Kandivali East, Mumbai

The suburb of Kandivali East happens to be one of the oldest inhabited territories in Maharashtra. Located 40 km from the city of Mumbai, this suburb is a completely modern one catering to an urban, cosmopolitan population. The Kandivali Railway station, which was built more than 100 years ago, serves as the landmark that divides Kandivali into Kandivali East and Kandivali West.

Kandivali East was a popular village during the pre-independent era of British colonisation. In fact, the diversity of the people living in Kandivali today is partly due to the efforts of the British in establishing the railway station in the area. The railway station attracted people from different states, who came looking for opportunities.

Samta Nagar happens to be one of the oldest localities within Kandivali East. Today, it is an MHADA (Mumbai Housing & Area Development Authority) colony that is being redeveloped to accommodate the residents of a modern age. The Indian automobile giant, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited have also established an industrial park in Kandivali East. Spread over 63 acres, this plant provides employment to more than 3,000 people.

Kandivali East is made of a number of other localities such as Huzefa Nagar and Damu Nagar to the West; Shiv Nagar and Gokul Nagar to the South; Govind Dalvi Nagar to the East, and Asha Nagar to the West. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a large protected natural reserve, lies to the eastern side of Kandivali East.

Residents of Kandivali East have access to all the common facilities required by a modern population. From shopping malls to multi-specialty hospitals, Kandivali East has adequate infrastructure.

Key Projects in Kandivali East :

Connectivity and Transit Points

Kandivali East is well connected by road and rail. The Western Mumbai Expressway, which connects Mumbai to all of its suburbs, passes right through Kandivali East. Beyond the limits of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Western Mumbai Expressway becomes the National Highway 8 (NH-8). This intra-state highway is a major Indian road that connects national capital of Delhi to the financial capital of Mumbai.

The Kandivali Railway Station, which has been around for more than a century, provides Kandivali East with easy access to train services. A major railway station that sees much activity, it is placed at the intersection of Kandivali East and Kandivali West. One can access it through the Akurli Road while travelling from Kandivali East.

Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) company provides bus services in Kandivali East. One can use this public transport through the numerous bus stands that are placed at regular intervals throughout the suburb. Intra-city commuting is also made possible with the presence of numerous taxicab services that are available in Kandivali East.

Apart from these modes of transport, people can use auto-rickshaws, which can be found in almost all parts of the suburb. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport lies at an accessible distance of merely 17 km away via the Western Mumbai Expressway.

Major Landmarks

•      Kandivali East Post Office
•      Sports Authority of India
•      Indian Management Institute
•      Big Bazaar
•      Thakur College of Engineering
•      Sapphire Heights

Factors for Growth in the Past

Kandivali East has been the chosen land for a number of infrastructure projects in recent times. The Western Mumbai Expressway is one of the major infrastructure projects in this suburb. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has a vast presence in the area, with training grounds for popular football teams, athletes, and handball players. Such a facility has been a positive improvement for Kandivali East as a whole. In addition, Mahindra & Mahindra Limited has an industrial plant spread over a large area here.

Residential & Commercial Market

Residential Market Trends

Real estate in Kandivali East is considered to be prime property. The property prices have been relatively stable since the past couple of years in Kandivali East, rising and falling slowly with no sudden spurts. The prices can be predicted with the general state of inflation everywhere in the country, are on the rise, albeit slowly.REMOVE SENTENCE

Commercial Market Trends

With infrastructure being improved in and around Kandivali East, the demand for commercial property is high here, as can be seen from the steady rise in prices. During the first half of 2013, the prices were somewhere between Rs 22,000-30,000 per sq. ft. By the beginning of 2014, the property rates had already risen to nearly Rs 30,000 per sq ft on average, with stray cases here and there of property being sold for Rs 40,000 per sq ft.

Major Challenges

Traffic can cause problems to those looking to commute regularly. The existing roadways need to be expanded and new ones developed to ease the traffic situation. Some of the streetlights in Ashok Nagar, an area in Kandivali East, have become defunct, leading to safety concerns among the womenfolk residing there.

Slums in Kandivali East lack basic infrastructure, with some of the residents there complaining about the lack of proper sewage management. The issue of footpath encroachment is another source of annoyance to the pedestrians, who end up walking on the roads for this reason. Water scarcity during some seasons is also a problem reported by some residents of the area.

Factors for Growth in the Future

Mumbai Metro, which is the government’s solution to the existing traffic woes, is partly active. Line 2 of the Metro project is planned to connect Charkop, a municipality in Kandivali West, with Bandra and Mankhurd across a distance of 35 km. This ambitious plan might probably see some positive impact on the value of the property in Kandivali East. New commercial establishments are also being set up here, a trend clearly reflected in the steadily rising commercial property rates.