Noida lifts FAR cap on group housing along roads wider than 45 metres

The Noida Authority board on 28 October 2026 adopted the Uttar Pradesh Model Building Regulations, 2026, removing the maximum floor area ratio (FAR) cap of 3.5 for group housing projects on plots abutting roads wider than 45 metres. The decision was taken at the authority's 224th board meeting, chaired by Deepak Kumar, the state's infrastructure and industrial development commissioner and chairman of the Noida Authority. The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet had cleared the regulations on 9 October 2026.

FAR, or floor area ratio, is the total built-up area allowed on a plot compared with the plot's size. Under the existing rules, the maximum FAR for group housing in Noida is 3.5. The change applies only to plots on wider roads, so projects elsewhere in the city keep the current limit.

What the change does and does not do

Removing the FAR ceiling does not make building heights unrestricted. Projects will still have to follow setback provisions, fire safety requirements and aviation clearances. Development potential has to be checked parcel by parcel, because a plot on a wide road does not automatically gain the same rights as its neighbour.

An adviser in Greater Noida has told buyers to look beyond location and price. In his view, they should also check building maintenance, structural assessment records, fire safety and essential services before buying an apartment.

Infrastructure and implementation

Noida Authority chief executive Krishna Karunesh said a committee of officials from the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway authorities will examine how the regulations are implemented and identify issues that need board-level decisions. The authority will also examine how the provisions should apply to sectors that are already substantially developed. No deadline for the committee was reported.

Town planning expert Atul Gupta has warned that higher density could overburden infrastructure. The reporting identifies power substations and lines, larger water and sewage pipes and more treatment capacity as upgrades needed in many sectors. No dated schemes for these works were found.

The regulations are expected to influence residential and mixed-use development along major road corridors and areas connected to Noida International Airport (Jewar). The airport was inaugurated on 28 March 2026 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Phase 1 capacity of 12 million passengers.

Other decisions at the same meeting

• An integrated automobile complex on a 12,596 sq m commercial plot in Sector 105, with a permissible FAR of 4 and a maximum height of 20 metres. The whole plot will go to a single lessee through a single-bid process.
• In-principle approval for a land allotment scheme covering 68,000 sq m in Sector 147 for institutional IT and IT-enabled services use.
• Approval of the final City Logistics Plan, which will be sent to the state government for sign-off. It aims to improve freight movement and truck parking.
• A decision to invite requests for proposals to select a master developer for the proposed AI City-cum-Business Park, through competitive e-bidding. The park will host facilities for artificial intelligence, global capability centres, IT and ITeS, research, startups and skill development. No date has been given for the call.

For buyers in the affected corridors, the next markers are the committee's implementation guidelines and any board decision on how the rules apply to sectors that are already built up. The guidelines will show how far the authority plans to go on infrastructure before taller projects are approved.