Auroville dispute intensifies over Annapurna Farm relocation

A dispute has intensified regarding the relocation of residents from Annapurna Farm in Auroville. The conflict centers on approximately 100 acres of land designated for a sustainability campus to be developed through a collaboration between the Auroville Foundation and IIT Madras. This partnership follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2025 and received approval from the Ministry of Education.

While critics have characterized a September 2026 communication giving residents 10 days to relocate as a sudden eviction, the Auroville Foundation maintains that the move is the culmination of over a year of negotiations. The Foundation states that residents were repeatedly offered alternative arrangements and opportunities to cooperate throughout 2025 and 2026.

A primary point of contention is the viability of alternative sites. Annapurna management reportedly reviewed five alternative locations in the Green Belt, but argued that none, ranging from 3.5 to 11 acres, could sustain their operations. The farm maintains it requires at least 50 acres of contiguous land to remain agriculturally and commercially viable, a requirement the Foundation suggests may not be feasible within existing township land resources.