The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has unveiled an ambitious plan to reshape urban growth around India’s first bullet train route, with Thane and Virar set to emerge as major economic and multimodal hubs under a new initiative titled Project-SMART.

The programme focuses on integrated station area development along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.

Rather than limiting the project to rail connectivity alone, authorities are seeking to build “next-generation station cities” that combine transport infrastructure with commercial, residential and civic development.

To advance the blueprint, MMRDA convened a high-level strategy workshop at its Bandra-Kurla Complex headquarters.

Senior representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), Maharashtra State Town Planning and Valuation Department, Thane Municipal Corporation, Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation and experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) took part.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with MoHUA and JICA under an ongoing technical cooperation arrangement.