The National Capital Region Planning Board's recent approval of four proposed "Namo Cities" offers an indication of how that question may be answered. Conceived as semi-greenfield, mixed-use, transit-oriented developments (TOD) around existing and upcoming Namo Bharat stations, these urban centres represent a shift away from conventional patterns of urban expansion. Rather than allowing development to spread incrementally towards the urban fringe, the plan seeks to organise future growth around high-capacity public transport infrastructure.
Under the framework, participating states will submit proposals through a competitive process, while the Central government has committed INR 5,000 crore over five years to support the initiative. More significantly, the proposal reflects a broader evolution in urban planning philosophy. Instead of extending the boundaries of Delhi, Gurugram or Noida indefinitely, Regional Plan 2041 envisages a more distributed network of urban centres linked by rapid regional mobility.
The approach is not without precedent. India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor between Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut has already demonstrated how transport infrastructure can influence real estate activity. Since operations commenced, locations along the corridor, including Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, Modinagar and Meerut, have witnessed a marked increase in residential demand. Property values within a two-kilometre radius of Namo Bharat stations have appreciated by an estimated 30% to 67% over the past two years. In Meerut, land prices have risen from approximately INR 8,000–12,000 per sq yard to INR 12,000–20,000 per sq yard, reflecting growing investor and end-user interest in areas benefiting from improved regional accessibility.
According to Shalabh Goel, Managing Director of NCRTC, the Namo Bharat network was envisioned as a catalyst for sustainable and balanced regional development. He said improved accessibility would unlock new growth corridors, encourage development beyond traditional urban centres and foster transit-oriented communities capable of supporting long-term economic and social progress. By strengthening regional connectivity and bringing employment opportunities closer to residents, he believes the network is laying the foundation for a more integrated and polycentric NCR.
The relationship between infrastructure and real estate is well established across NCR. Regional Plan 2021 also promoted balanced regional growth and identified counter-magnet cities as an important planning objective. In practice, however, development has tended to follow infrastructure rather than planning documents.
Few examples illustrate this more clearly than the Dwarka Expressway. According to a PropEquity study, average launch prices along the corridor increased from INR 9,434 per sq ft in 2020 to INR 18,668 per sq ft in 2024, supported primarily by improvements in connectivity and associated infrastructure. The corridor demonstrates how transport investments can reshape market sentiment and accelerate development well before an area matures into an established urban destination.
The same principle underpins the Namo Cities proposal. Regional Plan 2041 seeks to organise future urbanisation around high-speed regional connectivity, reducing travel times between major centres while enabling residential and commercial development around transit nodes. The emphasis is on creating interconnected urban clusters rather than allowing existing cities to absorb population indefinitely.
Vijay Ram Rattan, Chairman of Ram Rattan Group, views the shift as a structural transformation in NCR's real estate market. He said every major appreciation cycle in the region had historically followed improvements in connectivity, and the RRTS was significantly expanding the radius of viable real estate. Areas that were once considered peripheral are increasingly becoming practical commuting destinations, with price discovery still at an early stage. He cited Naugaon in Rajasthan's Alwar district, where his group has projects, noting that proposed Namo Bharat stations along the 196-km Delhi–Gurugram–SNB (Shahjahanpur, Neemrana, Behror)–Alwar corridor are already altering perceptions of accessibility.
Attention is now turning towards the proposed Delhi–Gurugram–SNB–Alwar corridor, which is expected to connect emerging economic centres across Haryana and Rajasthan. Market participants believe the corridor could replicate many of the real estate trends observed along the Delhi–Meerut route by improving accessibility, attracting investment and encouraging planned urban development in locations that have historically remained outside NCR's primary growth centres.
This represents a notable departure from NCR's traditional development pattern. For nearly two decades, Delhi has remained the administrative centre, Gurugram has evolved into the region's corporate hub, and Noida has emerged as a major residential and commercial destination. Regional Plan 2041 instead seeks to distribute future population growth across multiple interconnected urban nodes supported by high-capacity transit infrastructure. The objective extends beyond creating additional housing stock to establishing new centres of employment, services and economic activity capable of accommodating the region's expanding population.
Yet transport infrastructure alone cannot create successful cities. India has previously experimented with planned urban centres with varying outcomes. While rail connectivity provides an important foundation, long-term success will depend equally on employment generation, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, governance capacity, civic infrastructure and sustained private investment.
Vikram Singh, President – Projects at Central Park, believes buyer behaviour is already changing. He said homebuyers no longer evaluate locations solely on their proximity to Delhi. Instead, confidence in infrastructure delivery, particularly where transport corridors are fully funded and progressing on schedule, has become an increasingly important factor influencing purchase decisions. In his view, the RRTS provides that certainty across emerging growth corridors.
The locations of the four proposed Namo Cities are yet to be finalised, with participating states expected to submit proposals before sites are selected. Nevertheless, the broader direction of policy is becoming increasingly clear. As NCR prepares to accommodate nearly seven crore additional residents over the next decade and a half, mobility infrastructure is being positioned as the framework around which future urbanisation will take place.
Whether the Namo Cities ultimately evolve into thriving urban centres will depend on more than rail connectivity. Timely execution, coordinated planning, private investment and the creation of employment opportunities will determine their long-term success. What Regional Plan 2041 has established, however, is a significant shift in planning philosophy: in the next phase of NCR's expansion, cities are expected to grow around transit infrastructure rather than asking infrastructure to catch up with urban growth.