Kharghar and Panvel – Developmental Success

I took a ride towards Kharghar today to meet a friend and an ex-colleague.

The plan was to meet him and then to drive towards Panvel, before returning to my home in the Western Suburbs.

Was I amazed ? Yes, I should say…..coming right after my Kolkata trip, this drive was an eye-opener of sorts. Clearly, Maharashtra is the state to be in – the industrialization all along the way shows that despite all kinds of infrastructural issues and challenges, Maharashtra continues to plod along, albeit successfully, and makes its mark as the #1 Industrialized State in India.

Apart from the employment benefit to people, the drive towards rapid industrialization helps enormously in uplifting semi-rural population by the development of the ancillaries market, as well as enhancing the industrial economy of the country. All this has led successfully to the local economic successes – one can witness the mushrooming of apartments, parks, cineplexes, malls, etc.,

Kharghar is in the middle of this boom, while Panvel has some distance to go. With the new International Airport coming up, hopefully in the next 4 to 5 years, the developmental activities will reach a crescendo in the next few years, establishing Navi Mumbai as distinctly separate from Mumbai itself – a city of its own. Also, the industrial city of Pune is just 90 minutes away on the expressway. And, last but not the least, the road quality is far superior to what we encounter in Mumbai !

Navi Mumbai seems to be well on its way to become the new industrial and economic success story of India. If only other states could learn, and do that in double quick time, India can catch up with China in less than a decade.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
14th Mar 2010
Mumbai