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A phased revamp, which will include vertical expansion of buildings and an infrastructural overhaul, is on the cards for Old Delhi’s wholesale markets with the BJP government initiating discussions on the second phase of the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project.
According to sources, the Delhi government is finalising a phased redevelopment strategy across several historic markets of the Walled City — Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Jama Masjid, Kashmere Gate, Sadar Bazar, Daryaganj, and Chawri Bazar.
The project has been in limbo since the first phase was completed in 2021. It involved the facelift of a 1.3 km-long stretch of the market, between Lal Jain Mandir to Fatehpuri Masjid, in 2021 under the AAP-ruled Delhi government.
Sources said that after the goals under the second phase are accomplished, the government might consider addressing the gaps in the first phase of the project.
The project’s second phase, which includes plans to carry out facade improvement of buildings along the 1.5 km-long Chandni Chowk main market and the improvement of six adjoining roads, is pending.
The ruling BJP has been holding discussions on new plans to redevelop major areas of the Walled City using what the party leaders referred to as a “triple engine” effort, with the party ruling the Centre, city, and civic body.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, engaging representatives from the Walled City’s trade associations to discuss the roadmap for redevelopment.
“The aim is to arrive at an amicable way in which we can redevelop the Walled City. Our priorities will include removal of encroachments, replacing overhead wires with underground systems, and overhaul of sanitation and drainage systems — while ensuring there is no disruption of commerce and that the Walled City remains functional during the transformation,” said Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal. He also accused the previous AAP government of being ignorant of the problems of the traders during the earlier facelift.
On the phased redevelopment strategy, a government official explained, “Take Lajpat Nagar Market for instance — it has over 200 traders. We’ll appoint a developer for comprehensive redevelopment, which is expected to take two–three years. In the meantime, shops will be temporarily relocated to an open space to ensure business continuity. Once work is complete, traders will be moved back, and the space will be reused to accommodate the next market undergoing renovation.”
One of the cornerstones of this phase of redevelopment, officials said, will be to move towards “vertical growth” of buildings and turning existing wholesale market shops into four-storey commercial buildings — a shift aimed at easing congestion and optimising space usage.
“Everything will be done with the consent of market associations. The goal is to preserve traders’ interests while creating modern infrastructure,” said Khandelwal. He added that a new warehousing and industrial policy is also in the works, promising increased business and employment opportunities for the area.
The redevelopment drive received a significant boost from the Centre. The project reportedly got a fresh push after Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal visited Chandni Chowk last month.
Khandelwal revealed that he requested Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to greenlight comprehensive modernisation plans for both Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations, which are close to the Walled City. “There is tremendous scope to commercially utilise the vacant land around these stations,” he said.
Not just redevelopment, but the issue of renaming has also gained steam. A few days ago, Sanjay Bhargava, President, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, wrote to the UD Minister to rename Shahjahanabad to Indraprastha. Earlier, Khandelwal had urged the authorities concerned to consider renaming the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC), which was involved in Phase 1 of the project completed in 2021, to the Indraprastha Redevelopment Corporation.
Criticising work in the earlier phase carried out by the AAP government, Khandelwal said, “It was arbitrary and led to a 40–50% trade decline. It’s a redevelopment in name only.”
However, AAP’s Delhi Chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of “orchestrating a major conspiracy against Delhi business persons.” He said, “Rekha Gupta must withdraw her statement on market relocation; AAP strongly opposes the BJP government's conspiracy against Delhi businesspersons.”
