Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on 2 November 2026 directed officials to fully digitise Bengaluru’s Transferable Development Rights (TDR) system. Every step, from application and verification to certificate issuance and the later sale and use of TDR certificates, will move to one online platform covering the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
The minister gave the direction while chairing a meeting with senior officials at Vikasa Soudha in Bengaluru, officials said. The new software is expected to go live in about 10 days. The move adds to the state’s wider push to move citizen services online, after Karnataka ordered all licences and certificates online under Sakala last month.
What is the TDR system and why does it matter for Bengaluru?
TDR is the compensation that civic agencies offer landowners who give up land for public works such as road widening. Instead of cash, the owner receives a certificate of development rights that can be used for extra construction elsewhere or sold to builders.
Krishna Byre Gowda said road widening and new roads are urgent if Bengaluru is to find lasting solutions to its traffic congestion. The city has already turned to technology on the traffic side, with the AI-led ASTraM platform of Bengaluru Traffic Police winning a national award in October.
According to the minister, the TDR process has run on paper files for years, with weak tracking and little transparency. He said this had caused public dissatisfaction and loss of confidence in the system, and that procedural delays had reduced the value of TDR as a tool for acquiring land.
What the digital TDR platform will cover
The minister asked for end-to-end digitisation of the TDR lifecycle. Based on his directions, the platform will handle:
- Recording of road and property details for each land parcel.
- Verification and scrutiny at every stage of the process.
- Online issuance of TDR certificates.
- Records of the purchase and sale of TDR certificates.
- Tracking of the final use of each certificate.
Property owners and applicants will be able to track the progress of their applications online. The minister said this would end repeated visits to government offices and reliance on middlemen.
Why it matters for urban e-governance
Land acquisition is often the slowest part of urban infrastructure projects, and paper-based compensation records are hard to audit. A single digital ledger of TDR certificates, from issue to final use, gives the GBA and BDA a clear record of who holds which rights and where they have been used.
The step follows a broader shift towards digital land administration across India, from Himachal Pradesh’s land records reforms to Delhi’s plan for property Aadhaar cards under a new land records bill. Details on the state’s services are available on the Government of Karnataka portal and the Bangalore Development Authority website.
Key takeaways
- Bengaluru’s TDR process will move from paper files to one online platform for the GBA and BDA.
- The software is expected to launch in about 10 days from 2 November 2026.
- Applicants will be able to track their applications online, with every TDR sale and use recorded.
FAQ
Who ordered the digitisation of Bengaluru’s TDR system?
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda directed officials to digitise it at a meeting at Vikasa Soudha on 2 November 2026.
When will the digital TDR platform launch?
Officials expect the new software, covering the GBA and BDA, to be launched in about 10 days.
What changes for landowners?
Landowners will apply and track TDR applications online, without visiting offices or depending on intermediaries.
Featured image: Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. Photo: Hey Seeta Ram news / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)