HYDERABAD — A local developer announced this month plans for two 65-story towers bearing the Trump name, what will become India's largest Trump-branded property.
The project reflects Hyderabad's distinctive approach to urban regulation. Unlike most Indian cities, Hyderabad abolished its floor space index (FSI) regulations in 2006, removing a major constraint on vertical development.
FSI dictates the permissible built-up area relative to land size. In successful Asian cities like Singapore, FSI reaches 25, allowing developers to construct 25 square feet of building for every square foot of land. Indian municipal authorities, concerned about limited civic infrastructure, typically set the ratio around 2 and rarely exceed 4.
India's central government has identified restrictive FSI as a barrier to efficient urban development. The finance ministry stated in its latest economic survey that such regulations "raise land values and create artificial scarcity in core urban areas."
Hyderabad, capital of the southern state of Telangana, is India's sixth-most populous city. It now has more skyscrapers than any Indian city except Mumbai, which vertical development was driven by island geography.
Critics warned that abolishing FSI could trigger urban chaos—gridlocked traffic, overburdened utilities. That has not occurred. Traffic flows faster in Hyderabad than in most major Indian cities.
Tall residential blocks now line highways in Hyderabad's western suburbs. The Kokapet neighborhood, once dominated by custard-apple orchards, has transformed into a dense construction zone with dozens of new towers rising.
Hyderabad's ability to manage rapid growth rests partly on its 160-kilometer orbital motorway. The initial segment opened in 2008 and now serves the emerging skyscraper belt.
The city's success also stems from selective deregulation. Abolishing the FSI cap did not eliminate all regulatory oversight. This approach enabled extensive vertical development while preserving urban functionality.
