Industrial Corridor Node
Gaya Industrial Smart City (IMC Gaya): Complete Overview
IMC Gaya is a 1,670-acre greenfield industrial township coming up at Dobhi in Gaya district, Bihar, as a node of the central government's Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor. Backed jointly by NICDC and the Bihar government through a dedicated SPV, it is targeting over ₹16,000 crore in investment and by mid-2026 had moved from land transfer into early site construction.
| Location | Dobhi block, Sherghati sub-division, Gaya district, Bihar |
|---|---|
| Notified area | 1,670.22 acres across 13 revenue villages |
| Corridor | Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), a Phase-1 node |
| Implementing SPV | Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Ltd (BIMCGL) |
| Investment potential | ₹16,524 crore |
| Projected jobs | ~1,09,185 by 2039 |
| Project cost | ₹1,339 crore, including ₹462.14 crore land cost |
| CCEA approval | 28 August 2024 |
| Environmental clearance | 18 March 2025 (MoEFCC) |
| Status (as of May 2026) | EPC contractor engaged; site clearance and survey work underway |
What Is IMC Gaya?
IMC Gaya (also referred to as Gaya Industrial Smart City) is a greenfield Integrated Manufacturing Cluster planned near Bodh Gaya in Bihar. This initiative is being executed by BIMCGL, a partnership between the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation and the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority. The Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Gaya is a flagship greenfield project under the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), a central government initiative to boost industrial development across eastern India. IMC Gaya, located 39 kms south of Gaya International Airport, will cover 1,670 acres with a projected investment potential of INR 16,524 crore. It is one of 12 new industrial smart city projects the Union Cabinet cleared nationally, and Gaya serves as the pilot project node in Bihar due to its strategic location, and as one of the Phase-1 IMCs of the AKIC Corridor, will provide essential logistics infrastructure to enable firms to focus on their core competencies.
Who Is Building It
The project sits under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, run by NICDC on behalf of the Ministry of Commerce, in partnership with the Bihar government's industrial agency, BIADA. National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC), the Government of Bihar and the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) have signed the State Support Agreement (SSA) and Shareholder Agreement (SHA) for the establishment of an Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Gaya. Execution is delegated to a dedicated project company: an SPV Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Ltd (BIMCGL) was incorporated for the purpose on January 06, 2025. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has accorded approval in August, 2024 and the State Cabinet had accorded approval in May, 2023.
Official Notified Area, Villages & District
The project footprint has been legally defined and gazetted. The project site has been notified as an Industrial Area by the State Govt., with the state notification and an accompanying stamp-duty waiver coming in March 2025. In land-record terms, the site is spread across 1670.22 acres and falls in 13 revenue villages i.e., Gamhariya, Kishoriya, Gangi, Mangruchak, Bariya, Lembogara, Gazichak, Kharanti, Sugasot, Masaundha, Babhavandev, Banvasi & Invorva in Dobhi block of the Sherghati subdivision of Gaya district. On land assembly, the state Govt. has delineated 1670 acres of land for the project, out of which 1652 acres are under the possession of the Industries Department, the revenue department handed over private land in September 2023 and the State Cabinet transferred Govt. land in January 2024, with the balance 18 acres being acquired. About 33 settlements were found in the project site, and resettlement is being handled under the RFCTLARR 2013 policy.
Why This Region Exists
IMC Gaya is meant to give Bihar its first large, master-planned industrial township with 'plug-and-play' infrastructure, riding on the AKIC corridor's national logistics backbone. Gaya is a UNESCO world heritage site, which is an established attraction for international tourism, and the government has framed the project around a dual objective: in line with the government's 'Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi' (development along with heritage) vision, this project is poised to drive economic growth while enhancing the cultural legacy of Gaya, a renowned destination for international pilgrimage and heritage tourism. Locally, officials see it as a way to convert Gaya's existing skills and institutions into an industrial base: the conception of IMC will add more economic value... ITIs along with skilled manpower would be an ideal location for Industrial units, and Bihar enjoys a geographical advantage due to its proximity to the vast markets of eastern India. Nationally, it is one part of a bigger push: the IMC Gaya is expected to catalyze economic growth, create vast employment opportunities, and establish Bihar as a vital industrial hub in Eastern India, further strengthening the 'Make in India' vision.
Current Status (as of June 2026)
IMC Gaya has cleared its approval and land-transfer stage and is now in early construction mobilisation. Key regulatory milestones are in place: Shareholder Agreement (SHA) between BIADA and NICDIT, and State Support Agreement (SSA) between the State Govt of Bihar, BIADA and NICDIT for IMC Gaya, were executed on 12th November 2024. On the ground, 414-acre land has been transferred by the State govt. to the Project SPV, and matching equity amounting to Rs. 132.22 Crore has been released by NICDIT to the Project SPV. Programme management and construction contracts have moved forward: LoA was issued by the SPV for Programme Manager for New Cities (PMNC) on 28th July, 2025, and the EPC tender 2nd call was floated on 16th Oct 2025, with LoA issued by the SPV on 11th Feb 2026 to M/s NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd., followed by a kick-off meeting with the EPC contractor on 25th Feb 2026. The project has also drawn top-level attention, having been reviewed by the Hon'ble PM during the 49th Pragati Meeting on 24th September 2025. External road connectivity is being upgraded in parallel: the Bihar Cabinet approved a proposal for upgradation of existing external connectivity E1 (1.6 km) for the IMC Gaya project, including construction of a new bridge on the River Falgu along with an approach road, on 29th April 2026, and a separate greenfield link was cleared earlier: the state cabinet had on May 16, 2025 approved a green field alignment of approximately 7 km connecting the site (External Connectivity-E3) with the Golden Quadrilateral (NH-19, GT Road) at an estimated cost of Rs 142 crore. On site, work is at the preparatory stage: site establishment, clearing & grubbing, design & drawings, and site survey work are in progress. Investor interest is also building ahead of allotment: in May 2026, representatives from Topworth Steel and Power Private Limited, Lodha Corporation and Ankur Steel visited the site, expressing interest in setting up steel and power product manufacturing units within the industrial city. No plots have yet been reported as allotted or operational at IMC Gaya as of this update.
Headline Connectivity
IMC Gaya's pitch to investors rests heavily on multi-modal access. By road, NH-19 (Golden Quadrilateral) is just 10 km away, while NH-22 is 2 km away. By rail, the site has proximity to Gaya Junction (40 km) and the upcoming New Paharpur Railway Station under EDFC (45 km), tying it into the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. By air, Gaya International Airport is 30 km away, Patna International Airport (135 km), and Ranchi Airport (150 km). For sea and inland-waterway freight, the cluster has access to ports and terminals like Haldia Port in Kolkata (550 km), and Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) terminals at Gaighat, Patna (145 km), and Ramnagar, Varanasi. Inside the boundary, the master plan provides for a 29.89 km internal road network, 220/33 KV and 33/11 KV electrical substations, 162 MVA assured power supply, and a 19 MLD water supply system, along with 'Plug n Play' infrastructure facilities like a Common Effluent Treatment Plant, Sewage Treatment Plant, Water Treatment Plant, Solid Waste Management, Stormwater drainage, and green landscaping.
What Happens Next
The immediate pipeline is dominated by trunk-infrastructure construction and remaining land handover. A major external-connectivity works package — construction of a new 2-lane RCC bridge over the river Falgu including a 4-lane trumpet approach road connecting Kothwara Bazar (NH-99, Dobhi-Chatra Road) to the IMC land — carried a tender due date of Jun 8, 2026 and a value of Tender Value: 96.75 Crore, and its progress will be a near-term marker to watch. With the EPC contractor already mobilised and site survey and design work underway, the next visible steps are expected to be full trunk-infrastructure construction (roads, power, water, drainage), transfer of the remaining acreage beyond the 414 acres already handed over, and the start of formal plot allotment to anchor investors once internal infrastructure reaches a bookable stage — mirroring the sequence seen at sister AKIC nodes such as Khurpia and Hisar, where EPC contracts and site works are similarly in progress.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is Gaya Industrial Smart City / IMC Gaya?
It is a planned 1,670-acre greenfield Integrated Manufacturing Cluster at Dobhi in Gaya district, Bihar, developed under the central government's Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC) programme, run by NICDC together with the Bihar government's BIADA.
Where is the project located, and which villages does it cover?
The site lies in Dobhi block, Sherghati sub-division, Gaya district, Bihar, and spans 13 revenue villages: Gamhariya, Kishoriya, Gangi, Mangruchak, Bariya, Lembogara, Gazichak, Kharanti, Sugasot, Masaundha, Babhavandev, Banvasi and Invorva.
Who is developing IMC Gaya?
A dedicated special purpose vehicle, Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Ltd (BIMCGL), incorporated in January 2025 as a joint venture between NICDC and BIADA, is executing the project under agreements signed with the Government of Bihar.
How much investment and how many jobs is IMC Gaya expected to generate?
Official estimates put the investment potential at ₹16,524 crore, with the project itself costing ₹1,339 crore to build, and projected employment of roughly 1,09,185 jobs by 2039.
Has construction actually started, or is it still on paper?
As of mid-2026, it has moved past approvals: 414 acres of land have been transferred to the project SPV, an EPC contractor (NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd.) has been engaged with a kick-off meeting held in February 2026, and site clearance, survey and design work are underway. It is not yet operational and no plots have been reported allotted.
What industries is IMC Gaya targeting?
The focus sectors listed by the project include agro and food processing, readymade garments, technical industries such as auto components and steel-based products, aerospace and defence, building materials, furniture and handloom, handicrafts, leather goods, engineering and fabrication, and medical equipment.
How well connected is the site to highways, rail, air and ports?
NH-22 is about 2 km away and NH-19 (Golden Quadrilateral) about 10 km away; Gaya Junction rail station is roughly 40 km and the upcoming New Paharpur station on the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor about 45 km; Gaya International Airport is about 30 km away, with Patna and Ranchi airports further out; Haldia Port and inland waterway terminals at Patna and Varanasi provide sea/river freight links.
Sources
- Gaya industrial smart city gets Centre's green signal – Constrofacilitator
- Cabinet approves 12 industrial smart city projects – NICDC
- IMC Gaya Bihar | NICDC
- Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Limited (BIMCGL) – BIADA
- IMC Gaya Set to Become Bihar's Largest Industrial Hub – Oneindia
- BIADA – Environmental Clearance document / project details PDF
- Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC), Gaya To Be Developed As Bihar's Largest Industrial Township – Free Press Journal
- NICDC and BIADA sign agreements to develop IMC in Gaya – PIB
- Development of Integrated Manufacturing Cluster in Gaya – Drishti IAS
- NICDC and BIADA sign agreement to establish IMC in Gaya – Maritime Gateway
- Gaya's IMC project receives environmental clearance for industrial growth – PropNewsTime
- Big Industrial Push in Bihar: Steel Giants Eye Massive Investments in Gaya IMC – Patna Press
- NICDC DMU Status Report (industrial corridor projects)
- Gaya Tenders – Falgu river bridge & IMC connectivity tender listing