Maharashtra expands Kharbav economic zone, MMRDA to be planning authority

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has expanded the Kharbav Integrated Business Park notified area across Bhiwandi in Thane and Vasai in Palghar near Mumbai by adding 34 new revenue villages, taking the total area under the integrated planning framework to over 102 sq km from the earlier 58.52 sq km spread across 10 villages.



Through a notification issued on May 19 under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966, the government has appointed Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for the expanded notified area comprising 44 villages.


“Projects such as Kharbav are not only reshaping the economic geography of the MMR, but are also taking Maharashtra steadily forward towards its vision of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy under the broader goals of Maharashtra@2047 and Viksit Bharat. This initiative represents a major step towards building a globally competitive, innovation-driven, and economically resilient metropolitan region for the future,” said Devendra Fadanvis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.

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The Kharbav Integrated Business Park was originally notified through a government notification on September 25, 2025, and a corrigendum issued on December 3, 2025. The earlier notified area covered around 58.52 sq km across villages in Bhiwandi taluka of Thane district and Vasai taluka of Palghar district.

“Through planned development and modern infrastructure, we are creating self-sustaining economic ecosystems that will help reduce pressure on core Mumbai while ensuring long-term economic and social benefits for citizens across the region,” said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and MMRDA Chairman Eknath Shinde.

Under the latest notification, six additional villages from Bhiwandi taluka covering around 44.17 sq km and 28 villages earlier falling under the Bhiwandi surrounding notified area have now been integrated into the Kharbav Integrated Business Park framework.

“The expansion of the Kharbav Integrated Business Park marks a major step towards creating a new economic growth engine for the Mumbai Region…MMRDA’s commitment towards developing future-ready growth centres beyond core Mumbai in line with the Regional Plan and the vision of building a stronger, globally competitive MMR,” said Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA.

The government has also denotified these 28 villages from the earlier Bhiwandi surrounding notified area under Section 160 of the MRTP Act and integrated them into the Kharbav Integrated Business Park planning framework, creating a unified planning mechanism under MMRDA.

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With the appointment as special planning authority, MMRDA will now prepare development proposals and development control regulations for the enlarged notified area and submit them to the state government for approval. Until a full development plan is sanctioned, the existing regional plan proposals and Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) will continue to apply.

The notification is strategically important because it positions the Kharbav region as a major integrated economic and business hub focused on logistics, industrial, commercial, warehousing, data centres, and employment-generating activities.

The development of the Kharbav Integrated Business Park is expected to strengthen the logistics and industrial backbone of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, unlock growth potential in the Bhiwandi-Vasai belt, generate employment opportunities, and support the broader vision of transforming MMR into a globally competitive economic region.