by datta Nighut 
The Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) also known as the “Third Mumbai,” has an impact on the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) as a game-changing urban center. This smart city and planned satellite to Mumbai and Navi Mumbai is taking shape near the soon-to-be-built Navi Mumbai International Airport. Its main goals are to limit uncontrolled urban growth and encourage sustainable development. Thanks to its prime location and bold plans, NAINA aims to become India’s hub for science and data pushing forward new ideas and boosting the economy.
A Vision for Planned Urbanization
Covering about 371 square kilometers and including 174 villages, NAINA aims to stop the messy urban growth seen in other parts of the MMR. The City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) leads the project under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act 1966. This ensures a structured approach through 12 Town Planning Schemes (TPS). These schemes aim to create fair and long-lasting growth blending living areas, business spaces, and industrial zones with up-to-date facilities.
The project’s main goal is to build a self-supporting city system that goes beyond what Mumbai and Navi Mumbai have done. NAINA will have homes, business areas, schools, hospitals, and research centers. All of these are meant to make life better for people living there and to bring in companies from around the world.
Boosting Connectivity with Mega Infrastructure
NAINA’s growth is closely linked to significant infrastructure initiatives improving connectivity in the region, namely the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link – MTHL) opened in January 2024 which has decreased south-north travel time from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. The 22-km sea bridge has now narrowed the journey from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai to NAINA down to 25 minutes, which is desirable for business and commuters.
Other noteworthy projects include the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is expected to open in mid-April 2025, and the Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor which is a 126-km corridor that is expected to be completed by 2027. The Panvel-Karjat rail corridor, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2025, will also help de-congest the suburban trains and to connect to NAINA region. Together, these projects are expected to drive real estate demand and economic activity in the region.
India’s Science and Data Capital
What sets NAINA apart is its ambition to become India’s science and data capital. The Maharashtra government’s Green Integrated Data Centre Park Policy aims to establish NAINA and the MMR as a hub for 1.5 gigawatts of clean energy-powered data centers, attracting investments of nearly $20 billion. These mega-scale data centers will store vast amounts of generative AI data, transactional data, IoT big data, and digital public goods, positioning NAINA as a global competitor, particularly against China’s data infrastructure.
India, the world’s second-largest internet user base, currently lacks sufficient data center capacity, with less than 2,000 megawatts available. Much of the country’s data is managed by foreign companies, raising concerns about data security and sovereignty. NAINA’s coastal climate, uninterrupted power supply, and pre-planned digital infrastructure make it an ideal location for data centers. The proposed Bharat Science and Technology Data Cloud, potentially operated by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), could further secure India’s scientific data, fostering innovation in AI and other cutting-edge fields.
Challenges and Community Concerns
While NAINA has the potential to be the “New Pune” or a smart, sustainable city, it has been impeded by delays and challenges from Local communities. NAINA’s original size – 600 Square Kilometers – has been reduced to 371 SQ. Km., primarily due to protests over land acquisition payments and land use for development purposes. The agricultural community in NAINA has demanded higher compensation payments for acquisition and a larger share of the developed land under the CIDCO land pooling scheme. CIDCO has attempted to address this issue through surveys to issue notices against illegal constructions and help mitigate displacement while providing development that includes transparency.
Whole communities of Urban Planners are advocating the provision of affordable housing to minimize the disconnection that occurs as economic development continues. Building projects, development costs and high development charges of NAINA may prevent access to new housing and reduce housing affordability. There are also calls for new policies and programs to promote affordable housing, like Community Land Reserves (CLR), that prioritizes affordable housing around transit grids and development lines.
A Golden Opportunity for India
NAINA represents an incredible chance for India as a dedicated data hub and to take its AI aspirations to the next level. NAINA will be a game changer with its unique combination of location, infrastructure and sustainability with the potential to redefine urban living in a way unprecedented in India. As Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated at Mumbai Tech Week 2025, “Mumbai will always be a business capital, but NAINA [will be] the next big business magnet.”
As this project moves forward, we will have to see how CIDCO ushers in rapid implementation with the cooperation of local communities. Recently, the tenders totaling ₹6414 crores in infrastructure development have already been floated for NAINA. This project is well on its way to achieving its goals for smart, sustainable, and tech-loaded urbanization within India.
What do you think about NAINA’s potential to change the MMR and the technological landscape of India? Let us know in the comments below!
