Mumbai, India's financial capital and a port city on its west coast, boasts of the highest concentration of skyscrapers in South Asia, unbeatable by a huge margin.
But did you know that the skyline of Mumbai, now dotted by skyscrapers was once dominated by mill chimneys?
Once dubbed the ‘Manchester of the East’, Mumbai had a thriving textile mill industry. Old-timers would be able to recall how during a drive down Senapati Bapat Marg from Mahim, the sight of distant chimneys spewing out smoke would signal the arrival of the busy city centres of Dadar, Parel, Lower Parel, Mahalaxmi and Byculla.
By the late 20th century, many of Mumbai's mills were plagued with problems including financial losses, high operational costs, stiff competition and labour disputes, following which some of the mills got classified as ‘Sick Mills’ under the Sick Industrial Companies Act of 1985.
The National Textile Corporation (NTC) was established in 1968 by the Indian government to manage such sick textile mills taken over by the government. NTC took over numerous mills across Mumbai, but as the mills remained unviable, they were auctioned by the NTC to private players.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at 7 of these plots and how they were turned into impressive skyscrapers at a scale no one could fathom in the mill closure era. Swipe across the image of each erstwhile mill plot to reveal the present era.
1. Shreenivas Cotton Mill, Lower Parel (now Lodha Place)


Lodha Group acquired the 17.41-acre Shreenivas Cotton Mill land in 2003. The land consisted of two plots divided by Senapati Bapat Marg - plot A to west, measuring 16.37 acres and plot B to the east, measuring 1.04 acres. Plot B got redeveloped into Lodha Supremus, a G+16 floor office building. Plot A was destined to a different fate altogether - one that aspired to reach heights that the world had not seen before.


The Lodha Place development consists of a residential complex named The World Towers, and a G+40-storeyed commercial skyscraper named One Lodha Place. The World Towers features 3 skyscrapers - World Crest, World One and World View, at G+58, G+77 and G+78 floors respectively. On its announcement in 2010, World One was touted to be the tallest residential skyscraper in the world at 117 floors upon completion, but got truncated as it failed to secure height approvals.
2. Mumbai Textile Mill, Lower Parel (now Lodha Park)


Formerly Seksaria Mills, the 16.2 acre Mumbai Textile Mill was auctioned by National Textile Corporation to Gurugram-based DLF for ₹702.2 crore in 2005. DLF had plans of building a retail mall or commercial towers or a residential tower on the land, before finally selling the said land to Lodha Group for nearly four times the cost price at ₹2725 crore.


The mill plot got transformed into a cluster of 6 humongous residential skyscrapers - Allura, Parkside, Marquise, Trump Tower Mumbai, Kiara and Adrina, and a row of 12 luxury townhouses named Lodha Maison, collectively referred to as the Lodha Park complex. The skyscrapers and townhouses sit atop a 7-level landscaped podium. Some part of the mill land is also redeveloped into a commercial component of G+10 floor office buildings, named Lodha Signet.
3. New Great Eastern Spinning And Weaving Mills, Byculla (now Salsette 27)


The New Great Eastern Spinning and Weaving Mill plot was acquired by Peninsula Land in 2013 for a price of around ₹600 crore. The mill's chimney was a relic in its own right, an unmissable sight from the Lalbaug Flyover. The chimney and the remnants of the mill were brought down in 2016.

The 5-acre mill plot is now home to Salsette 27, a twin G+70 storeyed residential skyscraper project, where 27 stands for the PIN code of Byculla (400027). Salsette 27 is oddly named as it is located in the island city and falls nowhere on Salsette Island. The project boasts the distinction of having the widest gap between towers among all twin tower projects in Mumbai at 84 metres.
4. Bharat and Podar Mill, Worli (now Indiabulls Blu)


In 2010, Indiabulls Real Estate had acquired the 2.39 acre Podar Mill plot for ₹474 crore. A week later, it also bagged the 8.38 acre Bharat Mill plot adjacent to Podar Mill by emerging as the highest bidder in the auction by NTC at ₹1505 crore, outbidding Lodha Group by a mere ₹2 crore.

The 10.76 acre combined plot saw the development of probably the swankiest residential skyscrapers in the city. 4 glossy glass-clad skyscrapers in the Indiabulls Blu complex are constructed on a tiny percentage of the total plot area. With the rest of the plot featuring amenities and lawns, the project promises an oasis of luxury in the middle of the bustling city.
5. Mafatlal Mill No. 1, Byculla (now Piramal Aranya)


The 14.38 acres plot where Mafatlal Mill No. 1 stood was leased to Sassoon Spinning and Weaving Company Limited (now Mafatlal Industries Limited) from 1st September 1913 for a period of 99 years, effective from 1st September 1913. This land was reserved for the extension of Veer Jijamata Udyan (Rani Baug) on the expiry of the lease in August 2012 as per D.P. plan of 1966-67. Mafatlal Industries Limited was subsequently allowed to keep 50% of the land after it surrendered 50% (6.74 acres) for the expansion of Veer Jijamata Udyan in 2004.

Piramal Aranya is built on the remaining 7.64 acres of the plot, which was sold to Gliders Buildcon Realtors, a part of the Ajay Piramal group in 2011 for ₹605 crore. The project features 3 residential skyscrapers - Arav, Avyan and Ahan, all offering swooping panoramic views of the harbour and Rani Baug. Arav tower recently achieved the status of the third tallest skyscraper in the city.
6. New Islam Mills, Parel (now One Avighna Park)


The mill was originally set up in 1867 as Albert Mills. It changed ownership as well as names multiple times till it was rechristened as New Islam Mills in 1903. The mill shut down in 1935 and thereafter functioned as a paper warehouse.
The mill compound and the adjoining Hajee Kassam Chawl, a land totalling 6.5 acres was taken up for redevelopment by Nish Developers. Original tenants of the land were first rehabilitated in two G+23-storeyed buildings constructed on the same plot before commencing the demolition of the chawl to pave way for the Avighna Estate development, where One Avighna Park now stands.

One Avighna Park is distinguished by a huge curved floor plate consisting of two conjoined wings of G+61 floors stretching more than 100 metres wide. Combined with a height of 247.40 metres, these proportions make One Avighna Park an intimidating sight to look at from Currey Road railway overbridge. It commenced construction in 2010 in a wing-by-wing fashion. Originally intended to reach G+65 floors, construction halted for over 3 years before finally receiving clearance from the BMC in 2016 for G+61 floors, 4 floors lesser than the original plan.
7. Khatau Makanji Spinning and Weaving Mills, Byculla (now Monte South)


Khatau Makanji Spinning and Weaving Company Limited, owner of the 12.46-acre Khatau Mills, was declared a sick industrial company in 1989. The mill was proposed to be relocated to a plot in Borivali after selling the Byculla land, which would have helped revive the company. Sunit Khatau, chairman of the mill, was brutally murdered in 1994 by vested interests opposing the transaction. Khatau mill subsequently closed down in 1997, and got sold to Swayam Realtors and Traders LLP (Marathon Group) in the mid-2000s. The new owners promised that only after mill workers’ dues get settled, the plot will see redevelopment.

👍👍👍 good article.
Phoenix Mills was first to experiment with bowling co and night club, hotels ( use of mill land for profit concept)
It’s kinda nostalgia, but the new city skyline through your lenses is making it’s new home in our heart😍such a detailed work🔥excitedly looking forward for your upcoming posts💃