top of page

By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

Panvel: MMR’s next economic hub

Panvel is now emerging as a multi-modal gateway linking Mumbai’s commercial economy with Navi Mumbai’s airport, JNPA’s port ecosystem and Raigad’s industrial belt Mumbai: For centuries, Panvel’s importance came from its location. The town grew around land and sea trade routes and was historically known for its rice market. Today, that same locational advantage is being recast in a dramatically different economic landscape — one shaped by an international airport, a major container port,...

Panvel: MMR’s next economic hub

Panvel is now emerging as a multi-modal gateway linking Mumbai’s commercial economy with Navi Mumbai’s airport, JNPA’s port ecosystem and Raigad’s industrial belt Mumbai: For centuries, Panvel’s importance came from its location. The town grew around land and sea trade routes and was historically known for its rice market. Today, that same locational advantage is being recast in a dramatically different economic landscape — one shaped by an international airport, a major container port, expressways, freight corridors, railways and expanding urban infrastructure. Panvel is consequently moving from being a transit point between Mumbai, Pune and the Konkan to becoming a destination in its own right. “Panvel can no longer be viewed merely as a residential extension of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. It is fast becoming a commercial and economic destination in its own right,” said Prashant Thakur, MLA, Panvel Assembly Constituency. The transformation is not entirely new. Panvel is around 300 years old and its evolution was closely linked to trade and transportation. Its commercial DNA, therefore, predates the development of Navi Mumbai by several decades. What has changed is the scale and quality of connectivity around it. The development of Navi Mumbai from the 1970s brought planned nodes such as New Panvel, Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalamboli and Taloja into a rapidly urbanising landscape. The creation of the Panvel Municipal Corporation in 2016 further expanded the administrative footprint, bringing the old town and several rapidly developing areas within one municipal framework. That expansion is now meeting an unprecedented infrastructure build-out. Panvel’s Geography Panvel’s strongest advantage is not any single project but the convergence of several major transport systems. The Mumbai–Pune Expressway and Sion–Panvel corridor connect it with Mumbai and Pune, while the Mumbai–Goa highway provides access towards the Konkan. Close by are JNPA, the Navi Mumbai International Airport and the wider Navi Mumbai urban economy. Then came the 21.8-km Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu. Opened to traffic in January 2024, the bridge has strengthened the physical and economic connection between Mumbai and the Navi Mumbai–Panvel–Raigad region. For Panvel, its significance extends beyond shorter travel times. It has expanded the geography within which companies can locate offices, warehouses, hotels and support businesses. “The coming decade can establish Panvel and its surrounding region as one of India’s most dynamic economic growth centres,” said Thakur. “An international airport, a world-class port ecosystem, highways, railways, Metro connectivity and Atal Setu are creating an economic ecosystem of enormous potential.” The Navi Mumbai International Airport has added another dimension to this transformation. With commercial operations commencing in December 2025 and international connectivity subsequently being added, the airport corridor has moved from being a long-term infrastructure proposition to an operating economic ecosystem. For Panvel, the airport effect could extend well beyond residential real estate. An international airport generates demand for business hotels, corporate offices, aviation-linked services, logistics, retail, hospitality, healthcare and other ancillary businesses. The emerging airport corridor is already changing the development narrative across Panvel, Ulwe, Kharghar, Taloja, Karanjade, New Panvel and Dronagiri. Perhaps the most distinctive element of Panvel’s economic proposition is its proximity to two major gateways — JNPA and NMIA. JNPA is integrated into the national freight network and is supported by road and rail connectivity, including the Dedicated Freight Corridor. The wider port ecosystem is also being strengthened through improved road links and connectivity towards Panvel and the airport. This gives the region a natural advantage in logistics, warehousing and supply-chain activity. The opportunity extends into the wider Raigad industrial belt, including Taloja, Patalganga, Roha and surrounding manufacturing clusters. For chemical and manufacturing companies, Panvel can potentially serve as a commercial and logistics gateway. Proximity to JNPA can facilitate the movement of imported raw materials, equipment and chemical feedstock, while road and freight connectivity can support distribution to domestic markets. The future opportunity could also extend beyond bulk chemicals to specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, advanced materials, chemical equipment and downstream manufacturing. NMIA adds another layer by improving access for high-value and time-sensitive products, corporate executives, technical specialists and international business. However, such growth would require planned industrial infrastructure — including common utilities, effluent treatment, hazardous-material handling, waste management, water recycling and emergency-response systems. Commercial Model Mumbai’s traditional commercial districts face constraints of land availability, high real-estate costs and congestion. Panvel, by contrast, can offer larger land parcels and the possibility of integrated development around multiple transport modes. This opens the door to a different commercial model — large office campuses, mixed-use developments, business parks, hotels, logistics facilities, institutional campuses and specialised industrial offices. Healthcare and education could become equally important components of this ecosystem. Thakur said the development of Medicity and Educity, along with emerging concepts such as Innovation City and Third Mumbai, could further alter the economic geography of the Panvel–Pen region. “Kharghar is also emerging as an important commercial destination, with plans for a new business centre. All these developments point towards one clear conclusion: Panvel is not merely a residential growth corridor; it is becoming a commercial and economic destination,” he said. Jobs Drive Inclusion The real test of Panvel’s transformation, however, will be the employment ecosystem it creates. The airport, logistics sector, IT and digital services, healthcare, hospitality, construction, engineering, financial services and emerging industries can generate opportunities across a broad range of skill levels. “Our youth must be the biggest beneficiaries of this transformation,” said Thakur. “I want the young people of Panvel not merely to witness this transformation, but to participate in it, benefit from it and eventually lead it.” That would require greater emphasis on technical education, industry-oriented training, skill development and employability programmes. An emerging education ecosystem could also create opportunities for specialised disciplines such as chemical engineering, biotechnology, materials science, aviation services and industrial research. The challenge is to build infrastructure ahead of demand. The scale of the opportunity also brings a significant planning challenge. As commercial activity and population increase, Panvel will need adequate water supply, electricity, roads, public transport, sewage systems, waste management, healthcare, education and other civic infrastructure. Rapid urbanisation without corresponding infrastructure capacity could undermine some of the advantages that are currently attracting investment. “Growth must be supported by quality infrastructure,” Thakur said. “Infrastructure capacity must grow ahead of demand rather than struggle to catch up with it.” The proposed Panvel Development Plan for 2024–2044 assumes a much larger urban footprint and seeks to provide a longer-term framework for managing growth. The challenge will be to ensure that infrastructure planning keeps pace with the speed at which private and public investment is reshaping the region. Panvel’s transformation is therefore not simply another real-estate story. Its significance lies in the convergence of its past and future: a centuries-old trading town is now located at the intersection of an international airport, one of India’s major container ports, national highways, the Mumbai–Pune economic corridor, freight infrastructure, suburban rail and metropolitan expansion. Economic Centre Mumbai has traditionally been the economic centre, while Navi Mumbai was developed as its planned counterpoint. Panvel is now emerging as the bridge between that established metropolitan economy and the next growth geography stretching towards Raigad. “Panvel is changing. Panvel is connecting. Panvel is creating opportunities. And Panvel is now emerging as a new commercial address on the global map,” said Thakur. The real shift is from transit to destination. If infrastructure investment is matched by integrated planning, employment generation, social amenities and sustainable industrial development, Panvel could evolve into something more significant than a residential extension of Mumbai or Navi Mumbai: a multi-modal commercial and socio-economic hub serving the entire MMR–Raigad corridor.

Laddoos, Loyalty, and the Line of Control

Writer: Brigadier AS Ranade, VSM (Retired)
Brigadier AS Ranade, VSM (Retired)
Jun 26, 2025
3 min read

These morale-boosting, desi ghee churma laddoos, shaped by camaraderie and esprit de corps, carried the spirit of a man who simply refused to be left out of battle.

The Indian Army proved its mettle again in the 1999 Kargil War. Brave soldiers, determined units, and strong leaders ensured the Tricolour flew over all Indian soil up to the Line of Control, despite early setbacks and a missed intelligence warning of large Pakistani intrusions in rugged Western Ladakh. The Batalik sub-sector was among the most remote and underdeveloped, making evicting a well-entrenched enemy even harder. Our Assault Team fought from mid-June to late July 1999 in Muntho Dhalo and beyond, up to the Line of Control.


In the third week of July, we were tasked with clearing a key enemy stronghold on the Line of Control watershed. We had to advance to a ridge already secured by another unit, reconnoitre the target, and launch quickly. Movement had to be at night, as daylight drew accurate enemy fire. Time was critical; we had to link up with the unit on the adjacent ridge before the first light.


No sooner had we advanced after the last light than the column halted, and Company Havildar Major Digh Ram, our "Tail-end Charlie", asked for a two-minute break. Tough and experienced since the IPKF days, Digh Ram was a respected junior leader. I allowed the brief pause as we soon moved again. But ten minutes later, he asked for another short break. We moved within five minutes. When it happened a third time, I lost patience; time was slipping away, and no one explained why.


I called Digh Ram forward to ask what was wrong. After some probing, he admitted to a severe stomach upset since the afternoon. Such infections were common due to poor hygiene and scarce mountain stream water. The others knew, but the sergeant major kept it from me, fearing Digh Ram would be excluded. He couldn’t bear missing the mission. Now that the truth was out, I ordered him to return to the Forward Base with a young soldier. Reluctantly, dejected and heartbroken, he obeyed, feeling "left out of the battle.


We moved swiftly, racing against time. Loads felt heavier above 4,500 metres, slowing us down. To cut weight, we shared essentials but carried enough ammo for any contingency. Despite the burden, our fitness and acclimatisation helped us beat daylight and link up with the other unit before dawn. There, we completed the final reconnaissance and refined our plan.


Over three days and nights, with the blessing of Maa Durge Bhawani, all went to plan. We evicted the enemy from South Saddle. Standing in silence, we saw deep into PoK. The watershed was now fully under our brigade’s control, marking the end of operations in Muntho Dhalo, Batalik sub-sector.


But this story is less about our success and more about Havildar Major Digh Ram, who simply couldn't be "left out of battle". During reconnaissance, we saw that enemy positions on the reverse slope—now partly visible and within 600 metres—could be hit with shoulder-fired rocket launchers. With extra rounds, we could weaken them before the final assault, reducing casualties. The Brigade Commander approved my radio request for more time and 40 additional rounds. The ammunition was hauled up from the Forward Base by our men, supported by troops from a sister unit, led by none other than Digh Ram. He was back in action!


About ten days before the mission, we hit a jackpot—an abandoned Pakistani post stocked with rations, including sealed tins of desi ghee. In the days leading up to the operation, we feasted on it at the forward base. Seizing the moment, Havildar Major Digh Ram made desi ghee ke churma laddoos—two per comrade—for his Band of Brothers before moving out with the rocket launcher rounds. The extra time and ammo from the Brigade Commander let him return where he belonged—this time, with laddoos he’d made himself. Over the radio, I checked with the doctor about Digh Ram’s condition: severe amoebiasis and dehydration. Strong antibiotics and sheer grit were helping him recover fast.


These Churma Laddoos tasted extra special and served as a morale booster. They were made by a man who was extra special, made by using the binding of camaraderie and esprit de corps. Their taste was still lingering when we stood proudly on the South Saddle watershed. Company Havildar Major Digh Ram was with us, smiling. He could not be left out of the battle!!


In the years that followed, he deservedly rose to the rank of Subedar Major of our unit and later faded away from the army as a proud honorary captain. He lives in Haryana, still full of energy and enterprise


(The writer is an Indian Army veteran and Vice President CRM, ANSEC HR Services Ltd. He is a skydiver and a specialist in Security and Risk Management. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page