In late June 2026, a significant planning announcement came from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Punjab. The government is proposing to amend the GMADA regional plan to formally introduce industrial, commercial, and residential land use designations across approximately 3,000 acres spanning 16 villages in and around Gharuan, SAS Nagar (Mohali).

For most buyers and investors outside the planning community, Gharuan is still a largely unfamiliar name. But within GMADA’s broader development vision for Greater Mohali, this draft plan represents a meaningful step — formalising land use in an area that sits at an important geographic junction between Kharar, Mohali’s outer sectors, and the Chandigarh International Airport corridor.

This article breaks down exactly what the draft plan proposes, which villages are included, what it means for residential buyers, industrial investors, commercial developers, and landowners — and what risks every serious buyer should understand before acting on the news.

What is the GMADA Gharuan Draft Development Plan?

GMADA — the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority — was constituted under Section 29(1) of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, 1995 through a government notification in August 2006. Its jurisdiction covers the planning and development of Mohali, Kharar, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, Banur, and surrounding areas, including New Chandigarh (Mullanpur) and Fatehgarh Sahib.

The regional plan GMADA operates under defines land use zones across its entire jurisdiction — what can be built where, what land can be used for industrial activity, which areas are designated for residential colonies, and which remain agricultural or green belts. This zoning has direct legal implications: a landowner cannot develop industrial infrastructure on agricultural land without a formal change in land use (CLU), and a private developer cannot build a residential colony unless the zone permits it.

The Gharuan draft plan, being prepared by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Punjab, proposes to amend this existing regional plan. The stated purpose is to introduce industrial and commercial activity in the Gharuan area — effectively formally recognising and enabling the kind of mixed-use development that the district is already trending toward.

What Has Prompted This Amendment?

A few factors have accelerated Gharuan’s planning significance. First, the organic pressure of urbanisation along the Kharar-Gharuan-Banur corridor, which is already seeing commercial and industrial activity without formal zoning. Second, GMADA’s own ongoing projects — Aerocity, IT City, Eco City 3 in New Chandigarh, and the Aerotropolis — are generating satellite demand in outer areas like Gharuan. Third, the Punjab government’s industrial policy push requires formally zoned industrial land to attract large manufacturers and logistics operators.

The parallel amendment at Manauli village — converting 54 acres from institutional to industrial and warehouse use — points to a broader rationalisation exercise. As Sectors 81 and 83 already host IISER and ISB, and IT City Sector 82 Alpha accommodates educational institutions, the Manauli institutional zone was effectively redundant. Repurposing it for warehousing and industry is a practical planning correction.

Why is Gharuan Becoming Important?

Location is the most straightforward explanation. Gharuan sits at a strategic geographic node in SAS Nagar district, positioned between Kharar to the north and Mohali’s developed sectors to the south.

Complete List of 16 Villages — Proposed Land Use

The draft plan covers approximately 3,000 acres across 16 villages. Villages have been broadly divided into three categories: residential, industrial/commercial, and agricultural retention zones.

Note: Gharuan and 7 other villages are proposed as residential zones. Machhipur and 8 others remain agricultural. Industrial and commercial activity is proposed broadly for the Gharuan area, with specific sector demarcation to follow upon formal notification.

Residential Development Explained

The designation of Gharuan, Mamupur, Sakrulapur, Barauli, Hasanpur, Roorkee Pukhta, Simbal Majra, and Peer Suhana as residential zones is the part of the plan most relevant to home buyers and apartment investors. Once formally notified, these villages would be eligible for:

Industrial Development Explained

Warehousing & Logistics

Warehousing is arguably the highest near-term demand use case for the Gharuan industrial zone. Mohali’s growing role as a distribution hub for North India — driven by the airport, the expanding industrial base, and e-commerce logistics — has created significant demand for Grade-A and Grade-B warehousing space. Current zoned industrial land in Mohali’s existing phases is largely absorbed. A new formally zoned industrial area near Gharuan, with road connectivity to PR9 and the airport corridor, would be immediately attractive to logistics and 3PL operators.

Employment Generation

This is the factor that creates residential demand. Industrial zone designation in Gharuan would generate employment — directly in factories and warehouses, and indirectly in support services, transportation, retail, and food. Workers need housing. That is the fundamental economic chain that makes residential zone designation alongside industrial zones logical and demand-supported.

Manauli Village — The Parallel Amendment

The concurrent proposal to convert 54 acres at Manauli village from institutional to industrial and warehouse use is part of the same rationalisation. Officials noted that Sectors 81 and 83 already have large institutional footprints with IISER and ISB, and IT City Sector 82 Alpha has educational land allocations. The Manauli institutional land was therefore not serving its intended purpose. Converting it to warehousing is a pragmatic planning correction.

Commercial Development Opportunities

How Will Property Prices Be Affected?

Infrastructure Projects Supporting Growth

Impact on Nearby Areas

Who Should Consider Investing in Gharuan?

Risks Every Buyer Must Know

Summary — Pros & Cons

Expert Analysis — Manindar Verma

Fact

The Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Punjab is proposing to amend GMADA’s regional plan to introduce industrial and commercial designations across approximately 3,000 acres in 16 villages near Gharuan, SAS Nagar. This is confirmed from The Tribune’s June 26, 2026 reporting. A parallel amendment at Manauli (54 acres, institutional to industrial/warehouse) is also in the public notice stage. Both are at the objection and suggestion stage, not formally notified.

Market Observation

In every comparable GMADA development announcement — Aerocity, IT City, New Chandigarh, Aerotropolis — there is a consistent pattern: land prices in the announcement zone jump 10–20% on sentiment alone within 3–6 months of the first credible news reports. Markets that waited for a formal notification to enter still made strong returns over a 5-year horizon in all these cases. Gharuan is likely to follow a similar sentiment curve.

Opinion

From a practitioner’s perspective, the Gharuan plan makes planning sense. The PR9 corridor connecting Kharar to Banur already has organic commercial and industrial activity that lacks formal zoning. Regularising this through a GMADA amendment is overdue and logical.

The most sensible approach for a serious buyer or investor at this stage: monitor the plan’s formal notification timeline, engage a RERA-registered consultant for title assessment of specific land parcels of interest, and build entry around a formal notification trigger rather than a draft announcement alone.

Buyer Checklist — Before Investing in Gharuan Zone

Frequently Asked Questions — GMADA Gharuan Development Plan

Final Thoughts

The GMADA Gharuan development plan is a meaningful planning signal, not a completed project. That distinction matters enormously for buyers and investors trying to decide whether — and how — to act on this news.

At the macro level, the plan makes geographic and economic sense. Gharuan sits at a natural urban edge in SAS Nagar’s growth trajectory. The PR9 corridor, the airport road infrastructure, and GMADA’s broader industrial and residential expansion have been moving in this direction for years. A formal land use designation gives structure to what was previously an organically developing zone — and historically, that formalisation has been a catalyst for real and sustained appreciation in comparable areas.

At the transaction level, however, the plan requires disciplined patience. The most common mistake after such announcements is confusing planning intent with execution reality. The smartest approach: monitor the formal notification, complete rigorous title due diligence on specific parcels of interest, build entry decisions around confirmed milestones rather than draft announcements, and hold with a 7–10 year horizon if entering early.