Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of the largest urban
agglomerations in the world has always been an Asian business powerhouse. With
some of the world’s largest companies, banks, television networks and other
important businesses calling Mumbai, either their headquarters or an important
regional office, it is only natural that office space in this metropolis comes
at a premium.
Traditionally, South Mumbai has always been Mumbai’s commercial/business
district. The areas of Nariman Point, Marine Lines, Tardeo, Worli, Prabhadevi
and Lower Parel, have all been hubs for the smooth flow of commerce. The
problem now though is one of dwindling space and soaring commercial realty
prices. To address this problem the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
(MMRDA), in the early part of the 21st century, proposed in its charter, “ a
series of "growth centres" created to ‘arrest further concentration’
of offices and commercial activities in South Mumbai.” (Source: Wikipedia)
Bandra-Kurla complex was a first among these growth centres.
Why
Bandra-Kurla Complex?
Any business relies on top-notch infrastructure, hassle-free
connectivity and easy access. The central nature of Bandra-Kurla Complex, ease
of access, location and availability of premium office space for rates that are
not astronomical, has made this area a popular destination for business
development. Says a marketing manager, of a multinational beverages company,
that moved here a couple of years ago, “Bandra-Kurla Complex made a lot of sense
for us. Its ready availability world class office spaces, proximity to the
international and domestic airports, easily accessible to both our employees
and business associates from the Western and Central suburbs, and most
importantly the dramatic savings on leasing a similar property in South Mumbai,
are the primary reasons of our decision to call it home.”
Ease of access has also made lives for employees that much simpler.
Scores of people who would have to spend hours commuting all the way to South Mumbai,
now find themselves travelling half the distance, and with the improvement inaccess roads to BKC, many of them now travel to office by vehicle. As a result,
the load on public transport infrastructure too, has reduced a bit. Says
Eleanor Rodrigues, an employee of a private sector bank, “my office used to be
in Prabhadevi and travelling from Santacruz was quite troublesome. But ever
since we’ve shifted to BKC, getting from home to office is a simple 20 minute
car journey. On the upside, I also get to spend the morning commute with my
husband, as he works in the vicinity too.”
Developments
in Bandra-Kurla Complex:
Bandra-Kurla Complex today is a hotbed of activity like few other places
in the city. With a number of residential and commercial projects underway, the
area is undergoing a sea change as we speak. Corporate headquarters and IT
parks today stand side-by-side, where once slums and desolate roads used to be.
“The landscape of the area has changed dramatically,” says Manish
Madambat, a long time resident of Kalanagar, Bandra East, a stone’s throw away
from BKC, “there used to be a time when getting a rickshaw from Bandra station
was nigh impossible, the streets were bad and fraught with potholes, but today,
with the emergence of BKC, those days are a thing of the past.”
The best part about the development of BKC has been the phased manner in
which it has been conducted. BKC is probably one of Mumbai’s only well planned
areas, modern town planning ensures that streets leading into and out of the
area are smoother, wider and congestion free.
The emergence of BKC as a business hub has also seen a proliferation of
hospitality brands setting up shop here to cater to the corporate set. Over the
last few years many top hotels have opened their doors to the droves of
corporate clients that have now made them their destination of choice to
entertain, host foreign dignitaries and conferences and get-togethers.
With projects and developments in various phases of completion and
planning, BKC’s future and that of Mumbai’s new business district seems too
bright and in a sentence, BKC is the new commercial heart of India’s financial
powerhouse!
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