The Karnataka state government bid goodbye to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) with the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to oversee Bengaluru’s urban governance and development. However, most people do not know what BBMP and GBA mean. Read the blog to get an understanding of what the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is, and why it is important for builders and homeowners.
What Is the Greater Bengaluru Authority?
The GBA is the administrative body responsible for all civic amenities and certain infrastructure assets in Bengaluru city. GBA operates through five newly formed municipal corporations: Central, East, North, South, and West Bengaluru. This metropolitan-level coordinating body is responsible for zoning and building construction, health, sanitation, licensing, and maintaining public open spaces, water sources, parks, and green zones.
This body has officially replaced the BBMP as the city’s primary civic body, following the implementation of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act 2024, and has been operational since September 2, 2025.
Major Responsibilities of the GBA
The following are the major functions of GBA:
- Urban Planning and Zoning: GBA is responsible for preparing city-wide master plans, monitoring compliance with zoning policies, and directing spatial development for all of Greater Bengaluru, replacing previous agencies’ fragmented control.
- Infrastructure Development: The GBA oversees large infrastructure projects such as roads, public transit, and utilities, coordinating with agencies like BDA, BMRCL (Metro), BESCOM, and BWSSB for city-wide integration.
- Resource Allocation: Equitable distribution of financial and natural resources among the five city corporations for balanced development.
- Regulatory Oversight: Monitoring and enforcing compliance with building codes, environmental regulations and other urban development standards.
- Conflict Resolution: Dispute handling between municipal corporations, civic agencies, and other stakeholders connected to urban governance.
- Public Engagement: Creating space for citizen engagement in urban planning and the decision-making process.
Structure and Jurisdiction of Greater Bengaluru Authority
The Greater Bengaluru Authority’s jurisdiction covers the entire Bengaluru city area, covering around 709 sq km.
Here, the city is classified into 5 municipal corporations:
| Sr. No. | Division Name | Area (sq km) | Temporary zonal office locations | Headed by |
| 1. | Bengaluru Central City Corporation | 78 | Hudson Circle Annex | IAS Commissioner |
| 2. | Bengaluru East City Corporation | 168 | Mahadevapura Zonal Office | IAS Commissioner |
| 3. | Bengaluru North City Corporation | 158 | Yelahanka Zonal Office | IAS Commissioner |
| 4. | Bengaluru South City Corporation | 147 | Jayanagar Zonal Office | IAS Commissioner |
| 5. | Bengaluru West City Corporation | 161 | RR Nagar Zonal Office | IAS Commissioner |
Each is responsible for a specific zone, headed by a commissioner, and operates semi-autonomously, focusing on localised governance and service delivery. The GBA is headed by the Chief Minister of Karnataka and assisted by a Chief Commissioner. Together, they manage and coordinate the work of different city corporations to make sure the city develops in a well-planned and organised way.
GBA Integration with Other Agencies
GBA is focused on reducing friction points between city agencies. GBA will manage and coordinate with:
- Bangalore Development Authority (BDA)
- Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB)
- Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL)
- Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC)
This coordination is anticipated to fast-track approvals, improve service delivery, and minimise redundancy.
Impact on Builders and Developers
The following are the major changes implied for builders and developers:
- Approval Processes: It is mandatory to obtain approvals for land use, building plans, and infrastructure projects directly from the GBA, without wasting time and money navigating multiple local offices.
- Transferable Development Rights (TDRs): The GBA has launched a policy for Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) that applies uniformly city-wide. This allows developers and landowners to apply or trade their TDR certificates anywhere within the entire jurisdiction of Greater Bengaluru. It resolves previous issues where developers had to use only their TDRs in the locality for which they were established.
- Infrastructure Coordination: The GBA is now coordinating large-scale infrastructure projects (metro, roads, water supply, and civic amenities) at the metropolitan level to support integrated metropolitan development aligned with the City’s planning goals. It hastens the delivery of civic infrastructure as part of the City’s aligned plans. This avoids the development of fragmented infrastructure and ensures infrastructure schemes have benefits for more than one city zone, according to the master plan.
- Regulatory Compliance: Developers must comply with a unified set of zoning regulations, building codes and other environmental standards at a metropolitan level as established by the GBA. All these elements have been harmonised to ensure consistency across all corporations, decreasing ambiguity for builders affected by overlapping yet slightly different regulations.
Key Advantages of BBMP to GBA Conversion for Property Owners and Developers
The following are the major benefits of the shift from Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA):
Unified Regional Governance and Planning
The GBA replaces fragmented municipal jurisdictions with a single, comprehensive authority overseeing both Bengaluru’s core and its peripheral expanding zones like Sarjapur, Whitefield, Hoskote, and Anekal. This results in more integrated, predictable land-use and zoning regulations, harmonising development rules across a wider area.
Streamlined Building Approvals and Regulations
Developers benefit from a centralized, streamlined approval process with digital single-window clearances, geo-tagging, and time-bound approvals (30-60 days), reducing delays and compliance uncertainties experienced under BBMP’s fragmented system.
Infrastructure Development and Civic Amenities Improvement
Areas outside BBMP’s former limits, previously underdeveloped or with fragmented civic services, will now have coordinated infrastructure provisioning—improved roads, sewage, water, and electricity—enhancing liveability and boosting the attractiveness of peripheral localities for investment and habitation.
Rise in Property Values and Investment Appeal
Unified governance and infrastructure upgrades are expected to increase property valuations, particularly in peripheral zones, enhancing returns for property owners and making new localities attractive for real estate investment and township projects.
Better Financial Access and Property Rights
The transition includes government drives to convert B-Khata properties (with regulatory deviations) to A-Khata (fully compliant), enabling owners easier access to home loans, mortgages, and legal clarity. This upgrade expands financial opportunities and increases the marketability of properties.
Promotion of Sustainable Urban Growth
GBA emphasizes sustainability and smart-city initiatives. Developers adopting green building practices, ecological balance, rainwater harvesting, and smart infrastructure integration may receive incentives such as higher Floor Space Index (FSI) and faster approvals.
Regulatory Transparency and Reduced Corruption
Digitization of approvals and governance under GBA fosters transparency, reduces bureaucratic hurdles, and mitigates corruption risks faced by developers and property owners under the more localised BBMP administration.
Difference Between BBMP and GBA
The following are major differences between BBMP and GBA
| Feature | BBMP (Before Sept 2025) | GBA (From Sept 2025) |
| What is it? | Single municipal corporation for Bengaluru city | New umbrella authority covering Greater Bengaluru with multiple city corporations |
| Area Covered | Core Bengaluru city only | Core city plus surrounding suburbs and peripheral areas |
| Governing System | Mayor and municipal council | Chief Minister heads the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) with 5 city corporations, each having its own commissioner and mayor |
| Number of Corporations | One, BBMP | Five separate city corporations under GBA for better local focus |
| Main Functions | Local city services like roads, waste, and building approvals | Larger, strategic urban planning and day-to-day service delivery done by city corporations |
| Building Approvals | Handled only by BBMP | Now, approvals, taxes, and permits are handled by individual city corporations within the GBA framework |
| Tax Collection | Centralized by BBMP | Decentralized – each new corporation collects local taxes |
| Governance Focus | Focused on city issues but often overstretched | Decentralized for faster decisions and better service delivery at local levels |
| Practical Impact for Builders | Needed approvals and tax clearance from BBMP | Builders now deal with respective city corporation offices for permits and compliance, under GBA’s overall coordination |
How Builders Should Prepare to Work with GBA?
Here’s your action plan:
- Recruit an expert construction firm that knows GBA laws inside out.
- Check for the project designs to fulfil the new codes
- Understand the updated online application submission process.
- Take help from experts and conduct internal audits to prevent potential penalties.
- Try to join with builder associations to get real-time updates.
On a final note, the Karnataka state government bid goodbye to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Instead of a single urban civic body, five new municipal corporations have been established. This GBA system aims to address systemic inefficiencies by establishing a unified governance structure that delivers integrated planning and services. It promises a future of better infrastructure, smooth processes, and more growth opportunities.
Hemali Patel