The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the acquisition of 56,600 acres of land for the large-scale industrial development of the Bundelkhand region, marking a major step in the state’s plan to transform the area into a manufacturing powerhouse.

According to a senior official, around 22,000 acres, or nearly 40 per cent of the identified land, has already been acquired by the Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA), the nodal agency spearheading the project. A substantial portion of this land lies within Jhansi district, the economic centre of Bundelkhand.

The state envisions BIDA as a “future investment magnet” modelled on Noida and Greater Noida. During a recent review meeting, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the development of key infrastructure, including an airport, expressway, railway station, truck terminal, IT park, and a multimodal logistics park to establish Bundelkhand as a manufacturing and export hub.

“Bundelkhand will no longer represent backwardness but progress. BIDA’s success will spark an industrial revolution across the region,” Adityanath stated.

The Chief Minister also announced that the state government would request the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to extend the Agra–Gwalior Greenfield Expressway to connect with BIDA and Jhansi. Additionally, a Delhi–Nagpur Industrial Corridor node will be developed within the BIDA region to align with India’s broader industrial network.

Adityanath instructed that the remaining land acquisition be completed within six months and that BIDA be staffed with adequate personnel to manage the process efficiently.

To ensure transparency, BIDA has introduced a digital software system that oversees every stage of land acquisition—from farmer consent to payment—and will soon launch a dedicated call centre for farmers.

Under the BIDA Master Plan 2045, 253 sq km of land has been designated for specific uses: Industrial (35.8 per cent), residential (15.2 per cent), mixed-use (5.1 per cent), commercial (1.5 per cent), and green space (10.6 per cent). The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the project’s environmental clearance is currently underway.

Jhansi, a focal point of the initiative, is also one of the six nodes of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), alongside Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, and Chitrakoot.