The ambitious blueprint for creating a vast, economically integrated Indore-Ujjain Metropolitan Region (IUMR) has undergone a major expansion, significantly widening its scope and potential impact. The planning area for the mega region has now been scaled up to 14,550.29 square kilometres, a substantial increase from the earlier proposed area of nearly 10,000 sq km. This move is strategically designed to project the entire central Madhya Pradesh zone as a prime destination for large-scale national and international investors.
Massive Scale and Coordinated Governance
The latest expansion integrates 35 tehsils from six districts across two divisions. It notably includes new areas such as Ratlam and its surrounding zones. According to Indore Development Authority CEO Parikshit Zade, the core advantage of the IUMR lies in fostering coordinated governance and enabling efficient allocation of resources. Instead of individual cities like Indore or Ujjain planning critical infrastructure—such as public transport networks, water supply systems, and roadways—in isolation, the Metropolitan Region Authority will manage and develop this infrastructure across a massive, interconnected area.
This regional approach is expected to alleviate chronic traffic bottlenecks in core cities by ensuring smoother movement of goods and people between key industrial and economic hubs. These include major projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the proposed PM Mitra Park for the textiles sector.
Decentralising Growth and Employment
Officials highlight that the plan aims to decentralise job creation by integrating logistical assets and industrial corridors spread across the region. This strategy is intended to ensure that residents in surrounding districts—such as Dewas, Dhar, and the newly added Ratlam—gain access to a wider spectrum of employment opportunities without being compelled to migrate to the core city of Indore. A seamless administrative framework is being established for this purpose.
A detailed examination of the proposal reveals the extent of integration:
- The entire Indore district, encompassing all 10 tehsils, is fully included in the IUMR.
- From Ujjain district, four tehsils—Badnagar, Khachrod, Ujjain Urban, and Ujjain Rural—have 100% inclusion.
- In Dewas district, Dewas Urban, Dewas Rural, Hatpipliya, Sonkatch, and Tonkhurd tehsils are fully covered.
- Shajapur district sees full inclusion of Gulana, Polaykala, and Shajapur tehsil.
- Ratlam Urban tehsil in Ratlam district is also completely part of the new plan.
Several other tehsils have over 50% of their area marked under the IUMR, with only a few, like Maakdon in Ujjain district, having a minimal share.
Restarting the Planning Process
The significant expansion, however, means that considerable work done on the previous draft plan has been set aside. The earlier plan, which covered about 9,989.69 square km, had already cleared the first stage of preparing an inspection report and was nearing completion of a situation analysis report. This was part of a multi-stage process culminating in a final regional development and investment plan.
With the area being altered at least three times since the tender was floated in July last year—first by adding Dhar and Shajapur, and now Ratlam—the concerned officials are now approaching the appointed consultant to restart the entire planning exercise from scratch. The consultant was initially appointed in the first quarter of this calendar year.
This reset underscores the scale of the administrative undertaking but also reflects the state government's commitment to creating a future-ready, comprehensively planned economic region that can drive long-term urban and industrial growth in the heart of India.
