HMDA registers 245% rise in permit fee collection this year; skyscrapers lead growth

A 63-floor tower, housing 362 units on a 2.17 acre plot in Kokapet, is the tallest residential structure the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has sanctioned this year up to September [2025]. Added with a five-tower 56-floor complex on 7.71 acres, and another mixed use project with 66 lakh square feet built up area on 9.71 acres, Kokapet wears the crown as the most sought after real estate destination in the urban metropolis, as measured in terms of building permissions granted by HMDA.

Two more buildings, with 30 and 47 floors respectively, are coming up in Bandlaguda Jagir, speaking for the unmitigated penchant for high rise dwellings.

A statement from the HMDA has informed that the multi-storeyed building (MSB) segment led the impressive growth in building permissions during the period. A total 77 applications have been sanctioned, covering 78.71 lakh square metres and earning ₹514 crore for the urban development authority — a sharp rise from 55 applications in 2023, accounting for 37.03 lakh sq m, and ₹215 crore revenue.

Number of building permissions sanctioned by HMDA

The total revenue earned by HMDA too has shown a whopping rise, with permit fee collections surging to ₹1,225 crore, up by 245% from ₹355 crore in 2024 and by 82% from ₹674 crore in 2023. Monthly revenues have consistently exceeded those of previous years. In September alone, collections touched ₹132 crore, a 263% increase over September 2024.

HMDA’s permit fee collection

During the nine month period, HMDA disposed of 6,079 applications, marking a 49% increase over 2024 and 36% over 2023. Building permissions received totalled to 2,961, up 18% from 2024 and 8% from 2023, while 2,904 cases were cleared, reflecting a 47% rise over 2024 and 26% over 2023.

Noting that the HMDA has recorded a “remarkable” turnaround in urban governance between January and September this year, Metropolitan Commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmad attributed the performance to a strengthened monitoring system.

All pending files are now classified by duration — over 60 days, 30–60 days, within 30 days, and within a week — and reviewed daily at the Commissioner’s level, a statement from HMDA said. Each application is digitally tracked through dashboards that enable instant escalation of bottlenecks and prompt decision-making. Owing to these measures, pendency beyond 30 days has dropped below 2%, with efforts underway to eliminate it entirely.

In 2025, HMDA received 3,677 new applications across the categories of multi-storeyed buildings, layouts, and other buildings, of which 2,887 were approved, yielding a 79% approval rate, as against the 38% in 2024 (1,216 of 3,209 applications) and 58% in 2023 (2,014 of 3,452).

Overall approvals and revenues too have more than doubled in two years. Layout permissions covered 2,862 acres, up by 512% over 2024; layouts with housing reached 38.24 lakh square metres, up by 186%; and building permissions accounted for 88.15 lakh square metres, up by 239% over 2024 and 87% over 2023.