The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) is preparing a 20-year Development Plan, DP-2041, departing from the conventional 10-year cycle to align long-term growth plans for Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar with aspirations to host the 2036 Olympics. The authority has initiated work on the blueprint and is seeking technical assistance from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) while augmenting staff through outsourced recruitment. Officials have framed the extended horizon as a means to coordinate metropolitan-scale infrastructure and land use decisions over two decades.

AUDA previously prepared DP-2011 and DP-2021 following staggered timelines, with the second plan approved by the state government in December 2014 after drafting between 2011 and 2014. In July 2022 the authority approved the proposal for a 20-year plan and sanctioned a dedicated Development Plan Unit with funds allocated for consultants and operational expenses. The unit is expected to steer public consultations and coordinate technical inputs during the drafting process.

The forthcoming blueprint is likely to include provisions that anticipate the potential requirements of the 2036 Olympic bid, with emphasis on developing sports infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPP) and securing land for such projects. Planners intend to retain elements of the earlier compact city approach that prioritised public transport corridors, while calibrating floor space indices to support concentrated business districts. The DP-2021 model permitted an FSI of four point zero along Metro and BRTS corridors and five point four in the Ashram Road business district.

AUDA is expected to prioritise about 20 villages located within a five-km radius outside the SP Ring Road for major infrastructure upgrades, integrating them into long-term service plans and transport networks. Although the development plan spans 20 years the authority may build in a formal review after 10 years to allow course correction. Officials view the extended horizon as a tool to position Ahmedabad as a global metropolitan city and to synchronise investments in housing, mobility and urban amenities.