Regional Planning
Haryana's Draft Regional Plan 2041 Designates KMP Corridor as 'Central NCR – Golden Ring of Opportunity'
The Draft Regional Plan-2041 was advanced at the NCRPB Board Meeting on June 16, 2026, officially designating the belt encompassing the KMP and Eastern Peripheral Expressway as the Central NCR (CNCR) and branding it the 'Golden Ring of Opportunity.' The plan proposes developing industrial townships and urban centres spread across 2.5 lakh hectares, with development planned 2 to 6 kilometres on both sides of the expressway loop, governed by a dedicated Panchgram Development Authority.
| Corridor length | 135 km (Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway) |
|---|---|
| Development area | 2.5 lakh hectares across five greenfield townships |
| Development width | 2 to 6 km on both sides of the KMP expressway loop |
| Governance | Dedicated Panchgram Development Authority |
| Designation | Central NCR (CNCR) – 'Golden Ring of Opportunity' |
| Development intensity | Highest-intensity zone in NCR for dense mixed-use projects, higher FAR, and TOD clusters |
| Key transport hub | Panchgaon Chowk, Manesar: Delhi-Alwar RRTS, Gurugram-Manesar Metro, Jhajjar-Palwal rail line |
| NCR GDP contribution | Currently 8% of India's GDP; targeted role in $5 trillion economy goal |
What Was Designated
The Draft Regional Plan-2041 officially designated the belt encompassing the KMP and Eastern Peripheral Expressway as the Central NCR (CNCR) and given it an unambiguous economic mandate: the 'Golden Ring of Opportunity.' The plan defines the CNCR as the zone outside Delhi extending up to five kilometres beyond the Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways, positioning it as the primary engine of regional growth.
The Panchgram Vision
The Panchgram project envisions new industrial townships and urban centres spread across 2.5 lakh hectares, with development planned 2 to 6 kilometres on both sides of the expressway loop, governed by a dedicated Panchgram Development Authority. The CNCR has been earmarked for the highest intensity of development, featuring dense mixed-use projects, higher Floor Area Ratios (FAR), TOD-based urban clusters and priority infrastructure investments. All new settlements and redevelopment projects in the zone will be required to adopt modern smart-city infrastructure and civic amenities on the lines of AURIC City, developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
Transport Integration at Manesar
Multiple Multimodal Transport Stations are planned directly on the KMP — at Manesar's Panchgaon Chowk integrating the Delhi-Alwar RRTS, Gurugram-Manesar Metro and Jhajjar-Palwal rail line, and at Kherki Daula in Gurugram combining RRTS, metro and bus connectivity. The plan also mandates integration of the Manesar-Bawal Investment Region — a DMIC-linked national industrial priority zone anchoring the southern KMP stretch — into all state sub-regional plans.
Who Decided and How
The 42nd meeting of National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) was held on 16.06.2026 in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and attended by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and other state representatives. The Board discussed the Regional Plan 2041 in great detail and decided to retain the existing geographical extent of the NCR, with no changes to its current area. The Regional Plan 2041 follows in-principle approval granted at the NCRPB's 41st meeting in October 2021.
Economic and Strategic Context
The draft notes that the NCR currently contributes around 8 per cent of India's GDP and is expected to play a key role in achieving the country's $5 trillion economy target, with the CNCR at the centre of future growth. The CNCR is one of five policy zones proposed under Regional Plan-2041, alongside NCT Delhi, Highway Corridor Zones with Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Natural Conservation Zones and the Rest of NCR. Among these, the CNCR has been earmarked for the highest intensity of development, featuring dense mixed-use projects, higher Floor Area Ratios (FAR), TOD-based urban clusters and priority infrastructure.
Affected Districts and Geographic Scope
In Haryana the KMP Expressway covers the districts of Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Mewat and Palwal. The KMP forms a ring around Delhi, with development corridors extending 2 to 6 km on both sides. The KMP corridor has already driven significant real estate growth in Manesar, New Gurugram, Sohna, Bahadurgarh and Sonepat.
What Comes Next
The Regional Plan 2041 enters the implementation phase following the June 16, 2026 NCRPB approval. Haryana must now prepare its Sub-Regional Plan detailing the five Panchgram townships and infrastructure schedules. The plan calls for all new settlements to be equipped with modern smart civic amenities on the lines of AURIC City, developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. Ongoing coordination between the Panchgram Development Authority, HSIIDC, and transport project agencies (RRTS, Metro, Rail Ministry) will be critical for phased execution of the transport hubs and township development.
Development phases
Frequently asked questions
What is the 'Golden Ring of Opportunity'?
The Draft Regional Plan-2041 designated the belt encompassing the KMP and Eastern Peripheral Expressway as the Central NCR (CNCR) and given it the 'Golden Ring of Opportunity' designation. The CNCR gets the highest-intensity development mandate: dense mixed-use land use, maximum floor area ratios, TOD clusters around transport nodes and priority infrastructure investment.
How much land is covered by the Panchgram project?
The Panchgram project envisions new industrial townships and urban centres spread across 2.5 lakh hectares, with development planned 2 to 6 kilometres on both sides of the expressway loop.
What is the Panchgram Development Authority?
A dedicated Panchgram Development Authority will govern the project, overseeing five greenfield townships along the KMP. The new urban centers will be developed by an umbrella organisation called Panchgram Development Authority.
Which transport modes will connect at Manesar's Panchgaon Chowk?
Several Multimodal Transport Stations (MMTS) are planned, including one at Panchgaon Chowk, Manesar, linking the Delhi-Alwar RRTS, Gurugram-Manesar Metro and Jhajjar-Palwal rail line.
Why is the NCR's CNCR zone considered strategically important?
The draft notes that the NCR currently contributes around 8 per cent of India's GDP and is expected to play a key role in achieving the country's $5 trillion economy target, with the CNCR at the centre of future growth.
What happens to the existing Manesar-Bawal Investment Region?
The plan mandates integration of the Manesar-Bawal Investment Region — a DMIC-linked national industrial priority zone anchoring the southern KMP stretch — into all state sub-regional plans.
Which districts of Haryana are included in the KMP corridor?
In Haryana the KMP Expressway covers the districts of Sonepat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Mewat and Palwal.
Sources
- KMP Expressway to become NCR's 'golden ring': New plan unlocks massive development in Gurugram, Manesar, Sonipat
- NCR's next growth engine: KMP corridor gets 'Golden Ring of Opportunity' status
- 42nd meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board held in New Delhi
- NCR Plan 2041 bets on Panchgrams along KMP Expressway; Rao Inderjit raises water concern
- Panchgram cities set to reshape the contours of Haryana NCR
- Delhi Regional Plan 2041: NCR's Bold Urban Future
- KMP Expressway to emerge as gateway to 'Viksit Bharat 2047' vision: Rao Narbir Singh