed on a research vessel circling Antarctica. Elodie documents polar microbiomes, zero-waste galley hacks, and the psychology of cabin fever. She knits penguin plushies for crew morale and edits articles during ice-watch shifts.
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