YEIDA Finalises Detailed Project Report for Heritage City (Raya) — January 29, 2024

What was decided

On January 29, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) finalised the detailed project report (DPR) to develop the heritage city project along the Yamuna Expressway, with a budget of Rs 1,220 crore allocated for its construction in three phases by 2034 near Banke Bihari Temple, Mathura. The plan covers 750 acres of land in the Raya Urban Center of Mathura.

YEIDA gave the green light to the revised DPR, and the report was sent to the Uttar Pradesh government for final approval. After approval, the committee was to determine the development approach for the project.

Operative details: phasing, budget and site

The Heritage City project was planned for development in three phases: the first phase to open by 2027, phase II across 2028-31, and phase III proposed to open by 2034. The site sits near the 101-km milestone of the Yamuna Expressway and was to be connected to the Banke Bihari temple by a 6.9 km expressway.

At the time of the DPR finalisation, the project was planned as a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Planned facilities included luxury and budget hotels, parks, convention centres, old age homes, service apartments, and a marketplace for local arts and crafts.

Two execution options placed before the Authority

The consultant proposed two development options to the Authority: under the first, the entire 750-acre parcel would be allocated to a single developer who would build the project in phases per the approved plan. Under the second option, the land would be divided among multiple companies, each responsible for specific components such as hospitality, public facilities, healthcare and recreational areas.

Practical effect of the January 2024 decision

Finalising the DPR meant the report was sent to the Uttar Pradesh government for final approval before construction could start — the DPR finalisation was an internal authority sign-off, not a construction go-ahead. No land had been acquired and no developer selected at this stage.

How the project changed after January 2024 (status as of July 2026)

The DPR and its numbers were revised multiple times after the January 2024 finalisation. The DPR was amended several times due to encroachment on land and requirements of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

In November 2024, reports indicated the state government had cleared a revised DPR: officials said that with the government's approval of the Detailed Project Report on that Monday, development plans would proceed, and the CEO stated the DPR of Raya Heritage City had been approved by the government. That version covered 735 acres within the Yamuna Authority's notified area.

By mid/late-2025 the project's footprint, cost and delivery model had shifted further. One October 2025 report put the scheme at around 753 acres with a project cost of ₹7,200 crore, while a separate account from the same period cited 753 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 950 crore under a hybrid delivery model. YEIDA moved toward a hybrid model combining direct government-led development with public-private partnership (PPP) components, reversing the earlier single-developer, Film-City-style approach. Initially YEIDA had proposed executing Heritage City on the lines of the Film City project with a single private developer over a 10-year period, but the Authority later revised the concept after assessing financial risk and feasibility.

Land-acquisition activity has since begun in specific villages: acquisition efforts focused on villages including Arua Khadar, Bhim Khadar, Dangoli Khadar, Pani Village Khadar, Piproli Khadar, Jehangirpur, Begumpur Khadar and Jehangirpur Khadar, with land being purchased directly from farmers rather than through the traditional acquisition system, and an office set up in Mathura to oversee the process. A connecting expressway alignment to Vrindavan was also under review: the originally curved road alignment was straightened to avoid low-lying, flood-prone areas after waterlogging incidents during the monsoon.

What this means for investors and locals

The January 29, 2024 DPR finalisation was a planning milestone, not a construction or land-acquisition trigger. Figures quoted publicly for Heritage City — acreage (750/753/735), budget (Rs 1,220 crore / Rs 950 crore / Rs 7,200 crore) and delivery model (single developer vs PPP vs hybrid) — have all changed across successive board and consultant reviews. Anyone tracking this project should treat each figure as tied to a specific date and source, not as a fixed final plan, and should watch for confirmed UP government approval orders, board resolutions, and RERA registration (none of which were located as final, dated approvals as of the research for this record) before treating the project as construction-ready.