Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project with a lot of fanfare, which is expected to begin its first phase of operations within a couple of months. The facility, built to handle 90 million passengers annually, as per the NMIA Report, will have a massive impact on the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) transport network. As of now, the Panvel area is going to be the biggest gainer of the development. So, the question that comes to one's intellect is: What will happen to Khopoli? Well, the answer is not far-fetched. Khopoli, which boasts of excellent expressway connectivity and an industrial base that keeps on expanding, is going to reap a lot of benefits from the regional growth that the airport will unlock.
CIDCO mentions that the NMIA will have the potential to cater to 60 million passengers a year in its first phase. The development of the airport's first phase will lead to the creation of jobs of a huge nature in the fields of aviation, logistics, hospitality, and allied services. Consequently, the locality of the airport will not be the only one that will witness a rise in the number of jobs. Better connectivity and reduced travel time within the greater MMR will also make the areas in the periphery suitable for living and working.
According to a recent JLL report, MMR was the hub of phenomenal real estate land transactions in 2024, with the most prominent single-plot acquisitions of 50 acres or more in the emerging micro-markets like Khalapur, Palghar, and Khopoli. This same piece of writing pinpoints that per-acre land prices have gone up significantly from about ₹11 crore in 2022 to ₹17 crore in 2024thus, pointing out that developers have started trusting Khopoli more.
Khopoli keeps on interesting leading developers. Arvind SmartSpaces has the vision to develop a 92-acre township whereas Lodha Group is bringing in its premium Lodha Plots Khopoli. Besides that area, big-term plotted projects like Godrej Hillview Estate, an 89-acre Godrej Properties initiative, are also coming up. NeoLiv is elevating the level of its presence in Khopoli with the help of two huge projects: a 17.5-acre premium plotted development and a 47-acre mixed-use villa and plotted community, both are geared to become the micro-market’s flagship offerings.
Mr. Mohit Malhotra, Founder & CEO, NeoLiv, shared, “The inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has infused a renewed thrust on the real estate landscape in the extended MMR region, with Khopoli emerging as a noteworthy beneficiary. While areas like Panvel and Ulwe will see immediate gains due to their direct proximity to the airport, Khopoli’s strategic location along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway positions it to benefit indirectly yet significantly from the broader regional development. Enhanced air connectivity will be a strong catalyst for economic growth, real estate development, and tourism in this belt. Khopoli's location along the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, combined with its proximity to steel plants, chemical hubs, and multiple manufacturing clusters, has reinforced its role as a key industrial and warehousing destination. As regional planning bodies push for outward expansion, demand for organized residential formats has begun to rise.”
The city is increasingly attracting a diverse mix of homebuyers. These include airport-connected professionals, employees in the logistics and manufacturing sectors, workers doing hybrid jobs, and middle-income families who are looking for an affordable housing option in Panvel and Ulwe. In addition to this, its eco-friendly surroundings are also luring second-home buyers who are in pursuit of a peaceful and nature-filled lifestyle.
Considering these changes in buyer preferences, Sam Chopra, President & CEO of eXp Realty India, said, “Rising demand for gated communities, plotted developments, and lifestyle-centric housing, including second homes signals a shift toward practical, future-ready living.”
There is a balance between affordability and aspirational lifestyle needs in the Khopoli area which lies at the base of the Sahyadri Mountains and continues to lure tourists in large numbers. With its waterfalls, trekking trails, and proximity to leisure destinations like Imagicaa and Khandala, the region is becoming popular not only as a residential hub but also as a micro-market for leisure. Therefore, the dual appeal of the asset class is allowing partners to expand their clientele: the end users and the investors.
With land for development getting limited in core MMR and the growth due to NMIA moving towards the east, Khopoli is going to be a charming, well-connected satellite city within the extended metropolitan footprint. Better connectivity, rising housing demand, and a combination of industrial strength and natural beauties are the factors that are gradually turning Khopoli from a conventional industrial pocket into a balanced urban node with long-term growth potential.
.png)