Pimpri Chinchwad: Industrial Wealth (ET Realty Economic Times 24th May 07)

 

 

Written by me for Economic Times India

Area Watch: Pimpri Chinchwad (Mahindra Gesco)

The twin cites of Pimpri-Chinchwad is one of those few cities which has managed to maintain its separate identity inspite of being in the shadow of the cultural capital of Maharashtra, Pune. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation consists of Pimpri, Chinchwad, Bhosari and Akurdi. Initially, Pimpri-Chinchwad were small villages on the outskirts of Pune. However owing to the fact that in the MIDC industrial estates land, fuels, electricity, water and select raw materials are provided at subsidised rates to priority sector productions / companies, Industrial area is spreading over Pimpri, Chinchwad and Pradhikaran.. This policy has been the reason behind the rapid development in the industrial sector in Pimpri-Chinchwad. This was once the richest Municipal Corporation - not only in India but the Richest in Asia; and the reason behind it is that, it has an industrial belt of small as well as big National & Multinational Companies. The industrial sector in Pimpri-Chinchwad flourished after Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation set up an industrial zone in the area. The area inspite of being an industrial hub is also a religious and historical centre with many centres of tourist attraction.

With the population of the twin cities crossing a significant 1 million mark, the demand for real estate market, in both commercial and residential sector has increased manifold.
The industrial belt of Pimpri-Chinchwad includes a wide range of industries like automobiles, pharmaceutical and biotechnology with various National and Multinational companies being a part of it. The list includes companies like Forbes-Marshall, Thysenkrupp and Alfa Laval, Sandvik, Finolex and SKF.
The auto sector in Pune is almost entirely based in the 65 sq. km Pimpri Chinchwad area. The city currently has 8,000 engineering units of various sizes including those of the major auto manufacturers, and Puneites are often caught referring to it as the ‘Detroit of India’.

Major automobile companies like Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors (formerly Telco), Kinetic Engineering, Force Motors (formerly Bajaj Tempo) and DaimlerChrysler are dotting the landscape of the automobile industry in the area. The famous brand, Mercedes Benz India ltd. is also located at MIDC Bhosari.

Besides automobile industry, biotechnology has also gained momentum in these parts. Biotechnology, globally recognized as a rapidly emerging and far-reaching technology, is aptly described as the “technology of hope” for its promising of food, health and environmental sustainability. Of the numerous parks set up, the park at Pimpri Chinchwad is among the best known in India. Set up in 1962 on an area of over 1200 hectares, it is now fully occupied, with over 3200 industrial units. The park was instrumental in putting Pune on the global industrial map.

The city is also home to India’s premier antibiotics research institute Hindustan Antibiotics Limited established in the year 1954. Hindustan Antibiotics Limited (HAL), Pimpri, Pune, is the first public sector undertaking in the Drugs & Pharmaceutical Sector. The undertaking with its plant at Pimpri, Pune is engaged in the manufacture of bulk drugs, mainly Penicillins, Streptomycin and a number of formulations.
“Being a Doctor, the drive of health and Nutrition programmes are on top priority on agenda. Common mans basic needs such as Water, Electricity, Road, Education; Modern Technology etc. will be fulfilled at par.” says the Mayor, Dr. Vaishali Dyandev.
The current economic growth and an increase in number of business travelers, there is a scarcity of hotel rooms. . Developers are coming with a new trend to give a start to another niche in the hospitality sector.

The demand for hotel rooms is increasing and most business individuals find it irksome to find a comfortable room at rates that don’t cost huge.

The Ginger Hotel, in Pimpri, Chinchwad area is part of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) or the Taj Group. It has been built by Krishna Kumar Goyal of Kohinoor Group.

These hotels will provide self service trend to business travelers. Self service offers guests the liberty to work out things as they want and leave them enough time to be on their own, explains Krishna Kumar Goyal, MD, Kohinoor Group. The facilities provided by these hotels will include gymnasium, air conditioned rooms, meeting rooms, a cyber café, 24 hour reception, digital safe deposit boxes, as well as wi-fi connectivity.

Pimpri-Chinchwad has a role to play in the tourism industry too. Some attractive destinations in the twin-cities are Appu ghar, Bhakti Shakti and Durga Devi hill park.

Appu ghar at Nigdi offers as an amusement park for children.

PCMC has taken a great opportunity to install the group statue of Shivaji Maharaj, the great emperor Maharashtra and the saint Tukaram Maharaj at Bhakti Shakti at Nigdi. The entire complex is situated high hill rock designed with planned sculpting and beautiful landscaping and has become the most acknowledged landmark for Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

Durgadevi park is a prestigious aspects of this corporation. Over 160000 trees have been planted in an area of 75 acres. Plants such as Pelthohorum, Pimple, Neem Glyricidia, Suru, Sisoo, Kasid, Subabul etc. have been planted and lawn sprawling over 3 acres of land has been maintained for recreation purposes. Recently 59,805 trees have been planted on 92 acres of land. This park also has a waterfall and floating fountain which add to the natural beauty of this virtual hill station.

“Pimpri Chinchwad is also the birthplace of the freedom fighters such as the Chaphekar brothers, Halbe and the great saint Moraya Gosavi.” Says Dr. Vaishali.

As a number of companies are setting up base in Pimpri, it is emerging to be the newest residential hub. Also the malls, multiplexes, hospitals, schools, colleges in the area make it a desirable destination. Being just 15 kilometers away from Pune and offering some tourist destinations and developing infrastructure saw the entry of major real estate developers in the area.
“We have current project called as Mahindra Royale at Pimpri which is located bearing the future in mind. At Mahindra Royale, every single home overlooks green landscaped gardens. Luxurious 2/3 BHK apartments, landscaped gardens, a club house and a swimming pool, play areas for your children, large open spaces and the stuff that dream houses are made of.”, says Saurabh Natu of Mahindra Gesco developers.

Royale from Mahindra Gesco is located in Pimpri, a place that’s all set to be one of the most sought after destinations. Just a few kilometers from the Mumbai-Pune express way, the Mahindra Royale is conveniently located. With malls, ATMs, schools, hospitals, playgrounds, multiplexes and more; already in place, all within a 3 km radius, it will soon be the most desired hub.
“PCMC has always taken a sincere and continuous initiative for use of advance technology to serve people better on tomorrow than yesterday. As a step of this initiative PCMC has started the projects like Science Park at Chinchwad, Auto Cluster, GIS, Bhosari flyover, and Boat club at Thergaon. Planning in Development of City and transparency in Services is what the citizens would get from PCMC”, says Dr. Vaishali.

The traffic from Mumbai-Pune express way has to pass through the Pimpri-Chinchwad to reach Pune. This has resulted in traffic congestion earlier. Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations are keen and interested to solve these problems and they have undertaken the improvement and widening of certain roads, construction of Railway Over Bridges also. The development of Dehu-Katraj bypass, national highway IV, has contributed towards relieving the traffic congestion.
“The old Mumbai-Pune highway has been converted to a four lane highway with direct connection to the Mumbai-Pune express way at Somatne Phata” says Abhijt Sarwade, a resident of Pimpri.

The road connects Pimpri-chinchwad to Talegaon and Pune with regular bus services to aid in commuting. Besides being well connected by PCMT and PMT, railway trains also provide a decent connectivity to Pimpri Chinchwad.

“For air travel, we have to travel to Pune, but road projects being developed at a rapid pace, commuting is not a big problem anymore” says Mr. Natu.

The number and the quality of the educational institutions have witnessed an upward trend. Dr. D.Y. Patil’s prastisthan being a pioneering educational institution is leading the way. Sant Tukaram Nagar in Pimpri has developed post D.Y. Patil era. Many people have constructed duplexes and offer the upper storey to the students on cot basis or as paying guests.

“Renting our rooms to the students has become a secure monthly source of income for us. Besides offering rooms on rent, we also cater mess facilities” says Mrs. Salunkhe of Yayati society at Sant Tukaram Nagar.

Pimpri-Chinchwad College of Engineering, D.Y. Patil College of Engineering (Akurdi), Maharashtra Academy of Engineering, ATSS IICMR at Pradhikaran, Lokamanya Tilak Homeopathy college at Chinchwad are few other institutions in the area.

“Pimpri Chinchwad has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%” says Dr. Vaishali.

Pimpri is seeing development in the residential like never before.

“The biggest township in Pimpri Chinchwad; Empire Estates, is the new, upcoming mega township in Pimpri Chinchwad that’s raising living standards to never-before heights, meticulously planned to create an environment that’s exclusive, spacious and green, with all facilities for comfort and convenience”, says a source from Sukhwani builders.

Medical facilities offered at Pimpri-Chinchwad also match one of best in the country. With government hospitals like Yashwantrao Chawan Memorial offering medical care at subsidized rate at Pimpri, others like DY Patil and Lokmanya Tilak also offer quality medical service at nominal rates.

However the best in business by far is the Birla hospital. The 500-bed hospital, located at Chinchwad, is spread over a sprawling 13-acre land and on another three acres, near the hospital, stand 76 quarters for hospital employees.
Dr Brij K Trivedi, CEO of ABMH, prefers to call this Rs 200 crore project a ‘quaternary hospital’. “It will offer advanced multi-speciality treatment along with multi-organ transplants and thus it is a notch higher than tertiary care hospitals,” he reasons. ABMH is the realization of a dream of late Aditya Vikram Birla, who wished to create a world-class healthcare facility in India” say Dr. Trivedi.

With a built-up area of over six lakh square feet, and located in green zone, the 500-bed ‘quaternary’ hospital is equipped with a helipad. The hospital craves to achieve a 1:4 patient-to-employee ratio.

Mahindra Gesco is primarily aiming at developing residential zones keeping in mind the proximity of amenities and facilities like shopping complexes, malls and multiplexes at the service of its prospective buyers.

Mahindra Gesco has another upcoming project near Boat club called as Le Mirage. It has also ventured into commercial market with the launch of its project; GE Plaza.
Commenting on their other ventures in Pune, Mr. Natu said “Another Mahindra Gesco venture called as The Woods is Spread over 12 acres, out of which only 3 acres covers residential property, rest is green expanse, bungalows, duplexes and 2/3 BHK flats. Tennis and squash courts, clubhouse, swimming pools, gym, etc. are added amenities at Wakad, started in 2004 is nearing its completion and handover.”
Mahindra Gesco’s projects are located away from the polluted industrial zone and offer a serene and calm ambience to settle in.

Mr. Natu added “Rates in Pimpri-Chinchwad zones are stable now as compared to about 10 years back. The rates for residential projects range from 2550-2880 rupees per sq. feet.”
Mahindra Gesco has a vast expanse of land bank in Pimpri and is aiming at developing the land with the best of the contemporary amenities in the near future.

“We at Mahindra Gesco, being corporate developers do take some time for delivering the finished products to our customers. But quality service do require some time to be delivered and also being a reputed giant in the market we don’t usually have time lags clearing with other legal matters and conveyance laws” says Mr. Natu.

Major developers like Swar Ganga, culture crest, Greenfield at Pimpri and Nakshatram, World of Mother of world, Devi link II at Chinchwad are also vying the real estate market in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

“Being up market area all the civic facilities in Chinchwad match the class that resides here at Soham residency and are fully functional. High end shopping malls, health clubs, restaurants, medical care centres, etc are in a radius of one kilometer”, says Mr. Ashok of Soham constructions.

Pimpri-Chinchwad has today become the most sought after location for middle income as well as higher income groups of the society alike. The twin-cities of Pimpri-Chinchwad have become the preferred choice of the connoisseurs of fine living.

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