List Your Land
A hundred kilometres is not too far for everyone, but it is far enough to change how you own the land. You cannot drop in after work. You cannot glance at the boundary on a Sunday morning without planning the day around it. For a lot of buyers of agriculture land in India, that is the real price of the cheaper rate per acre.
So the issue is not "Is 100 kilometers too far?" but whether you can manage the land at that distance. This will depend on whether there is good road access, who manages the land, your plans for the land, and what the tax law has to say about distant land.
What do 100 km Look Like on the Ground?
In the case of highways and expressways, 100 kilometers may take around two hours. For state roads and district roads, it usually takes three hours, and during the monsoon, some of the approach roads to villages become muddy. These are just approximate figures, but do try out the drive yourself on weekdays and weekends before making any payment.
Now assign a price to it. Let us assume that each round trip is 200 kilometers and the cost of running the car, the fuel, and the toll comes to around ₹10 per kilometer. That makes it ₹2,000 per trip. With visits once a month, the total comes to around ₹24,000 per year, excluding the caretaker’s salary and maintenance costs. ₹10 is just an assumed figure and not a quoted one, so you may use your own. In case you intend to farm the land yourself, the distance may become a problem. If a local family will be farming the land, you will have to visit them personally once or twice a season.
Cheaper Per Acre, Slower to Sell
Land that is available for sale at this distance from the city is going to be cheaper per acre than land located close to the ring road. That is the reason why you are looking at it. However, there are fewer people who will be interested in remote land, which means a resale will take several months rather than several days, and the buyer will try to negotiate hard because he knows what you know.
There is no data available that could provide you with a standardized discount for 100 km, and it will vary greatly depending on the state, soil, water availability, and the nearest highway. Do not take the broker's price into account; compare recent registrations of similar plots in the same tehsil. The upcoming expressway or industrial corridor might affect the price, but land close to the project has its own price. Is there an approved alignment and funding for the project?
The Tax Rule that Favours Distance
This one surprises many buyers. Under the income tax law, farmland is treated as a capital asset, and its sale is taxed only if it lies near a town. The distance is measured in a straight line from the municipal limits, not by road.
| Step | On Dhanteras? | What to keep in mind |
| Checking title and records | No, finish weeks earlier | Khatauni or jamabandi, encumbrance, mutation history |
| Token advance | Yes, if you wish | Write it down, with a refund condition |
| Agreement to sell | Possible | Price, payment dates, and who clears any dues |
| Stamp duty payment | Depends on the state portal | Often online, but confirm timings |
| Registering the sale deed | Only if an office is open and a slot is free | Not needed on the day for the sale to be valid |
| Mutation at the tehsil | After registration | Takes weeks; your name is not in the revenue record until it is done |
Agricultural property which is not inside such bands cannot be classified as a capital asset. Thus, on the disposal of such agricultural property, there is neither any capital gain nor any TDS. Property which lies at least 100 kilometers away from the metro will definitely fall within the 8-kilometer line of the metro.
Important points. All the nearby towns, not only the big city, must be considered, and thus a small town which is located a few kilometers away from the field will bring the property within the taxable area. And if the agricultural land has been changed to other uses, it will have different taxation rules. In fact, the section in question has been renumbered by the new Income-tax Act, 2025.
Read More: Land Within 100 KM of Indore: Where Smart Buyers Are Looking Right Now
Leasing is Not the Same in Every State
Many owners who live far away plan to lease the land out. That works in some states and is restricted in others. A 2016 NITI Aayog expert committee report grouped state laws like this, and some have changed since, so treat the table as a starting point.
| Group | States named in the report | What it meant |
|---|---|---|
| Full ban | Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur | Leasing not allowed |
| Limited exceptions | Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and others | Only certain owners, such as widows or disabled persons, can lease |
| No ban; tenants may gain rights | Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam | Tenants can claim a right to buy after a set period |
| Allowed with conditions | Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, West Bengal | Conditions vary; West Bengal allows only sharecropping |
Haryana passed a Lease of Agricultural Land Act in 2024 meant to allow leasing while protecting the owner's rights, so check the latest rule where the land is. Whatever the state, sign a written lease, keep it short and clear, and do not rely on a handshake. Across farmland in India, a lot of tenancy has ended up informal and oral, which leaves both sides exposed.
The Real Problem with Distance: The Plot is Unwatched
One of the factors that leads to encroachment of land is absentee ownership. Causes usually include the following: indeterminate boundaries, loose descriptions of the sale deed, caretakers behaving like owners, and idle land.
The following are some measures which can be adopted. Ensure that the plot is measured and marked with boundary stones when buying it. Ensure that the deed describes the dimensions of the property. Have the plot fenced or hedged. Choose a trustworthy caretaker who is from the village. Ensure that the land remains occupied, because an occupied field is more difficult to make a claim on than idle land.
Checks that Matter More at 100 km
Everything you should consider while looking for adjacent lands requires more caution, as here, any mistake cannot be rectified quickly.
Let us begin with the title. Study the latest khatauni, khasra, or jamabandi in relation to the seller's name and the plot number. Also, get the mutation records and encumbrance certificate. In case the seller says that “the documents are with the relative in the village,” stop the deal right there.
Consider the approach roads. Do you have year-round road access or just a kachcha track? Does the plot have its own access or depend on neighbouring land? What about water – borewell or canal? Electricity for the pump is needed too. The distance to the nearest mandi is important, as transport cost will eat away at the margins of the farmer.
One more condition. NRIs cannot freely purchase agricultural land in India according to FEMA, and several states prohibit the purchase of farmland by anyone but an agriculturist.
Searching Sensibly
A search for farmlands for sale near me will show listings around your current location, which can make a 100 km plot look unusually far. That is not a bad sign. It only means the search radius is working. Try the same search from the district you actually want to buy in, and compare at least three plots at different distances. A plot at 40 km, one at 70 km, and one at 100 km usually show the trade-off quickly.
Ask each seller the same questions: who owns it, whether any loan is attached, what the road access is, and who has been farming it. A seller who answers with documents is better than one who answers with confidence.
When You Decide to Sell?
In case you may find yourself in a situation where you have to give up land that you purchased far away from any town, your purchaser is going to ask similar questions. He would want clean documents, boundary markings, access, and a clear history of earnings from that piece of land. People who have maintained their documents and have used the land face no difficulty in selling.
Where to Look Next?
You can compare listings and locations on 2Bigha, and if you are planning land selling yourself, you can see how listing works there as well. Whichever route you take, ask for the khasra number and verify it on the state's land-records portal before you pay a token.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment, legal, financial, or property advice. Real estate regulations, infrastructure plans, market conditions, and government policies may change over time. Readers are advised to verify information with relevant authorities and consult qualified professionals before making any investment or property-related decisions.
