Merged DPR, 5 stations: Gurugram’s airport metro plan finally takes shape

Gurugram’s long-pending metro link to the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has moved from proposal to paperwork, with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s (DMRC) merged draft Detailed Project Report reaching the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) for finalisation.

The 20-km, fully underground corridor estimated at Rs 13,500 crore will run from Yashobhoomi to Rajiv Chowk via five stations: Bijwasan, Kapashera, Sector 22, IFFCO Chowk and Rajiv Chowk.

A parallel 8.4-km spur linking Rezangla Chowk in Palam Vihar to Dwarka Sector 21, cleared by the Haryana Cabinet in 2022 at Rs 1,851 crore, remains under separate consideration. Both proposals now await a final call from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

The announcement has left the residents along Dwarka Expressway delighted and has brought the spotlight back on booming realty along the corridor.

For residents along Dwarka Expressway, the DPR answers a complaint that has followed the corridor’s rapid vertical growth for years: no reliable public transport, no direct connectivity to Delhi, and no proper link to the airport, forcing daily commuters onto private vehicles or long, congested drives via NH-48.

Sudeep Bhatt, Director, Whiteland Corporation, said that gap has shaped buyer sentiment on the ground. World-class connectivity has always defined the growth of global cities, he said, and a direct Airport Express Metro extension would sharply cut travel time and lift the appeal of the corridor, where Whiteland’s Westin Residences and other projects are located, along with Southern Peripheral Road developments.

Arjun Gehlot, Director, Ambience Group, called the metro a shift in how urban residential destinations will evolve, with buyers now weighing connectivity and commute time alongside lifestyle infrastructure — a change he said strengthens Gurugram’s case as a globally connected market rather than one dependent on road access alone.

Developers elsewhere along the corridor echoed the same read. Manik Malik, President & CEO, BPTP, said the project could be among the most transformative for NCR real estate, with the belt likely to see stronger demand regardless of the final alignment chosen.

Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global, said infrastructure of this scale typically builds buyer confidence and expands the catchment for both residential and commercial development along under-served stretches.

Linking the project to sustainability, Shrivallabh Goyal, CEO, Reliance MET City, said easing dependence on private vehicles was central to the corridor’s long-term, multimodal growth. The optimism isn’t confined to Dwarka Expressway alone.

Vikram Singh, President-Project, Central Park, pointed to how transformational transport investment has globally unlocked economic growth and liveability, calling the link a step toward Gurugram’s next phase as a business and residential destination.

Siddharth Jain, President, NAREDCO NextGen NCR, described it as a catalyst likely to spur planned urbanisation and demand across both residential and commercial segments. Robin Mangla, President, M3M India, cited Rapid Metro’s 9.4% ridership growth in the first five months of 2026 as proof that demand for efficient transit already exists and is rising.

Sidharth Chowdhry, MD, Dalcore, said improved regional connectivity would strengthen Gurugram’s appeal for both homebuyers and investors as the city moves toward a better-connected identity. With the DPR now before MoHUA, the timeline for a final alignment decision remains open, but for a corridor that has spent years asking for a way out beyond NH-48, the paperwork stage itself counts as movement.