Investor FAQ

Dholera itself is a legitimate, government-backed Special Investment Region under the Gujarat government and the DMIC framework. The scam risk is not "Dholera" — it is the resale of non-DA-approved, disputed, or misrepresented land by opportunistic sellers around it. The distinction that matters is whether a specific plot is DA-approved and inside a finalised TP scheme, not whether the region is real.

A SIR is a large area designated under Gujarat's SIR Act for integrated industrial and urban development, planned and delivered by a dedicated statutory authority rather than piecemeal private development. In Dholera's case that authority is DSIRDA. It means land use, road alignment, and infrastructure sequencing are set by an approved master plan rather than by whoever bought the neighbouring field.

The wider SIR is commonly cited at roughly 920 sq km, but that figure is close to meaningless for an investor. The number that matters is the Activation Area — roughly 22.5 sq km — where roads, utilities, and administrative infrastructure have been prioritised. Development outside that zone is substantially earlier stage. Any pitch that quotes 920 sq km without mentioning the Activation Area is telling you something about the seller.

Yes. It opened for public testing in February 2026 and was formally inaugurated on 31 March 2026. The 109 km access-controlled road brings the Ahmedabad–Dholera drive to roughly 45 minutes, down from about two hours. Of everything claimed about Dholera, this is the most settled — you can drive it yourself, and we would suggest you do.

Not for passengers. An Airports Authority of India aircraft completed the first trial landing on the runway in June 2026, which is a genuine milestone — it confirms the runway is physically usable. Cargo operations are expected to begin first, with passenger operations targeted around the end of 2026. Treat every date you see attached to this as a target, including the ones we quote.

Generally yes for non-agricultural land and constructed property, under FEMA. Agricultural land, plantation property, and farmhouses are prohibited for NRIs and OCIs unless inherited or gifted by a resident Indian. Dholera plots are typically marketed as NA land inside a finalised TP scheme, which usually falls within what you can buy — but "usually" is doing work in that sentence. Confirm your specific position with a qualified advisor, because your exact status matters.

It means the land sits within a Town Planning scheme finalised by DSIRDA, with a legitimate title and allotment traceable to that scheme. It is a specific, checkable claim about a specific plot — which is exactly why you should ask for the TP scheme number and Final Plot number and verify them independently, rather than accepting the phrase as a general reassurance about the area.

Not necessarily, but remote purchase raises your risk materially. The usual mechanism is a Power of Attorney granted to someone in India. If you use one, keep it narrow and specific — limited to the identified plot and the identified transaction, time-bound, and never granted to anyone connected to the seller. A broad, open-ended POA handed to your broker is one of the most reliable ways to lose control of an Indian property transaction.

RERA registration applies to qualifying projects, and plotted developments can fall within it depending on how they are structured and sized. Do not accept a developer's claim that RERA does or does not apply — ask for the registration number and check it against the Gujarat RERA portal yourself. A seller who is vague about this is answering the question.

Through banking channels only — typically an NRE or NRO account, or FCNR funds. Never through cash, never through a third party, and never into an individual's personal account. Beyond legality, the route you fund from determines your repatriation rights later, so this is a decision to make deliberately at the start rather than discover at the exit.

Repatriation is subject to FEMA limits — broadly, up to USD 1 million per financial year from NRO balances, with a simplified route available for a limited number of residential properties. The mechanics depend on how you funded the purchase and what documentation you retained. This is genuinely worth a chartered accountant experienced with NRI transactions, not a forum post and not this page.

Capital gains, with the rate depending on holding period — property held beyond 24 months is treated as long-term. NRI sellers also face TDS deducted at source by the buyer at rates well above what a resident seller would see, which can tie up a large share of your proceeds until you reclaim it. Both the rates and the reclaim mechanism change with finance acts; confirm current rules before modelling anything.

Stamp duty and registration charges, legal and title-verification fees, any development or infrastructure charges attached to the scheme, and ongoing holding costs. Sales pitches quote the land rate; the all-in number is meaningfully higher. Our cost estimator on the home page includes duty and registration lines for exactly this reason.

The chain of title on the specific plot, verified by a lawyer you engaged and paid — not one introduced by the seller. Everything else on any due-diligence list is secondary to the question of whether the person selling has the right to sell.

Engage an independent local lawyer for title search and encumbrance certificate. Ask for the TP scheme number and F.P. number in writing and verify them separately. Request a live, unedited video walk of the plot boundaries with a visible landmark and a live phone call — not a pre-recorded clip. And send someone you trust, ideally not the broker, to physically stand on it. Our free due-diligence checklist walks through the full sequence.

Guaranteed or projected returns with a percentage attached. Urgency framing — "only three plots left at this rate." Refusal or delay in providing the TP scheme and F.P. numbers in writing. Pressure to pay a booking amount before any documentation. Recommending their own lawyer. Quoting the 920 sq km figure while showing you a plot nowhere near the Activation Area. Any one of these is a reason to slow down; two together is a reason to walk.

Scale, land pooling, and build order. TP schemes require assembling land from many individual owners, reconfiguring it to the master plan, and reallotting it — a process measured in years per scheme. Infrastructure also has to precede density, which means a decade of building things nobody uses yet. That is how planned cities work everywhere; it is slow, and slow is not the same as fraudulent. It does mean your time horizon has to be honest.

Infrastructure timelines slipping further, so your capital sits idle longer than modelled. Industrial anchors underdelivering on employment, so end-user demand never materialises at the scale assumed. A thin resale market, meaning you cannot exit at a quoted "market rate" because there is no depth behind it. And concentration risk: much of the current thesis rests on one fab. None of these are reasons not to invest; all of them are reasons to size the position as a long-horizon, illiquid bet.

No, and anyone telling you otherwise has disqualified themselves. Real estate in an under-development region carries specific risks, including the possibility that infrastructure arrives years later than promised and that resale liquidity stays thin for a long time. Treat this as a long-term, diligence-driven decision.

No. We are an independent information and advisory platform. We do not own, broker, or take payment for land. We connect interested investors with verified partners in our network, and we will happily tell you when we think a specific pitch you have received does not hold up.

Through referral relationships with partners in our network when a connection leads somewhere. We are telling you this plainly because you should assume every Dholera website has an incentive, and the useful ones tell you what theirs is. It is also why we publish the risks as prominently as the case — a referral model only works if the people we refer are still speaking to us in three years.

We read it, and someone from our side replies over WhatsApp or email within 24–48 hours to understand what you are trying to achieve. If your requirement fits a partner in the network, we make an introduction. If it does not — or if we think Dholera is a poor fit for your timeline or risk tolerance — we will say so. There is no obligation and no follow-up campaign.