The Uttar Pradesh government has released the draft Unified Regulations for Industrial Development Authorities (IDAs), 2026, inviting objections and suggestions. The proposed framework seeks to streamline rules governing key procedures, including map approvals, plot amalgamation, permissible covered area, fire safety norms, road widths, and building heights.
A key change relates to the Floor Area Ratio (FAR), which determines the extent of permissible construction on a plot. Currently, FAR limits vary across authorities, with considerable discretion exercised over setbacks, ground coverage and building height. At present, industrial plots typically have an FAR of 0.6 to 2, group housing ranges from 2.75 to 3.5, institutional projects from 0.8 to 2.75, and commercial developments from 1.2 to 4.
Which authorities will the UP Draft Unified IDA Rules 2026 apply to?
These rules will apply to authorities such as Noida, Greater Noida, Yamuna Expressway, UPSIDA, UPEIDA, and any future industrial development authority.
“Currently, each authority has different norms for regulations of buildings, confusing people and making it tough for officials to govern and enforce rules,” a Greater Noida authority officer told the Hindustan Times newspaper, requesting anonymity.
Officials said the UP government has decided to simplify and make uniform building regulations for all industrial bodies including Noida, Greater Noida, Yeida, Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority, UP State Industrial Development Authority, UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority, and Satharia Industrial Development Authority, among others, who will have to use same norms to end ambiguity.
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Key proposals
- Changes in Floor Area Ratio (FAR): A key shift in the draft regulations is in the Floor Area Ratio. So far, different authorities have followed varying FAR limits, often exercising discretion over setbacks, ground coverage and building height. Currently, FAR ranges from 0.6 to 2 for industrial plots, 2.75 to 3.5 for group housing, 0.8 to 2.75 for institutional projects, and 1.2 to 4 for commercial developments.
Under the proposed norms, FAR is set to increase and will link directly to road width, allowing higher-density development along wider roads. - Setback requirements: The draft proposes a significant relaxation in setback norms, which is the minimum distance a building must maintain from plot boundaries, roads or adjoining structures. Officials said industrial plots that earlier required setbacks of up to 16 metres could see this reduced to a range of 3 to 9 metres, bringing them closer to housing board norms and freeing up more usable land.
Typically, group housing projects had ground coverage of around 35–40%, while industrial plots ranged between 35–60%. Under the proposal, setbacks are standardised to 9 metres in the front and 6 metres on the remaining three sides, enabling more efficient land use while maintaining essential open space requirements. - Parking requirements are also set to be eased under the draft norms, officials told the newspaper. Earlier, commercial projects were required to provide one parking slot for every 30 to 100 square metres of built-up area. The new proposal widens this range to one slot for every 50 to 500 square metres, depending on the project’s size.
For residential developments, the requirement is proposed at 1 to 1.5 parking slots per unit, while industrial projects will need one slot for every 300 square metres. - Landscaping requirements will also be eased. Currently, 25-50% of a plot must be kept for greenery. The new rules will reduce this to 5 to 10 per cent, with greenery ensured at layout level through tree planting.
- Height restrictions of 10 to 24 metres will also be removed except where aviation safety or heritage rules apply.
Officials said suggestions or objections about the draft regulations, published online on the Noida authority portal, can be submitted in person at Sector 6 office from 10 am to 5pm or mailed within the next 15 days (till May 3).
Once objections or suggestions are submitted and resolved, draft regulations 2026 will be finalised and put into effect.
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What experts and homebuyers have to say
Dinesh Gupta, president Credai West UP chapter, described the draft rules as beneficial, noting that while agencies such as Awas Vikas had already revised norms to allow higher FAR, Noida and Greater Noida continued to follow stricter limits. He added that the reduction in setback requirements reflects the reality of shrinking land banks in urban areas and is likely to drive vertical growth in the region instead of horizontal expansion.
Suresh Garg, CMD Nirala World, said the Uttar Pradesh government’s draft unified building rules mark a significant step toward planned, infrastructure-led urbanisation by linking Floor Area Ratio (FAR) directly to road width. He added that the reforms are expected to promote vertical growth and establish a single, transparent framework for developers across Noida, Greater Noida, and other industrial development authorities.
Rajiva Singh, president of the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations, said the proposed Unified Building Code aims to streamline development across but it raises key concerns for residents. While wider roads may support denser projects, civic infrastructure, such as sewage, power and water, must be upgraded alongside.
Higher ground coverage could improve project viability, but it should not come at the cost of green spaces, natural light and ventilation. Ultimately, the focus must remain not just on how much can be built, but on ensuring quality of life and environmental sustainability, he said.