“Smart” City Going Vertical

Once a preferred location for first-time homebuyers, Kalyan-Dombivli now draws those seeking amenity-rich high rises.

Located on the outskirts of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Kalyan-Dombivli is one of the zones short-listed to be developed as one of 100 “smart” cities in India under the Smart Cities Mission. While the area was initially known for its low-cost horizontal development pattern, the trend has begun to reverse in recent years. Not only are the structures now catering to a higher economic strata of society, the presence of reputed builder brands has seen high rises coming up at a very fast pace, as well. 

Along with the metro project, whose bhoomi poojan (auspicious groundbreaking ceremony) was done by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi last year, the new structures are redefining the skyline, enhancing the quality of life and opening up what was a previously almost nonexistent market for quality vertical transportation. 

Kalyan-Dombivli has always been considered an ideal residential destination for first-time homebuyers, but now, with an increasingly upmarket image, it has begun attracting new residents from across the MMR. The high-rise projects offer such amenities as clubhouses and lush greenery and, along with elevator access to plush penthouses and duplexes, provide an incentive to seal the deal on upscale homes, rather than the earlier, cheaper pricing proposition. (In fact, many residents cheekily refer to the belt as Kalyan-Dombi-Valley in a term that evokes the luxurious Aamby Valley hill city near Lonavala.)

According to analysts, the reason behind the escalating demand for real estate for this belt is its strategic location, well-connected to Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. Kalyan is a major junction with peripheral links, such as to Kasara Karjat, that provide connectivity to other cities, including Nashik, Nagpur and Pune.

The Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI-CREDAI) refers to its Kalyan–Dombivli Unit as MCHI-CREDAI KDU and organizes property expos on a regular basis to highlight the benefits of settling there. These expos showcase real estate and financing options for homeseekers.

A 27-acre city park is planned in Kalyan, and the railway station may soon be revamped along the lines of Thane’s, which has elevated bridges for bus stops connected to the station. The coming six-lane Mankoli-Mothagaon-Thane bridge will allow travel between Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli to be covered in 15 min. 

Ongoing and planned infrastructure projects, such as the Kalyan/Bhiwandi/Thane Metro, construction of a bridge from Mankoli and Ranjgoli Junction, the Govindwadi bypass road, expansion of National Highway 4 and the Kalyan Ring Road to avoid internal traffic congestion clearly indicate that Kalyan-Dombivli has the scope to emerge as a smart city in coming years, the MCHI-CREDAI KDU office affirms.

The main reason for the growth of Kalyan-Dombivli was the shortage of space for horizontal growth in Mumbai. Across the MMR, homeseekers are looking for new developing areas with good infrastructure. Kalyan-Dombivli’s future is bright, and this positivity extends to its peripheral areas. One sees projects today that offer the best of both worlds in Kalyan-Dombivli: modern construction and superb architecture in an area moving toward becoming a smart city featuring high-rise real estate development in sync with the concept.

Going forward, it has been envisaged that, as a smart city, Kalyan-Dombivli will offer a perfect combination — infrastructure with modernity rooted in tradition. The projects developing in the area are reasonably priced and offer elite residential options with easy connectivity to social infrastructure facilities like shopping malls, hospitals, restaurants, banks and educational institutions. Spokespersons for MCHI-CREDAI KDU say the region has awakened from years of quiet slumber to evolve into a real estate hotspot now bustling with new skyscrapers.  🌐