Dholera is not ready for people to move in and live there right now. If you are looking for a house to stay in today with schools and shops nearby, you will find mostly empty land and big construction machines.
The big picture of the city
I have been looking at land and buildings for over fifty years. I started back when many of the big cities you see today were just dirt paths and trees. I have seen how cities are born. It takes a long time. It is like planting a tree. You cannot expect fruit the next day.
The Dholera Special Investment Region is a very big plan by the government. It is supposed to be a smart city. But a smart city needs more than just fancy wires underground. It needs people.
- There are no neighbors yet. If you move there today, you will be very lonely.
- The roads are getting ready. The big highway from Ahmedabad is being built, but it is not finished.
- Water and power are coming. The pipes are being laid in the ground, which is good, but they are not all connected to houses yet.
- It looks like a giant work site. There is a lot of dust and big trucks moving around.
Why you cannot live there yet
When I was a young man in the 1970s, I saw people buy land in places that were far away. Some got rich, but many had to wait thirty years. Dholera is in the waiting stage. You cannot just go to a grocery store and buy milk there. There are no hospitals for your grandma or schools for your kids.
- Residential occupancy means you can actually sleep there, cook there, and live a normal life.
- Right now, Dholera is for investing, not for living.
- Investment means putting your money away and hoping it grows over ten or twenty years.
- If a salesman tells you that you can move in next month, he is not telling the truth.
What should you look for?
I have watched many people lose their life savings because they got too excited. Do not let the fancy brochures fool you. You must look at the ground with your own eyes.
- Check the Gujarat RERA website. This is a rule book that builders must follow. If they are not on that list, stay away.
- Look for the street lights. If there are no lights at night, it is not a place for a family.
- Think about the commute. It is still a long drive to any big city where the jobs are.
- Wait for the factories. A city needs jobs. Until the big companies start their factories, no one will move there.
My final thoughts after 50 years
I want to help you keep your money safe. Dholera will likely be a great city one day. Maybe in ten or fifteen years, it will be full of life. But today, it is just a dream on a piece of paper and some concrete in the dirt.
If you are a young person with extra money and you do not need it for a long time, maybe you buy a small piece of land. But if you want a home for your family to live in right now, look somewhere else. A house is only a home when the lights are on and the neighbors are talking. Dholera is still very quiet. Real estate development is a slow game. Do not rush into a place that is not ready for you.
