According to a recent report by real estate consultancy firm Anarock, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is set to see a 34 percent rise in high-rise buildings over 40 floors by 2030.

Mumbai has 154 built skyscrapers taller than 40 stories as of 2023. According to Anarock's analysis, this number will significantly increase to 207 between 2024 and 2030. The building of these 207 towers is presently underway, with completion anticipated in the ensuing six years.

Anuj Puri, Chairman - of Anarock Group, said, “Skyscrapers are synonymous with Mumbai’s real estate landscape, and increasingly define it. Apart from its extreme shortage of developable land, the city’s towering urban aesthetic has become an apt symbol of its economic might.”

Considering the limited amount of land available, the city will probably continue to set the national standard for vertical building. As to the CBRE research, the city ranks 70th in the global financial centers' index and commands a 77% share of tall buildings in the Indian skyline. Mumbai's skyscraper boom remains unabated, despite other Indian cities seeing a pause in high-rise construction, particularly after COVID-19.

Mumbai Metropolitan region
Image Source: Quora

“Between 2019 and 2023, 154 high-rises with over 40 floors hit the MMR market; between 2024 and 2030, 207 more will be completed. These projects have already been launched across the region,” he said.

“Exponential population growth coupled with increased FSI limits over the last decade are among the main factors giving ‘rise’ to the number of skyscrapers in the region. Also, in 2019, the state government gave Mumbai’s beleaguered real estate market a major shot in the arm by reducing the FSI premium for all residential and commercial projects in the city for two years,” he added.

“Developers obviously welcomed this decision, as it reduced a significant input cost - the floor space premium - by up to 25% for residential buildings,” says Puri. “The decreased overall construction cost, coupled with high demand, prompted developers to launch more high-rises.” he further said.

With 103 buildings, South Central Mumbai has the most tall structures overall. Of them, 42 are expected to be finished by 2030, while 61 have already been completed. The core suburbs of Mumbai have 87 high-rises in total—42 of which are finished and 45 are still under development. There are 80 high-rise structures in the western suburbs; 30 are anticipated to be built in the next six years, and 50 have already been completed. Currently, around 61 high-rises in MMR have more than 60 floors each. Again, the South-Central Mumbai localities have the lion’s share of 28 towers.

“The tallest towers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are not just architectural marvels,” Mr Puri said. “They are also emblematic of a city always on the move. And of course, skyscrapers are really Maximum City’s only logical response for the need to balance growth with sustainability,” he added.

The nearby region of Thane, which has 61 buildings above 40 stories, has recently embraced the high-rise trend. Out of these, only two are finished, while the other fifty-nine are still being developed. Navi Mumbai has 25 towers total—10 completed and 15 under construction—that add to the total number of high-rises.

Areas like Byculla, Worli, Lower Parel, Prabhadevi, Mahalakshmi, Marine Lines, Mulund, Chembur, Kanjurmarg, Santacruz, Malad, Goregaon, and Thane city are mostly home to high-rise structures. Remarkably, there are already about 61 skyscrapers in the Mumbai area, each with more than 60 stories. The MMR comprises the twin districts of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban and parts of the neighboring districts of Thane, Palghar, and Raigad.

Urban sprawl presents several difficulties, such as dispersed government rules and inadequate institutional capacity. Cities continue to grow horizontally as more people relocate there, changing land usage and contributing to increased carbon emissions. With a staggering population density of approximately 21,000 people per square kilometer, Mumbai stands as the hub of tall buildings in India.

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