Can You Buy Agricultural Land in Karnataka? The 2020 Reform Explained

For decades, a salaried professional in Bengaluru who wanted a small farm on the city's edge ran into a wall. Karnataka law reserved agricultural land for agriculturists and capped the non farm income a buyer could earn, so a software engineer earning well simply could not buy a field. That changed with a set of amendments in 2020, which opened agricultural land to buyers who were previously shut out. The shift is significant for anyone eyeing a farm plot or a plotted development on converted land, but it comes with a live caveat, the law is politically contested and could be revisited, so this is one topic where the current position must be checked before you act.

The short answer. The Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) of 2020, brought in first by an ordinance in July 2020 and then by the amending Act, omitted Sections 79A, 79B and 79C, the provisions that had restricted who could acquire agricultural land, including a bar on buyers with high non agricultural income. The effect is that people and entities previously disentitled can now acquire and hold agricultural land in Karnataka, the land ceiling was raised, and the old blanket bar on transfers to non agriculturists under Section 80 was eased. The trade off for a buyer is caution, because protections for granted lands remain and the reform itself has faced calls for repeal, so you must confirm the law as it stands today.

What did the 2020 reform actually change?

The core change was the omission of Sections 79A, 79B and 79C of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, which together had restricted eligibility to buy agricultural land. Under the earlier regime a person or family with annual income over a threshold from non agricultural sources could not acquire such land, which is what kept many urban professionals out. With those sections gone, persons previously disentitled are now entitled to acquire and hold agricultural land in the state.

Two related changes went with it. The land holding ceiling under Section 63 was raised, broadly doubling the limits that applied before, and Section 80, which had barred transfers of agricultural land to non agriculturists except with the Deputy Commissioner's permission, was eased so that it prescribes restrictions for certain lands rather than a total bar. You can read a detailed legal analysis of the amendment on this breakdown of the 2020 changes.

What does this mean for an ordinary buyer?

It means the door that was closed is, for now, open. A buyer who is not a farmer and who earns a city salary can, under the current law, purchase agricultural land in Karnataka without running into the old income bar. This is why plotted developments on converted land and farm plots on the city's fringe have become a more visible option for Bengaluru buyers than they once were. The practical reach of the change is wide, because so much of the land on the outer edges of the city, where new layouts and gated plots are coming up, was historically agricultural, and the old rules meant a salaried buyer often needed a workaround or an agriculturist co owner to participate at all.

What it does not mean is that agricultural land is the same as a residential site. Buying the land is now permitted, but using it to build a home still requires converting it to non agricultural use through the proper process, and the land's classification, access and records all still need checking. Our guide on DC conversion in Karnataka explains the step that turns farm land into something you can legally build a house on.

What protections and restrictions still apply?

The reform did not sweep away every safeguard, and the most important survivor concerns granted lands. Lands granted to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes remain protected, and the conditions on them are not relaxed by the amendment, so buying such land carries the same serious title risk it always did. This is an area where a wrong purchase can be undone years later, so it demands careful checking.

Our note on the PTCL Act and granted land title risk explains why these lands are dangerous to buy without expert title work. Beyond granted lands, ordinary due diligence remains essential, the revenue records, the encumbrance history, the survey details and the land's actual classification all need to line up before you commit, reform or no reform. If anything, the opening up of agricultural land to more buyers makes careful checking more important, not less, because a wider pool of buyers also attracts sellers hoping that an eager newcomer will not look too closely at a disputed survey number or a gap in the chain of title.

Why is the current status uncertain?

The 2020 reform has been politically contested from the start, and that is the single most important thing a buyer should understand about it today. The changes were brought in by one government and have faced calls for repeal from political voices who want the earlier restrictions restored, with the subject resurfacing in public debate as recently as 2026. Whether any repeal or further amendment is enacted is a matter of policy that can change. A buyer part way through a long transaction when the law shifts can be left in an uncomfortable position, which is one more reason to move with a lawyer who is tracking the current state of the statute rather than relying on advice that was correct a year or two ago.

For a buyer, the practical consequence is simple, do not treat a general article, including this one, as the final word on what the law permits on the day you buy. Confirm the current position through the applicable Karnataka law and a property lawyer before you rely on the relaxed rules, because a transaction structured around a rule that has since changed is a transaction built on sand.

How does agricultural land differ from a residential site?

The two are different in law even when they sit side by side on the ground. Agricultural land is recorded as such in the revenue records and is meant for cultivation, while a residential site is land that has been converted and approved for building. Buying agricultural land, now permissible for more buyers, is only the first step if your intention is to build, because the conversion and approval process is what makes construction legal.

This distinction also affects loans, approvals and resale, since lenders and authorities treat agricultural and converted land differently. A buyer who understands that the purchase and the conversion are two separate exercises is far less likely to be caught out by assuming that owning the land is the same as being free to build on it. There is also a timing dimension, because conversion takes its own time and can be refused if the land use plan or zoning does not support it, so a prudent buyer checks the master plan and the land's zone before committing, rather than buying first and discovering later that the authorities will not allow a house there. In short, the 2020 reform changed who may own farm land, but it did not change the separate questions of what that land is zoned for and whether it can lawfully become a home.

How should a Bengaluru buyer approach farm land now?

Approach it as a purchase that is now more open but no less demanding on diligence. Confirm the current legal position, check the revenue records and classification, rule out granted land and other encumbrances, and treat conversion as a separate project if you intend to build. If you are looking at a plotted development such as the plots at Jangamakote near Devanahalli, ask specifically about the land's status and approvals rather than assuming a plot is automatically a buildable site.

Your agricultural land checklist

1. Confirm the current Karnataka law, since the 2020 reform has faced calls for repeal.
2. Check the revenue records and the land's classification before committing.
3. Rule out Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe granted land and its title risk.
4. Pull the encumbrance history and verify the survey and boundary details.
5. Treat conversion to non agricultural use as a separate step if you plan to build.
6. Check the land ceiling limits, which still apply after the reform.
7. Take a property lawyer's view before you structure the purchase.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non farmer buy agricultural land in Karnataka now?

Under the current law, yes. The 2020 amendment omitted the sections that restricted who could acquire agricultural land, including a bar on buyers with high non agricultural income, so people previously disentitled can now buy. Because the reform has been politically contested and could be revisited, confirm the position through the applicable law and a lawyer before you buy.

Does buying agricultural land let me build a house on it?

Not by itself. Buying the land is now permitted for more buyers, but constructing a home still requires converting the land to non agricultural use through the proper process and obtaining the needed approvals. The purchase and the conversion are two separate exercises, so treat owning the land and being free to build on it as different stages.

Is granted land still risky to buy after the reform?

Yes, protections for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe granted lands were not relaxed by the amendment, so these lands carry the same serious title risk as before. A purchase of granted land in breach of the conditions can be undone years later. Always check for granted land status and take expert title advice before buying land on the city's fringe.

Could the 2020 reform be reversed?

It is possible, because the changes have been politically contested and there have been public calls to restore the earlier restrictions, with the issue resurfacing as recently as 2026. Whether a repeal or further amendment is enacted is a policy matter that can change. For that reason, confirm the current law before relying on the relaxed rules for any purchase.

Last updated 2026-10-13. PropNewz Team.