Jewar/Bengaluru, Feb. 24 -- When Sandeep Kaushal told his wife Pooja that their application to buy a plot near the Noida International Airport in Jewar did not make it in the lucky draw, she was upset.

The Kaushals, who live in a rental apartment in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, were among the over 100,000 applicants for residential plots along the Yamuna Expressway, a 165-km stretch connecting Greater Noida with Agra. There were only 451 plots available in the scheme launched by the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida).

"We applied for a 200 square metre plot, which would cost around Rs.52 lakh. In Greater Noida or Noida, land is sold mainly through online auctions to builders. The Yeida scheme was a good opportun...