LDA Officially Launches IT City Layout Plan and Master Map (28 February 2026)

What was decided

On 28 February 2026, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) formally launched the IT City project by releasing its layout plan and master map. The launch finalised the framework for land development, farmer participation under the land pooling policy, and the upcoming plot lottery.

LDA officially launched the IT City project on 28 February 2026 with the formal release of the layout plan and master map, finalising the framework for land development, farmer participation, and the upcoming lottery. A revised sector-wise version of the map was subsequently issued; the latest official LDA layout plan, dated 7 March 2026 and prepared by architect Asheesh Srivastava, divides the township into 31 numbered sectors served by a hierarchical road network from 100-metre master plan corridors down to 9-metre internal service roads.

Area, boundaries and road network

LDA Vice-Chairman Prathamesh Kumar confirmed the scheme is being developed over approximately 3,490 acres (≈5,625 Bigha). LDA IT City sits on Sultanpur Road (NH-731), one of the fastest-growing urban corridors in Uttar Pradesh, and the official layout plan confirms the township is sandwiched between Sultanpur National Highway and Kisan Path (150 m wide) — giving it dual arterial access.

LDA released the latest revised official sector-wise layout map (drawing no. ANB/25/UD/ITCITY/AR/02 by Architect Asheesh Srivastava), confirming 31 numbered sectors, full road hierarchy from R-1 to R-25, and exact plot typology across residential, commercial, industrial and group housing zones.

Not every source agrees on the total footprint. The figure of ~3,490 acres, which matches the LDA-confirmed layout plan, describes IT City as the anchor cluster within the larger Chak Gajaria City (CG City) master plan. The UP State Government conceptualised the CG City master plan along Sultanpur Road, with the IT City technology cluster embedded as the anchor development within this 3,490-acre mixed-use scheme. Some earlier project trackers still quote a smaller figure of roughly 2,660–2,858 acres, which appears to reflect an earlier or narrower project scope before the CG City integration was finalised; readers should treat the 3,490-acre figure, tied directly to the February–March 2026 layout plan, as the current operative number.

Land pooling and farmer participation

LDA IT City's land pooling and acquisition covers 11 villages in the Mohanlalganj tehsil of Lucknow district. The UP government has also imposed restrictions on private land purchase and sale in 10 of these villages to prevent land speculation and ensure smooth acquisition by LDA.

Under the model, the LDA has adopted a consent-based land pooling policy for the IT City development, under which farmers voluntarily contribute their land for development and receive 25% of the developed land back as residential plots. Farmers and landowners from the 11 villages who completed their land pooling agreements with LDA by 31 January 2026 became eligible for the Phase 1 plot lottery — the most critical deadline for first-priority allotment rights.

Immediate follow-through: the Phase 1 lottery

Within days of the layout launch, the framework was put into effect. The Phase 1 plot lottery was held at the Mars Auditorium, Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow, on the morning of 10 March 2026, with 549 developed residential plots allotted to eligible farmers and landowners in Sectors 15, 16, 17, 18 and 30. The mechanism secured nearly 550 acres from approximately 350 owners while mitigating direct high upfront acquisition costs.

Plots distributed covered various standardised sizes, including 35, 72, 128, 162, 200 and 288 square metres, catering to diverse domestic demand profiles. Allotment letters were officially released for applicants who participated in the Phase 1 Land Pooling Scheme, and allottees could download letters from ldalucknow.in and proceed with the formal possession process.

Practical effect: what changed on the ground

The LDA has banned the buying and selling of land in the Phase-1 area (686.66 hectares) of the IT City project; buyers can still buy land in the Phase-2 area but must check the exact Gata number and official land records before any deal.

Ground-breaking and development work began on the IT City site on Sultanpur Road, with road laying, plotting, land development and initial infrastructure work initiated across multiple sectors.

On funding, the state government also released ₹1,600 crore for further land acquisition and development across IT City, Wellness City, Naimish Nagar and Varun Vihar.

On pricing, LDA-allotted plot rates in IT City sit well below the private market: LDA IT City rates of ₹2,200–₹3,000 per sq.ft. are subsidised, below private market rates, because LDA is the developer and not seeking a private margin — but these rates establish the LDA reference price for the corridor. Private RERA-registered projects in the same belt sit at ₹3,500–₹5,000 per sq.ft., about 1.4×–1.7× of the LDA rate.

The wider CG City context

IT City is one component of a larger scheme. Beyond the IT cluster, the full CG City scheme hosts residential plots, group housing, a Central Business District (CBD), IIIT Lucknow, Medanta-Avadh super-specialty hospital, Edutech City, and over 130 acres (≈210 Bigha) of dedicated green belt. The technology cluster itself has an anchor tenant already in place: at its heart is a dedicated IT/ITeS technology cluster of 100 acres (≈161 Bigha) — a ₹1,500 crore investment.

State officials framed the launch in broader economic terms. "This project will give Uttar Pradesh a new identity," said Awanish K Awasthi, Adviser to CM Yogi Adityanath, in a February 2025 statement previewing the scheme.