DHOLERA SIR

Dholera’s journey began with a policy decision to create a large-scale, future-oriented industrial and urban region in Gujarat. The legal basis was the Gujarat Special Investment Region Act, 2009, which established the framework for declaring, planning, governing, and developing Special Investment Regions in the state.

After the legal framework was established, Dholera SIR was structured as a major planned region of about 920 sq. km, with about 422 sq. km under Town Planning Schemes. It was envisioned as a large-scale smart industrial city within the DMIC ecosystem. This stage translated policy into mapped territory, development logic, and phased urban planning.

A major milestone came in 2016, when Dholera Industrial City Development Limited (DICDL) was formed as the Special Purpose Vehicle for implementation. The official FAQ states that DICDL was created with 51% equity from the Government of Gujarat through DSIRDA in the form of land and 49% equity from the Government of India through NICDIT in the form of cash. This marked the transition from planning to implementation.

Given Dholera’s scale, development began with a focused first phase called the Activation Area, covering about 22.54 sq. km under TP 2A and TP 4A. This became the first demonstration zone for industrial, residential, and commercial development. The government states that trunk infrastructure in this Activation Area has been developed.

One of the most visible signs of Dholera’s maturity is the ABCD Building, the Administrative and Business Centre of Dholera. Officially, it includes the Business & Exhibition Center (BEC) and the SPV Building. It houses offices, conference and event facilities, and the City Integrated Operations Centre (CIOC), which monitors traffic, surveillance, utilities, emergency response, and e-governance systems in the Activation Area.

Dholera’s next phase is being shaped by four force multipliers: the international airport, rail connectivity, semiconductor manufacturing, and renewable energy infrastructure. Together, these projects move Dholera from a planned city into a live industrial ecosystem. The airport strengthens global access, the railway improves cargo and commuter movement, the semiconductor program anchors advanced manufacturing, and solar power reinforces Dholera’s long-term sustainability narrative. This is the stage where infrastructure stops being enabling support and starts becoming economic acceleration.