Noida Authority to Offer Affordable Office Space to Start-ups at City Bus Terminal Building

In an effort to support entrepreneurship and make office space more accessible, the Noida Authority has announced that it will offer working space to start-ups at discounted rental rates. The initiative will make use of the largely unused eight-storey City Bus Terminal building located in Sector 82.

Completed in 2021, the terminal was originally intended to serve as a transportation hub for buses, taxis, and private vehicles. However, the terminal has not seen the level of passenger traffic it was designed for. As a result, a large portion of the structure has remained unused for the past few years. The Noida Authority now plans to put the space to productive use by turning it into a hub for new businesses.

The building covers a total area of approximately 30,643 square metres. It includes basement parking for 522 cars, a ground-level bay for 40 buses, and additional space for 100 taxis. According to officials, the terminal is equipped with a range of infrastructure components such as a reception area, office cabins, restrooms, a fire control room, seating areas, a booking centre, a food court, and kiosk spaces. These features were originally built to support passenger movement but now offer suitable working infrastructure for businesses.

Speaking on the development, Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M. said the scheme is being designed to attract young entrepreneurs who may have viable business ideas but lack the financial capacity to afford commercial office rentals in the city. “Office space in Noida is expensive. We want to encourage start-ups by providing affordable rental options. The rent rates will be finalised in our upcoming board meeting, after which a formal scheme will be launched for this start-up support program at the Sector 82 terminal,” said the CEO.

Out of the eight floors, the Authority is initially planning to offer space on two floors, with a total of around 20,000 square feet. Officials have indicated that the space will be allotted to eligible start-up firms through an application-based process once the board approval is secured. The scheme will also include details about the rental structure, eligibility criteria, and lease period.

The move comes at a time when Noida is gradually emerging as a business centre in the National Capital Region (NCR), offering an alternative to traditional business districts like Gurgaon and central Delhi. The city has seen increased investment in infrastructure, metro connectivity, and road networks in recent years, which has made it more attractive to businesses. However, high property prices and rental rates have often been a barrier for smaller enterprises and start-ups.

By offering discounted rental space in a government-owned building, the Authority aims to lower the cost of entry for entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses. This approach is expected to encourage business formation, generate employment, and contribute to the local economy. The initiative also reflects a broader government objective to promote self-employment and innovation-driven enterprises.

The decision to convert the City Bus Terminal into a business hub is also seen as a pragmatic use of underutilized infrastructure. Rather than allowing the building to sit idle, the Authority is opting to make it available for productive use. This model of asset utilization could be replicated in other cities where government buildings are lying vacant or are being used below capacity.

Industry experts say that affordable working space is a crucial requirement for early-stage businesses. Often, rental overheads consume a large portion of the initial capital available to start-ups. An initiative like this can help reduce one of the major operational expenses and allow entrepreneurs to focus more on product development, marketing, and team building.

The Noida Authority has not yet announced the launch date of the scheme, but the proposal is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Once implemented, the City Bus Terminal building could host a diverse set of businesses from sectors such as IT, design, e-commerce, and services.

As start-ups begin to occupy the space, the Authority expects that the building will evolve into a collaborative working environment. This may also lead to networking opportunities and resource sharing among different businesses located in the same space. Over time, this could help create a local start-up ecosystem that supports growth and knowledge exchange.