Three layers of planning, and one changed in 2025
The ring of land around Bengaluru is planned by different bodies depending on how far out you are. Getting this right is the first check, because an approval from the wrong body is worth nothing.
| Area | Planning body | What it usually means for a plot |
|---|---|---|
| The core city | Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), with five city corporations | Layout and building approvals, khata and property tax sit with the GBA system |
| The rest of the Bangalore Metropolitan Area | Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) | BDA's own layouts, and private layouts BDA approves |
| The wider metropolitan region | Local planning authorities under the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) | Private layouts in places such as Anekal, Hoskote, Nelamangala and the airport area |
The big change came in 2025. The Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024 replaced the BBMP with the GBA and five city corporations (Central, East, West, North and South), which began work on 2 September 2025. The state also moved planning powers for the core city from BDA to the GBA. BDA continues to plan the areas outside GBA limits.
The split between GBA and BDA was still being argued in 2026, including over who prepares the next master plan. In practice:
- Older approvals keep their original authority's name. A BDA-approved layout from 2022 is still a BDA approval; the records may now sit with a different office.
- Check the boundary for the survey number, not the locality name. Two plots on the same road can fall under different bodies.
- Ask the authority, not the seller, to confirm the approval number and date.
What "BMRDA approved" really means
You will see "BMRDA approved plots" on hoardings across the outer ring. BMRDA is the umbrella body for the metropolitan region. It prepares the regional plan and oversees the local planning authorities. The approval on a private layout in its area normally comes from the local planning authority for that taluk or zone, such as the Anekal Planning Authority or the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority (BIAAPA).
So when a seller says "BMRDA approved", ask three questions:
- Which local planning authority signed the layout plan, and what is the approval number?
- Is my site number listed in a release order from that authority?
- Does the site have an e-khata from the town body or an e-swathu record from the gram panchayat?
A layout plan and a release order are two separate papers. Authorities release sites in stages, holding some back until the developer finishes roads, drains, water and power. A site outside the release order cannot be sold lawfully, even in an approved layout. Our guide on layout approvals in Karnataka explains the stages.
E-khata decides whether a plot can be sold
Since late 2024, Karnataka has required an electronic property record for registration. In urban areas this is the e-khata through the state's e-Aasthi system; in gram panchayat areas it is the e-swathu record. The sub-registrar's system checks it before a sale deed is registered.
For a plot buyer this cuts both ways:
- A plot with a proper e-khata or e-swathu record can be registered, mutated and mortgaged to a bank.
- A plot without one cannot be registered in the normal way, whatever the seller promises about "getting it done later".
- An e-khata does not prove the layout was approved. Some records were created from old tax entries. Check the approval separately.
In September 2025 the Karnataka High Court held that buyers of plots formed without the competent planning authority's approval have no right to demand an e-khata. That ruling closes the usual excuse for revenue sites. For the difference between A-khata, B-khata and e-khata, see A-khata, B-khata and e-khata explained.
Watch the district name
In May 2025 the state renamed Ramanagara district as Bengaluru South. It covers Ramanagara, Magadi, Kanakapura, Channapatna and Harohalli taluks. A plot advertised as "Bengaluru South" may be well outside the city and its planning bodies. Read the village, hobli and taluk on the RTC (pahani), the land record, not the brochure. Our guide to RTC and mutation shows what each entry means.
Papers to see before you pay a token
- RTC and mutation for the parent land, showing the landowner or developer
- Conversion order, or proof that the master plan allows residential use; see DC conversion in Karnataka
- Approved layout plan with the authority's name, approval number and date
- Release order listing your site number
- K-RERA registration where the layout needs it; check on rera.karnataka.gov.in and read our RERA guide for plotted layouts
- E-khata or e-swathu record for the individual site
- Encumbrance certificate for the parent land and the site
- Title chain for the parent land, going back at least 30 years
Get copies before any payment and give them to your own lawyer. The full list, and what each paper proves, is in every paper to check before you pay.
On the ground around Bengaluru
Some risks show up only on a visit:
- Storm-water drains and lakes. Land along a rajakaluve (primary storm-water drain) or near a lake bed carries buffer restrictions and flood risk. Check the village map and look for low ground.
- Road access. A road drawn on the layout plan must exist on the ground and be handed over to the authority. A private strip owned by the developer can be closed.
- Acquisition notices. Ring roads, metro lines and industrial areas have taken land across the region. Ask the planning authority and the taluk office whether the survey number is notified for acquisition.
- Water. Many outer layouts rely on borewells. Ask what the source is, who maintains it, and whether piped supply is planned or only promised.
Our site visit checklist covers the rest.
What moves the price
We do not quote plot prices near Bengaluru because rates vary sharply between layouts a few kilometres apart and we cannot verify them all. These are the factors that move one plot against another:
- Which body approved the layout, and whether sites are released
- E-khata in place, so banks will lend and the sale can be registered
- Distance to the city's ring roads, the airport, metro stations and job centres
- Road width and whether it is a public road
- Piped water, drainage and power on site
- Whether the area is inside GBA limits or likely to be
The guidance value, the government's minimum value for stamp duty, is on the Kaveri portal. It is not a market price; see guidance value and market price.
How we help
We check plots on the edge of Bengaluru against the right planning authority, the release order and the e-khata before you commit, and we read the title chain with you. Send us the survey or site number through our documentation service, or tell us what you want to buy.
