by Deepak Sawant 
Airports in India are changing fast. They’re no longer just places where planes land and take off—they’re becoming destinations in their own right. And no one is betting bigger on that future than the Adani Group.
In the next few years, Adani Airports doesn’t just want to move passengers. It wants to move lifestyles, retail, and hospitality into the heart of its operations. In fact, by 2030, the group aims to earn 70% of its revenue from businesses that have nothing to do with airplanes—and just 30% from flights, tickets, and parking fees.
The Navi Mumbai Game-Changer
The centerpiece of this vision is the Navi Mumbai International Airport, set for its first flight in October 2025. But before a single plane takes off, Adani is already laying the foundations for something much bigger: an Airport City.
Spread over 50 acres in its first phase, the development will include:
- Five luxury hotels with a combined 1,000 rooms
- A high-end shopping mall with global brands
- Three corporate office towers
- Serviced apartments for long stays
- A walkable business district for work, leisure, and dining
This is a model inspired by airports in Amsterdam, Zurich, Sydney, and Singapore, where the terminal is just one part of a much larger urban hub.
Why This Is Possible
Mumbai’s existing airport faces tight rules on how surrounding land can be used, thanks to the Airports Authority of India Act. Navi Mumbai, however, is being built under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), with Adani holding the lease. That means far more freedom to decide what gets built—and how to make money from it.
A Blueprint for Other Cities
Adani already operates seven major airports across India, from Ahmedabad to Thiruvananthapuram. Many of them are in prime locations with booming tourism and business potential. If the Navi Mumbai experiment works, expect similar airport cities to rise across the country.
What This Means for Travellers and Investors
In the future, airports might be more than a stopover—they could be places where you spend an afternoon shopping, attend a business meeting, or even stay for a week without stepping on a plane. For investors, this marks a shift toward real estate-driven growth in aviation.
One thing is certain: for Adani, the runway to future profits lies outside the runway itself.
