January 14, 2026: Mumbai’s commercial property market has witnessed a significant transaction that highlights the city’s growing importance in the global digital infrastructure landscape. A major commercial asset in Chandivali, owned by a prominent film industry family through private development entities, has been sold to a Japanese multinational specialising in digital infrastructure. Valued at Rs 559.24 crore, the deal signals rising international investor interest in Mumbai as a hub for data-driven real estate.
Registration records available through market sources indicate that the transaction was finalised in early January. The asset is located within a well-established IT park and includes a multi-storey building purpose-built for data centre operations, along with a separate auxiliary structure housing power and backup systems. Spanning more than 30,000 square metres of built-up area, it ranks among the largest single-asset commercial transactions in Mumbai’s suburban office segment this year.
Urban planners and real estate analysts view the sale as part of a broader structural shift in the city’s commercial property usage. With conventional office demand showing signs of moderation, sectors such as data centres, logistics, and digital infrastructure are increasingly driving absorption. These asset classes require uninterrupted power, strong network connectivity, and proximity to large consumer bases—criteria that Mumbai continues to meet despite pressure on its urban infrastructure.
The buyer, a global data centre operator backed by a leading Japanese telecommunications group, has been expanding steadily across Indian metros. Industry observers note that such investments are being propelled by cloud adoption, data localisation norms, and the rapid growth of digital public services. Mumbai’s status as a financial hub and connectivity gateway strengthens its appeal, though sustainability considerations remain critical.
The transaction also reflects the role of policy incentives. The deal benefited from a stamp duty exemption under a Maharashtra government policy introduced last year to promote investment in strategic infrastructure assets such as data centres, although a metro cess was applicable. Experts caution that while fiscal incentives lower entry barriers, they must be complemented by stringent environmental norms due to the energy- and water-intensive nature of data facilities.
From an urban planning perspective, the deal underscores evolving land-use priorities in dense suburbs like Chandivali. While data centres generate limited direct employment, they serve as essential backbone infrastructure for a digital economy dependent on resilient, low-latency networks. As Mumbai continues to attract global capital, such transactions highlight the need for balanced development aligned with long-term infrastructure and climate goals.
Source: Urban Acres
