Dholera was chosen for development mainly because of its large empty land, good location near Ahmedabad, and strong government support for building a new industrial city. The place allows planners to build a modern city from the beginning instead of fixing an old crowded one.
Here are the main reasons why Dholera was selected:
1. Very large continuous land available
- One big reason is huge open land in one stretch
- Many cities in India cannot expand because villages and private plots are everywhere
- In Dholera, planners found thousands of hectares that could be planned together
- This makes it easier to design roads, industries, housing and utilities properly
- According to Dholera Special Investment Region, the area is planned as a very large industrial zone
- When I studied maps, I noticed how clean the layout planning looks compared to old cities
2. Close to Ahmedabad
- Dholera is about 100 to 110 km from Ahmedabad
- Ahmedabad is already a big business city
- Being near Ahmedabad means companies can easily shift or expand
- Workers and engineers can travel from Ahmedabad
- This reduces risk for investors
3. Part of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor
- Dholera lies inside the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor
- This corridor is one of India’s biggest industrial plans
- The government wanted a new manufacturing hub along this route
- Dholera became one of the main nodes
- This gave the project national importance
4. Coastal location advantage
- Dholera is near the Arabian Sea
- It is not a port city, but ports are reachable
- Industries usually prefer coastal areas
- Transporting goods becomes easier
- When I checked logistics maps, the distance to ports looked practical for factories
5. Low population density
- The area had fewer people compared to big cities
- That means less displacement problems
- Land pooling became easier
- Development becomes faster when land disputes are fewer
6. Flat land is easier to build on
- The region is mostly flat coastal plain land
- Flat land reduces construction difficulty
- Roads and infrastructure are easier to plan
- Large industrial plots can be created easily
7. Government wanted a planned smart city
- The idea was to build a city designed before construction starts
- Most Indian cities grow randomly
- Dholera is planned with wide roads and utility corridors
- Underground infrastructure is easier to install in a new city
8. Strong support from Gujarat government
- The Gujarat government actively promoted industrial development
- Policies were created to attract companies
- Agencies were formed to manage development
- This kind of support is important for large projects
9. Future infrastructure planning
- Plans include expressways and airport connectivity
- Dholera International Airport is planned nearby
- Metro and rail connections are also proposed
- A new city needs strong connectivity, and Dholera was designed with this in mind
10. Long term vision
- Dholera is not a short project
- It is planned for many decades
- The idea is to create a new economic center
- When I first studied the planning documents years ago, I realized this project is more about the future than the present
In simple words, Dholera was chosen because it offered space, location, and planning freedom that older cities cannot provide. It allowed the government to design a completely new industrial smart city from the ground up instead of repairing an already crowded city.
