Mumbai, April 17: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) is set to transform Motilal Nagar into one of the country’s largest integrated townships, with the 140-acre redevelopment expected to house nearly 35,000 families—up from around 4,500 at present—while offering significantly larger rehabilitation homes of 1600 sq ft (800 sq ft jodi apartments).
Bigger homes, higher density
Under the revised plan, MHADA has increased the rehabilitation entitlement from 1,380 sq ft to 1,600 sq ft (RERA carpet area) for original tenants, with options such as 800 sq ft “jodi” units also being considered based on demand.
The scale-up in unit sizes, combined with the overall redevelopment potential, is expected to sharply increase density, with total housing stock projected to increase to 35,000 units comprising rehab houses, MHADA housing stock, and saleable portion by C&DN agency (Adani).
Officials said the increase in carpet area load will be absorbed within the project structure, with a load of over 56,000 sq m to be shared 50% equally between MHADA and its private partner—Adani Group, said CEO and Vice President Sanjeev Jaiswal of MHADA in a proposal sent to the state government for approval, he explained.
Land ownership stays with MHADA
Through this redevelopment project, MHADA is to get over 10 lakh sq metres of development potential comprising rehabilitation and MHADA housing stock, and over 17 lakh square metres of development land to Adani Realty.
Amid concerns over the project model, officials clarified that MHADA will remain the landowner throughout the project lifecycle. The private developer, appointed under the Construction and Development Agency (C&DA) model, will not have ownership rights over the land at any stage.
“The land cannot be mortgaged or used to raise finance by the developer. MHADA retains full ownership before, during and after the project,” Jaiswal said, adding that the entire project funding—100% of the cost—will be borne by the C&DA agency.
The developer will be allowed to monetise only the sale component, while the physical land parcel remains protected from any encumbrances or third-party interests.
Strong safeguards for rehab residents
To safeguard residents, MHADA has built in multiple legal and financial checks. Occupation Certificates (OC) for sale components will be granted strictly in proportion to the rehabilitation completed, ensuring that no sale inventory is released without corresponding rehab delivery.
“All eligible residential, commercial and slum occupants will be rehabilitated in-situ. The first and overriding priority is rehabilitation,” Jaiswal said, adding that learning lessons from the Patra Chawl redevelopment project, the authority decided to offer OC in proportion with the saleable component.
The project will also see the formation of cooperative housing societies, to which the land will eventually be conveyed after completion, further ensuring long-term resident control.
Township design with infrastructure push
The Motilal Nagar redevelopment is being designed as a “city within a city,” with a 15-minute neighbourhood concept ensuring access to key services within a short distance.
The master plan includes wide internal roads and 27-metre building separations, dedicated commercial zones and organised markets, public amenities such as hospitals, schools, open spaces and community areas, nearly 11.5 acres of open and recreational spaces, multi-level parking, pedestrian-friendly layouts and skywalk-style internal connectivity, and climate-responsive features including stormwater management, sewage systems and flood mitigation measures.
Officials said infrastructure—from roads to water and sewage systems—will be fully developed by the C&DA agency within a defined timeframe, with defect liability provisions built into the contract.
Timeline and investment
The project is expected to be executed over 10–15 years, divided into three phases and executed in a phased manner, with an estimated investment potentially touching Rs 1 lakh crore, making it one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in the country.
Other major redevelopment projects
Among other major projects:
● Pahadi Goregaon (over 140 acres) – one of the largest MHADA layouts under redevelopment
● Kamathipura (around 34 acres) – redevelopment of one of Mumbai’s oldest precincts
● GTB Nagar (approx. 74 acres) – large housing cluster planned for overhaul
● Abhyudaya Nagar (around 26 acres) – proposal nearing cabinet approval
● Additional layouts across Mumbai, including old MH, Charkop, Gorai, including clusters exceeding 200 acres, are in various stages of tendering and approval
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Collectively, MHADA aims to redevelop over 75,000 tenements in the next 5–7 years, potentially reshaping large parts of Mumbai’s ageing housing stock.
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