{"id":61518,"date":"2026-09-28T18:16:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T12:46:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/2026\/09\/28\/sushil-mohta-on-why-kolkata-is-the-next-big-real-estate-hotspot-from-saturated-metros-to-the-city-of-joy\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T18:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T12:46:17","slug":"sushil-mohta-on-why-kolkata-is-the-next-big-real-estate-hotspot-from-saturated-metros-to-the-city-of-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/2026\/09\/28\/sushil-mohta-on-why-kolkata-is-the-next-big-real-estate-hotspot-from-saturated-metros-to-the-city-of-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sushil Mohta on Why Kolkata is the Next Big real estate Hotspot: From Saturated Metros to the City of Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 28:<\/strong> The Indian real estate market has experienced a phenomenal resurgence following the pandemic, shifting from a period of cautious recovery into a powerful engine of national economic growth. This massive momentum has significantly elevated the sector\u2019s contribution to the country\u2019s GDP, firmly establishing it as a cornerstone of the broader macroeconomic landscape.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While major Indian metropolitan regions have historically dominated the property narrative, <strong>Kolkata is rapidly emerging as the nation\u2019s newest real estate hotspot<\/strong>, unlocking vast untapped potential.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crunchbase.com\/person\/sushil-mohta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Sushil Mohta<\/a>, Chairman of Merlin Group<\/strong>, analyzes the critical infrastructure developments and driving forces shaping Kolkata\u2019s real estate evolution.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Kolkata now<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">West Bengal, and Kolkata in particular, is at an inflection point. The state combines a large consumption base, a skilled workforce, and strategic connectivity to the Northeast and neighbouring countries with an under-leveraged real estate market relative to other metros.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kolkata\u2019s housing market is in its most transformative phase, with annual launches nearly doubling from <strong>9,194 units in 2021 to a record 17,164 in 2025<\/strong>, and sales climbing from <strong>7,183 to 14,195<\/strong> over the same period.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The East submarket now drives nearly a third of launches and sales, underlining how new infrastructure is redrawing demand geography. With the proposed abolition of the Urban Land Ceiling Act following the 2026 regime change, land availability is expected to improve further, unlocking new development opportunities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cKolkata is officially at the cusp of a historic real estate renaissance. After years of quiet preparation, the convergence of game-changing metro lines, structural land reforms, and a surging demand for premium spaces has created a perfect storm and things are about to get exponentially better for the city.\u201d<\/em> Feels <strong>Sushil Mohta<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Connectivity is the new real-estate mapmaker<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Connectivity acts as the primary driver for real estate appreciation, with metro expansions and transit corridors shaping the city\u2019s growth axis toward the East and North. The <strong>32-km Orange Line (New Garia\u2013Airport)<\/strong> is targeting full operationalisation by <strong>December 2026<\/strong> to strengthen micro-markets along the EM Bypass, Salt Lake, New Town, Rajarhat, and Sector V, while the <strong>Purple Line (Joka\u2013Esplanade)<\/strong> is expected to reform South-West to Central Kolkata connectivity around <strong>2028\u201329<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, the <strong>Yellow Line\u2019s airport station opened in August 2025<\/strong> with onward stretches planned through late 2026, and civil tendering for the <strong>Pink Line (Baranagar\u2013Barrackpore)<\/strong> positions northern localities as early beneficiaries of improved transit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to above, The <strong>Rajarhat\u2013New Town corridor and EM Bypass extension<\/strong> lead as the city\u2019s most active peripheral growth zones, experiencing high premium demand and a projected value re-rating ahead of the December 2026 Orange Line metro operationalisation deadline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Concurrently, the <strong>Diamond Harbour Road axis<\/strong> is transforming into a lifestyle-driven residential belt defined by large-parcel, township-scale, and resort-led developments. In the North Kolkata periphery, preparatory land-acquisition steps across nine mouzas in Nadia for the proposed <strong>2,000-acre Kalyani greenfield airport<\/strong> are laying the groundwork for rapid satellite-township expansion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecompanycheck.com\/people-profile\/sushil-kumar-mohta\/00627506\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Sushil Mohta believes<\/a><\/strong>, <em>\u201cFor years, Kolkata\u2019s real estate potential was the industry\u2019s best-kept secret. But with massive infrastructure breakthroughs, expected key policy reforms, and an undeniable shift in market momentum, the wait is officially over! <\/em>The<em> city is no longer just playing catch-up; it is ready to lead the national race.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What this means for investors and occupiers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kolkata is poised to join India\u2019s real-estate race as infrastructure finally catches up with its fundamentals. Residential demand is shifting toward larger, better-planned homes with lifestyle amenities in the East and South corridors, underpinned by metro operationalisation and township-scale supply.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With faster approvals, clearer titles, and a genuinely investor-friendly regulatory environment, Kolkata can move from potential to performance and take its place alongside India\u2019s leading real estate destinations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>If you object to the content of this press release, please notify us at pr.error.rectification@gmail.com. We will respond and rectify the situation within 24 hours.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 28: The Indian real estate market has experienced a phenomenal&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":61519,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[637],"class_list":["post-61518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rajasthanexpress.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}