Navi Mumbai to host India's first 'educity' near NMIA, Cidco identifies 100-hectare site in Karanjade

Earlier planning references had linked Educity to Kundevahal village in the broader Panvel belt, but Cidco advanced the proposal with Karanjade as the preferred location, citing flatter terrain and faster infrastructure readiness.

Officials said the project would significantly reduce the need for Indian students to travel overseas for higher studies, with Indian students able to pursue foreign university education in Navi Mumbai at an estimated 25% to 30% lower cost than studying abroad.

Overall investment estimates for the township have been pegged at ₹20,000 crore to ₹25,000 crore.

The site is described as having strong connectivity to the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the Mumbai–Pune Expressway, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port logistics network, and upcoming metro and suburban rail systems, reinforcing its appeal as a strategic education hub near NMIA.

Cidco reportedly has completed around 85% of the required land acquisition, with preparatory work underway, including land levelling and removal of rock outcrops. The corporation has earmarked ₹890 crore for preparatory works and related development. Tenders include a ₹116.53 crore contract for a 1.1-km access road (30 to 45 metres wide) linking the site to the NH-4B Panvel–Uran–JNPT corridor.

Two MoUs worth ₹1,500 crore each were signed with the University of York and the University of Western Australia, taking anchor institutional commitments to ₹3,000 crore.

Cidco said six foreign universities had reached the agreement stage and signed MoUs and letters of intent with the University Grants Commission, signaling strong anchor interest. Institutions publicly linked to the proposal include the University of York, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Western Australia, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Istituto Europeo di Design, with interest from institutions across the UK, US, Australia and Europe.

The project is envisioned as a world-class knowledge township housing international university campuses, research centres, innovation hubs, student housing and allied infrastructure within a single master-planned zone. It is a key pillar of Cidco's airport influence area blueprint, which also includes Medicity, Aerocity and other growth districts around NMIA.

Cidco identified a 100-hectare parcel at Karanjade in Panvel, near the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), as the site for its flagship International Educity project. The site covers about 250 acres and lies within a three-to-four-kilometre radius of NMIA, with connectivity to NH-348 and the multimodal corridor.