Lucknow, Oct. 23 -- Uttar Pradesh's real estate growth story is being led by Lucknow in numbers and Gautam Buddha Nagar in investment, with UP RERA registering 217 projects proposing 66,158 units with total project cost of Rs 46,795 crore till September 2026. "The figures for real estate projects registered in 2026 reflect the expansion of the real estate sector in the state and the development potential of its various regions. The registration of 217 projects, with 66,158 proposed units and a total project cost of Rs 46,795 crore, is an important indicator of activity in this sector," said UP RERA chairman Sanjay Bhoosreddy. According to UP RERA data released on Thursday, Lucknow recorded the highest number of registrations at the district level - 59 projects, proposing 15,959 units with project cost of Rs 5,795.33 crore. It is ahead of Gautam Buddha Nagar (37 projects), Ghaziabad (35), Agra and Varanasi (12 each) and Mathura (11). But when it comes to scale and cost, Gautam Buddha Nagar leads all districts - 37 projects, 18,599 units, and Rs 21,221.37 crore investment. Ghaziabad follows with 35 projects, 13,666 units, and Rs 11,261.87 crore. For the state capital, the numbers underline its emergence as the most active market in terms of new launches. Of 60 projects in Central UP, 59 are in Lucknow alone - meaning almost the entire Central UP realty activity is concentrated in Lucknow. With 15,959 units, Lucknow accounts for almost the entire Central UP inventory of 16,117 units and investment of Rs 5,997.05 crore. Projects span Gomti Nagar Extension, Shaheed Path, Sultanpur Road, Rae Bareli Road and outer ring road where plotted, apartment and mixed-use projects are being launched targeting middle-class, government employees and investors from eastern UP. Builders say demand in Lucknow is driven by end-users, government job base, infrastructure push - Outer Ring Road, Purvanchal Expressway connectivity, metro expansion - and relatively affordable ticket size compared to NCR. Region-wise, Western UP recorded the highest registrations - 111 projects, 41,666 units, Rs 35,794.56 crore - which is more than 76% of total investment in the state. This is led by Gautam Buddha Nagar and Ghaziabad. Central UP is second with 60 projects, 16,117 units, Rs 5,997.05 crore - almost all Lucknow. Eastern UP has 30 projects, 5,636 units, Rs 3,869.34 crore. Rohilkhand 12 projects, 1,764 units, Rs 941.73 crore and Bundelkhand 4 projects, 975 units, Rs 192.32 crore....