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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

CIDCO struggles to find takers for its homes

Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) latest housing scheme has exposed a recurring challenge for the planning authority: finding buyers for its large housing inventory despite its affordable-housing focus. The August 2026 scheme offered 4,793 homes in Taloja, Kharghar and Kalamboli and received 4,180 confirmed applications before bookings closed on September 3. While CIDCO described the response as strong, 613 homes—nearly 13 per cent of the inventory—had no...

CIDCO struggles to find takers for its homes

Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation’s (CIDCO) latest housing scheme has exposed a recurring challenge for the planning authority: finding buyers for its large housing inventory despite its affordable-housing focus. The August 2026 scheme offered 4,793 homes in Taloja, Kharghar and Kalamboli and received 4,180 confirmed applications before bookings closed on September 3. While CIDCO described the response as strong, 613 homes—nearly 13 per cent of the inventory—had no confirmed applicant. This follows earlier schemes with similar gaps. In January 2025, CIDCO’s ‘My Preferred Home’ scheme, offering around 26,000 homes across Navi Mumbai, attracted 1.36 lakh initial applications. However, only about 55,000 applicants paid the registration fee and around 22,000 deposited the required earnest money, leaving serious participation below the number of homes offered. A CAG-linked report on two CIDCO housing schemes in Kharghar found that, of 4,814 saleable tenements, allotment letters had been issued to 3,733 applicants and possession handed over to 3,317. Four years after the draw, 1,081 tenements remained unsold. CIDCO has also faced scrutiny over marketing expenditure. In 2023, reports questioned the appointment of private agencies to market and allot PMAY homes, stating that the agencies had received advances of more than Rs 100 crore before sales took place. CIDCO officials said external support was necessary given the scale of the programme. The scale of investment adds to the concern. CIDCO’s mass-housing programme envisaged 68,515 homes at an estimated cost of around Rs 15,300 crore. A 2024 report noted that thousands of completed homes were awaiting sale, locking up capital and increasing the authority’s financial burden. The latest homes are located in Taloja Sector 39, Kalamboli Bus Depot and Kharghar Bus Depot. Taloja accounts for 4,229 homes, followed by 257 in Kalamboli and 293 in Kharghar. Indicative prices range from around Rs 23.50 lakh in Taloja to Rs 37.70 lakh in Kalamboli and Rs 43.50 lakh in Kharghar. The figures point to a possible mismatch between what CIDCO considers affordable and what its target buyers can finance. Industry experts have noted that EWS homes priced at Rs 25 lakh or more may be difficult for households within the prescribed income ceiling, particularly after registration, stamp duty, floor-rise charges and other costs. Location may also influence demand. Taloja has seen rapid development and improved connectivity, including metro access, but buyers continue to weigh its distance from established employment centres and social infrastructure, as well as commuting costs. CIDCO maintains that its housing programme meets a genuine need in Navi Mumbai. Ashwin Mudgal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, CIDCO, said, “The overwhelming response to the housing scheme reflects the aspirations of citizens to own a home in Navi Mumbai and their continued confidence in CIDCO’s planned development initiatives. CIDCO remains committed to providing affordable and quality housing opportunities in well-planned locations, enabling citizens to benefit from the region’s growing infrastructure and connectivity.” The authority has also highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) subsidy, under which eligible beneficiaries can receive Rs 2.5 lakh, subject to applicable guidelines and eligibility criteria. However, the repeated unsold inventory suggests that CIDCO’s challenge extends beyond construction. Pricing, apartment configurations, location, payment flexibility and connectivity may need to be reassessed before further public resources are committed.

The Architects of Modern India: Five Leaders Redefining Infrastructure Beyond Concrete

Correspondent
Jul 18
3 min read

For decades, India's infrastructure story was measured in kilometres of highways, megawatts of power generation, ports, airports and industrial corridors. Today, that definition is evolving. Infrastructure is no longer limited to physical assets; it increasingly includes digital platforms, AI-ready data centres, renewable energy networks and smart urban ecosystems that power economic growth.


This transformation is being shaped by a new generation of business leaders who view infrastructure as an interconnected system rather than standalone projects. While their strategies differ, they share a common objective: building resilient, technology-enabled platforms that will support India's long-term development. From artificial intelligence and digital engineering to integrated logistics, transmission networks and commercial ecosystems, these leaders are redefining what nation-building looks like in the twenty-first century.


SN Subrahmanyan (Larsen & Toubro)

Among India's infrastructure leaders, L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan represents the convergence of engineering excellence and digital transformation. Having joined Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as a project planning engineer in 1984, he spent four decades leading some of the company's most complex infrastructure projects before becoming Chairman and Managing Director in 2023. That progression from engineer to business leader has shaped his belief that infrastructure must continually evolve to meet the needs of a changing economy.


Guided by that philosophy, SN Subrahmanyan is steering L&T beyond its traditional engineering and EPC strengths through its Lakshya 2031 strategy, with investments in AI infrastructure, digital engineering, data centres and clean energy. The company's collaboration with NVIDIA to develop sovereign AI infrastructure reflects his view that the next phase of India's growth will depend as much on digital infrastructure as on physical assets. His leadership demonstrates how established engineering companies can embrace emerging technologies while preserving their execution-first culture.


Gautam Adani (Adani Group)

For Gautam Adani, infrastructure is most valuable when assets function as an integrated ecosystem. Rather than building isolated businesses, the Adani Group connects ports, logistics parks, airports, renewable energy projects and transmission networks into a unified platform that strengthens trade and industrial growth.


The next phase of this strategy is increasingly digital. Automation, data-driven operations and intelligent logistics are improving efficiency across the group's infrastructure assets, while large-scale renewable energy investments continue to support India's energy transition. Adani's approach highlights how infrastructure leadership is shifting from owning individual assets to creating connected systems that generate long-term economic value.


Vinayak Pai (Tata Projects)

As Managing Director of Tata Projects, Vinayak Pai has championed the use of digital engineering to improve infrastructure execution. His focus is on planning projects more intelligently rather than simply delivering them faster.


Technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), integrated project controls and digital collaboration help identify design conflicts before construction begins, reducing delays and improving coordination. Their application across projects, including the new Parliament building and Noida International Airport, demonstrates how engineering precision increasingly depends on digital capabilities. Pai's leadership reflects a growing industry belief that successful infrastructure starts long before work begins on site.


Vimal Kejriwal (KEC International)

Few infrastructure sectors are as strategically important—or as overlooked—as power transmission. Under Vimal Kejriwal, KEC International continues to expand the networks that connect renewable energy generation with industries, cities and communities.


As India accelerates its clean-energy ambitions, resilient transmission infrastructure is becoming essential to ensuring reliable electricity reaches end users. KEC's work across transmission, railway electrification and civil infrastructure in more than 110 countries reflects the importance of building the systems that support economic activity behind the scenes. Kejriwal's leadership underscores the critical role of energy connectivity in India's infrastructure future.


Rajiv Singh (DLF Limited)

For Rajiv Singh, commercial real estate has evolved into economic infrastructure. Rather than developing standalone office buildings, DLF has focused on creating integrated urban destinations that combine workplaces, hospitality, retail, residential communities and public spaces.


Developments such as DLF Cyber City have helped transform Gurugram into one of India's leading business hubs, supporting multinational companies and thousands of knowledge-economy jobs. As businesses increasingly prioritise sustainability, digital connectivity and employee experience, integrated commercial districts are becoming long-term economic assets. Singh's approach illustrates how cities themselves have become critical infrastructure for India's services-led economy.


Infrastructure's Next Definition

These five leadership models reflect a broader transformation in India's development story. SN Subrahmanyan demonstrates how engineering companies are extending into AI and digital infrastructure. Gautam Adani shows the value of integrated infrastructure ecosystems. Vinayak Pai highlights the growing role of digital engineering in project execution. Vimal Kejriwal reminds us that transmission networks are fundamental to the clean-energy transition, while Rajiv Singh illustrates how commercial districts have become engines of economic growth.


The next era of infrastructure will not be defined solely by the scale of assets built, but by how effectively physical infrastructure, digital intelligence and long-term institutional capability work together. That convergence is shaping a more connected, resilient and technology-driven India.

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