Bihar Cabinet Approves ₹142 Crore Greenfield Road Linking IMC Gaya to Golden Quadrilateral

What was decided

The Bihar state cabinet on May 16, 2025 approved a green field alignment of approximately 7 km connecting the IMC Gaya site (External Connectivity-E3) with the Golden Quadrilateral (NH-19, GT Road) at an estimated cost of Rs 142 crore. The approval was reported by multiple outlets in late June 2025 as part of a broader update on the project's progress.

Three greenfield road projects in total have been proposed to improve accessibility for IMC Gaya, of which this 7-km E3 alignment is one. Officials said the new link will improve logistics and reduce transport time for industries locating at the cluster.

Why the road matters: the parent project

The road serves the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Gaya, part of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), which spans over 1,670 acres in Dobhi block of Gaya's Sherghati sub-division and carries an estimated cost of Rs 1,339 crore, including Rs 462.14 crore allocated for land acquisition. The IMC is expected to attract investment worth Rs 16,524 crore and generate more than 109,000 jobs, officials said.

The project received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on August 28, 2024, while environmental clearance was granted on March 18, 2025, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A Special Purpose Vehicle, Bihar Integrated Manufacturing City Gaya Ltd (BIMCGL), was incorporated on January 6, 2025, to manage project implementation. The state cabinet declared it an industrial area and granted stamp duty exemption in March 2025.

According to NICDC's own project tracker, the underlying Shareholder Agreement (SHA) and State Support Agreement (SSA) between BIADA, the state government and NICDIT for IMC Gaya were executed on 12 November 2024.

Operative details of the road decision

• Alignment type: Greenfield (new-build, not an upgrade of an existing road)
• Length: Approximately 7 km
• Designation: External Connectivity-E3
• Terminus points: IMC Gaya site to NH-19 / GT Road (Golden Quadrilateral)
• Cost: ₹142 crore (state-approved estimate)
• Approving authority: Government of Bihar (state cabinet)

The site's strategic location already places NH-19 (Golden Quadrilateral) just 10 km away, while NH-22 is 2 km away, so the new E3 alignment is intended to formalise dedicated access rather than create connectivity from scratch.

Practical effect and what has followed

The road approval is a state-level infrastructure clearance, distinct from central approvals (CCEA, environmental clearance) already secured for the IMC itself. Its practical effect is to commit state funds and formally sanction the alignment so that detailed design, land acquisition along the route, and construction tendering can proceed for this specific external link.

Subsequent NICDC project-tracking records show the broader IMC Gaya project advancing: land has been transferred to the project SPV and matching equity released by the central trust, and an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor was subsequently engaged for the overall township works. A second, related cabinet decision — approving the upgrade of a separate external connectivity link (E1, 1.6 km) that includes a new bridge over the River Falgu and its approach road — followed on 29 April 2026, indicating the state continued to clear connectivity works for the cluster in phases after the E3 approval.

Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena reviewed the project, confirming that the land had already been acquired and directing authorities to finalise the selection of the implementation agency, with the EPC tender for the wider township expected to be floated in early July 2025 in consultation with NICDC.

Sectoral and locational context

Key focus sectors at the Gaya cluster include agro and food processing, readymade garments, auto components, steel-based products, aerospace and defence, and building materials. Proximity to IIM Bodh Gaya, engineering colleges, medical institutions, universities and industrial training institutes is cited as ensuring a skilled talent pipeline, and the area also benefits from Gaya's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving it additional visibility.

Within the AKIC framework, Gaya IMC is listed at 1,670 acres, one of several Integrated Manufacturing Clusters approved by NICDC along the corridor, alongside nodes such as Prayagraj, Barhi Hazaribagh and Raghunathpur Purulia.