South India–based real estate developer has re-entered the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), aligning its next phase of expansion with the airport-led development corridor taking shape around Navi Mumbai. The move is anchored in the planning framework of the (NAINA), which is rolling out town planning schemes to regulate growth in the areas surrounding the upcoming airport.
The re-entry comes at a time when Navi Mumbai is transitioning from peripheral expansion to structured, infrastructure-first urbanisation. Under the NAINA framework, zoning norms, road networks, utilities, amenity reservations and development phasing are being defined upfront, a shift that urban planners say marks a departure from the fragmented growth that has historically characterised large parts of MMR. NAINA’s town planning schemes are emerging as the primary trigger for developer re-engagement in the airport influence zone. By sequencing infrastructure delivery ahead of density, the framework is reducing regulatory uncertainty and enabling scale-driven, contiguous development.
Industry observers note that this clarity is particularly significant for developers with long development horizons, as it allows projects to be planned in alignment with transport capacity, utilities and social infrastructure, rather than responding to constraints after construction begins. At the centre of the corridor is the , one of India’s largest greenfield infrastructure projects. The airport is expected to become operational in phases and, once fully developed, handle up to 90 million passengers annually. More than a transport facility, it is being positioned as a long-term economic anchor for the region.
Public investment running into tens of thousands of crores is being deployed across the airport influence zone through expressways, arterial road networks, metro rail connectivity, utilities, logistics infrastructure and planned social and economic clusters, including IT and commercial parks. These investments are being coordinated within the NAINA planning framework to ensure that mobility and services scale alongside urban growth. Olive Group, which has a presence across Kerala, Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu, brings over 42 years of development experience to the region. The company has completed more than 47 lakh sq. ft. of residential and hospitality projects and has a future pipeline exceeding one crore sq. ft., with MMR now identified as a key growth geography.
The developer has indicated plans to develop around 50 lakh sq. ft. in the airport influence zone over the next five years. The expansion is expected to be executed through a mix of new residential developments and joint ventures, with launches calibrated to infrastructure readiness, regulatory approvals and market absorption. Urban Acres analysis suggests that the current phase of Navi Mumbai’s growth is less cyclical and more structural. Unlike earlier expansion waves driven largely by pricing arbitrage, the airport corridor is being shaped by public capital expenditure, statutory planning frameworks and long-term employment generation. For developers, this alters the nature of participation in the market. The focus shifts from short-term inventory absorption to city-scale planning, where housing, mobility, work access and community infrastructure must function as an integrated system. With NAINA accelerating planning approvals and infrastructure execution gaining pace around the airport, Navi Mumbai is emerging as one of the most closely watched urban experiments in the country. The corridor’s success will depend on how effectively planning intent translates into on-ground delivery over the next decade.
Olive Group’s return to MMR reflects growing confidence among experienced developers that the airport influence zone is no longer speculative but structurally ready for long-horizon development. As more projects align with the NAINA framework, the region is poised to play a defining role in shaping the next phase of Mumbai’s metropolitan expansion.
Airport-Led Planning Draws Olive Group Back to MMR as NAINA Corridor Gains Momentum
