Uttar Pradesh: How Transport Infrastructure Is Driving Growth Of Electronics Hubs Along The Yamuna Expressway

Not long ago, India depended heavily on imports for most of its electronics. However, that landscape is changing rapidly. Driven by the Make in India initiative, the country is steadily building a strong domestic electronics industry, attracting major investments and significantly increasing local production. 

Through various government-backed schemes and incentives, India aims to emerge as a global hub for electronics manufacturing, with growth in exports, investment inflows, and overall industrial capability. Uttar Pradesh has been at the forefront of this transformation, actively supporting this industrial development. 

The state is already a major contributor to India’s electronics manufacturing sector, supported by progressive policies and strategic investments. The state accounts for over 55 per cent of the country’s smartphone production. 

UP’s Rise as an Electronics Manufacturing Hub

As part of its ambition to become a $1 trillion economy, the state—through the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)—has committed Rs 8,000 crore towards the development of industrial corridors along its expanding expressway network. This investment aims to strengthen regional manufacturing capacity and further align the state with India's national growth trajectory.

In this goal, a key region coming under the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), spanning 2,689 square kilometres—is establishing several industrial parks, positioning the area as a key emerging economic hotspot in both Uttar Pradesh and the broader national landscape. 

YEIDA continues to be at the forefront of state’s efforts to achieve its ambitious economic goals, and is playing a critical role in advancing the state’s vision of becoming a hub for electronics and manufacturing. 

Recently, the central government approved a Rs 417 crore EMC, spread across 200 acres under YEIDA’s jurisdiction in Sector-10. This cluster will cater to sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive and industrial electronics, medical devices, computer hardware, and communication equipment. The project is expected to attract investments of approximately Rs 2,500 crore and generate nearly 15,000 direct jobs.

Key components of this cluster include a flatted factory complex, dedicated manufacturing zones, and advanced infrastructure. It will be surrounded by other industrial zones such as the Medical Device Park, MSME and Apparel Park, and the Aviation Hub. 

Backed by strong policy support and strategic cluster planning, special attention is being given to enhancing connectivity ensuring seamless movement of goods, services, and workforce. YEIDA is actively working to enhance multiple modes of transit infrastructure, enabling the region to become a thriving hub for electronic components production.

Transport Networks To Power These Industrial Hubs

As the region continues to draw investments and attention from global electronic component manufacturers, major infrastructure projects are shaping a strong multimodal transport network. YEIDA’s industrial zones are being equipped with rapid rail systems, freight corridors, expressways, and access to the upcoming Noida International Airport. 

Leveraging the Yamuna Expressway and UP’s Expressway Network

As the region is situated along a 165-kilometer access-controlled expressway, road connectivity remains one of its greatest advantages. The Yamuna Expressway serves as a crucial corridor, linking Delhi NCR with major cities in Uttar Pradesh, including Agra. It connects seamlessly with the Eastern Peripheral Expressway through a dedicated interchange, enhancing access to the broader Delhi-NCR region. Additionally, the expressway links to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway via Faridabad, further strengthening its strategic connectivity.

Within the state, the Yamuna Expressway is seamlessly integrated into Uttar Pradesh’s rapidly expanding expressway network. The state has over 1,400 km of operational expressways, with an additional 2,000 km currently under construction. The Yamuna expressway further connects to Agra–Lucknow Expressway, which extends further to the Purvanchal Expressway, creating a continuous corridor that spans the entire length of the state from west to east.

At the same time, a 74.3-kilometre-long expressway alignment has been approved to connect Jewar with the upcoming Ganga Expressway, which is under construction between Meerut and Prayagraj. 

According to YEIDA officials, while the western side of Jewar provides access between the expressway and the airport for passenger vehicles, a dedicated road corridor is also planned on the northeastern side exclusively for cargo movement. 

In addition, the upcoming Faridabad–Ballabhgarh Bypass Link Road will connect the industrial park to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. This route will integrate YEIDA’s industrial zone with both the national capital and the financial capital of India, while also enhancing connectivity to multiple states along the expressway corridor.

Enhancing Air Access for People and Goods

The EMC cluster is located near the upcoming airport—which is being developed as the largest in India. It will greatly benefit from efficient air cargo and passenger connectivity, as the proximity to will offer faster and more reliable movement of goods, skilled talent, and information. 

This translates into shorter product development cycles, lower logistics costs, and easier access to global markets. The improved connectivity will not only strengthen the supply chain for components but also enhance overall accessibility for businesses and professionals in the sector.

The Noida International Airport is expected to have a transformative impact not only for the global movement of people and resources but also on cargo operations. Alongside its passenger facilities, the airport is actively developing cargo handling infrastructure. 

Air cargo operators will benefit from reduced congestion, enhanced connectivity, and streamlined customs processes, positioning the airport as a preferred hub for freight handling in the region. 

As per recent updates, construction of the multimodal cargo hub (MMCH) at the airport is progressing rapidly, is expected to begin cargo operations with the launch of passenger flight services. 

Spread across 80 acres, the facility is planned as both a transshipment centre and a warehousing zone for freight forwarders and integrators. It will also support multimodal transport solutions —between road-to-road, road-to-air, and air-to-road movements.

According to NIAL officials, “The MMCH concession has been awarded to Air India SATS. The cargo and logistics infrastructure and ecosystem will cater to a differentiated catchment and upcoming industrial clusters in Uttar Pradesh, creating a dedicated cargo gateway for northern India.”

Strengthening Rail and Freight Connectivity

While road and air connectivity are already in progress, the region is also evolving as a future-ready hub with planned rail infrastructure. According to YEIDA officials, dedicated rail corridors are being developed to connect the airport with two major railway stations, further enhancing multi-modal connectivity and long-term accessibility for both passengers and cargo.

The proposed freight corridor is a part of UP govt's plan, which was approved last year, to link Noida airport with the Delhi-Howrah line. The new rail line will connect the Delhi-Howrah main line near Chola station, the Delhi-Mumbai line near Rundhi station. This dual connectivity to the major railway lines will provide direct rail links from the region to the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata rail lines. 

These freight corridors will improve the movement of goods by rail, supporting the logistics needs of the electronics and component parks. Further, the plan also includes the redevelopment of Chola railway station into a model transport hub, with YEIDA committing to fund the project. 

Planned High-Speed Rail Links for the Future

As per the proposed alignment of the Delhi–Varanasi bullet train corridor, the high-speed rail line will pass through the region, with a dedicated station planned at the Noida Airport. This connectivity will reduce the travel time from Delhi to just 21 minutes. The 865-km long route of bullet train will have 10 stations between Delhi and Varanasi.  The rail corridor will also connect the airport to other important cities like Ayodhya and Prayagraj, within a total journey of two to three hours. 

High-speed rail opens up a great transit access to people and resources. For skilled professionals, quicker travel opens access to wider job markets, supports flexible workforce deployment, and encourages collaboration between industrial hubs, ultimately driving innovation and competitiveness in modern industrial ecosystems. 

Reduced transit times also help manufacturers meet tighter deadlines and lower logistics costs. Additionally, improved connectivity makes industrial zones more attractive to investors, government officials, and international delegates by providing convenient and efficient access.

As per project details, the high-speed corridor will run parallel to the 25-km Noida-Greater Noida expressway, 165-km Yamuna Expressway, and 361-km Agra-Lucknow Expressway, among other highways. 

While the high-speed rail corridor is designed to provide long-distance connectivity, a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is also being planned to enhance regional mobility within the National Capital Region (NCR). 

RRTS Enhancing Regional Mobility 

The project is progressing at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, which was submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for central approval. According to officials, the Centre has reviewed the proposal and provided observations, which are now being addressed by the state authorities.

As per TOI report, the central government raised concerns about the simultaneous operation of semi-high-speed and slow-speed trains on shared tracks. The original DPR, submitted in July 2024, had envisioned a dual-purpose corridor combining both systems, with provisions for future expansion. As a result, the initial proposal to include Light Rail Transit (LRT) is likely to be dropped, with the project now focusing on RRTS services. 

As the region continues to attract new investments and experience a surge in workforce migration, this RRTS corridor will provide critical last-mile connectivity. 

It will enable workers from surrounding high-density areas to easily access the growing industrial ecosystem. Once operational, the RRTS will complement the high-speed rail network—while the bullet train connects distant cities, the RRTS will ensure fast and seamless travel between key urban centres in the NCR and the emerging hubs around Jewar.

Thus, as the region grows, the integrated transit network being developed—carefully planned to support both passenger and cargo movement—will play a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of the Electronics Manufacturing Cluster being set up by YEIDA. This coordinated approach to infrastructure development, once operational, will ensure seamless and advanced mobility across the region. 

It will provide the necessary and appropriate transit systems to support efficient operations, thereby driving growth and positioning India on a stronger trajectory toward self-reliance in electronics manufacturing.