When one cannot find the home of their dreams in the city of Mumbai, it can be disappointing, but, would you consider it the end of the story? Our answer would be no! Navi Mumbai and Thane are some of the alternative places you can bet on which are equally as good as the main city of Mumbai, but it's likely that you won't know which is best for you. Nevertheless, you needn't worry, as we have got you covered.

In the past few years, it has become increasingly popular for home buyers to live in Thane or Navi Mumbai. The two cities of Thane and Navi Mumbai, each with its own municipal corporation, are part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). As a result of improved connectivity via roads, railways, and now, the Metro, it is closely connected to Mumbai's main urban and suburban areas. Mumbai, while comparatively more developed than Thane and Navi Mumbai at present, is now overcrowded because of its poor infrastructure and lack of greenery.

Considering the improvement and development of Thane and Navi Mumbai, the regions are new-found markets for realtors to construct residential projects. In this article, let us take a look at the different parameters that describe the regions of Thane and Navi Mumbai so that you can make an informed decision.

Demographics and Geography

When looking for a new home, it's essential to know how dense and populous the area that you desire to live in. As well as the different cultures and languages that make up a region.

Thane - Thane has a total area of 147 sq. kms.. As of 2020, there are approximately 1.1 million people living in the city, among which the majority of the population consists of Maharashtrians. Marathi is the primary spoken language in this region, followed by Hindi. Additionally, there are a few Portuguese-speaking residents as well.

Navi Mumbai - The total area of Navi Mumbai is 344 sq. kms., out of which, 163 sq. kms. falls within the purview of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). As of 2021, the population is 1.3 million approx. This is also a predominantly Marathi-speaking area.

Infrastructure

Transportation and Connectivity

1. Railways

Thane - Inaugurated in 1853, Thane Railway Station is the first terminus that was made for Asia's first passenger train which left from Bori Bunder, Mumbai. Presently, it continues to remain one of the busiest stations of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network and can be accessed through the Central Railway Line (CSMT-/Kalyan/Khopoli/Kasara) and Trans-Harbour Suburban Railway Line (Thane-Vashi-Panvel).

Navi Mumbai - Navi Mumbai can be accessed through various Railway Lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Network i.e. Trans-Harbour Railway Line (Thane-Vashi-Panvel), Harbour Railway Line (CSMT-Wadala-Panvel / Goregaon-Wadala-Panvel), Central Railway Line (CSMT-Nerul-Uran), and Vasai-Kopar-Panvel Line. Additionally, the proposed Kurla-Shivaji Nagar and Pune Railway Service will further provide direct connectivity between Navi Mumbai and Pune.

2. Roadways

A number of roads connect the main city of Mumbai with Thane making it a convenient location for residents of the region.

• Godhbunder Road (GBR)

Originates from Majiwada up to Versova, Mira-Bhayandar. One can connect to the North, South, and Western parts of India through the Golden Quadrilateral as a part of it is located at GBR. Through GBR, you can access the Western Suburbs of Mumbai, as GBR connects to the Western Express Highway. Additionally, through the Godhubunder-Vasai Road, one can access the Virar-Vasai regions.

• Eastern Express Highway

This road originates at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and terminates at Thane's Kharegaon, Kalwa. Connectivity is available throughout the MMR. There are several links to this highway, including the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, the Mulund-Airoli Link Road, and the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. Furthermore, the Thane-Bhiwandi Road, NH 160, and NH48 provide access to Bhiwandi and beyond.

One can reach Navi Mumbai through the following routes

• Thane-Belapur Road

The road originates from Kalwa, Thane to MIDC, Belapur. This is one of the routes which connects you to the Navi Mumbai region. It connects you to a Highway, which takes you to Pune, Pandharpur, and Bangalore.

• Sion-Panvel Highway

The road originates from Sion up to Kalamboli, Panvel. This route serves as a connecting link to various highways and roads, such as the Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road, Eastern Freeway, Eastern Express Highway, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and NH4.

3. Metro

Thane - Currently, the Mumbai Metro Green Line 4 (Kasarvadavali-Thane-Mulund-Ghatkopar-Wadala) is under construction. This Metro Line will connect to several other Mumbai Metro Lines i.e. Green 4A (Kasarvadavali, Thane-Gaimukh, Thane), Green 10 (Gaimukh, Thane-Shivaji Chowk, Mira Road), Orange 5 (Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan), Pink 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar, Andheri-Kanjurmarg-Vikhroli), Yellow 2 (Dahisar East-DN Nagar, Andheri-Mandala, Mankhurd), and Green 11 (Wadala-CSMT), most of which are under construction. Additionally, it connects to the Mumbai Monorail Line 1, and Godhubunder Road. Moreover, more than 80% of the entire route is built on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, which in turn connects you to the Eastern Express Highway, NH160 and NH48

Navi Mumbai - At present Phase 1 from CBD Belapur to Pendhar of Navi Mumbai Metro Line 1 (CBD Belapur to Khandeshwar) is under construction. This Metro Line will connect to various transportation junctions such as NH48, Sion-Panvel Expressway, Vasai-Roha Railway Line, Suburban Railway Stations of Khandeshwar, Khargar, and CBD Belapur, Mumbai Metro Orange Line 8, and the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport.

4. Airways

Thane - The currently operational Mumbai International Airports T1 and T2 are approximately an hour's drive from Thane

Navi Mumbai - The Mumbai International Airports T1 and T2 are 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Navi Mumbai Additionally, The Navi Mumbai International Airport is expected to be operational by 2024.

Health, Commercial, Education, and Tourism

1. Health

Thane - There are about 21 Hospitals alone in the main Thane district. Most of them are located near Godhbunder Road and Eastern Express Highway. Hiranandani, Jupiter, Oscar, Phoenix, and Bethany Hospitals are some of them.

Navi Mumbai - There are about 20 Hospitals in Navi Mumbai. Most of them are located near the Thane-Belapur Road, Vashi, Belapur, and Kharghar areas. Fortis, MGM, Reliance Foundation, Apollo, and NNMC Hospitals are some of them.

2. Corporates and Industries

Thane - Over 300 Companies and Industries are located in Thane. Majorly comprise Pharmaceuticals, Logistics, IT, Electronics, and Engineering.

Navi Mumbai - Over 250 Companies and Industries are located in Navi Mumbai. Majorly comprise of Chemical, Pharmaceutical, IT, and Cargo. The Nhava Sheva, CIDCO, and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) are some of the prominent industries in Navi Mumbai.

3. Education

Thane - In the main Thane City, there are about 11 Schools and 7 Colleges. Hiranandani Foundation School, Smt. Sulochana Devi Singhania School and St. John the Baptist School are some of the notable educational institutions.

Navi Mumbai - In Navi Mumbai, there are about 13 Schools and 14 Colleges. Agnel Polytechnic, Ryan International, and Convent of Jesus and Mary are some of the notable educational institutions.

4. Recreations, Lifestyle, and Tourism

What is life without relaxation, fun, and pleasure? In an everyday life of chaos and congestion of the city, one needs some time to unwind and relax. Both regions have ample choices for recreation, but here are some of the sought-after places.

Thane

• Malls

R-Mall, Viviana Mall, High Street Mall, Hypercity, and Lodha Amara.

• Gardens

Thane Biodiversity Garden, Kasarvadavali Lake, and Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden.

Kokanipada Waterfall, Manpada Forest Bird Watching, Mama-Bhanja Entry Point, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.

• Resorts/Amusements

Tikuji-ni-Wadi, and Suraj Water Park.

Navi Mumbai

• Malls

Nexus Seawood, Inorbit Mall, Raghuleela Mall, Seawoods Central, and Orion Mall.

• Gardens

Jewels of Navi Mumbai, Rock Garden, and Dr. DY Patil Botanical Garden.

• Tourist Spots

Belapur Fort, Khargar Forest, Uran, Karave Beach, Seawoods Flamingo Point, Belapur Waterfalls, Chanakya View Point, and Karnala Bird Sanctuary.

• Resorts/Amusements

CIDCO Theme Park, and Wonders Park.

Housing

Now that Thane and Navi Mumbai are climbing up to reach the peak of being known as a 'developed region', do not feel surprised when there will be a time, when there is barely any difference between Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai in terms of housing rates. The average carpet rate for Thane ranges from Rs 8000 to Rs 25000 per sq ft, while that of Navi Mumbai ranges from Rs 12000 to Rs 30000 per sq ft.

Projects by ace property developers such as Lodha, Dosti, Piramal, Hiranandani, and Puraniks are among the most popular in Thane. Projects like Lodha Amara, Piramal Vaikunth, Lodha Sterling, Dosti West, Puraniks Unicorn, etc. see strong demand among Homebuyers in Thane.

Projects of Arihant Superstructures, Sai Developers, IndiaBulls, Godrej, Marathon, and Paradise Group are among the most popular in Navi Mumbai. L&T Seawoods, Marathon Nexzone, Arihant Aspire, Adhiraj Mainland, Godrej Hills, Paradise Suncity, etc are among the hot-selling residential projects of Navi Mumbai.

Thane and Navi Mumbai have sufficient choices of residential apartments and sub-locations to be explored. Thus, one should have a clear understanding of all the parameters of the residential project they're looking for and the location in which it is situated.

Dwello's website provides a lot of information about both of these regions as well as each residential project of the respective regions. In need of a better understanding, we recommend you to visit our website or alternatively contact us.