Policies of Corridor Development in India and Urban–Rural Dichotomy

Corridor development is instrumental in achieving regional economic development; it has become a new trend in the Global South. Countries like Japan and China have mastered the implementation of corridor development, integrating existing bases of special economic and industrial policies. At the same time, special economic zones in India are considered a failure. A new industrial corridor development was initiated in 2007 to connect existing industrial cities and growth centres. Among all the corridors, the pilot project of the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is in its final phase. This research is a critical analysis of the policies of corridor development in India, which is changing the entire paradigm of future planning and urban and rural planning practices. The methodology adopted includes an assessment of the policies of corridor development. Mapping the spatial-temporal changes of land-use land-cover that happened in the influence area of DMIC with the help of GIS and remote sensing to assess the impacts of these policies. These observations are further integrated with an analysis of socio-economic changes within the DMIC influence area and measures to mitigate the effects of policies of mega-industrial-led infrastructure developments.