- Dayanatpur has seen big economic change post-Jewar Airport project
- Nearly 700 hectares acquired, most families received compensation of over Rs 1 crore
- Local shops expanded, reflecting increased demand and rising incomes in the village
SUVs have taken over buffalo sheds in Dayanatpur, a blunt marker of how fast money has rewritten life in this western Uttar Pradesh village after the Jewar Airport project.
Days after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport, NDTV was at the village to find a transformation driven by land acquisition for India's newest international mega airport.
Nearly 700 hectares were taken, and in a population of around 8,000, most families received compensation of over Rs 1 crore. Jewar will serve as the primary international gateway for key Uttar Pradesh cities including Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Mathura and Agra, while also providing direct access to several major pilgrimage centres and tourist destinations.
At Lalit Sharma's "gher," once meant for cattle and fodder, NDTV found a lawn, a swing, and a four-room air-conditioned bungalow. A black SUV stood parked where livestock once did. The family does not live here anymore. It is now used as a meeting space.
Lalit Sharma said his 40 bighas of land were acquired, earning him over Rs 5 crore. "People earlier spent compensation on cars and houses and later had to take guard jobs," he told NDTV. "We invested instead. I bought farmland in Bulandshahr and started construction work. With the airport coming up, my business is growing steadily."
His uncle Raghunandan summed up the shift. "We once thought twice before buying a bicycle," he told NDTV. "Now two cars are parked outside our home." He said his son has moved to Greater Noida, built a house, and runs a business. "Earlier some villagers drove taxis. Now they own multiple vehicles."
The economic surge has reshaped local shops as well. Harish Chandra Goyal, who opened a small grocery store in 1968, showed NDTV his old setup. "I used to sell oil, spices, and jaggery," he said. "Now I stock everything from cold drinks to chocolates." He added that he moved to a larger shop in 2022-23 as demand surged.
A crore in bank, Rs 60,000 a month in interest
Outside the village, NDTV met Yogeshwar, an elderly man riding a worn bicycle. "Do not judge me by this cycle," he said with a smile. "I have Rs 1 crore in the bank and earn Rs 60,000 every month as interest. Life runs well."
Noida, Faridabad new hubs
But prosperity has thinned out the old village life. Brahmdatt showed NDTV his ancestral home. "Around 250 people once lived here," he said. "Now families have moved to Noida, Greater Noida, and Faridabad. New houses are coming up, but old homes are locked."
Corporate money is following. Locals told NDTV that over Rs 100 crore has gone into CSR projects, including skill centres and pond restoration.
"Youth are being trained for hospitality and technical jobs," Brahmdatt said.
With the airport taking shape, Dayanatpur is no longer just a village on the map but a magnet for big-ticket investment, including many hotel projects.
For locals, this is not abstract growth but personal opportunity. "Ever since we heard that 5-star and 7-star hotels are coming up, we are happy," Raghunandan told NDTV.
"My son works at the Hyatt in Delhi. If these hotels open here, he can work near home." Alongside hospitality, industrial and logistics hubs are also coming up, with officials estimating over 50,000 jobs.
The shift is already visible in the landscape, with high-tech warehouses under construction along village roads. Tech and manufacturing giants like Foxconn and Havells India are also moving in, turning the region into an emerging industrial belt.
