Ghaziabad Development Authority approved ₹2,813 crore for land acquisition of Aerocity township and a joint venture for an International Cricket Stadium.
According to GDA officials, the board approved a 50:50 joint venture with the UP Cricket Association (UPCA) for the stadium’s development, which will cover 34.42 acres.
“The stadium’s cost — including land, construction, operations, map layout sanction, consultancy, and utility shifting — will be borne by the two agencies in a similar ratio, as will the revenue. The stadium is estimated to be constructed for about ₹600-650 crore,” GDA vice-chairperson Nand Kishor Kalal told HT.
Officials said the construction of the stadium is expected to take three years from the date of awarding the project. The facility has been planned to have a seating capacity of 35,000 and will also house a sports academy, according to officials.
“The GDA and the UPCA have agreed to jointly develop the stadium. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed after finalising the modalities, and this process will take time,” Rakesh Mishra, UPCA’s convenor for the project, told HT.
Officials said the project will take off once the formal MoU is signed. The work for the construction of the boundary wall for the land of the stadium has started.
Deliberations for the stadium, however, have been underway since 2018.
Aerocity-themed township
At the meeting, the GDA also approved a land-procuring proposal for the Aerocity-themed township and sanctioned about ₹2,813 crore for it.
“The board approved a proposal to procure land from three villages — Morti, Ator, and Mevla Agri — and also approved procuring the land based on land pooling. Under this, a landowner will get 25% of developed land while the authority will get 75% undeveloped land. This will benefit the landowner as the cost of developed land will be much higher than the total cost of undeveloped land. So, under this process, GDA will be able to procure land easily,” Kalal added.
Officials said apart from the land-pooling option, the proposal also mentions procuring land through direct purchase and under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
The proposed township, which will feature mixed land use, commercial, and institutional facilities, will be developed near the proposed cricket stadium.
They added that the township will house luxury hotels, high-end dining, clubs, parking, restaurants, and high-end retail shops for visitors to the proposed stadium and also for nearby areas like Raj Nagar Extension and GDA’s proposed Harnandipuram township.
The officials added that phase-1 of the proposed Harnandipuram township near the ICS is also likely to be launched by GDA in September or October.
The move to jointly develop the stadium follows a directive from UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who instructed GDA to expedite the stadium’s construction during his visit to Ghaziabad on June 26, 2025.