1- Land, land and more land:
With an area of 27 square kilometres, the Thane-Belapur belt is one of the largest industrial zones in India. Most industries here have moved out, leaving behind huge plots of prime land. That’s big considering that business districts like the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) & peripheral markets are running out of space. In fact, nearly 350 acres is already under active development.

2- Affordable office rentals:
It is cheaper to operate here than in other districts, with average office rentals at about Rs. 44 per sq. feet compared to Rs 300 sq. feet in BKC and over Rs 100 per sq. feet along the Western Express Highway. Experts say rentals here will rise over the next few years as more companies enter the region.

3- Connectivity is king:
It is connected to residential pockets in the eastern suburbs, including Kalyan & Dombivali, giving companies access to large talent pools. Its road and rail network also allow for stress-free commuting for people travelling to and from work. And connectivity here will only become better once the Navi Mumbai International airport comes up.

4- Rub shoulders with the biggies:
Big name developers like K Raheja Corp, The Wadhwa Group and Haware are developing office spaces here with nearly 2 million sq. feet of ‘Grade-A’ office space ready. Top corporates have already given their seal of approval with Accenture, Wipro, L&T Infotech, Siemens and TCS operating in the region.

5– Govt plans higher FSI:
The Maharashtra government is serious about building Thane-Belapur up as an IT hub and plans to increase FSI for IT companies from the existing 2 to 3. That means serious incentive for developers to build bigger & better office spaces in the region.

Ashwini Priolker, Reporter, NDTV