Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are undergoing a major infrastructure transformation, with Metro corridors, tunnels, bridges, roads and new growth centres reshaping the region’s mobility and economic geography. At the centre of this transformation is the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is pursuing an integrated approach aimed at reducing travel time, decentralising growth and creating a more connected metropolitan region. In this freewheeling interview, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, discusses the ‘Mumbai in Minutes’ vision, Mumbai 3.0 and 4.0, multimodal connectivity, Metro and road infrastructure, the challenges of executing mega projects, and the need to align housing and civic infrastructure with new growth. Mumbai in 59 Minutes is perhaps the most ambitious mobility vision currently being pursued by MMRDA. What will be the measurable outcome of this vision over the next three years? The idea behind Mumbai in 59 Minutes is to create a mobility network that enables people to travel from one point to another across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in approximately 59 minutes. Ultimately, it is about reducing actual door-to-door travel time by making mobility faster, more reliable and better connected. We cannot look at individual roads, Metro lines, bridges or tunnels as standalone projects. The real transformation comes from connecting them into one integrated network. On the public transport side, we are creating an extensive Metro network where different corridors connect with each other and with suburban rail, buses and other modes. On the road side, we are developing the Ring Road network by connecting existing roads with new roads and creating links wherever there are gaps through tunnels, bridges, creek crossings and strategic connectors. Mumbai has traditionally depended heavily on linear north-south movement and a limited number of east-west connections. Interconnected rings and an expanding Metro network will provide multiple ways to travel instead of forcing traffic and passengers onto a few established corridors. Projects such as Airoli–Katai Naka, Thane–Borivali Tunnel, Orange Gate Road Tunnel, the Ring Road network and the Metro corridors are therefore pieces of a much larger mobility grid. The Airoli–Katai Naka corridor, for instance, is expected to reduce travel time by approximately 30–45 minutes once the full corridor becomes operational. But its larger value lies in how it connects with the surrounding road and Metro network and creates alternative routes. Mumbai in 59 Minutes is therefore not about building one road that takes you everywhere within 59 minutes. It is about creating a network in which Metro lines, roads, tunnels, bridges and strategic connectors work together so that travelling from Point A to Point B becomes faster, more direct and more predictable. MMRDA has initiated the Mumbai 3.0 vision exercise with Surbana Jurong. What will distinguish Mumbai 3.0 from the Mumbai that exists today? Mumbai 3.0 is envisaged as a new regional growth centre within the MMR rather than simply an extension of existing Mumbai. The Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town exercise is intended to demonstrate a transition from conventional master planning to a flexible, infrastructure-led, investment-oriented and environmentally responsive model of city building. The objective is to develop a globally benchmarked, economically productive and environmentally sustainable Fourth-Generation Greenfield City. The recently completed Existing Land Use database covering approximately 324 sq km and 124 villages will provide the spatial evidence for master planning and future development proposals. The exercise uses aerial LiDAR, high-resolution imagery, DGPS ground control, GIS mapping, cadastral records and field verification to understand settlements, terrain, infrastructure, natural systems and land-use patterns. Mumbai 3.0 will move towards infrastructure-led, performance-based and flexible development planning. Infrastructure, mobility, utilities, housing, employment and environmental considerations have to be planned together. The intention is to create a hierarchy of centres, growth areas, economic anchors and strategic projects rather than concentrating employment and opportunities in established locations alone. The new centre should also become a self-sustaining economic hub, targeting sectors such as Global Capability Centres, fintech, advanced industries, new-age services and foreign direct investment. Planning can also provide for commercial districts, offices, industrial and logistics hubs, markets, e-commerce facilities and emerging digital infrastructure. Its location near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Navi Mumbai International Airport and other major connectivity projects can support new economic and employment corridors. At the same time, Mumbai 3.0 has to be environmentally responsive. Hills, valleys, the Amba River, Revas Creek wetlands and the proximity of Karnala Bird Sanctuary form part of a green-blue framework. Around 45% of the combined ELU study areas of KSC New Town, Palghar and Southern ENA falls within forest and green-area categories. Protection of mangroves, wetlands, rivers, water bodies and natural drainage systems will therefore be integral to planning. The objective is ultimately to spread opportunity across connected growth centres and create better places to live, work, learn and visit. Mumbai 3.0 is not simply “another Mumbai”; it is a decentralised and connected metropolitan growth centre where economic opportunity, housing, mobility, infrastructure, technology and environmental protection are planned together. There is already discussion about Mumbai 4.0. What would it mean in practical terms? Mumbai 4.0 is not another city; it is about how the whole region works as one. If Mumbai 1.0 was the island city, 2.0 was Navi Mumbai and the planned twin city, and 3.0 is the new growth centre opened up by Atal Setu, Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Raigad hinterland, 4.0 is the northern arc around Vadhavan and Palghar. More broadly, it is the stage where the MMR functions as a single networked, polycentric economy. Someone should be able to live in Panvel, work in Vadhavan and do business in BKC, with jobs and opportunities across the region within about an hour. The Mumbai 4.0 planning exercise for Palghar covers approximately 1,007 sq km and 224 villages. It maps forests, river systems, agricultural areas, the 40-km coastline, mangroves, wetlands and tribal settlements. The region is emerging as an industrial, logistics and tourism corridor, supported by MIDC Tarapur, road and railway connectivity and coastal access. Mumbai 4.0 therefore has to balance industrial and urban expansion with agriculture, tribal livelihoods, coastal and forest ecosystems, flood management and safety constraints. In practical terms, it means a port-led logistics, manufacturing and tourism economy in the north, anchored by Vadhavan, the Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Mumbai–Delhi Expressway; a knowledge and services economy spread across several centres rather than one congested CBD; climate-resilient infrastructure; and a digitally managed region where infrastructure decisions are based on real-time and spatial data. We also have to ensure that today’s investments remain useful for future generations. Our approach is to plan for 2047 and beyond, protect corridors before they are needed, build infrastructure that can be expanded, integrate land use with transport and keep the regional plan continuously updated. The objective is to build a region that can keep adapting rather than simply adding more infrastructure. MMRDA is building both a large Metro network and a major road network. How will roads and Metro complement each other? Metro and roads are not competing systems. They serve different but interconnected mobility needs. Metro is the backbone for high-volume passenger movement along major corridors, while roads remain essential for buses, freight, emergency services, private vehicles and first- and last-mile connectivity. The objective is to create a hierarchy of mobility rather than isolated projects. Metro corridors must connect with suburban rail, buses and other Metro lines, while roads must provide efficient access to these transport nodes. Metro Line 4 is a good example. The 32.32-km Wadala–Kasarvadavali corridor will connect with the Eastern Express Highway, Central Railway, Monorail and other Metro corridors, including Lines 2B, 5 and 6. The real test of integration, however, is the interchange. We want the transition between different modes to be simple and predictable. Mumbai One is an important step in this direction. It allows commuters to plan journeys across different modes and book suburban railway, Metro and bus tickets through one platform. It also supports a single QR-based ticketing experience and digital channels such as WhatsApp, ONDC and wearables. The physical journey must become as seamless as the digital experience. That means walkable connections to railway stations, coordinated interchange facilities and public transport priority near major Metro stations. There is still work to be done here. Once Airoli–Katai Naka is fully operational, what other bottlenecks will remain on this east-west and north-east connectivity route? Completing one corridor does not mean that the connectivity challenge is solved. We have to ensure that congestion is not simply shifted from one location to another. The nearly 13-km Airoli–Katai Naka corridor is being developed in three phases and includes a 1.69-km twin tunnel through Parsik Hill. Phases I and II are largely complete, while Phase III towards Katai Naka is targeted for completion in October 2028. Pressure points will still remain around Shil Phata and Kalyan Phata, the Mahape–Airoli Naka side of Thane–Belapur Road and the local road network in Kalyan-Dombivli. We are therefore addressing connectivity through multiple road and public transport links. Metro Line 5, the 34.21-km Thane–Bhiwandi–Kalyan corridor, will provide another high-capacity connection. Its proposed extension towards Taloja through Line 5A, Metro Line 12 connecting Kalyan to Taloja and Metro Line 14 will further strengthen links towards Navi Mumbai. The objective is to build a resilient regional network with multiple routes and modes so that no single road or junction carries the entire burden. MMRDA has advanced its completion target for ongoing infrastructure projects to December 2028. What are the major risks? The December 2028 target is ambitious but also a clear delivery commitment. The key is to identify potential risks early and manage them proactively. For projects of this scale, risks typically involve land acquisition and clearances, shifting utilities, coordination among multiple agencies, construction challenges and the availability of critical resources and materials. Tunnels, bridges and major transport corridors can also face unforeseen site conditions. We are monitoring each project against defined milestones, resolving inter-departmental and site-level issues quickly and sequencing works wherever possible so that one activity does not unnecessarily hold up another. The target is not simply about completing individual projects. It is about bringing the entire infrastructure network together in a coordinated manner. Which Metro corridors will have the greatest transformative impact on the MMR? The transformative impact will come from the network effect rather than any single corridor. A Metro line becomes significantly more valuable when it connects with other Metro corridors, suburban rail, buses and major employment centres. Metro Line 4 and its extension, Line 4A, are particularly important. The 32.32-km Wadala–Kasarvadavali corridor will create a strong north-south mobility spine through the eastern part of the MMR and strengthen connectivity in the Thane region. Line 9/7A is important for northern suburban connectivity and the airport. Line 5, the 34.21-km Thane–Bhiwandi–Kalyan corridor, is another important regional connection, particularly for rapidly growing residential, industrial and commercial areas. The current targeted timelines are December 2026 for Line 5 and December 2027 for Line 12, with commissioning planned progressively. Lines 6, 10 and 11 are also important because of the connections they create between different parts of the network and existing transport systems. The priority is to commission corridors in a way that creates usable network connectivity at the earliest possible stage rather than waiting for the entire Metro network to be completed. Is MMRDA reaching a point where simply adding more road capacity will no longer be enough to address congestion? We need both strong road connectivity and high-capacity public transport. The balance has to be determined by geography, travel demand and the stage of development of each corridor. In the island city and inner suburbs, where land availability is limited, we are increasingly looking at tunnels and underground road infrastructure to create additional capacity without relying only on conventional road widening. In the outer MMR—Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli and other emerging areas—adequate road infrastructure remains essential because roads carry buses, freight, emergency services and local traffic and provide first- and last-mile connectivity. In established parts of Mumbai, our approach is increasingly transit-led, while in the outer MMR road infrastructure and mass transit need to be developed together so that connectivity is created ahead of or alongside urban growth. It is therefore not a question of roads versus Metro. We need both, supported by good interchange and first- and last-mile connectivity. How will MMRDA ensure that new growth centres around Metro corridors and highways do not become dormitory suburbs lacking civic infrastructure? Connectivity has to be accompanied by the infrastructure required for a good quality of urban life. Housing, employment, water, sewage, waste management, public spaces, schools, healthcare and other social infrastructure have to be planned along with transport connectivity. For Mumbai 3.0, the objective is to plan housing, employment, transport, water and social infrastructure together before large-scale development takes place. Water security is an important component. MMRDA is implementing the 403 MLD Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme for the western sub-region and supporting longer-term water security through projects such as the Kawadas pickup weir and Kalu Dam. Waste management is also part of the planning framework. MMRDA is developing a 600 TPD Integrated Solid Waste Processing Facility for the Ambernath–Kulgaon-Badlapur and Ulhasnagar region. Urban development must also include housing and rehabilitation. The Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar and Kamraj Nagar redevelopment project in Ghatkopar East, being undertaken by MMRDA with SRA, involves rehabilitation of approximately 17,000 eligible slum dwellers. For growth around existing Metro corridors and highways, municipal corporations have the primary responsibility for water supply and sewage. MMRDA’s role is to coordinate metropolitan and transport planning with civic authorities. We do not want new growth centres to function simply as places where people live and travel long distances to work elsewhere. Employment, housing, mobility, water, waste management and social infrastructure have to develop together. If you had to identify one project or policy decision that could fundamentally change how people experience the MMR over the next five to ten years, what would it be? It would be to plan transport, economic growth and urban development as one integrated metropolitan strategy. We are already investing in Metro corridors, strategic roads, tunnels, bridges and other connectivity projects. The larger opportunity is to use this infrastructure to shape where people live, where jobs are created and how new economic centres develop across the MMR. This is where Mumbai 3.0 becomes important. As new growth areas emerge, we have an opportunity to plan housing, employment, transport, water, waste management, social infrastructure and public spaces together. The objective is to create well-planned urban centres that are not simply residential extensions of Mumbai but places where people can also work, access services and participate in economic activity. I see ‘Mumbai in Minutes’ and ‘Mumbai 3.0’ as two parts of the same vision. ‘Mumbai in Minutes’ is about making it faster and more reliable to move across the region; ‘Mumbai 3.0’ is about creating well-planned centres so that people do not have to travel unnecessarily long distances for every aspect of daily life. If we can achieve strong regional connectivity and balanced development closer to where people live, the impact will go beyond reducing travel time. It can create a more distributed pattern of economic growth and give people greater choice in where they live, work and access essential services.
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