Home ／ Insights on entering the Indian market
2026.03.24
インド北部のウッタル・プラデーシュ州に位置するガジアバード（Ghaziabad）は、デリー首都圏（NCR）の東側を担う主要都市です。首都ニューデリーから約20kmという近接性を活かし、製造業と住宅開発が融合した新興都市として急成長を続けています。2025年現在、サヒババードをはじめとする複数の工業地区が稼働しており、NCR東部の産業ハブとしての地位を確立しつつあります。
ガジアバードの最大の強みは、デリーとの近接性です。デリー・メトロのブルーライン・レッドラインが乗り入れ、NH-9（デリー・メーラト・ハイウェイ）とデリー・メーラト高速道路（DME）が走ります。これとは別に、高速地域鉄道であるNamo Bharat（RRTSシステム上で運行されるサービス名）が2023年に部分開業し、2025年にデリー側へ延伸して、デリー中心部まで約30分でアクセス可能となりました。この交通インフラの改善は、ビジネスパーソンの通勤や物流の効率化に大きく貢献しています。
Industrial land in Ghaziabad is relatively inexpensive, and costs tend to be lower than in Delhi or Noida. Good access to the major expressway network also makes it easy to deliver goods from manufacturing bases across all of North India. In 2025, leased industrial and logistics real estate across Delhi NCR as a whole reached 11.7 million square feet, the highest figure in the country.
Ghaziabad is a manufacturing town where industries such as machinery, electrical equipment, casting, apparel, and printing are concentrated. In particular, a large number of MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) are based here, benefiting directly from India's "Make in India" manufacturing promotion policy. Backed by the tailwind of "Make in India," the concentration of manufacturing continues to steadily advance.
The Uttar Pradesh state government is promoting a "Greater Ghaziabad" initiative and is developing a smart city in the Muradnagar area. Modeled on the success of Noida and Gurugram, this project aims to build world-class infrastructure and create new jobs. For Japanese companies too, entering early during this development phase can lead to an advantageous position.
Known as the "Gateway of Uttar Pradesh," Ghaziabad also functions as a bedroom community for business people who work in Delhi. Housing prices are roughly a third of those in Delhi, and in recent years the living infrastructure -- malls, hospitals, educational institutions, and so on -- has also become more developed. With many universities and vocational schools located here, it is relatively easy to secure a skilled workforce for manufacturing.
When considering a manufacturing base within Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad has a cost advantage. Both industrial land and labor costs are lower than in Gurugram or Noida, and access to Delhi is good. In particular, it has industrial infrastructure well suited to manufacturing machine parts, automotive parts, and electronic components.
Ghaziabad's location is ideal as a distribution hub for the North Indian market. Via NH-9, it provides access to major Uttar Pradesh cities such as Meerut and Lucknow, achieving coverage comparable to Delhi while avoiding Delhi's high logistics costs.
Since foreign companies have only entered Ghaziabad to a limited extent so far, it is a market where first-mover advantage is easier to capture. We recommend an approach of first setting up a small manufacturing base or warehouse, then expanding in stages while watching market trends. Building early connections with local industrial estate management bodies and the state government's investment promotion agency is important.
Ghaziabad is one of the industrial clusters where the Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) oversees the largest number of industrial areas in the state. A leading example is the Sahibabad Industrial Area, developed in the 1970s, where more than 2,500 industrial units operate across about 1,450 acres, making it one of NCR's leading manufacturing and logistics bases. In addition, several other industrial areas are spread across the city, including Loni, Kavi Nagar, and the industrial area along Bulandshahr Road.
The main industries are engineering and heavy machinery, steel and metalworking, electronics and electrical equipment, food, paper, and chemicals. In particular, many electronics and engineering manufacturers are concentrated here, and the city functions as one with strengths in manufacturing and logistics. It is characterized by being a better fit for functions such as production, parts supply, and warehousing than for sales or IT operations.
Ghaziabad's strengths are its proximity to central Delhi and its advancing infrastructure. On the high-speed rail system Namo Bharat (RRTS), Sahibabad Station and Ghaziabad Station opened early, and in 2025 the line was extended into the Delhi side as well, making it possible to reach the city center in a short time. The Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) also runs through the city, and it is about 44 km to Delhi International Airport (IGI) via the Ring Road.
Looking ahead, there is also a proposed RRTS line connecting Ghaziabad to Noida International Airport (Jewar) via Greater Noida. Noida International Airport is expected to begin Phase 1 operations in 2026, and once it opens, it will further improve the convenience of logistics and business travel around Ghaziabad. These pieces of infrastructure are factors to weigh when deciding where to locate a manufacturing or logistics base.
When entering the market, it is worth checking Uttar Pradesh's investment incentives as well. Under the state's Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy (2022), a capital subsidy of 25%, up to a cap of 800 million rupees, is available for eligible fixed-asset investment (excluding land), and investors can choose from options such as the capital subsidy, SGST reimbursement, and a PLI top-up. The state has also put procedural support in place, digitizing various approvals through its single-window portal, "Nivesh Mitra," with UPSIDA handling land assembly and approvals for industrial estates. If you are entering the market for manufacturing, checking the conditions for these incentives at an early stage will make it easier to plan.
It is important to correctly understand Ghaziabad's position within Delhi NCR. The concentration of Japanese companies and where expatriates live is centered on Noida/Greater Noida and Gurugram, and living infrastructure such as Japanese schools, Japanese food, and Japanese-affiliated clinics is also more developed on that side. Japanese companies are not densely concentrated in Ghaziabad, and it is more realistic for expatriates to commute in from Noida or Gurugram.
On the other hand, Ghaziabad is a city where land costs are easy to keep down, and it is well suited to manufacturing, metalworking, and logistics. By dividing functions across cities -- for example, IT/GCCs and export-oriented high-tech manufacturing in Noida/Greater Noida (such as the planned Japanese industrial township along the Yamuna Expressway), automotive parts in Faridabad, and a cost-efficient production and logistics base in Ghaziabad -- you can use all of Delhi NCR efficiently.
Ghaziabad's practical value lies in its ability to serve as a distribution base for the huge Delhi NCR market and North India as a whole. Bordering central Delhi and linked to the city center by the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, the Ring Road, and Namo Bharat, it allows products to reach the market quickly. In industrial areas such as Sahibabad, more than 2,500 industrial units are operating, providing a foundation that makes it easier to source materials and secure partner companies.
Combined with the fact that land and rent are easier to keep lower than in Noida or central Delhi, this also opens up uses beyond production itself, such as a warehouse, distribution center, or after-sales service base. A location that is close to NCR's consumer markets while keeping costs down is a good fit for businesses that want to hold inventory and supply flexibly.
It is easier to plan an entry into Ghaziabad by first narrowing down the functions it will handle to manufacturing, metalworking, and logistics. Since sales/management and IT/administrative talent is more concentrated on the Noida and Gurugram side, a realistic division of roles is to place those functions in other cities and have Ghaziabad handle production and logistics. Assume expatriates will live in Noida or Gurugram, and choose the site with their commute in mind.
In practice, choose an industrial area and site that fit your industry, check the conditions for Uttar Pradesh's investment incentives, and then proceed with land acquisition, hiring, and arranging local partners. Since surrounding infrastructure such as the Namo Bharat extension and Noida International Airport is still being built out, it is realistic to launch in stages while checking the state of development and connectivity in your target area.
Ghaziabad is rapidly growing as a cost-effective manufacturing and logistics hub within Delhi NCR. The elements to support future growth are in place: a cluster of more than 2,500 industrial units centered on Sahibabad, improved access via Namo Bharat, and the Greater Ghaziabad smart city initiative. For Japanese companies, Ghaziabad offers less competition than Gurugram or Noida along with strong cost advantages, making early entry worth considering.
It is a major city in Delhi NCR that belongs to Uttar Pradesh, located about 20 km from the capital, Delhi. It is an emerging city where manufacturing is concentrated and residential development is advancing, and it functions as a gateway to eastern Delhi.
It is mainly suited to manufacturing and logistics/distribution. Located on the eastern side of Delhi NCR, it can supply products to the capital region while keeping land costs down, making it well suited for use as a production base or distribution hub.
While Noida and Gurugram are comprehensive cities that also cover IT, sales, and management functions, Ghaziabad leans toward manufacturing and logistics, and its distinguishing feature is that industrial land costs are easy to keep down. You can split functions, placing sales and management in other cities and production and logistics in Ghaziabad.
These include being able to keep industrial land costs lower than in Delhi or Noida, good access to central Delhi via Namo Bharat (RRTS) and expressways, and proximity to the markets and logistics networks of eastern Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh.
The concentration of sales/management and IT talent is thinner than in Noida or Gurugram, making it less suited to bases other than manufacturing and logistics. Since infrastructure development is still ongoing, you need to check the state of development and connectivity of your target area before making a decision.
Start by defining the functions you will handle, such as manufacturing and logistics, and narrowing down a suitable industrial area and site. Next, arrange land, personnel, and local partners -- it becomes easier to move forward if you design the role Ghaziabad will play within the production and distribution network of Delhi NCR as a whole.
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