The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) will deploy a special team of officials next week to initiate land identification for Infopark Kochi’s third-phase expansion through land-pooling.

A government order dated 18 October, 2024, named GCDA the ‘appropriate authority’ under Section 56 of the Kerala Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, 2023, incorporating land-pooling rules notified on March 16, 2024. This makes GCDA the first local body in Kerala to implement such a scheme for a major project. Around 300 acres are expected to be earmarked based on multiple parameters. According to Kerala’s land-pooling rules, 30 percent of land will be reserved for commercial, industrial, and housing purposes, while the rest is returned to landowners.

Local bodies such as Municipal Councils or Panchayats may resolve to prepare a land-pooling scheme, and once at least 75% of landowners give consent, the authority can issue the final notification. The initiative aims to balance development needs with fair landowner participation, paving the way for Infopark’s continued growth as a technology hub.