Wadala to Emerge as Mumbai’s Third CBD: MMRDA Invites Bids for ₹1,629-Crore Plot

By Sana Khan | Editor

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has invited bids for a 10,860 square metre (sq m) or 2-acre commercial plot in Wadala, with a reserve price of ₹1,629 crore. The initiative marks a major step in developing Wadala as Mumbai’s third Central Business District (CBD) after Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Nariman Point.

The plot offers a permissible built-up area of 1,08,600 sq m and a Floor Space Index (FSI) of 10. It will be leased to generate fresh revenue for the authority, which aims to monetise prime land outside the now-saturated BKC area. The last date for bid submission is January 7, 2026.

According to the MMRDA, this tender represents its broader plan to unlock the commercial potential of the Wadala Notified Area and enhance non-fare revenue to fund major infrastructure projects across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The Government of Maharashtra (GoM) had originally leased 126.6 hectares of land at Wadala to the MMRDA in 1984 for the development of a truck terminal project, designed to decongest South Mumbai. The first phase of the project was sanctioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 1986.

After being designated as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for Wadala in 2005, the MMRDA drafted new Development Control Regulations (DCRs) in 2010, allowing a global FSI of 4. In the same year, an empowered committee recommended relocating the truck terminal to Mankhurd or beyond the city limits and transforming Wadala into a modern business district.

Factoring in key connectivity links — including the Monorail, Metro Line 4, the proposed Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Anik Bus Depot, and the Eastern Freeway — the MMRDA revised its layout master plan, which was approved by the state government in 2019. This approval paved the way for Wadala’s transformation into a commercial hub modelled on BKC.

Situated strategically between the Eastern Freeway and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu (Atal Setu), Wadala enjoys multimodal connectivity through road, rail, and metro networks. Real estate experts expect strong investor interest, particularly following Sumitomo Corporation’s ₹2,238-crore BKC plot deal earlier this year.

With BKC’s land bank nearly exhausted, the MMRDA’s push for Wadala’s CBD development signals the next phase of commercial expansion in Mumbai, potentially reshaping the city’s business geography and positioning Wadala as the new economic growth centre of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.