Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) Vice Chairman Shri Chanchal Rana informed that the BDA has formalized a transformative partnership with Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Infrastructure PTE Ltd. to spearhead the spatial and economic engineering of the proposed New Bhubaneswar City.
This collaboration, cemented via a Memorandum of Understanding signed on January 17, 2025, during the President of Singapore’s state visit to India, signals a strategic pivot toward globalized urban standards for Odisha’s capital. The initiative addresses the urgent demographic pressures on the existing urban core by establishing a 800-acre high-density, multi-economic growth zone within the Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area (BDPA).
The project, which secured State Cabinet approval on September 10, 2025, is geographically anchored in the Mouzas of Gothapatna, Malipada, and Daspur. The master plan designed by Surbana Jurong utilizes a layered causality approach, integrating short-, medium-, and long-term projectisation to ensure infrastructure precedes habitation. By prioritizing the structural density of essential utilities—including advanced drainage, sewage, and water systems—the BDA aims to mitigate the systemic failures common in rapid unplanned urbanization.
The finalized scope of services emphasizes socio-legal precision through a Comprehensive Urban Design Framework. This framework dictates the spatial governance of the city, bifurcating the 800-acre expanse into developable anchor zones and non-developable green lungs. Specific design guidelines are being established for catalytic projects such as the City Centre and innovation hubs, alongside schematic protections for forest areas. This synthesis of economic vitality and environmental preservation is designed to foster a climate-resilient urban form.
Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, has underscored the moral urgency of adhering to strict implementation timelines. The development is envisioned not merely as a residential expansion but as a future-ready economic engine featuring MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities and transit-oriented development (TOD) corridors. As Surbana Jurong provides technical handholding for the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), the BDA is tasked with navigating complex stakeholder coordination to ensure the New City becomes a landmark of sustainable synthesis in Eastern India.
The project aligns with the broader Viksit Odisha 2036 vision, targeting a total investment of 8,179 crore over 15 years. With the master plan now entering its projectisation phase, the transformation of the Gothapatna-Malipada-Daspur corridor represents a systemic leap toward a decentralized, polycentric urban model for Bhubaneswar.