August 14, 2025: Mumbai’s eastern waterfront is set for a significant makeover as plans to create a high-value commercial hub move into the execution phase. The Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) has launched the process to lease 28 prime plots, covering over 217 acres, on 30-year terms. The initiative is projected to generate around Rs 814 crore annually while fuelling large-scale economic activity along the city’s eastern shoreline.
The proposed development spans key locations including Wadala, Sewri, Reay Road, P D’Mello Road, Colaba, Fort, Mazgaon, Sassoon Dock, Mallet Bunder, and Thal beach in Alibaug. The masterplan envisions corporate offices, IT and trade parks, modern warehouses, and logistics hubs, reinforcing Mumbai’s position as a leading business and trade centre.
Complementing the commercial zones will be tourism and leisure facilities, such as a world-class marina, amphitheatre, and landscaped public spaces. Although residential development is excluded, the blend of work and recreation aims to create a lively, investment-friendly waterfront economy.
An expression of interest for the plots — 27 within Mumbai and one in Raigad district — has been issued, with bidding closing on 11 September. The move is part of MbPA’s wider mandate as the special planning authority for the 966-hectare eastern waterfront redevelopment. Currently, about 70% of MbPA’s cargo operations handle liquid commodities such as chemicals and petroleum, making advanced warehousing a strategic priority.
Urban planners stress the importance of balancing industrial activity with sustainable city planning. Public recreation zones, they say, can integrate the waterfront into Mumbai’s cultural and social life, preventing it from becoming an isolated industrial zone.
Originally proposed in a 2018 draft plan, the eastern waterfront project has faced delays in the past. The latest leasing push, however, signals renewed determination to deliver a sustainable, mixed-use urban destination that redefines Mumbai’s connection to its coastline.
Source: Urban Acres
