Mumbai of today is clogged roads, creaking infrastructure, slum encroachments, high pollution, high priced real estate as against Navi Mumbai which seems like a breath of fresh air, sector-wise planned extensions, broad, well-paved, tree-lined roads with dozens of flyovers and interchanges, modern infrastructure, huge open spaces and recreation areas. Beyond this, with four modes of transport – wide roads, excellent rail network and the upcoming air & water transport infrastructure, distance here can be calculated in minutes, not in hours unlike other Indian metros.
Navi Mumbai has a lot of other things going for it; some of these news snippets tell us the future unfolding:
- British architecture firm Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has secured the mandate to design the Navi Mumbai international airport
- Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) ties up with Maharashtra to build Mumbai-Pune ‘hyperloop‘
- Reliance Industries plans Rs 60,000 crore integrated industrial area
- NMMC to build animal hospital in Sanpada
- MPCB shuts down 7 industries in Navi Numbai’s Taloja area for violating pollution norms
- The proximity to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport has made it an investment hotspot
Navi Mumbai is a city whose time has come. The state government is also pushing Navi Mumbai big time, as it recently took a decision to make the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) a financial services hub. A big chunk of the 6600-acre parcel of industrial land in Navi Mumbai will be now converted into the region’s International Business and Finance Centre (IBFC) that would create 5 lakh new jobs.The IBFC has been planned as there are now land constraints to expand the Bandra-Kurla Complex. Seven times the size of BKC, this IBFC will be situated around Mahape. “Youngsters from all over India with a growing income are moving to Navi Mumbai. They don’t need to stay in South Mumbai or even Western Suburbs, as every possible need is being fulfilled here” says Devang Trivedi, former President, Builders Association of Navi Mumbai (BANM). Navi Mumbai has been ranked 3rdamong 476 cities surveyed for cleanliness as a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
Some interesting facts of Navi Mumbai:
- It is India’s largest planned city.
- JNPT port of Navi Mumbai have the highest cargo traffic in India.
- APMC is India’s largest wholesale market.
- Floodwater Management System is based on natural systems like Tidal Gates &Holding Ponds (No pumps).
- Railway stations in Navi Mumbai are the first to involve commercial buildings in its concourse.
- Navi Mumbai is India’s first city to experiment One-time Development.
- NMMC Headquarter is India’s first Green Administrative Building.
- Disneyland’s only short-listed venue in India is in Navi Mumbai.
- South Navi Mumbai, currently under construction, will be twice the size of current City.
- Café Coffee Day’s branch at Inorbit Mall in Navi Mumbai has the second highest business after the one at Carter Road in Bandra.
- Mont Blanc does its biggest business in this region through its store in Inorbit mall, and so does Tanishq.
- There are around 300 high-end cars (price range: Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore) moving around and the number is rising.
- According to official figures, Navi Mumbai has a literacy rate of 98 per cent, an average income of Rs. 25,000 per month; and 64 per cent households own vehicles.
Navi Mumbai is home to various educational institutions offering courses in several streams including engineering, medical sciences, interior designing and hotel management.Various MNCs like Siemens, McDonald’s, BureauVeritas,Bizerbaand Larsen & Toubro have their offices/branches across the city making it an active business hub. The place is buzzing with youth, and its character is very cosmopolitan. The city is characterised by wide roads, world class railway stations, an IT hub, numerous malls, a massive exhibition centre, multi-speciality hospitals, educational institutions, unrestricted power and water supply. Food, accommodation and transportation are competitively priced. Logistics is highly streamlined; people, equipment and exhibition items can be moved around smoothly. No wonder, Navi Mumbai is already blooming as a perfect business destination and can be seen as a choicest alternative to Mumbai in near future.
