India’s next wave of urban growth is not unfolding inside crowded metros. It is rising on open land, planned from the ground up, with wide roads, digital systems and industrial ecosystems built before residents move in. These greenfield cities are fast becoming magnets for investors, manufacturers and homebuyers looking beyond legacy cities weighed down by congestion and ageing infrastructure.
Here are six greenfield cities that are emerging as serious investment hubs in 2026.
- Dholera, Gujarat
Dholera feels like a city imagined for the future and then built patiently. Clean layouts, zoning clarity and scale set it apart. What has truly put Dholera on the map is industry. Tata Electronics’ Rs. 91,000-crore semiconductor fab has turned this once-quiet stretch into India’s most watched manufacturing bet. Over 100 companies have committed projects here. Land prices in the Special Investment Region have jumped nearly tenfold in a decade, now touching Rs. 7,000 - 10,000 per sq. yard in some zones. With expressways, rail links and an international airport nearing readiness, Dholera is no longer speculative. It is operational momentum. - GIFT City, Gujarat
GIFT City is a greenfield experiment with a financial soul. Built as an International Financial Services Centre, it offers global banks, insurers and fund managers tax and regulatory advantages they cannot get elsewhere in India. Aircraft leasing incentives, reinsurance hubs and offshore mutual fund structures are steadily expanding. Global names like State Street and Mirae Asset are already scaling operations. What draws investors is predictability. GIFT City feels clean, controlled and purpose-built for cross-border capital. - Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC), Maharashtra
AURIC shows what happens when industrial planning is done patiently. Six years in, it has avoided boom-and-bust hype and focused on steady growth. With clean zoning and ready infrastructure, it is now entering a new investment phase. The state expects ₹28,000 crore of fresh investments, and land demand is rising at nodes like Bidkin. Skill centres and logistics readiness are strengthening its appeal as a long-term industrial base rather than a speculative land play. - Integrated Industrial Township, Greater Noida (UP)
Near the upcoming Noida International Airport, this township is being designed as a digital-first city. Civic services will be centrally monitored, from water and waste to traffic and security. Spread across 750 acres, it aims to house both industries and residents, creating a balanced ecosystem. With plug-and-play industrial plots, 24×7 power and smart surveillance, it targets companies that want speed without chaos. Job creation estimates touch 50,000, giving it strong residential spillover potential. - Tumakuru Industrial Smart City, Karnataka
Tumakuru is Bengaluru’s relief valve. Planned as a greenfield smart city, it offers manufacturing scale without metropolitan congestion. Aerospace and auto suppliers are already committing investments, and its location on a major industrial corridor strengthens logistics access. A proposed inter-city metro link to Bengaluru could further accelerate growth. Tumakuru is shaping up as a city where industries arrive first, followed by housing and services, not the other way around. - Palakkad, Kerala
Palakkad marks a shift for Kerala. The state’s first major greenfield industrial smart city is designed to bring manufacturing into its heartland. With over Rs. 1,300 crore sanctioned for infrastructure and land acquisition underway, the focus is on building roads, utilities and treatment systems before inviting industry. Linked to the Kochi–Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, Palakkad offers Kerala a rare opportunity to grow industrially without retrofitting old cities.
The bigger picture
While the Centre cleared 12 new greenfield cities in 2024, these six are moving faster due to sustained state-level investment. They reflect a broader shift in India’s urban story: away from fixing yesterday’s problems, towards building tomorrow’s cities right the first time.
