The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of gated communities and township living as they have proven to offer smart living solutions to numerous urban living challenges. Homes that can fulfill the need for health emergencies, offer connectivity during a crisis and make basic facilities readily available have become the need of the hour. A safe, well-designed, and self-sufficient home in a gated community or a township that delivers peace, comfort, privilege, and community living has been a growing preference.

Commenting on the importance of township living, Mr. Rajat Rastogi, Executive Director, of Runwal Group said, “The focus of the developers and homebuyers have altered post-pandemic, they are both looking at an entire community ecosystem emphasizing health, amenities, and lifestyle. Kanjurmarg, Thane, Mulund, Kalyan-Dombivli, etc are the few locations that are being preferred currently by homebuyers in the wake of integrated township living. People are now opting for properties that provide a walk-to-work lifestyle with robust connectivity and well-developed social infrastructure like business spaces, schools, hospitals, shopping malls, etc within a 5-minute walk distance like our Runwal City Centre Kanjurmarg & Runwal Gardens Dombivli. As against standalone buildings, townships provide larger open spaces, gardens, jogging tracks, and gated community living that suit the needs of all age groups. These townships are also a better investment option in terms of sustainable rental income and valuable returns in the long run.”

As per a report by Redseer, one of the leading and eminent management consulting firms, it is estimated that the demand for gated communities will surge by 2.5 times to reach $500 billion. The consumption in India will increase by 2026. At least 24 million households will be residing in gated communities in India, as stated in the report.

Asserting that the number of buyers of gated community residences is expected to rise in the coming years, Ms. Shraddha Kedia – Agarwal, Director, of Transcon Developers said, “With a scarcity of residential options in fast-growing cities like Mumbai, their limitations are expanding leading to a major increase in the development of gated communities. Real estate usage patterns and preferences have evolved significantly across markets. Buyers are now willing to pay a premium for projects built by some of the industry’s most prominent names, as they do not want to negotiate on quality or delivery time. At present, with the aim of presenting an integrated and luxurious living experience, the gated townships are offering panoramic views and superior amenities amidst a tranquil ambiance providing a sense of fulfillment, and are on every prospective home-buyer’s list. Gated communities cultivate a holistic vision that is favorable to the entire family, making them an exceptional choice for many homeowners. These gated communities boost the lives of homebuyers with elegant designs and state-of-the-art amenities like stylish and well-equipped club-houses, leisure zones like kid’s play areas with the newest equipment, long jogging tracks leading to lush green gardens, swimming pool, skating rink for kids, cricket pitch along with open-air party lawn for celebrations further adds to the aesthetics of the project, spacious walkways, and a high-end chic amphitheater. This style of living took the form of gated communities in Mumbai in the emerging areas like Andheri, Malad, Mulund, and Thane to name a few.”

Commenting on the prominence of gated community residences, Mr. Himanshu Jain, VP – of Sales, Marketing & CRM, Satellite Developers Private Limited (SDPL) said, “Gated communities are private and residents can enjoy and have access to a multitude of advantages and benefits for a hassle-free living experience. Free from pollution and ample pockets of green spaces scattered throughout the property, these are the best residential options for buyers wishing to stay in a home surrounded by green foliage and immaculate lawns. An added benefit of people living in gated community residences is that they are able to access a plethora of communal facilities and state-of-the-art amenities. Lately, we have witnessed an emergence of gated communities in Mumbai in the areas such as Malad, Goregaon, and Mumbai Central to name a few.”

The gated townships offer a complete living experience to the homebuyers, an end-to-end solution for their needs as well as an integrated lifestyle with a self-contained ecosystem and the added advantage of nearby workplaces. This helps in saving time, hassle-free work commute, and greater leisure time for work-life balance. The demand for an integrated living would see an unprecedented rise in the post-COVID world due to the ease of living that they offer. As more and more homebuyers flock towards gated communities and townships, they are all set to transform India’s residential real estate landscape in the years to come.