Micro-Zoning, RR proposal: A reform opportunity

Mumbai: The government’s proposed introduction of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner (RR) rates marks a significant shift in the way property valuations are determined across the state. The initiative, which seeks to assign distinct RR rates to high-rise buildings, slums, chawls and redeveloped properties within the same locality, has largely been welcomed by the real estate sector. Industry stakeholders, however, caution that the reform’s effectiveness will depend less on its...

min read

Micro-Zoning, RR proposal: A reform opportunity

Mumbai: The government’s proposed introduction of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner (RR) rates marks a significant shift in the way property valuations are determined across the state. The initiative, which seeks to assign distinct RR rates to high-rise buildings, slums, chawls and redeveloped properties within the same locality, has largely been welcomed by the real estate sector. Industry stakeholders, however, caution that the reform’s effectiveness will depend less on its intent and more on the framework governing its implementation. The proposal comes at a time when property markets in major urban centres, particularly Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), are witnessing increasingly diverse development patterns within the same neighbourhoods. Experts argue that uniform RR rates often fail to capture the substantial variations in infrastructure quality, redevelopment status, accessibility and market demand that exist even within small geographical pockets. Real estate professionals believe that a micro-zoning approach could help bridge the gap between official property valuations and actual market realities. More accurate valuation mechanisms can improve transparency in transactions, provide a fairer basis for stamp duty calculations and create a more nuanced framework for urban planning. Experts’ Comments Kamlesh Thakur, President, NAREDCO Maharashtra and Co-Founder & Managing Director, Srishti Group, believes the concept has merit but warns that the execution framework will determine whether the reform succeeds or creates fresh challenges. “The concept of micro-zoning and differentiated Ready Reckoner rates has the potential to make property valuation more reflective of local market realities and development potential. However, its success will depend entirely on the framework adopted for implementation. Unless there is a clear, transparent and objective policy with well-defined parameters, the introduction of micro-zoning could lead to increased discretion at the administrative level, resulting in uncertainty and inconsistent outcomes,” he said. According to Thakur, valuation systems that allow excessive room for subjective interpretation can generate disputes, create inconsistencies in assessments and undermine business confidence. His concerns reflect a broader industry apprehension that redevelopment projects—already burdened by lengthy approval processes and rising costs—could face additional uncertainty if valuation criteria vary across administrative jurisdictions. Kaushal Agarwal, Chairman, The Guardians Real Estate Advisory, views the proposal as a logical evolution of property valuation practices, particularly in rapidly transforming urban markets. “The move towards differentiated Ready Reckoner rates through micro-zoning is a progressive step, as property values can vary significantly within the same locality depending on factors such as infrastructure, accessibility, building quality and surrounding development. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to make property valuations more realistic and aligned with actual market dynamics,” he said. Transparency, Methodology At the same time, Agarwal emphasized that transparency and data quality will be critical to ensuring credibility. “However, the success of this initiative will depend on the transparency of the methodology, the quality of data used, and the consistency of its application across micro-markets. Buyers, investors, and developers value clarity and predictability in valuation mechanisms. A well-defined and publicly accessible framework will be essential to avoid ambiguity, strengthen market confidence, and ensure that the new system delivers greater accuracy without creating uncertainty in transaction pricing or investment decisions,” he noted. Uniformly Implemented Echoing similar concerns, Dhruman Shah, Promoter, Ariha Group, said the government must ensure that the system remains easy to understand and uniformly implemented. “The move towards micro-zoning reflects an effort to modernize property valuation and make it more representative of actual market conditions. However, it is important that the system remains simple, transparent and uniformly enforced across regions. If multiple layers of interpretation emerge during implementation, it could lead to disputes and delays, particularly for redevelopment projects that already involve complex approval processes. Industry consultation at every stage will help create a practical and effective framework,” Shah said. As the state explores one of the most significant changes to its property valuation mechanism in recent years, the industry appears broadly supportive of the objective. Yet the consensus remains clear: the success of micro-zoning will depend on transparency, consistency and stakeholder consultation. Without these safeguards, a reform intended to improve valuation accuracy could inadvertently introduce new layers of uncertainty into an already complex real estate ecosystem.

NGO grows mango trees, provides profit to farmers

Prithvi Asthana
May 11
3 min read

Mumbai: What started as a small drive to collect money for an old woman’s hospital charges has now turned into a large Non-Governmental Organisation of 300 people named WeGroup, dedicated to serve society in various areas.

Founded by Ashwin Patel in 2013, the NGO is based in Mira Road, the NGO have now taken up a new mission, Mission Mango. Mission Mango is about collecting the leftover seed of eaten mango and then planting it to grow a new tree. As Mango Season is here the NGO is proactive in raising awareness among people.

Mango seed cannot be collected as it is after eating, there is a due process to make the seed suitable for collection. Ronak Mehta, a core-committee member and head volunteer, speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’, explained the whole process. He said, “After eating wash the mango seed thoroughly, secondly dry it and third-step is to collect it in a cardboard or a plastic free container.” After the whole collection send it to the given address by the NGO.

The NGO has collection points in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Post-Collection Process

However, it is not easy to grow a tree out of mango seeds as it sounds. The dried mango seeds are first sent to nurseries of the Department of Agriculture, Maharashtra. At present there are over 42 nurseries of Department of Agriculture in the state. As the group is based in Mumbai the mango seeds are sent to a well-functioning nursery in Vasai-Pelhar region.

The nursery inspects every seed and healthy ones are selected

The methods used are polyhouse farming or polytunnel farming. Polyhouses are special enclosed structure covered in transparent plastic that creates a suitable and controllable environment for high-yield. Polytunnels are arched tunnel-type structures that aid in increasing the growing seasons by four to eight weeks by trapping solar radiation, warming soil and protecting crops.

However, these methods are cost-effective but do require money. The NGO raises this money through donation funds especially through CSR funding.

Two to three seeds are sown together which grow into one mango tree, because one seed does grow into an unhealthy, and unyielding mango tree. This process is called Grafting Method.

These methods result in high-yielding mango trees which are then given to farmers.

Main Objective

For the first year the tree is totally handled by the department and the NGO. After that the tree is given to the farmers and then they are sold into the market.

The tree is handed over to the farmers registered with the Department of Agriculture and falling Below Poverty Line.

“We want to help Below Poverty Line (BPL) farmers, tribal farmers, whose conditions are not that good. Through this initiative we want empower them,” Mehta said.

Through this mission last year, the NGO successfully grew 20,000 trees by collecting 22,750 seeds and provided profit to 5000 farmers.

The Expansion

As more people join this initiative the main problem still remains unsolved. The mango dairies sell a lot of mango juice throughout the mango season. On an average around 10,000 seeds are thrown away daily. But as the seeds are more, they require more man power to wash it and dry it.

“To solve this problem the WeGroup NGO wants to build Mango Seed Processing Units, which are expensive. But it is the secondary goal, the primary goal is to develop the 42 nurseries in the state,” Mehta said.