Investments in the region have been driven by Noida International Airport
Noida: Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) marked its silver jubilee on Friday with a milestone that is as much about the future as the past. In 25 years, the authority has moved far beyond planning an expressway corridor to shaping one of north India’s most ambitious investment zones, with Noida International Airport now driving its next leap.Chief executive officer RK Singh said the airport has been the turning point. “Over the last few years, the area has transformed from an expressway corridor into an industrial hub. Apart from Navi Mumbai, YEIDA may be the only development authority in the country that will be linked by air, road and rail,” he added.Set up on April 24, 2001 as Taj Expressway Industrial Development Authority, it was renamed YEIDA on July 11, 2008.
Its notified area now covers more than 3.4 lakh hectares across 1,149 villages in Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras and Agra.Its journey began with the 165km Yamuna Expressway, for which a concession agreement with Jaypee Infratech was signed on Feb 7, 2003. The expressway opened on Aug 9, 2012. The region’s profile changed sharply after the airport was announced.Singh said connectivity remains YEIDA’s biggest strength.
The area is already linked to the Agra-Lucknow Expressway. A Delhi-Mumbai Expressway link from Jewar is ready, while the Haryana-side connection is expected soon. A loop connecting Yamuna Expressway with Eastern Peripheral Expressway is due by June. The DPR for the Ghaziabad-Jewar rapid rail is awaiting final approval from the ministry of housing and urban affairs.
A Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail corridor via Jewar has also been proposed.YEIDA’s master plan 2041 is now moving into its next phase. Phase 1 focused on Gautam Budh Nagar and Bulandshahr, including the airport zone. Phase 2 will expand into Aligarh, Hathras, Mathura and Agra. The Tappal-Bajna urban centre will span 11,104 hectares across 54 villages in Aligarh and Mathura. The Raya Urban Centre and Heritage City will cover 11,653 hectares across 56 villages in Mathura. A 4,000-hectare Hathras Urban Centre is being planned, while Agra Urban Centre will come up over 14,000 hectares.Industrial activity has accelerated, with 3,116 plots allotted for projects, including an apparel park, MSME park, toy park, handicraft park, medical devices park, data centre, semiconductor park and electronics manufacturing clusters. Film City is also moving ahead, with its foundation-laying ceremony scheduled next month.These investments are estimated at around Rs 50,000 crore and are expected to generate about four lakh jobs. Along with this, YEIDA said it is pushing rural development through smart village projects. Twenty-nine villages were identified in the first phase, work has been completed in 12, and 107 govt schools have been redeveloped.
