Bengaluru building approvals go automatic: Nambike Nakshe 2.0 cuts 30-day wait to 30 minutes
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) launched Nambike Nakshe 2.0 on Saturday, an automated building plan approval system that removes manual scrutiny by officials and grants approval through software alone. The system was launched under the ‘Brand Bengaluru’ initiative by Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
Nambike Nakshe 2.0 is an upgraded version of Nambike Nakshe 1.0, which was inaugurated on March 11, 2024. The first version was designed to reduce repeated visits to government offices. Under it, residents could receive building plan approvals within a day for residential buildings of up to four units on plots measuring up to 50 ft by 80 ft (375 sq m). Applicants then uploaded site documents, building plans and prescribed affidavits online through registered engineers or architects, and applications were processed by software integrated with e-Aasthi for e-Khata verification and with the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Applications Centre (KSRSAC) for verification of road width and buffers.
The key change in the new version is that scrutiny and verification by officials before approval has been eliminated. According to a press release from the authority, document and plan scrutiny will now be carried out entirely through the software, with approval granted automatically.
Under Nambike Nakshe 2.0, owners can obtain approval through GBA-empanelled architects or engineers without human intervention for buildings on plots measuring up to 50 ft by 80 ft (375 sq m). Applicants need to provide only the e-Khata number and the geo-location of the plot online, while owners and their architects or engineers must upload a few affidavits.
An e-Khata is the digitally verified property record maintained by the civic body, and it is central to the new process. The software will integrate with e-Aasthi to verify plot ownership, Khata records and documents relating to property tax payments. Through its integration with KSRSAC, it will verify land use as per the Master Plan, existing road width, stormwater drain alignment and the buffers required around them.
Once these checks are completed, the system will scrutinise the building plan and generate an ‘OK’ report. The applicable fee will then be calculated online, with the payment details generated in the architect’s or engineer’s console. After the fee is paid online, the approved building plan and licence, carrying a QR code, will be made available online to both the owner and the architect or engineer.
According to the release, the entire process will be completed within 15 to 30 minutes, doing away with the wait of 15 to 30 days for approval and the need for repeated visits to offices.
The authority has said the system will initially be implemented on a pilot basis in selected areas. Its functioning will be closely reviewed and necessary improvements incorporated before it is expanded to other areas within the jurisdiction of the Greater Bengaluru Authority, the Minister said.
The launch keeps the scope of automatic approval limited for now: it applies to residential construction of up to four units on plots no larger than 375 sq m, and applications must be routed through professionals empanelled by the authority. The wider promise of the reform — faster, paperless clearances for builders and homeowners — will depend on how the pilot performs and how quickly the system is extended across the city.
