Mumbai: The Palghar district on the outskirts of Mumbai is being developed to be the ‘fourth Mumbai’ to boost Maharashtra’s trade and economy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited Palghar district and took stock of the various infrastructure development work ongoing there.
Multiple projects are underway in the Palghar district, including the Vadhawan Port, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, Vadodara-Mumbai inter junction of the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway, Uttan-Virar sealink, Naringi Creek bridge, and a proposed airport.
“Palghar is becoming Maharashtra’s next growth engine. This district is not just a part of Maharashtra’s growth story. It is the chapter that will define it,” Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the media.
“These various projects are significant. Together, they will become the Fourth Mumbai, a new economic centre of gravity rising in Palghar, which is emerging as a major growth engine for Maharashtra. It is opening new opportunities in ports, transport, industry, exports and employment. This is the Maharashtra we are building, and Palghar is leading the way,” Fadnavis said.
‘Mumbai 4.0’ will be a new development centre planned by the Maharashtra government to expand the Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR) and assist in the growth of the state.
Various infrastructure projects are being planned around the area in Palghar and Vadhvan to decongest Mumbai and existing MMR.
In his budget speech earlier this year, Devendra Fadnavis had said that the government is planning to take the MMR’s economy from $140 billion to $300 billion by 2030 and for that they are developing a third and a fourth Mumbai.
The ‘fourth Mumbai’ is planned to be developed near Vadhavan, District Palghar under which a development center for logistics and warehousing will be created, Fadnavis had said in his budget speech.
“This is planned as a new economic growth hub and envisaged as a port city to establish our state as a global trade and logistics hub,” an official from district administration said.
Mumbai 4.0
Officials said one of the most significant projects in the area will be the Vadhawan Port, which will be developed by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).
This greenfield project is spread across 1,448 hectares with an estimated cost of over Rs 76,000 crore. Fadnavis says that once developed, this port will be amongst the top 10 world ports and will generate 10 lakh jobs.
Palghar is becoming Maharashtra's next growth engine. This district is not just a part of Maharashtra's growth story. It is the chapter that will define it.
Under the visionary leadership of Hon. PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, projects that once seemed distant possibilities are today… pic.twitter.com/C1IsqMZ7Yn
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) June 28, 2026
“This greenfield port will handle next-generation vessels with a 20-metre deep draft, making it capable of berthing the world’s largest ships, something no Indian port can offer today. This will be at three times the capacity of JNPA,” an official from the district administration quoted above told ThePrint.
Besides, the Boisar station on the under-construction Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train falls in the area. “Once operational, Boisar will connect to BKC in under 30 minutes, opening up this entire region economically. This is a project that will genuinely change the character of Palghar,” Fadnavis said.
According to the officials, the Maharashtra section of the bullet train is one of the most challenging sections, with maximum tunnel boring required in the state as it includes a 21-km tunnel section, of which about 7 km will be the country’s first undersea rail tunnel under the Thane Creek. Out of the eight total tunnels in the corridor, seven are located in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, while one is in the Valsad district in Gujarat.
Fadnavis also took a stock of the proposed offshore airport. This airport is situated in the proximity to the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Bullet Train, the Uttan-Virar Sea Link, the Mumbai-Vadodara Expressway and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway.
Fadnavis said a pre feasibility report came in, which has given a go ahead for the country’s first offshore airport. Now the detailed project report will be developed.
“This will significantly improve the connectivity and take some load off the Mumbai airport, which will run to its capacity in the coming years,” the official quoted above said.
Other than that, the MMRDA is entrusted to develop a Narangi Creek Bridge, a project worth Rs 850 crore. This 4.10 km bridge will directly connect Vasai-Virar with areas in Palghar and Boisar, reducing travel distance by nearly 40 km and travel time by around 45 minutes.
Then another sealink, the Uttan-Virar Sea Link, a proposed six-lane project worth approximately Rs 58,754 crore is proposed. This will directly connect to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, making travel between South Mumbai and Ahmedabad faster, safer and more convenient.
Mumbai 3.0
The work on developing what is being called the ‘third Mumbai’ is also going on in full swing. To support the Greater Mumbai area, Navi Mumbai was planned a couple of decades ago as Mumbai 2.0.
Mumbai 3.0, as it is called, will be developed around Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu area. This area connects to the newly built Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The state government has finalised a land acquisition and distribution policy for the proposed 323.44-square km region. This region will be developed by MMRDA.
The ‘Third Mumbai’ is also a pet project of CM Devendra Fadnavis, who in December 2024 after becoming the CM, had announced that the ‘Third Mumbai’ will be “three times bigger than Mumbai and it will the country’s next business capital”
This year, MMRDA has allotted Rs 4,000 crore for various projects in the area and it will be developed in the Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town in the Atal-Setu area.
This will be positioned as the next major urban frontier in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, intended to attract investment and generate employment while supporting structured development in adjoining districts, MMRDA officials had told ThePrint.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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