How Greater Noida became an educational hub from an industrial centre in last 30 years

NEW DELHI: In 1988, the first educational institution to come up in the Greater Noida region, just 42 km from the National Capital of Delhi, was Birla Institute of Management and Technology (BIMTECH). Thirty-six years on, the area in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, has turned into an “educational hub” with a massive growth of institutes and colleges, most offering management and engineering programmes. Over 200 institutes have come up in the region over the last decade alone and that number is likely to grow.

Apart from the Uttar Pradesh government’s policy push towards inviting more academic institutes in the area, a number of factors contributed to this educational revamp. Availability of land for building campuses with all the modern facilities, well planned architecture, public transport connectivity and the growth of numerous knowledge parks have all helped Greater Noida transform.

In 2008, Gautam Buddha University (GBU), a dream project of former UP chief minister Mayawati was established. Spread over 511 acres, it is a state-funded university. The others – Sharda University, Galgotia University, Bennett University, IILM University, Noida International University, Amity University and Shiv Nadar University – are all private, mostly established after 2009.

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History and connectivity

Overcrowding of the National Capital, primarily due to migration, had led to the growth of satellite towns. In 1976, the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority or Noida came up on the border of UP. Further influx of people from Delhi to Noida led to the development of Greater Noida in 1991, which was initially called Noida Extension.

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) website states: “Greater Noida is being developed as a metro centre providing for quality urban environment, to attract economic activities and population to decongest Delhi.” It adds that the notified area of the place is 38,000 hectares comprising 124 villages.

“The city is located at the intersection of the western and eastern dedicated freight corridors. It is also the gateway to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Important expressways originate from this city, namely the Yamuna Expressway from Greater Noida to Agra. An eight-lane, 25 km-long expressway connects Greater Noida directly to Delhi,” adds the website. The Noida Metro Line connects the city with Noida through Aqua Line and ultimately with Delhi.

Both Noida and Greater Noida were conceived as industrial centres. They have become educational centres as well with the two developing a symbiotic relationship.

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Choosing Greater Noida

The city has five knowledge parks with a large number of schools, colleges and universities.

Amity University is located in Knowledge Park III, served by a metro station bearing the park’s name on the Aqua Line. While Sharda University, with its vast campus and a hospital, is the largest conglomerate in the area, a 360° sweep of it yields only educational institutions, large and small.

“The city is a desirable location for educational institutions because of its well-planned infrastructure... Additionally, it is well-connected to public transportation and expressways... With more colleges, universities, and research facilities either currently operational or in the works, the region is being developed as a centre for higher education,” said Ajit Kumar, director, Sharda University.

The presence of industry clusters makes internships and industry-academia collaborations readily available. Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Sonipat has a similar format but Greater Noida’s education zone is simply much bigger.

Taruna Gautam, vice chancellor of IILM University, said, “Greater Noida is coming up in a promising way in terms of infrastructure and with the new airport, it has the possibility for huge investment. There is no congestion and metro connectivity is good. The area has a complete system which makes it ideal for institutions to start operations.” The university has a 26-acre campus.

The universities have supported all sorts of businesses.

Mohammad Samim, who sells tea outside Sharda University, said, “When I came here 10 years ago from Agra, this university was smaller. Now almost every nook and corner has a new college or university.”

Institutions have spilled out of the designated knowledge parks and onto land along the national highway.

Noida International University and Shiv Nadar University came up along the highway; Galgotia University emerged very close to the Buddha International Circuit. The availability of ample land made large campuses possible.

“The place is ideal for spacious research labs, classrooms, sports facilities, and accommodations. Its proximity to Delhi and neighbouring cities enhances access to a diverse array of resources, industries and cultural opportunities,” said Ananya Mukherjee, vice-chancellor, Shiv Nadar University.

Shiv Nadar is a fully-residential university spread over 286 acres with academic buildings, over 155 laboratories, advanced research facilities, and extensive sports amenities. The university was founded in 2011 and is situated on National Highway 91, Tehsil Dadri.

The universities offer a wide variety of courses, from management, to engineering to liberal arts. Some even have medical colleges.

Universities and their founders

From industrialists to owners of tech giants and even politicians have invested in these universities.

Shiv Nadar University is an initiative of the Shiv Nadar Foundation established by the founder of HCL. Shikhar Malhotra, Nadar’s son-in-law, is its chancellor.

IILM, established in 1993 under the aegis of the Ram Krishan and Sons Charitable Trust, became a university in 2022. Bharat Kaushal, managing director of Hitachi India, is its chancellor.

“Ever since 2002, we have been offering postgraduate diplomas in management and engineering from different colleges,” said IILM VC Gautam.

Similarly, the owners of Sharda University, PK Gupta and YK Gupta, were among the first ones to start private engineering colleges in Uttar Pradesh.

“Earlier, the trustees of Sharda University were having businesses in Chennai. They realised that most students were coming from North India [to Chennai] to study technology, management and medicine etc. So, in 1995, they decided to start their own education institutions,” said Kumar.

Noida International University was built on 75 acres in 2010 and has Devesh Kumar Singh, son of BJP MLA from Barauli, Thakur Jaivir Singh, as its chairman. Jaivir Singh was a cabinet minister in the UP government as well. Devesh Kumar is a doctor and in 2020, he established Noida International Institute of Medical Sciences.

Galgotia University came up in 2011 and Suneel Galgotia is its chancellor. His family once owned one of the best-known bookshops in Connaught Place, Delhi. In 2000, they founded
the Galgotias Institute of Management and Technology.

Bennett University was established in 2016 by the Bennett and Coleman Group (The Times of India group) and is built on 68 acres.

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UP government policies

In 2023, the UP government announced a new policy to develop Greater Noida as an educational hub. Through the University Plot Project, vacant plots owned by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) in Sectors 17-A and 22-E were made available for sale to set up educational institutions.

Media reports state that the GNIDA has also approved the establishment of more universities. “Madhav Govind University of Rajasthan and JSS University of Noida have shown interest in opening campuses in Greater Noida. The Greater Noida Authority has identified land for both the universities,” reported the Millennium Post.

Plus, as per a TOI report, the Indira Gandhi National Open University was to open a regional centre at Knowledge Park 5.

A survey by international property consultant Savills revealed that Greater Noida is expected to emerge as a student housing hub and organised student housing operators.

“A major educational hub of Uttar Pradesh, Greater Noida has more than 50 educational colleges. About 65% of the 83,000 students are from outside NCR and 18% from distant areas of NCR. 27% of students live in campus hostels and are less inclined to shift to any other accommodation. 73% represents the primary market that can be serviceable through improved and quality housing facilities. With on-campus hostel supply ranging between 20,000 to 22,000 beds, there stands an addressable market of more than 60,000-65,000 students which can be catered by the organised student housing operators,”
the survey said.