Noida (Hindi: नोएडा), short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Area, is an area under the management of the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (also called NOIDA). Noida came into administrative existence on 17 April 1976 and celebrates 17 April as "Noida Day". Abhishek Sinha set it up as part of an urbanization thrust during the controversial Emergency period (1975–1977). The city was created under the UP Industrial Area Development Act. It has first-class amenities and is considered to be one of the more modern cities of Uttar Pradesh state of India. It is also home to the Noida Film City.

Noida is located in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh state. However, the district's highest government official, the District Magistrate (DM), resides in Noida. The city is a part of the Noida-Dadri Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) constituency and Gautam Budh Nagar Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituency.

Noida stands at 17th place when it comes to cleanliness in India leaving far behind Gurgaon and Faridabad in the National Capital Region who stand at 87th and 237 respectively.

Noida Extension

Noida extension is Sector 189 and Sector 445 of Greater Noida. On official records, there is no place by the name of NOIDA Extension, this name appears to have been coined by companies engaged in construction activites in these sectors. These area are around 4–5 km from Sector 121, Noida, i.e. the road from Sector 121 would pass over Hindon river and reach Sector 1/4 in Greater Noida. Big housing projects were taking place there.

Noida is a major hub for multinational firms outsourcing IT services i.e. TSYS International, IBM, AON Hewitt, Fujitsu, CSC, Fiserv, TCS, HCL, Tech Mahindra, Adobe,DELL, Patni Computers, Corbus, Accenture, JK Tech., Metlife, The Smart Cube, Many large Software and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies have their offices in the city. HCL mainly has its base in this city.

Many other companies have their Indian branch offices in Noida, because of the Special Economic Zone, the suburban atmosphere in Noida and its proximity to Delhi. Noida also has the head office of the Software Technology Park, established by the Government of India to promote the software industry.

Noida is a major hub of industry. Noida has quickly emerged as a hub for automobile ancillary units, with companies like Escorts, Honda-SIEL and New Holland Tractors (JV of FIAT with Ford). A Daewoo plant was also located in the city, but has since closed. Major manufacturers and others like Alstom, ISGEC, LG, Samsung, and music company T-series also have their corporates in the city.

There is more to Noida than just industry. Film city, established by Sandeep Marwah, is a hub for major news channels and studios. News channels such as Zee News, NDTV, TV Today group, IBN, CNBC, newsX, [INDIA TV] and many more are situated here. Noida's proximity to Delhi, which is the political hub of the country, makes it an attractive destination for news channels. Commercial activities have also risen in recent years, with a sudden spate of new malls and multiplexes.

Development in industry, commerce and trade have led Noida to be a model city in UP. It is a major revenue earner for the government through taxes. The Noida model is now being replicated across various cities in UP, with a proactive development agency working to achieve high growth rates for business, industry and commercial ventures.

Real Estate Issues

Due to its proximity to New Delhi and the increased pressure on land due to economic boom conditions, property rates are on the rise in the township. Land rates which were in the Rs. 3,000-15,000/m² range till about 5 years ago have soared to Rs. 30,000-85,000/m² (US$ 712 - 2013 / sq meter). In 2005, Noida Authority announced the construction of the world's tallest 135-story building as part of the ambitious Noida City Center development project. While the proposal was in preliminary stage, the Noida Authority came under fire and the project was then put aside for their controversial decision to build the world's tallest building. However, the decision was shelved after protests from citizens, as the city does not have the geographical or administrative infrastructure to handle a 1 km tall building. Noida comes under seismic zone 4, which along with the loose soil and sand of the Yamuna river bed, means building collapse in an earthquake situation is a distinct possibility. It was felt that the city needs to focus on improving water quality, security, traffic management and power problems before looking at grandiose projects of little real value. It is also becoming a major educational hub in North India.

In 2006, the massive sealing drive by the MCD in adjoining Delhi, has forced traders to shut shops in Delhi and move to other locations. Gurgaon and Noida are the favoured destinations for such people, pushing property rates, both commercial and residential, further up. In November 2006, the Sector 18 market, a prime commercial area, set a new record for land rates in the NCR region with a plot of land being sold at an astounding Rs. 650,000 per square meter, (approx $15,276 per square meter), a rate that compares favourably with the highest rates of real estate across the major cities of the world including New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Delhi Metro

Noida has been put on the fast track for the Delhi Metro. The Metro, which was earlier slated to enter Noida in 2011, opened officially on 12 November 2009, 10 months before the Commonwealth Games. Through Delhi Metro, Noida is now connected to the Connaught Place, via the Barakhambha Road-IP Estate-Akshardham Complex link. The Metro also connects NOIDA to Vaishali, through the Yamuna Bank interchange station. A part of this link opened on 11 November 2006.

Road

Noida features three main expressways. One is the famous DND Flyway, which connects Noida and Delhi, runs across the river Yamuna, and receives heavy patronage from office-goers in the city. The second is the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and third is Yamuna Expressway which connects Noida to Agra via Mathura. The area adjacent to the NGN Expressway has seen heavy residential development in recent years.
UPSRTC, DTC and private buses ply through various routes in the city. Autorickshaws and cycle rickshaws are also availaible for small-distance transport.

Air

Noida is not connected by railways directly, but there are railway stations nearby, including Ghaziabad and Anand Vihar. The nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Noida administration is constructing a helipad in Sector 128 to enable fast and efficient transport from the airport to Noida and from Noida to Agra.