Long before the glass towers and big malls changed Noida’s skyline, Atta Market in Sector 18 was the place where crowds flocked.
Known once as the “Connaught Place of Noida” and even compared to Delhi’s “Mini Sarojini Nagar,” this market has set its own identity in the city over time. From clothing shops, jewellery showrooms, cafes, and grocery outlets to street food joints, utensils, and tattoo studios, Atta has almost everything for retail shopping.
People from parts of Delhi such as Akshardham, Mayur Vihar Phase 1, New Ashok Nagar and other parts of Delhi-NCR often visit Atta Market for shopping.
Today, the market has grown into a vibrant commercial hub with more than 700 shops. While many stores are officially registered, encroachments and hawkers spilling over footpaths are a common sight.
The Delhi Metro’s Blue Line, which runs above Lieutenant Vijayant Thapar Marg, cutting through Sector 18 is the nearest metro station to Atta Market. The metro station itself feels like a symbolic divider, separating the old-world charm of Atta Market on one side from the gleaming malls and branded outlets on the other.
Who owns Atta Market?
Unlike malls or private complexes, Atta Market doesn’t belong to one government entity or private builder. Instead, it’s a local marketplace managed and regulated by the Noida Authority, which functions under the Uttar Pradesh government.
Shops in the market are either privately owned or rented out after vendors win bids. The overall development and administrative control of the market remain with the Noida Authority, but the day-to-day functioning is looked after by the Sector 18 Market Association, led by its president, SK Jain, according to a report by News24.
How Atta Market has changed
Atta Market’s story goes back to its roots as a simple village bazaar, known primarily for selling wheat flour, hence the name “Atta.”
Over the decades, as Noida developed into a modern city, the market too evolved into a bustling hub of activity. While it once attracted mostly youngsters for affordable shopping and cafes, the crowd profile has gradually shifted. Today, it sees more family-oriented shoppers, with cafes being replaced by jewellery showrooms, opticians, and stores selling household items.
Traders and entrepreneurs, many of whom earlier worked in Delhi’s popular shopping hubs like Connaught Place, Janpath, and Sarojini Nagar, eventually moved to Atta. Even though some locals argue that the market’s charm has faded compared to its glory years, Atta still holds a special place in the city’s identity.
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