I am a master in India

Chapter 397 Integrated Business District
Mumbai has become more crowded, with even the wide seafront promenade experiencing traffic jams.

No wonder Rahul often complained to Ron that there are only two ways for a congested city like Mumbai to function properly: either develop new land or make use of existing land.

In his view, the former option is the most suitable: expanding eastward to create a new Mumbai. Vast tracts of abandoned farmland, with sufficient water resources, a well-developed drainage system, and a public transportation system, can be transformed into vast new spaces.

As for the second method, Rahul said it is still under investigation.

This approach involves repurposing existing land, such as factories in the Parel area or the back docks of Mumbai Port, to better suit Mumbai's current needs.

For example, schools, hospitals, theaters, and parks can be built in large industrial parks to make up for the inherent deficiencies of industrial areas.

Just like the Sur campus now, it has comprehensive functions. It has always been his masterpiece, and he personally designed this modern campus that is now a model for India.

Countless officials have visited this place, including presidents and prime ministers from other countries, and they have all praised it highly.

Thanks to the reputation of Sur Park, Rahul is now a consultant for urban planning in Mumbai.

In his opinion, there were not many ways to transform Mumbai, but perhaps the land under the railway authority could be fully utilized.

The railway line has become a major area for illegal construction in slums, which is why some local bullies can encroach on public space without any shame.

Currently, government-employed planners are trying to transform Mumbai into a "multi-core city," which means gradually expanding the business district beyond South Mumbai to other areas such as Bandra-Kulla, Antares, or Oshwara.

But the most likely place in Mumbai to find new space is its old factory area. Fifty-two factories occupy more than 400 acres of land in southern Mumbai, of which only a few are still in operation.

Scattered throughout the factory area are towering, colorful postmodern buildings, with banana trees or narrow roads in front of them, which seem out of place amidst the rolling factory rooftops and two-story dormitory buildings.

These postmodern buildings are mostly luxury apartments, and the factory area that once employed millions of people now only houses a few thousand.

Rahul visited one of the buildings and noticed first the designer's mediocre imagination, unchanged over the years: disproportionately large windows in cramped rooms, utterly impractical in a tropical country where people shun the scorching sun.

The workers still hope the factory will resume operations; they do not believe that Mumbai's era as an industrial center is over.

The government then drafted a plan for the factory to convert one-third of the old factory buildings into affordable housing for low-income or laid-off workers.

Factory owners are allowed to sell another third of their factory buildings as residential or commercial land, with a portion of the proceeds reinvested in the modernization of the factory buildings.

The last third of the factory buildings were nationalized and re-tendered as public land.

The payrolls of these factories still list the names of 40,000 workers. The factory managers are eager for the workers to retire or die as soon as possible, while the workers say that the land for the factories was allocated by the government to increase employment and that the factory managers should not have the authority to decide whether to sell it.

Workers who voluntarily retire quickly spend their pensions of less than 20,000 rupees, and then either become rickshaw drivers, alcoholics, or work for gangsters.

Beyond the larger framework, Rahul has a series of smaller steps that he calls “micro-measures.”

Rahul believes that if private companies want to reap returns in Mumbai, they should assume corresponding obligations, such as investing in the city's beautification projects.

The Citizens' Charter also clearly defines the responsibilities that the local government should fulfill towards its citizens, so both parties can refer to the Charter to better communicate and negotiate.

But what Rahul most wants is a "holistic" city plan for Mumbai, which the current plan falls far short of, as evidenced by how the overpass issue is being addressed.

Shiva's army built 55 skybridges in Mumbai in an attempt to divert crowds and alleviate the city's traffic congestion.

It should be noted that an overpass is just a simple passageway built over traffic lights, but it sounds amazing: an overpass!

Whether these access routes have improved traffic in Mumbai is a matter of opinion.

Most of the 55 overpasses are located in the suburbs, while there are no new bridges to build in the city center. So in his view, the so-called overpasses are nothing more than allowing you to reach the next congested section of the road more quickly.

In his view, Mumbai is incapable of self-governance and lacks adaptability. It was once built on the textile industry, but over time, it needs to be rebuilt on other materials, such as information.

The older generation finds it hard to accept the reality that such a large city, with five million jobs, is built on abstract concepts like information—not physical paper, but fleeting characters on a computer screen.

The working class, representing a segment of the population, remained stuck in a 19th-century mindset. They held demonstrations and protests against the encroachment of the new economy.

What they failed to see was that for the city to thrive, its economic focus must shift from tangible, tangible things like fabrics, leather, and automobiles to virtual images that can only be processed by the mind and the unstoppable rise of cross-border e-commerce.

Mumbai must change. It can no longer rely on selling physical labor and producing goods by hand. It must rely on selling intellectual labor, spreading ideas, data, and dreams.

In order to achieve the latter, its external structure must also change, and people's workplaces have to be changed from factories to offices.

Even modern entities like Suer Electric are located in the northern part of Mumbai, rather than crammed into the congested southern part of Mumbai.

Just as Rahul was figuring out how to demolish the 400 acres of old factory land, Ron came knocking on his door, drawn by the smell.

"You mean you want those four hundred acres of land?"

"That's right, I have a lot of ideas."

“Wait a minute, buddy, South Mumbai isn’t a good place to build another factory. Your Suer Electric is already big enough,” Rahul advised him.

"Who said I was going to build a factory?" Ron asked, puzzled. "Huh? You weren't doing this for Suer Electric Appliances?"

"No, one Suer Electric Appliances store is enough for Mumbai. My idea is a modern commercial district!"

Snap! Ron slammed a project proposal in front of him.

Upon hearing about the actions taken at the Mabang City Hall, he didn't even visit his pregnant daughters, Nia and Laju, but instead rushed to see Rahul.

“Wow, that’s a big investment,” Rahul exclaimed. “You’re planning to create an information-driven business district?”

"Yes, the information industry is the future. Silicon Valley is the best example. There are countless Indian engineers there. Eventually, some of them will return to their home country, and I will provide them with an international office environment, just like in the United States."

"So this time you're not starting your own IT company, but rather getting into real estate?" Rahul asked, intrigued.

"Hmm, I will provide them with modern office buildings, luxury apartments, cafes, parks, five-star hotels, and India's most international office environment."

Ron has great ambitions and his vision is much higher than before.

He knew that software companies would become a new force in the Indian economy, and that the information industry would create a large number of millionaires.

But he doesn't plan to start his own software company; he doesn't have the energy, talent, or experience.

He had bigger ambitions; he wanted to create a modern, integrated commercial district.

Those office buildings will be rented to emerging software companies or other multinational corporations, where the white-collar elites will work and their consumption levels will be close to those of the West.

At this point, coffee shops, luxury apartments, bars, and five-star hotels become the appropriate places to spend money.

The software company may make money, but its property management company will definitely not lose money.

The rental income is guaranteed regardless of drought or flood. In a place like Mumbai, there's no need to worry about office buildings being vacant.

His businesses include a travel information company, a travel agency, a five-star hotel in Varanasi, and luxury apartments in Lucknow.
Ron plans to integrate these businesses into a group, such as Suer Hotels & Resorts or Suer Properties.

The group will also launch several sub-brands, such as naming five-star hotels the Sunshine Series, apartments the Cloud Series, and office buildings the Dawn Series.
Yes, both the goddess of dawn and the goddess of clouds are wives of the sun god.

“Sunshine Hotel,” Rahul muttered as he looked at the planning document.

"Let me make this clear first, this isn't something I did on a whim. There's already a five-star hotel in Varanasi called Sunshine Hotel, which will open early next year."

“I didn’t expect your business to have grown so big,” Rahul exclaimed in amazement.

"It's just taken shape, and it might be another year or two before it becomes a full-fledged group," Ron said with some pride.

“The idea is good, but it’s hard to pull off,” Rahul said, pouring cold water on the idea.

"what?"

"Too many people are eyeing those 400 acres, including Tata and Reliance. Also, the relocation of the Indigenous residents is a huge problem; who knows what price they'll ask for?"

Mumbai people are cunning. No matter where you come from, if you stay here long enough, you will become shrewd and cunning.

Some holdouts in slums, despite having the means to buy apartments, still refuse to leave.

Their goal is to make a fortune during demolition and relocation, especially in South Mumbai where land prices are high.

If we want to acquire this large area of ​​land, the demolition costs alone could be shockingly high.

"Is there really no way?" Ron persisted.

"Let me assure you, the city hall only has real authority over less than half of the land. With your abilities, if you can find a way, you can get about 100 acres."

"One hundred acres it is, I'll go and negotiate."

Ron wanted to build a super-large integrated commercial district, but his dream was shattered before it even began.

One hundred acres of land can be used to build a miniature commercial district, with a few office buildings, a five-star hotel, and luxury apartments.

The park is probably out of the question; it might be better to replace it with other scattered commercial facilities.

It would be difficult to develop large-scale international communities in Mumbai and New Delhi, as both metropolitan areas face land shortages.

Ron then turned his gaze south; Chennai and Bangalore seemed like good options.

Bangalore, in particular, is in the early stages of development and offers many opportunities.

(End of this chapter)