Bengaluru: The Karnataka govt Monday allowed a significant expansion of built-up area on its industrial land banks, a move that will improve land utilisation in KIADB areas and attract investments.The sixth largest Indian state by area has increased permissible ground coverage for industrial plots from 65% to 75%.“Earlier, only about 65% of the land could be built upon, while nearly 35% remained under setback and parking requirements. We have increased this to 75%. There were demands from industry for better utilisation of land. As per our assessment, the city can handle it,” industries minister MB Patil told TOI.The revised framework also expands permissible floor area ratio (FAR) under a premium payment mechanism. FAR determines the total built-up area allowed relative to plot size and governs vertical development.Under the updated norms, the maximum permissible FAR, including premium FAR purchased through additional payment, goes up to 5.2 for plots abutting roads wider than 30 metres. On roads up to 9 metres wide, total FAR can rise to 2.45, with slabs increasing in line with road width.Premium FAR enables developers to exceed base FAR by paying additional charges linked to the land’s allotment value. The provision allows greater vertical build intensity without expanding the land footprint.Industry bodies have welcomed the move. Uma Reddy, president of FKCCI, said: “It’s a welcome move that unlocks land usage. If much of the land is lost to setback requirements, the scope for industrial development becomes limited. Industrial land is premium and this move should nudge us towards flatted factories.”Flatted factories are vertical industrial complexes that house multiple self-contained units for manufacturing, assembly or warehousing under one roof, typically designed for micro, small and medium enterprises.The combined effect of higher ground coverage and expanded premium FAR could significantly alter build intensity in industrial clusters, particularly in land-constrained urban zones.
