Once a glittering symbol of Sahara India Pariwar’s real estate ambitions, the Sahara City projects that promised dream homes across the country are now witnessing a steady fall from grace. In a dramatic turn of events, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has formally taken possession of the sprawling Sahara palace in Gomti Nagar, a 130-acre property that once served as the residence of the group’s late founder, Subrata Roy. (News18 Hindi)
Officials confirmed that a notice issued on September 11 had directed Sahara’s current occupants to vacate the premises. A board has now been erected at the entrance, declaring the palace as the property of the Municipal Corporation. Sources indicate that Roy’s widow, Sapna Roy, who continues to reside there, has been asked to vacate. Authorities maintain that if she does not comply, the property will be sealed. (News18 Hindi)
Launched with much fanfare, Sahara City Homes was once billed as one of the country’s most ambitious integrated township projects. Spread over 900 acres across 10 cities, including Pune, Aurangabad, Jodhpur, Gwalior, Bareilly, Solapur, Porbandar, Katni, Kashipur and Lucknow, the projects were envisioned as self-sufficient townships. They offered residential units alongside parks, schools, shopping complexes, and recreational facilities. (News18 Hindi)
In 2012 alone, Sahara India had unveiled ten such projects, each requiring an investment of Rs 500-600 crore, backed largely by customer advances and bank loans. The group boasted a vast land bank of nearly 27,000 acres across the country, giving its housing ventures a strong foundation. (News18 Hindi)
Another flagship initiative was Sahara Swapna City, aimed at the affordable housing segment. Spread across 360 cities, it offered small plots priced between Rs 5.5 lakh and Rs 11 lakh, an attempt to bring housing within the reach of the middle-class family. Each project carried an outlay of Rs 100-125 crore. (News18 Hindi)
Among the group’s most ambitious ventures was the 113-acre township in Coimbatore, planned to house 3,846 residential units with modern amenities. There were also plans to replicate the Sahara model overseas, including a proposed new city outside Dhaka in Bangladesh. Yet, despite the initial promise, such projects remained largely confined to Indian soil, where they enjoyed greater traction. (News18 Hindi)
The palace in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar, now under municipal control, is a stark reminder of Sahara India’s fading clout. The structure, built with grandeur, had symbolised the group’s rise under Subrata Roy. Following his demise, the property remained with his family, until the municipal intervention this month. (News18 Hindi)
Sahara City Homes within the complex itself sprawls across 72 acres, offering 1, 2, and 3 BHK apartments, ranging from 700 to 1,700 sq. ft. With average rates at Rs 3,800 per sq. ft, these flats are still priced below the Rs 5,000 benchmark in Lucknow’s western localities, translating into prices between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 95 lakh. The scale of the township, however, makes it less a housing colony and more an entire city-within-a-city. (News18 Hindi)
