Noida Authority plans to offer plots for warehousing in upcoming schemes

Considering the increasing demand for warehousing, the Noida Authority plans to offer plots for warehousing in sectors 161 to 166 located in Old Noida along the Expressway.

“We did not take into account warehousing in the industrial plots scheme launched by Noida Authority (for Old Noida) in September 2022. But we will, going forward as part of new schemes (of Old Noida),” Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari said. Since large land banks are not available in Old Noida, the New Noida Draft Master Plan proposes to focus on industrial development and is expected to plug the demand gap for warehousing requirements, she said.

Focus on industrial development

The draft plan, prepared by the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), proposes to allocate as much as 8,800 hectares, or 41 percent area for industrial use on which warehousing can come up.

SPA, which was roped in by Noida Authority in June 2021 to prepare the blueprint for the city’s expansion, recently submitted the draft plan.

“I agree that warehousing is needed. While we have not allowed warehousing in the new schemes launched earlier this month, we will try and include it in the forthcoming schemes,” Maheshwari said at the recently held Noida Stakeholders Meet.

The new schemes launched in sectors 162 and 164 are large plots but have been offered for industrial use. “With the recent government notification that warehousing is allowed in industrial facilities and on industrial land, we will try and include it in the forthcoming schemes. Earlier, we planned to include one sector for warehousing but were sceptical whether the response would be good. Post this scheme results, we can earmark a few bigger plots for warehousing in the near future,” she said.

In the existing parcels in old Noida, land running into 50-100 acres is not available. The potential for huge land parcels suited for warehousing is only possible in New Noida, she said.

The recently launched scheme offer as many as 79 industrial plots in sectors 67, 80, 145, 158, 164, 63, 162 which are of sizes 450 sq m, 582.2 sq m, 6125.44 sq m, 33357.60 sq m, 15151.73 sq m, 10,000 and 20,000 sq m.

New Noida town

The Authority aims to develop New Noida, or the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment Region, into a globally competitive industrial investment hub. Most warehousing needs will be fulfilled by the new town, work on which will begin in three to five years.

The New Noida Draft Master Plan proposes a planning area of 210 sq km that will include 64 villages in the neighbouring Bulandshahr district, and 20 villages in Gautam Budh Nagar.

National Logistics Policy

On September 17, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the National Logistics Policy. The policy introduces an integrated digital system (IDS) that will bring on one platform departments belonging to ministries of road transport, railways, customs, aviation, foreign trade and commerce. All these departments have their own digital data which will be integrated under IDS. This will help smooth cargo movement.

The policy will facilitate a unified policy and regulatory environment for end-to-end logistics services and an overarching institutional framework that will govern the logistics sector and enhance its competitiveness.

The NLP will focus on components such as world-class infrastructure, modern warehousing, digitalisation, regulations, tracing and tracking, ease of arranging shipment and timeliness.

According to the recently launched report titled, Indian Realty Outlook: Demystifying Future Growth Opportunities, by CBRE India Research, leasing activity for industrial and logistics in 2022 is expected to remain rangebound at about 28-32 million square feet, a growth of up to 12 percent on an annual basis. This space take-up would be led by the continued expansion of 3PL (Third-party logistics), FMCG and manufacturing companies in view of the macroeconomic recovery and rising transportation costs.

E-commerce and 3PL players would prefer to take up space closer to consumer hubs, with 3PL occupiers dealing with cargo handling focusing on securing warehouses closer to key transportation nodes. At the same time, engineering and manufacturing players are also likely to prefer warehouses in proximity to industrial hubs.