What the EMD is
The earnest-money deposit — usually shortened to EMD — is a refundable deposit you place with the auction authority before you can bid. It shows you are a serious participant and gives the authority a hold it can forfeit if a winning bidder walks away. The EMD is not part of the price of the plot; it is a good-faith deposit that is either returned to you (if you do not win) or set against your dues (if you do), on the terms the notice sets out.
The amount is set in each notice. Most authorities calculate it from the reserve price (the published floor for a plot), so a higher-reserve plot carries a larger EMD — though some set a flat amount per site instead. This guide explains what different authorities charge, when the deposit is due, and what happens to it afterwards, using real figures from covered auctions — always confirm the exact amount and deadline on the official source before you deposit.
How much the EMD is
Each authority sets the amount its own way in its notice. The Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) prints a rupee EMD against every Indirapuram Extension plot — ₹63.24 lakh for a plot with a ₹6.32 crore reserve. That is about 10% of the reserve, though the 10% is our arithmetic; the notice itself states only the rupee amounts. — per the GDA plot list for the 17.07.2026 auction.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) set a first-stage EMD of 5% of the reserve in its 22nd-phase tender, payable by NEFT, RTGS, or e-payment. — per the DDA 22nd Phase e-auction tender dated 22.04.2026 (Ch. I clause 2.2).
The Estate Office of U.T. Chandigarh used a different rule again: the EMD was ₹2 lakh or 2% of the reserve, whichever is higher. — per the Estate Office Chandigarh notice for e-Auction 2026_CH_189.
The Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) does not use a percentage at all: its T-08/2026-27 notification sets a flat ₹4 lakh per site, the same amount for every one of its 175 sites, whatever the reserve. — per the BDA English e-auction notification T-08/2026-27 dated 25.06.2026.
So the same word — EMD — can mean a 2% or 5% share, a printed rupee figure per plot, or a flat amount per site, depending on who is conducting the auction. There is no single national rate; read the amount off the notice for the specific auction you are following.
When the EMD is due
The EMD has a hard deadline — usually the same cut-off as registration — and the deposit must reach the authority by then for your bid to count. The deadlines are dated in each notice. GDA’s Indirapuram Extension notice sets its registration and brochure window, which is when the deposit is placed, as 27 June to 13 July 2026. — per the GDA auction notice dated 25.06.2026 (p. 1).
DDA’s 22nd-phase registration and EMD deadline was 22 May 2026 at 6 PM. — per the DDA 22nd Phase tender (Ch. I clause 2.2(a) and 2.3.5).
The Chandigarh Estate Office closed its document and EMD submission on 23 June 2026 at 5 PM for e-Auction 2026_CH_189, and BDA’s T-08 asks bidders to express interest by 27 July 2026 at 5 PM IST, paying the EMD as the portal instructs. — per the Estate Office Chandigarh notice AuctionNotice02062026.pdf (schedule table) and the BDA English e-auction notification T-08/2026-27.
These deadlines are firm and phase-specific. A deposit that arrives late, or in the wrong mode, generally will not be accepted — the notice’s payment instructions matter as much as the date.
Getting the EMD back if you do not win
If you take part but are not the highest bidder, the EMD is refundable — the authority returns your deposit on the terms set out in its notice and conditions. The whole point of the EMD is that it is a hold, not a cost: a bidder who follows the rules and does not win gets the deposit back.
How fast the money comes back is set by each auction’s own terms — none of the notices BiddingPulse currently covers prints a fixed refund window, so treat any number you hear elsewhere with caution. The mechanics are simpler: the deposit returns to the bank account you registered with — Chandigarh, for example, collects a cancelled cheque at document submission precisely so refunds can be paid back to that account. The refund clause in the terms for your auction is the place to check. — per the Estate Office Chandigarh notice for e-Auction 2026_CH_189 (document checklist).
When the EMD can be forfeited
The other side of a refundable deposit is forfeiture. If you are declared the highest bidder and then do not complete the next steps — for example, you fail to top up the deposit or pay the balance within the schedule the letter sets — the authority can forfeit your EMD under its terms. That is what the deposit secures: it discourages winning bidders from backing out after the auction closes.
The stages a winning bidder must meet are named in the notice and terms, and the clocks are short. DDA’s 22nd-phase winner tops up to 25% of the bid within 7 days of the letter of intent and pays the balance within 60 days of the demand-cum-allotment letter. — per the DDA 22nd Phase tender (Ch. I clauses 2.2, 2.4).
Chandigarh required 25% of the bid, minus the EMD already paid, within 48 hours of the award, and the remaining 75% within 90 days. BDA’s T-08 terms are the tightest: 25%, minus the EMD, within 72 hours of the advice letter (BDA’s letter telling the winner the result and the amount due), and the remaining 75% within 45 days of the allotment letter. — per the Estate Office Chandigarh terms and conditions and the BDA T-08/2026-27 notification (clause 18 and payment terms).
The precise events that trigger forfeiture, and any grace the authority allows, are set out only in that auction’s own terms — read them on the official source before you bid, so you know what you are committing to when you place the deposit.