Chembur Emerging as an Affordable Realty Hotspot

Infrastructural Enhancement Makes It the Best Eastern Suburb Location

For some time now, Chembur has been witnessing a quiet but massive infrastructural make-over that has changed the status of this hitherto neglected eastern suburb. At the farthest end of the east part of the extended suburbs of Mumbai, Chembur has, for most of the time has not been a preferred choice of home buyers. But all that has begun to change.

For the last ten years, Chembur has been witnessing a transformation to its skyline with the older three –four storey buildings being replaced by modern towering residential buildings, springing up all over the expanse of Chembur. Many new projects are injecting the much needed impetus to the realty scenario at Chembur. Older buildings are undergoing redevelopment and with increased FSI, the resultant rise in inventory enables easy availability at very affordable prices, when compared with its congested neighbouring localities like Ghatkopar, Tilak Nagar and Kurla and of course the rest of Mumbai.

Increased Connectivity
Chembur boasts of excellent connectivity avenues for people entering Mumbai or leaving it. Accessibility to Chembur from other part of Mumbai has increased with the construction of various strategic link roads. The Santa Cruz - Chembur Link Road allows access to travellers from the central and western suburbs to the eastern suburbs of Chembur and beyond. It also offers quick access to those travelling from the eastern suburbs to the business center of Bandra- Kurla Complex. Travelling to CST has become very comfortable with the coming up of the Eastern Freeway which allows travellers to travel from Chembur to CST in just 20 minutes. Sumit Jain, National Director, Residential Services, Colliers India has this to say, “Also, the Eastern Freeway and the SCLR connect it to CST in 20 minutes and BKC in just 10 minutes.” All these features contribute to making real estate in Chembur very attractive for first time home buyers and investors.

Earlier, the only connectivity that Chembur had with western suburbs was through the Eastern Express Highway using the Jogeshwar-Vikhroli Link Road. The expressway enables commuters easy access to all the places in the western suburbs and also direct connectivity to the satellite city of Thane. Towards the north, connectivity to the satellite city of Navi Mumbai and the upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport is enhanced by the new 10 lane Sion-Panvel Expressway. This further allows access to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Mumbai-Nashik Expressway, and the National Highway 66 which runs through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Tamilnadu, right up to Kanya Kumari. Investing in residential properties is alluring to investors as the growth prospect of such a place is very promising.

Enhanced Suburban Transport
Road connectivity is not the only highlight of Chembur. The Monorail at Mumbai, also known as the ‘Jacob Circle-Wadala-Chembur corridor’, is the first attempt at having such a system in Mumbai. It intends to connect Jacob Circle in South Mumbai with Chembur in eastern Mumbai. In the first phase the monorail runs from Chembur to Wadala Depot stopping at seven stations. In the second phase, it will extend from Wadala Depot to Jacob Circle with 11 more stations. The Mumbai Metro Rail, also known as the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) corridor, has increased connectivity between the eastern and western suburbs. Further additions to this corridor are slated to be launched soon, which will cover the city of Mumbai and includes Navi Mumbai too. This increasing connectivity has realty prices looking up, with more people likely to fancy living here.


Other Key Attractions
Chembur has open public spaces like Gandhi Maidan, Annabhau Sathe Garden, Diamond Garden, Ambedkar Udyan, and Sandu Garden.  It also boasts of the only golf club in Mumbai, the Bombay Presidency Golf Club at Dr Choitram Gidwani Road in Chembur (East), which also provides the biggest green cover for the neighbourhood. Chembur has recreational clubs like the Chembur Gymkhana, Sindhi Society Gymkhana, Acres Club, Emerald Club, Chembur Fine Arts Society and fitness centers and gyms, municipal swimming pools and libraries. According to Ashok Mohanani, Chairman and MD, Ekta World, “Chembur is well endowed with amenities like the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, prominent schools such as the Green Acres Academy and Saint Gregorious High School and Mall like the City Mall etc. Moreover, for buyers looking to invest in a property that promises to offer greater returns on investment, Chembur is a good proposition.”

Future Prospects
As the visibility of Chembur as a property hotspot increases, further infrastructure projects are planned to be launched thereby increasing it value. Ashish Shah, COO, Radius Developers is of the opinion, “Chembur today is one of the fastest growing micro-markets of Mumbai, as it is bestowed with good infrastructure and the best connectivity. Several communities have been contributing to an improved living experience by organizing social activities in Chembur. It’s important to note that the average density of people per square kilometer in Chembur is reportedly less compared to the rest of Mumbai, thus enhancing its livability quotient.”  First time home buyers and investors are well advised to focus on the umpteen possibilities that Chembur offers and not miss the chance to make a killing at this opportune time.