How Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Advanced advanced into a way of life and cultural hotspot

Until a couple of years in the past, it was inconceivable to string a sentence with the phrases Bandra Kurla Advanced (BKC), buying and artwork. All that there was had been tall, swanky workplace buildings. However now, the area has reinvented itself. We wander previous the Jio World Drive in BKC, the place we see giant scale artwork installations unfold throughout the flooring, eating places resembling Cou Cou, Someplace Else and The Nutcracker, and high-end manufacturers resembling Calvin Klein, Emporio Armani, Kama Ayurveda, Onitsuka Tiger, Muji and extra.

Simply over a decade in the past, BKC was not seen as something greater than a enterprise hub. There was the occasional go to to Yauatcha, the Chinese language dim sum teahouse for its delectable truffle edamame dumplings or to Sofitel Mumbai for its five-star setting. Right now, it’s attainable to spend a complete day right here — one can make amends for a dose of artwork and tradition on the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, store for high-end clothes, equipment and sweetness manufacturers at Jio World Drive and watch a film at its rooftop drive-in theatre, drop by for a cup of espresso on the nation’s first Pret-E-Manger (UK-based espresso and sandwich chain) and wind up with dinner and drinks at any of the quite a few upscale bars and eating places which have cropped up with within the premises, which is unfold over 370 hectares..

As soon as a marshy space between Bandra and Kurla, subsequent to the Mithi River, BKC was constructed as a deliberate enterprise hub by the Mumbai Metropolitan Area Improvement Authority (MMRDA) to alleviate site visitors congestion in South Mumbai in 1977. Occupied by Authorities establishments and public sector banks within the ‘90s, the appearance of the brand new millennium noticed the opening of the Bharat Diamond Bourse — the world’s largest diamond trade — and a slew of consulates of various nations just like the UK, Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands shifting to BKC. “One other feather within the cap for BKC was the shifting of the American consulate from Breach Sweet,” shares Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Property Consultants, an actual property providers firm. .

In the previous few years, Anuj informs, BKC has grow to be one of the vital premium workplace districts within the nation with common rents of workplace buildings touching ₹285 per sq. foot per thirty days. “As well as, BKC has not solely seen a number of the high-end luxurious residential initiatives being constructed right here but additionally a couple of 5 star motels, faculties, hospitals, and a high-end mall. Lately, Apple Inc. established its first flagship retailer within the nation at BKC,” he states.

BFSI corporations resembling Financial institution of America, ICBC, and Citibank established their base in BKC, pharma corporations like Abbott and Novartis took up workplace area and in latest occasions, new-age corporations resembling Google, Fb, Dream 11, and Netflix have additionally established workplaces within the space.

In 2011, KA Hospitality grew to become one of many first hospitality teams to open a standalone restaurant within the space, particularly Yauatcha, opening up BKC’s potential for the burgeoning F&B market seen at the moment. Karyna Bajaj, former govt director of the group, credit her father, the late Kishor Bajaj for recognising the potential of the world despite the challenges.

“Whereas it was developed when it comes to roads, it was not but seen as a spot for an experiential eating ,” says Bajaj. Getting the dimensions they wished for his or her restaurant (Yauatcha is unfold over 13,000 sq. ft), accessibility attributable to its central location and affordable actual property charges on the time, helped expedite their resolution. 

Dubai’s luxurious eating restaurant Trésind opened its maiden Indian outpost in BKC in 2019. A few of the different F&B choices embrace Butterfly Excessive, O Pedro, Kyma, Amazonia, Gateway Taproom, Masala Library, Blah, Kitchen Backyard, Midday, Taftoon, Soda Bottle Openerwala and Capital Social amongst others.   

One of the thrilling launches in BKC is that of Chef Manish Mehrotra’s famed Delhi-based restaurant Indian Accent which opened its doorways on the NMACC earlier this month. Amadeo by Oberoi, providing Japanese, Chinese language, Italian and Indian cuisines, is one other latest entrant at NMACC.

Amongst upcoming F&B choices is restaurateur Pawan Shahri’s Mexican-European idea unfold over 4,400 sq. ft and Chef Amninder Sandhu’s Indian regional delicacies restaurant, Bawri which lately opened its doorways in Goa.   

Quite a few components have contributed to this spurt of progress within the space. Anuj lists out a couple of — central location; enchancment in bodily infrastructure resembling roads and transportation; its prominence as a notable monetary hub drawing a number of giant monetary establishments, banks, and company workplaces; vital actual property growth; improved social infrastructure resembling parks, leisure locations, faculties, hospitals and evolution right into a cultural and social hub with artwork galleries, exhibition centres, and efficiency venues.

Whereas the Kala Ghoda space in South Mumbai with its a number of efficiency venues continues to stay the artwork district of the town, the opening of the multi-disciplinary NMACC contained in the Jio World Centre has ensured that Mumbaikars staying within the suburbs don’t have to journey all the way in which to SoBo to get their dose of artwork and tradition.

“The presence of locations like Jio World Drive and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre have supplied the much-needed lacking hyperlink in reworking BKC right into a 360-degree vacation spot and making it self-sufficient. As a result of above locations, BKC has come even nearer to changing into an entire metropolis in itself. These components have led to elevated demand for workplaces, housing, and retail and in flip, led to the rise within the costs of all asset courses,” Anuj provides.

Based on a Reuters report, the upcoming Jio World Plaza by Reliance can be a luxurious mall which can see the presence of a minimum of 30 manufacturers resembling Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Dior, Hermes, Cartier and Versace amongst others. “BKC is properly on its technique to changing into a hotspot for tradition, meals and style ,” concludes Anuj Puri.