CIDCOs

CIDCOs refer to city and industrial development corporations, a class of state-level urban development agencies in India. They are created by state governments to plan, develop, and manage new towns and industrial areas, and to provide housing, infrastructure, and services. CIDCOs operate as government-owned corporations or authorities under relevant state legislation and are typically empowered to prepare master plans, acquire land, develop or lease land for housing and industry, and fund projects through the sale or lease of land and by government grants or borrowings. They collaborate with municipal corporations, district administrations, and state housing departments to deliver large-scale urban projects.

The best-known example is the Maharashtra-based City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), established in 1970 to develop Navi Mumbai as a satellite city to Mumbai. It prepared the master plan, acquired land, and built housing, roads, water supply, drainage, and industrial zones. Navi Mumbai became the flagship project, including nodes such as Belapur, Vashi, Nerul, Kharghar, and Panvel. Since then, CIDCO has expanded its scope to other townships and projects within Maharashtra and adjacent areas, including housing schemes, industrial estates, and infrastructure development.

CIDCOs typically finance their activities through land sales, development fees, and government support, and are accountable to state government ministries. Their exact mandates, governance structures, and funding mechanisms can vary by state, but the core purpose remains the planning and development of organized urban spaces to manage growth and provide urban services.