Lucknow, July 29 -- The state government has proposed reforms to simplify approvals, promote vertical development, and strengthen state's investment ecosystem through Model Building Regulations for Industrial Development Authorities, 2026. Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', UP industrial development minister, on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting at Invest UP to discuss the proposed Model Building Regulations for Industrial Development Authorities, 2026. The meeting was attended by additional chief secretary (Infrastructure & Industrial Development) Alok Kumar, CEO Invest UP Vijay Kiran Anand, and senior officials from the department. The meeting reviewed the proposed Model Building Regulations, which aim to establish a uniform regulatory framework across all Industrial Development Authorities while making development norms simpler, more transparent, and investor-centric. The reforms are intended to facilitate faster industrialisation, encourage efficient land utilisation through vertical development, streamline approval processes, and align state's planning framework with national urban planning reforms, said the minister. Officials informed the minister that the draft regulations were developed after extensive benchmarking with leading states, multiple rounds of stakeholder consultations, and a public consultation process that received over 2,200 suggestions, resulting in several refinements to the final draft. The proposed byelaws introduce a range of progressive reforms, including deemed approvals for smaller developments, self-certification provisions, rationalised Floor Area Ratio (FAR) norms, flexible development standards, simplified parking requirements, and updated planning norms for industrial, commercial, residential, institutional, logistics, IT/ITES, data centres, and mixed-use developments. Together, these measures are expected to improve the ease of doing business, reduce regulatory complexities, and unlock new investment opportunities across the state. During the meeting, the minister emphasised that the Model Building Regulations should provide a seamless and investor-friendly experience while ensuring uniform implementation across all Industrial Development Authorities. He observed that although higher FAR and vertical development are essential to optimise land use and support future growth, they must be accompanied by robust safety and quality standards. The minister also directed officials to ensure that the regulations are implemented transparently so that investors do not face unnecessary delays or harassment, while remaining aligned with the state's vision of building a globally competitive and sustainable industrial ecosystem. htc...