FCC

Fixing Hyderabad’s Urban Puzzle

2025-03-29

Hyderabad’s skyline is transforming at an unprecedented pace but urban planners and citizens alike are raising alarms about the long-term impact of its unchecked vertical expansion. Unlike other major cities in India, Hyderabad does not impose a floor space index (FSI) limit, allowing builders to construct high-rises without restriction. While this has led to rapid urbanisation and a booming real-estate sector, experts warn that the absence of regulatory control could severely strain the city’s infrastructure in coming years.

The unintended consequences of no FSI

In 2006, the YS Rajasekhar Reddy-led Congress government removed FSI limits to accelerate urban development. Nearly two decades later, the policy has transformed Hyderabad into a builder’s paradise, where real-estate projects are shaped more by profit potential than by urban planning considerations...