A wave of premium residential launches along the Delhi–Meerut Expressway is redefining price benchmarks in eastern NCR, with several projects now priced around ₹3 crore. For Ghaziabad, this marks a decisive shift in the market. Once perceived primarily as an affordable alternative, the city is now testing the ₹2–3 crore price bracket, reflecting rising buyer appetite for premium homes backed by improving infrastructure and enhanced regional connectivity.
Real estate experts say current pricing levels still remain relatively attractive when viewed against broader NCR market trends. Developers are responding to evolving buyer preferences by introducing larger apartments, lower-density layouts, expansive balconies and hospitality-style amenities, features that have become defining elements of post-pandemic housing demand.
Developers can maintain comparatively competitive pricing largely due to structural cost advantages and evolving development strategies. The transformation of the NH-24 (now NH-9) and Delhi–Meerut Expressway corridor has been central to this transition.
Unlike saturated locations in central Noida or prime Gurugram sectors, where land prices have escalated sharply, the NH-24 belt continues to offer relatively lower land acquisition costs. This provides developers greater flexibility in project planning and pricing. Capitalising on this advantage, developers are creating spacious, low-density residential projects with large layouts and premium amenities while keeping overall prices competitive with those of established luxury destinations across NCR.
AU Real Estate recently launched ‘The Sunflower’ at Aditya World City on NH-24. Spanning 9 acres, the project will feature 595 residences across 7 towers, with Phase I covering nearly 7 acres and 428 units. Configurations include expansive 3BHK and 4BHK homes ranging from about 3,000 sq ft to 4,000 sq ft, priced from about ₹3 crore. The project positions itself as a low-density estate offering bungalow-style spatial planning within a vertical format.
According to Ashish Agarwal, Director, AU Real Estate, the NH-24 and Delhi–Meerut Expressway corridor is at a clear inflexion point. “We have seen significant improvements in connectivity, infrastructure and social ecosystem development over the past few years, which is reshaping both buyer perception and aspiration. There is strong demand for premium, spacious homes, particularly from families looking to upgrade while remaining close to East Delhi and Noida,” he told Hindustan Times Real Estate.
He said that the ₹3 crore pricing reflects product positioning rather than market experimentation. “We are not launching a conventional apartment project but a low-density ‘bungalow-in-the-sky’ living experience, combining nearly 1.5 lakh sq ft of community space with expansive layouts, large balconies, hospitality-led amenities, an elevated air lounge and professionally managed services. Buyers today are willing to pay for space, privacy and a differentiated lifestyle, and this segment has historically been underserved in eastern NCR.”
The company is primarily targeting end-users, including senior professionals, entrepreneurs and business families seeking larger, future-ready homes with long-term value potential. “As the corridor evolves further, premium housing here is likely to become a sustained trend rather than a short-term shift,” Agarwal said.
Industry leaders say Ghaziabad is steadily moving beyond its affordable-housing identity into a more aspirational residential phase, with much of this transformation concentrated along the Delhi–Meerut Expressway.
Manoj Gaur, CMD, Gaurs Group, noted that one of the corridor’s biggest advantages is connectivity. “Travel time to Delhi is now close to 30 minutes, significantly shorter than several locations in Noida or Gurugram. The 14-lane expressway has directly translated into stronger housing demand,” he said.
Gaurs Group launched Gaur NYC Residences in Wave City last year, where demand is increasingly skewed toward large-format homes. According to Gaur, 4BHK apartments exceeding 3,000 sq ft are witnessing strong traction, with prices crossing ₹3 crore depending on tower location, view and construction stage. Larger residences of nearly 5,000 sq ft are commanding values above ₹6 crore.
“Much of the traction is coming from end-users upgrading locally as well as buyers who earlier focused primarily on Noida, signalling a structural market change. Connectivity upgrades such as the Delhi–Meerut Expressway, the Faridabad–Noida–Ghaziabad Expressway, Metro connectivity and proximity to Hindon Airport are encouraging buyers to reassess both budgets and lifestyle expectations,” he said.
Yukti Nagpal, director, Gulshan Group, agreed that the expressway corridor reflects Ghaziabad’s transition into a premium residential destination, with buyers increasingly transacting in the ₹2–4 crore segment.
“Demand today is centred on spacious, thoughtfully planned 3 and 4 BHK homes, with buyers prioritising build quality, design integrity and long-term liveability. The pricing shift reflects structural confidence in the micro-market rather than speculative activity,” she said.
According to Prateek Tiwari, Managing Director, Prateek Group, the broader NCR luxury housing market is undergoing a structural realignment, most visible in Ghaziabad and Greater Noida. Demand is gradually shifting away from legacy inner-city locations toward infrastructure-led corridors, such as Siddharth Vihar in Ghaziabad, which is strategically located along the Delhi–Meerut Expressway.
Ghaziabad still represents a discount compared to broader NCR market trends
A report titled ‘India Real Estate Residential and Office Market – July – December 2025’ by Knight Frank India had noted that Ghaziabad continued to hold its ground in the NCR residential market in 2025, accounting for 10% of the total new launches and 16% of overall sales. The city remains particularly attractive to mid‐income homebuyers, underpinned by its relative affordability.
According to Ankita Sood, National Director – Research, Knight Frank India, the current pricing in Ghaziabad still represents a discount compared to broader NCR market trends. “When average prices across key NCR markets were around ₹10,000 per sq ft, this micro-market was available at nearly ₹5,000 per sq ft. Even today, the weighted average price in Gurugram stands at about ₹17,000 per sq ft, while branded residences in Noida have also seen a sharp upward movement. If ₹2.5-3 crore is taken as a benchmark ticket size, the segment still appears attractively priced. Earlier, the NCR housing market’s sweet spot was below ₹1 crore, but that base has now shifted upwards, with ₹2.5-3 crore increasingly becoming the new entry-level benchmark for premium housing,” she said.
Noida’s base price has risen to nearly 8,000- ₹12,000 per sq ft from about ₹5,000 per sq ft earlier. Similarly, Noida Extension, once priced around ₹3,000 per sq ft when the broader market averaged ₹6,000 per sq ft, has witnessed significant appreciation. Ghaziabad is still affordable compared to these markets, she explained.
In markets such as Ghaziabad, pricing growth now depends largely on product differentiation, location, and infrastructure upgrades. Connectivity projects, particularly the Delhi–Meerut Expressway, have played a major role in driving demand and price discovery, she said.
Given how the market has evolved and where new supply is coming in, a 2.5-3 crore home today is considered relatively affordable and remains discounted compared to comparable offerings in Noida and Greater Noida.”The ‘discount’ in Ghaziabad is narrowing as infrastructure improves, but relative to Gurugram’s high-end sectors, a ₹3 crore budget still offers significantly more ‘value’ or space in the Ghaziabad/Greater Noida corridors,” she adds.
