Potential investors considering investing in the Mumbai Metropolitan region are in for a shock as the realty market around the MMR is competing with that of California, in the U.S. Added to the existing rush is the proposed metro rail project which is all set to catapult the market price further.

The illogical rise in prices of land — residential and office spaces — may act as a stumbling block for the growth according to the industry bodies and NRIs. Bankers too opine that such a scenario would prove to be counter-productive to the expected industrial eco-system.

The California-based NRI are put off by the mad realty rush. “This is a never-before-price and there is no logic behind it. When I make a realistic comparison, land around California is cheaper than the eastern Mumbai region. Investing here doesn’t make any business sense” they say.

While an acre near Livemore in California costs about Rs. 5.5 crore, the same stretch is priced at Rs.24 crore on the outskirts of Thane.

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is of the opinion that the development is definitely a setback for the potential investors. “Not a happy situation. Industrialists are expected to invest on machinery and other aspects besides land. The break-even period will be delayed significantly which may discourage potential investors,” he felt. On the other hand, the present situation is seen as once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the small and big real estate firms to make a quick buck. The government has banned conversion of agricultural land and named hundreds of illegal layouts to prevent price rise but it did not yield any result. Market experts say that it’s realty bubble in the making.

“The local people are becoming millionaires overnight, purchasing swanky cars and blowing up money on luxuries. Now you see the bubble bursting as the economy is slowing down and the people have stopped making much inquiries about investing in the region. Illogical rise in prices of land may act as a stumbling block for growth.