Survey-cum-master plan bid for KSC Town scrapped

Maharashtra's MMRDA cancels Third Mumbai survey bid, citing flaws; aims to re-float after policy integration, amid $40 billion investment MoUs signed in Davos.

MUMBAI: While the Maharashtra government was at World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last month to garner investment for the state, including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), back home the bid to initiate survey for the creation of Third Mumbai was cancelled by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The current plan failes to incorporate best practices of other agencies like Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd (CIDCO), said an official from MMRDA.

Survey-cum-master plan bid for KSC Town scrapped

The Karnala-Sai-Chirner Town (KSC Town), or the Third Mumbai was expected to enhance MMR’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to $300 billion in the next five years, as per NITI Aayog’s masterplan. To achieve this, MMRDA and WEF had signed a MoU back in September 2024, accommodate tech hubs and have 65% of India’s data centres in MMR. In December 2024, MMRDA had even floated a tender to appoint a consultant to carry out LiDAR, ariel survey, and land surveys this year.

“The existing bid had certain flaws. A document has to be created merging in policies of MIDC, CIDCO, and other agencies meant for Information Technology (IT), IT Enabled Services (ITES) industries and so on,” said a senior MMRDA official.

He added that bid will be re-floated once homework is done on the MMRDA’s part. “We need to get consultants of a particular level, not just anyone who is a consultant,” he said. After the consultant is appointed, it will take anywhere between two and two and a half years for the comprehensive master plan and detailed strategy to be ready, he added, that is, if there are no roadblocks or challenges.

In January, MMRDA signed MoUs with 11 global and domestic companies in Davos for investments worth $40 billion ( ₹3.5 lakh crore) in the MMR, including the KSC Town. The official said, “These MoUs are not for a year or two, but for five to seven years, making them worthwhile to develop the entire MMR and also create opportunities in Third Mumbai.”

The foreign companies that signed the MoUs were Brookfield, Blackstone Inc, Temasek Holdings, Sumitomo Realty & Development, The Everstone Group, University of Birmingham, Sotefin, Circular Economy Park Development, and Department of Transport UK & Crossrail International. The domestic ones were Hiranandani Group and K Raheja Corp, both Mumbai-based companies who have business interests in the MMR.

The land allocated for KSC Town is spread over 323.4 sq km, covering 124 villages in Raigad district and part of Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA). Nearly half of the land earmarked for building KSC Town has hills, forests and farmlands. Residents of the 124 villages allege potential land grab, fearing their land will be acquired without being compensated adequately. They claim that no public hearing was conducted on the 25 thousand objections, relating to the land acquisition process, that was filed by gram panchayats, gram sabas, and villagers in the region.