A TOWN ON THE TRAIN
First in India to get the railway, Thane has travelled far from smokestacks to IT
Moving into Hiranandani Estate in Thane in 2006 gave media professional Uday Singh ( name changed) not only a breather from the congested Kandivali suburb, but also more amenities. He can even drive down to Dadar, where he works, using the Eastern Express Highway. He is now planning to invest in another property in Thane, since rates have been on an upswing in the city.
Till the mid-1990s, Thane was an industrial city. Two things changed it: The conversion of the Wagle Industrial Estate into an IT zone, and Ghodbundar Road that led to Mumbai. Today, IT and ITES companies dominate the city instead of the smokestacks. According to realty consultant Jones Lang LaSalle, Grade A developments include G Corp Tech Park, Kalpataru Prime, Dosti Pinnacle and Neptune Element. Thane has about 4.5 million sq ft of Grade A office space, comprising about 5.3 per cent of the total stock of the city.
From Thane one can approach Mumbai suburbs such as Andheri and Borivali by road as well as rail. The Eastern Express Highway and LBS Marg link it to eastern suburbs while the Western Express Highway and Thane-Belapur Road connect it to western suburbs and Navi Mumbai, respectively.
One can buy a home in Thane for as low as Rs 8,678 per square foot in Anand Nagar and for as high as Rs 11,674 per sq ft in Hiranandani Estate. The city has most of the major Mumbai developers.
Sheth Vasant Lawns, Rustomjee Urbania, Hiranandani Estates, Dosti Vihar and Kalpataru Siddhachal are some of the prominent projects here.
Some residents complain that Thane does not have enough recreational facilities, making them travel all the way to Mumbai. Its transport infrastructure has also lagged the growth in population.