Bangalore Master Plan Explained: RMP 2015, the 2041 Plan and Zoning Checks for Buyers
Every plot in Bangalore falls under a master plan that decides what may be built on it. The plan in force today is the Revised Master Plan 2015, and work on its replacement is still in progress. This guide explains what the master plan is, which bodies plan which parts of the region, and the zoning checks a home or plot buyer should run before paying an advance.
What a Master Plan Does
Under the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961, each planning authority prepares a long-term plan for its area. In planning law this is called a comprehensive development plan, and in Bangalore it is known as the Revised Master Plan (RMP). It maps the land use of every parcel and sets the zonal regulations that go with each use.
Those regulations control the basics of any building. They set the floor area ratio (FAR), ground coverage, setbacks, height limits and parking norms, often linked to plot size and the width of the road in front. A building plan is approved only if it fits the land use and the zonal regulations of its site.
The Plan in Force Today
The Revised Master Plan 2015 was notified by the state government on 22 June 2007 and covers the BDA's local planning area. Although its horizon year has passed, it stays in force until a new plan is approved. Land-use decisions in the BDA area are still made against its maps and regulations.
The Bangalore Development Authority published a draft RMP 2031 in 2017, but the plan was withdrawn in 2020 for further revision. In August 2025 the BDA invited bids from consultants to prepare a new plan, the Revised Master Plan 2041. Until that plan is finalised and notified, RMP 2015 remains the reference.
Who Plans Which Area
Bangalore's wider region is split among several authorities, and the one in charge decides the rules for a given plot. The main bodies are:
- The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which prepares the master plan for the core city area and forms its own layouts
- The Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), which coordinates planning across the wider metropolitan region
- Local planning authorities under the BMRDA, such as those for Anekal, Hoskote, Nelamangala, Magadi and Kanakapura
- The Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority (BIAAPA), which plans the area around the airport, including Devanahalli
- The Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICAPA), for the corridor towards Mysore
The Greater Bengaluru Authority, set up in 2025, now oversees civic administration in the city through its corporations. Building plan approval, khata and property tax are handled by the corporations, while master planning in the BDA area remains with the BDA until the law is changed.
The Main Land-Use Zones
The master plan colours every parcel by its permitted use. The zones that matter most to home buyers are listed below:
- Residential (main), where housing is the chief use and other uses are limited
- Residential (mixed), where homes can share space with shops and small offices
- Commercial, for business districts and main road frontage
- Industrial, including hi-tech and industrial estates
- Public and semi-public, for schools, hospitals and government uses
- Parks, open spaces and water bodies
- Agricultural or green belt, where residential layouts are not normally allowed
A plot shown in the agricultural zone cannot simply be turned into a housing layout. It needs a change of land use under the planning law and conversion of the land for non-agricultural use, and both take time. Many unapproved layouts on the edge of the city are on land that never cleared these steps.
Lakes, Drains and Other Restrictions
The zonal regulations keep no-build buffers around lakes and along the primary, secondary and tertiary storm water drains known as rajakaluves. The width of these buffers has been tested in court, and the state reduced the drain buffers in October 2025 and the lake buffers in February 2026. A surveyor should confirm the rule that applies to the specific plot before any purchase.
Other limits may also apply. Land near the airport is subject to height clearances, heritage areas carry their own controls, and roads marked for widening in the plan can take away part of a plot's frontage. A plot that looks clean on paper can still lose buildable area to one of these lines.
Zoning Checks Before Buying
For an apartment in an approved project, the developer will have dealt with most planning questions, but it still helps to see the papers. For a plot or an independent house, the buyer carries the full risk. These checks cover both cases:
- Find the plot's survey number and locate it on the master plan land-use map of the right authority.
- Confirm the zone allows housing, and check the permitted FAR and height for that road width.
- For a layout, ask for the approved layout plan and the conversion order for the land.
- For a project, check the building plan approval and its Karnataka RERA registration.
- Look for lakes, rajakaluves, proposed road widening or airport height limits near the site.
- Have a lawyer and a licensed surveyor review the documents and the boundary on the ground.
Why the New Plan Matters
A new master plan can change what a parcel is worth. Land moved from agricultural to residential use, or a road shown at a greater width, alters both the buildable area and the price. Buyers in fast-growing areas such as Devanahalli or Sarjapura Road watch these changes closely.
The safe approach is to buy on the basis of the plan in force, not on a promised change. A draft plan can be revised or withdrawn, as the 2031 draft was. Once the 2041 plan is published for public comment, buyers will be able to check how it treats the parcels they own or want to buy.