Maharashtra is known to have the biggest economy in India with a gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Rs.16.87 lakh crore. It contributes to 13% of the national industrial input with some of the major industries of the country such as the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, automobiles, electronics, textile, food processing, heavy chemicals and plastic are based. Maharashtra is well-known due to its high production of automobiles, synthetic fibres, industrial alcohol and cold-rolled products. Many companies have rented out warehouses as an inventory to manufacture their products. Mumbai is the centre for industrialisation and you will find the best warehouses in Bhiwandi.
Bhiwandi lies 40 kilometers from Mumbai city in Thane district. It has garnered the title of warehouse hub, where thousands of industrial and retail goods are dispatched to consumers in the financial capital of the country. Bhiwandi was once renowned for its power looms but has now grown into a warehouse hotspot for major e-commerce brands like Flipkart, Amazon, Pepperfry and Myntra, Pharma Companies like Cipla, Abbot, Wockhardt, Novartis Consumer goods companies like Pidilite, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, etc Retailers like Dmart, Big Bazaar, etc. conglomerate like Tata, Reliance and Godrej that lure in blue-chip investors, who want to be a part of the booming economy. According to a recent report, it was found that Bhiwandi has up to 25.7 million sq. ft space for warehouses. Out of this land, only 3.2 million sq. ft are considered to be of Grade A quality that goes on to offer ideal surroundings for production, which in turn prompts the best Bhiwandi services.
In the past 15-20 years, Bhiwandi has attained popularity in the logistics sector mainly due to:
- Bhiwandi has India’s Biggest Transport Hub
- Bhiwandi is situated near the border of Maharashtra and Gujarat which makes it easier to ship products on a vast scale
- It is close proximity to the International Airport of Mumbai, IGPT and JNPT
- Availability of labour and facilities like electricity, street lights, drainage system, water supply, roads and telephone exchange
- Good connectivity with the resources and city
- Rates for land and Rentals are low
This is how the best warehouses in Bhiwandi help in carrying out functions, which boost the efficiency to the maximum level:
- Companies that buy the warehouses or rent them on lease and operate the logistic functions themselves or outsource the tasks to the third party
- Warehouses with the 3PL operating machines to enhance custom clearance, transportation and distribution of the products in a systematic manner
- New warehouses are practical for use as they have good height, ramps and materials that ease the process of storing goods and inventory
Huge options of warehouse available from 2000 to 500000 sq.ft under 1 roof and BTS from 5000 sq.ft to 40 lacs can be done in Bhiwandi.
Manage Spaces are known for their vast knowledge of properties that support the reach of warehouses and provide the best Bhiwandi services through them.
The companies have bought the warehouses or taken on lease and do the logistics operation themselves or outsourced the responsibility of the logistics activity and warehouse operation to the Third Party.
The companies do not own or take the warehouses on lease but availing the facilities of 3rd Party Logistics Service Provider for the same. 3PL operators assist in custom clearance, transportation of containers to the warehouse, storage of material inside the warehouse and distribution as per the direction given by the company.
Among firms actively looking to invest in the region are global commercial developers, including e-Shang Redwood (ESR), IndoSpace and Ascendas-Singbridge, and Bengaluru-based Embassy Group. Warburg Pincus-backed logistics developer ESR is all set to sign two large land deals in Bhiwandi, ESR India’s co-CEO Abhijit Malkani said. The company plans to build industrial parks focused on warehousing for retailers and e-commerce firms. If signed, ESR will become the first global institutional developer to enter the region.
According to Malkani, there is a massive demand-supply gap in the region due to a lack of good quality space. “We are putting a lot of focus on Bhiwandi… Interest in the area has picked up in the past one-two years. Bhiwandi’s landscape will change with organized, institutional players coming in.”
“Bhiwandi intersects Mumbai right through the middle. This is a location, where, if you have a distribution hub, you can reach both north and south Mumbai with equal ease,” said Chandranath Dey, senior vice president, head-industrial consulting, JLL India.
He added that the vacancy level at Bhiwandi’s warehouses is as low as 1-2%.
However, a recent change in local laws, allowing developers to hold over 50 acres to get special approvals under the integrated industrial area policy, has attracted large global players. “Mumbai is a major consumption centre in India. There is no other location in Mumbai, which can service the scale of warehousing requirements like the way Bhiwandi can,” said Anshul Singhal, chief executive officer, Embassy Industrial Parks.
Amazon and Flipkart have been operating in the area for five-six years. While Amazon has five fulfillment centres in Bhiwandi, spread across 1 million sq. ft., Flipkart’s facility is around 3 million sq. ft.
With around 4,500 employees, Flipkart’s Bhiwandi facility is the largest in the western region.
“In the six years of operation, the facility has grown in line with the scaling of our business and the increased adoption of e-commerce in India,” said a Flipkart spokesperson.
