Bandra Reclamation to get a new skyline

Fast-tracked by the government is a gold mine for developers and a playground for the wealthy elite – the transformation of Bandra Reclamation into a global waterfront address

MUMBAI: Jagannath JS, 91, who lives in government housing near Lilavati Hospital, moved to Bandra Reclamation around half a century ago. The roads were still unpaved then, although it had already been a couple of decades since landfilling had conjured this neighbourhood from the Arabian Sea – hence the name.

Mumbai, India. July 31, 2025: View of Bandra reclamation buildings at Bandra West in Mumbai. Mumbai, India. July 31, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Quiet, leafy and decidedly middle-class, Bandra Reclamation is dotted with ageing housing colonies built by MHADA for ONGC engineers, civil servants and other government employees. Nearby, low-rise homes overlook the Mahim Bay, their residents tracing family roots back generations. Over time, slums began to fill the spaces in between.

Today, jackhammers and earthmovers shatter the calm as real estate developers, ever eager to script Mumbai’s next big story, set about reimagining this once-tranquil coastal stretch at the southern end of a small suburb with a huge aspirational quotient.

The transition from ‘Bandra Reclamation’ to ‘Bandra Bay’ has begun, sweeping away an entire neighbourhood to raise 8 million square feet of exclusive towers for the wealthy few.

At the heart of the blueprint are the 52 buildings built by MHADA for low- and middle-income government employees. These will give way to luxury towers and elite amenities under a cluster development plan announced by the state government in April. Apart from this cluster are private housing societies and a couple of large slums also going under the hammer. In their place, 800-odd apartments will be built, pegged at an average ₹55,000 per sq ft.

What is Bandra Bay?

Bandra Bay is carefully taking shape on drafting tables, bringing to life the dreams of big-ticket developers. From Nargis Dutt Nagar to Nityanand Nagar near the Bandra Fort, 11 builders have, so far, cornered what is being turned into one of Mumbai’s most lavish boroughs. They include Oberoi Realty, Godrej Properties, L&T Realty, The Wadhwa Group, Excel Group, Hiranandani Communities, DLH and Adani Realty.

The term ‘Bandra Bay’ first appeared in a report released by proptech firms CRE Matrix and Lighthouse Luxury at a presentation to the who’s who of Mumbai’s real estate in October 2025. The rebranding was deliberate, a calculated move to appeal to the exclusive circle that will eventually call this new precinct home.

Its new name is only part of the appeal; there are several other draws. It’s where super-connectivity meets coastal charm, with sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. Also in the offing is a marina in the Mahim Bay.

On terra firma, health infrastructure such as an athletics track, an archery range, a shooting range, cricket academy, football ground and, of course, a five-star hotel. That’s 150 acres of “mixed use” opportunity, a playground for real-estate developers expected to invest over ₹1 lakh crore in luxury housing and retail projects here in the next few years, according to CA Kailas Sinari, partner, Sure Fire Consultants & Developers.

‘Seafront’ to ‘bay’

The winnings of redevelopment go well beyond developers; they extend all the way to the state government, which has in the last decade consistently amended the definition of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and the rules that protect these ecologically sensitive areas in a city surrounded by water.

Among these amendments was a clever semantic innovation in 2016, when the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) reclassified the Mahim and Backbay coastal stretches as “bays” rather than “seafront”. In an instant, the no-development zone (NDZ) shrunk from 500 metres to 100 metres, unlocking hundreds of hectares for developers. The government didn’t stop there. In 2019, the NDZ was further reduced to 50 metres.

Cut to April 2025, when the Bandra Bay mega-redevelopment project was unveiled. To fast-track the plan, the state said consent from only 51% of residents in each colony would be required. But the real prize for developers was a Floor Space Index of 4, including an FSI of 1 to create new housing stock for MHADA.

Changes on ground

In February 2024, Adani Realty bagged a 24-acre plot from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation by offering 22.79% of revenue to MSRDC. The plot’s development value is around ₹30,000 crore.

Larsen & Toubro lost out on the deal but collaborated with Valor Estate (formerly DB Realty) within a few months, for a ₹8,500-crore project to redevelop 7.5 acres in Bazaar Road. “The configuration of the project is not yet crystallised,” said Shahid Balwa, vice-chairman & managing director of Valor Estate.

House of Hiranandani is pitching for the redevelopment of Parijat Society and ONGC Colony on KC Road. A spokesperson for the company said, “As part of our broader redevelopment strategy, we are evaluating multiple opportunities across the city, including Bandra. However, nothing has been confirmed or finalised in the location.”

Among the housing societies in various stages of construction are Akshaya and Safalya by DLH; New Deep by Excel Group; Poonam, Indraneel and Kaustubh by Elements Realty; Mayur and Sandhya Vandan by Gurukrupa Realcon; and Sagar Tarang by Inspira Realty.

Four housing societies opposite Lilavati Hospital – Nisargadutta, Swayamsiddha, Phushuti and Kinara – as well as Surnehi and Ambar Prasad are close to going under the hammer.

Rumblings of dissent

The 52 MHADA buildings at Bandra Reclamation house flats measuring between 322 sq ft and 825 sq ft, home to 1,631 families. “The existing residents will be allotted new flats ranging from 829 sq ft up to 1,615 sq ft,” said MHADA vice-president and chief executive officer, Sanjeev Jaiswal.

And, yet, not everyone is enthused. A member of the MHADA Phase 3 Residents’ Association said the buildings are in sound condition. Residents also claim the government has not discussed redevelopment plan with the housing societies. “The buildings stand on land that has a 99-year lease. How can MHADA decide on our behalf? We are not slums; we are rightful residents of MHADA Phase 3,” one resident said.

There’s also confusion among residents of buildings wanting to redevelop independently – MHADA hasn’t clarified if the first row of 26 buildings opposite Lilavati Hospital are among the 52 that will be rebuilt. As a result, in May, Parijat housing society wrote to the state urban development department, objecting to the MHADA plan.

Meanwhile, two slum pockets are being redeveloped, Nargis Dutt Nagar and Nityanand Nagar, the former by Roshni Developers, Omkar Realtors & Developers and Godrej Properties, and the latter by Oberoi Realty.

“The groundwork was to be initiated in 2019, but it stalled during the pandemic, resuming only in 2024,” said Javed Sayed of Nargis Dutt Nagar, where 1,515 shanties have been razed, displacing over 1,000 families.

Sayed now lives in rented accommodation near Holy Family Hospital. “It should take another two to three years for us to move back,” he said. When he does, he will step into a new world – one that now answers to the name ‘Bandra Bay’.