Pimpri-Chinchwad, once hailed as an industrial hub, is changing dramatically as factories along the erstwhile Pune-Mumbai highway yield to high-rise residential and commercial hubs. The twin municipalities, which are home to almost 30 lakh residents, are experiencing fast-paced urbanization, spurred by an influx of laborers and changing economic priorities. Prominent companies, once the backbone of the region’s industrial identity, are increasingly opting for industrial-to-residential (I2R) conversion policies, replacing sprawling manufacturing units with modern high-rises and reshaping the urban landscape.
Mrudula Narale
Pune | June 06, 2025: Over the past two decades, Pimpri-Chinchwad has been synonymous with industry, hosting major players like Hindustan Antibiotics, Tata Motors, Mahindra, Bajaj Auto, and others. These companies, along with smaller dependent industries, defined the city’s working-class character. But increased urbanization, skyrocketing land rates, and infrastructural issues have encouraged most to shift businesses to the likes of Chakan, Talegaon, and Ranjangaon. The abandoned industrial plots, especially on the Pune-Mumbai highway, are being converted into luxury residential complexes and business centers, with projects varying from 100 to more than 2,000 flats per property.
This movement is fueled by a series of factors, ranging from the expansion of IT parks in Hinjawadi and Talawade, to industrial estates in surrounding MIDC locations. The existing Pimpri-Swargate Metro line, as well as work on the Nigdi-Pimpri extension, has fueled this trend further by increasing connectivity and stimulating residential growth. Infrastructure schemes such as grade separations and the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) have also contributed, which have increased the area’s appeal and usefulness for urban schemes. Consequently, localities such as Pimpri, Kasarwadi, Chinchwad, and Akurdi are witnessing huge housing complexes on industrial land parcels.
Under the I2R policy, firms that change industrial plots into residential or commercial space have to relinquish about five percent of land to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for free. So far, PCMC has received 1.19 lakh square feet of land at 75 points in areas such as Pimpri, Wakad, Bhosari, and Chikhali. These plots will be utilized to construct civic facilities such as water tanks, police stations, parking sites, schools, and recreational spaces, meeting the increasing burden on city infrastructure. The invasion of residential schemes has increased municipal income in terms of property taxes and water fees but also mounted pressure on water supply, garbage management, and sewage systems.
While the development brings economic prospects, it creates a challenge for PCMC to balance urbanization with long-term infrastructure planning. The emergence of high-rises is ushering in a new age for Pimpri-Chinchwad, with modernity entwined with its industrial history. As factories disappear into the horizon, the twin cities are ready to reinvent themselves as dynamic urban agglomerations, but careful planning will be necessary to ensure this transformation reaches all citizens.
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