UIMR Explainer: How big a gamechanger will the Indore-Ujjain Greenfield Corridor become? How successful will the model of returning 60% developed land to farmers be? Can UIMR make Madhya Pradesh the biggest growth engine of Developed India 2047?
Bhopal. Under the visionary thinking of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, preparations are being made to make Unified Indore Metropolitan Region (UIMR) a new gateway to the development of Madhya Pradesh. This ambitious plan aims to extend the development concentrated in big cities like Indore to the surrounding small cities, towns and rural areas. Under this thinking, the scope of UIMR has been increased six times to more than 16 thousand square kilometers.
Now this area will include 38 tehsils and 2,781 villages of six districts including Ujjain, Dewas, Dhar, Ratlam and Shajapur along with Indore. About 1.25 crore people reside in this vast area. This scheme will further strengthen the role of Madhya Pradesh in realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Developed India 2047.
Preparation of 5 lakh employment and big industrial investment in UIMR
A large industrial bank of more than 13,500 hectares of land has been created under UIMR to develop the Malwa region as a global manufacturing hub. Along with this, a plan has been made to develop 14 new industrial parks. The government estimates that these projects will create about five lakh new employment opportunities. Pithampur will be made a major center for electric vehicle and advanced engineering industries. Vikram Udyogpuri of Ujjain will be developed as an anchor city. There is a plan to establish Ratlam as an export hub by making it a major center of logistics and business activities.
Target of 60 minutes connectivity from Greenfield Corridor
The biggest feature of UIMR is its comprehensive connectivity model. The government aims to ensure 60 minutes accessibility in the entire 16 thousand square kilometer area. For this, work is being done rapidly on important projects like Indore-Ujjain Greenfield Corridor and Indore-Bhopal Expressway. Also, the public transport system will be strengthened through the metro extension plan till Ujjain. The region will be connected to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and major expressway networks, allowing finished products in the industries to reach major ports in the country in less time.
Farmers will get direct benefits in land pooling model
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has started a new chapter of development by laying the foundation stone of the first phase of Indore-Pithampur Economic Corridor. This is considered to be a unique land pooling model of the country, in which 60 percent of their developed land will be given back to the farmers of 17 villages. With this, farmers will not remain mere givers of land, but will become direct participants in the development process. The government is working on a multi-nodal network model. Under this, cities like Dewas, Dhar, Maksi and Shajapur will also be developed as growth centres, so that the pressure of increasing population and resources on Indore can be reduced.
Emphasis on environmental protection through blue-green development policy
Blue-Green Development Policy has been implemented to maintain environmental balance with the rapid development. In this policy, Blue means water area and Green means forest area. Strict control will be maintained on construction activities around Narmada River and other water sources and forest areas. Besides, plantation on a large scale will be made mandatory.
Zero liquid discharge system will be implemented in industrial areas so that polluted water does not reach rivers and water sources. Future industrial clusters will be based on a carbon neutral model and will use renewable sources such as solar and wind power for their energy needs.
Ujjain-Omkareshwar tourism circuit will increase economy
The plan is based on a balanced model of development and heritage. The aim of the state government is to increase the contribution of tourism sector to 10 percent of the state’s GDP by the year 2047. In view of the arrival of more than five crore devotees in Ujjain during the year 2023, a special luxury tourism circuit will be developed connecting Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Mandu and Maheshwar. Along with this, rural tourism, Narmada riverfront development and heritage hotel network will also be promoted, which will create new income and employment opportunities for the local people.
Data based urban planning will create the future of Madhya Pradesh
The state government has taken steps towards implementing the Madhya Pradesh Metropolitan Area Planning and Development Act 2025 to promote modern and scientific urban development. Under this law, city planning will be prepared with the help of data-based analysis and geospatial technology instead of traditional methods.
For this, a powerful metropolitan authority will be formed, which will have the statutory authority to plan and implement the entire area. This organization will make advance preparations for development works by pre-estimating the population, traffic and infrastructure needs of the next 20 to 50 years, so that the problem of unorganized urbanization can be avoided in the future.