DDA Approves Master Plan 2047 to Boost Vertical Growth Across Delhi

NEW DELHI — The Delhi Development Authority has passed the Master Plan of Delhi 2047 in its meeting earlier this week, formalising a major policy shift toward vertical growth across the capital. With limited scope for horizontal expansion in the landlocked city, the new master plan focuses on mechanisms to incorporate vertical development across residential, commercial, and industrial categories.

The draft of MPD 2047 has now been forwarded to the Central government for final clearance and official notification.

The master plan introduces significant relaxations in existing development control norms. Key changes include increases in permissible building heights, floor area ratio (FAR), and ground coverage allowances. The framework also removes height restrictions entirely for specific categories of development.

To accommodate a growing population, the plan places emphasis on transit-oriented development (TOD) and the amalgamation of plots to allow more families to reside in unified spaces. Maximum density limits have also been removed in select sectors. Under the previous norms, caps such as 200 dwelling units per hectare in group housing and 900 dwelling units per hectare in in-situ slum rehabilitation projects were enforced.

The upward revision of permissible FAR applies across multiple urban infrastructure segments, directly increasing the number of floors that can be constructed. Sectors benefiting from these revised density and FAR provisions include educational institutions, local shopping centres, wholesale markets, and in-situ slum rehabilitation initiatives.

The move marks a structural transition in the city's long-term urban development strategy as authorities prepare for Delhi's infrastructural demands leading up to the year 2047.