New Launch - India Real Estate Report 2026.
The Maharashtra government is preparing a new law to enable blockchain technology in the real estate sector, in what is being described as one of the state's most significant digital governance initiatives for the property market. The proposed legislation aims to create a legal framework for blockchain-based property transactions, digitise land records, improve transparency in ownership, reduce disputes and curb fraud arising from forged or tampered property documents.
How blockchain will secure property records
The law will lay the foundation for maintaining land and property records on a blockchain platform, where every transaction is recorded in a secure, time-stamped and tamper-resistant digital ledger. Unlike conventional databases that a single authority can alter, blockchain stores records across a distributed network, making unauthorised changes extremely difficult.
This is expected to strengthen confidence in property ownership records while reducing the scope for fraudulent transactions, according to media reports.
Why the state says this is needed
According to Maharashtra government officials, land ownership disputes, duplicate sales, forged title documents and delays in verification remain among the biggest challenges in India's real estate sector. Homebuyers, developers and financial institutions often spend considerable time and resources verifying ownership records before completing a transaction.
By digitising these records on blockchain, the government hopes to make title verification faster, more reliable and significantly more transparent, officials said. The legislation is also expected to:
- Enable buyers, lenders and government agencies to trace the chain of property ownership more efficiently.
- Permanently record every change in ownership, mortgage or encumbrance, creating an auditable history that is difficult to manipulate.
- Reduce litigation arising from conflicting ownership claims.
- Minimise opportunities for document forgery.
Also Read: The One Atelier Launches Real Estate Blockchain Platform
CM Fadnavis directs draft of new tokenisation law
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the administration to draft the Maharashtra Digitisation and Exchange of Land Token Assets Act, according to a Times of India report.
He has instructed the setting up of a committee comprising SEBI, BSE, NSE and experts in the field to formulate a comprehensive law.
Fadnavis said tokenising real estate through blockchain would increase property values, and that laws, rules and practices already in place globally would need to be studied, noting that Maharashtra is the first state in the country to propose such a law.
He added that digitising and tokenising processes that are currently time-consuming, such as sale transactions or providing loan collateral to banks, would bring greater dynamism, and could help property owners unlock the hidden value of their assets.
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