Wed Sep 03 19:59:50 UTC 2025: ## Kochi Readies for Infopark Expansion with Innovative Land-Pooling Scheme
**KOCHI – September 4, 2025** – The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) is set to spearhead a significant expansion of Infopark Kochi, aiming to address the growing demand for space from over 100 waiting companies. Starting next week, a dedicated GCDA team will begin the process of acquiring land for the third phase through an innovative land-pooling scheme, a first for a local body in Kerala.
The move follows a government order from October 2024 designating the GCDA as the “appropriate authority” for land-pooling under the Kerala Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act. This allows the GCDA to facilitate the complex process of acquiring and redistributing land for the ambitious project.
“We are scanning around 1,500 acres, with the goal of identifying 300 acres suitable for land-pooling,” stated GCDA sources. “Land to the east of the existing Infopark campus is the primary focus.”
The scheme aims to pool land from multiple owners, develop a portion for commercial, industrial, and housing purposes (30%), and return the remaining land to the original owners, enhanced by the surrounding infrastructure development. This approach ensures landowners benefit from the project’s success. Specifically, 100 acres will be allocated to Infopark Kochi, while the remaining 200 acres will undergo value enhancement before being partially returned to landowners.
While the GCDA is ready to proceed, final government approval for the Infopark expansion is still pending.
Under Kerala Land Pooling Rules, the scheme requires consent from at least 75% of landowners in the proposed area. However, even dissenting landowners will be included in the final scheme. In the absence of widespread consent, the GCDA can seek government approval to proceed. Landowners with significant landholdings (at least five hectares in municipal corporations, seven in municipalities, and ten in panchayats) can also apply to the GCDA to include their plots in the scheme.
This land-pooling initiative represents a novel approach to infrastructure development in Kerala, aiming to balance the needs of a growing IT sector with the interests of local landowners. The success of this project could pave the way for similar development strategies across the state.
First Piper 