CCEA Approves IMC Agra Under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (28 August 2024)

What was decided

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, greenlit the development of 12 industrial smart cities across six major industrial corridors in 10 states, with an estimated investment of Rs 28,602 crore. IMC Agra, in Uttar Pradesh, was one of the 12 projects approved in this single decision. These smart industrial cities will be strategically located in key regions, including Khurpia in Uttarakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerala, Agra and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in Andhra Pradesh, and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan.

Nationally, the 12 projects are designed to attract approximately Rs 1.52 trillion in downstream investment from large anchor industries and MSMEs, and are projected to generate 1 million direct and 3 million indirect jobs. This landmark decision by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs involved an estimated investment of ₹28,602 crore for the trunk infrastructure across all 12 nodes.

Where IMC Agra fits: site, corridor and connectivity

IMC Agra is spread across 1,058 acres along Agra's Inner Ring Road, strategically located just 25 km from the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), 205 km from Delhi NCR, and 334 km from Lucknow, positioned between key junctions linking the Agra-Lucknow Expressway with seamless road connectivity. The project falls under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), one of the six corridors covered by the CCEA's August 2024 approval.

Secondary reporting places the site near an existing expressway, approximately 20 km from the Agra Fort and Taj Mahal, covering 1,050 acres — a figure close to, though not identical with, NICDC's own 1,058-acre count, likely reflecting rounding or survey-stage variation.

Land, investment and industry focus

The Agra cluster, covering 1,058 acres, is expected to attract over INR 3,400 crore in investments. The state launched the integrated manufacturing cluster in Agra with a focus on promoting non-polluting industries, capitalising on the city's rich heritage in leather, footwear, and agro-based products. UPSIDA's CEO Mayur Maheshwari has said Agra's dedication to environmental protection, particularly within the protected Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), makes it ideal for eco-friendly industrial activities.

Planned amenities go beyond plots and roads: the project features smart bus stops equipped with a citizen mobile application, digital signage, solar panels, and Wi-Fi spots for integrated utility management, and an integrated command and control centre (ICCC) with an ambient air quality monitor has been installed at IMC Agra.

Timeline: from initial listing to post-approval progress

• IMC Agra was included for development under AKIC in the NICDIT meeting held on 14th July, 2021.
• The Uttar Pradesh state government, in December 2022, confirmed the availability of 1,058 acres of land for the project.
• 28 August 2024 — CCEA approval of IMC Agra alongside 11 other projects under NICDP.
• A Shareholder Agreement (SHA) between UPSIDA and NICDIT for IMC Agra was executed on 8th November, 2024.
• The Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor initiative advanced further with the signing of the State Support Agreement (SSA) and Shareholder Agreement (SHA) between NICDC, the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and UPSIDA, officially signed by NICDC's CEO & MD Rajat Kumar Saini and UPSIDA's CEO Mayur Maheshwari.
• The SPV "AKIC Integrated Manufacturing Cluster Agra-Prayagraj Ltd" was incorporated on 30th January, 2025.
• As of the government's status update, approval for tree-felling permission for the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) was underway before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

This sequencing shows the CCEA's August 2024 vote was a national-level financial and policy approval that unlocked project-specific execution — land confirmation, SPV formation, and agreements — that has continued through 2025 (as of the latest government status update dated 31 October 2025).

Practical effect of the decision

The CCEA approval converted IMC Agra from a listed AKIC proposal into a centrally-sanctioned project eligible for trunk infrastructure funding as part of the ₹28,602 crore national envelope. These hubs are to be built over the next three years and developed as greenfield smart cities of global standards, built "ahead of demand" on the "plug-n-play" and "walk-to-work" concepts. For Agra specifically, this means the state's confirmed 1,058-acre parcel can now proceed through master planning, environmental clearance (including TTZ tree-felling permissions), SPV-led execution, and eventual plot allotment to anchor industries and MSMEs in non-polluting sectors such as leather, footwear and agro-processing.

It is important to distinguish notified from operational status: as of the most recent public status update reviewed, IMC Agra had cleared SPV incorporation and agreement-signing milestones but tree-felling clearance in the Taj Trapezium Zone remained pending before the Supreme Court, meaning ground-level construction and plot allotment had not yet been confirmed as complete.