CREDAI-MCHI, the apex body of real estate developers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), has appointed Mr. Sukhraj Nahar, Chairman of Nahar Group, as its 18th President for the 2025–2027 term. The Change of Guard ceremony was held at Jio World Centre on August 14 and was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with past presidents of the association and senior members of the real estate fraternity. Mr. Nahar takes over from Mr. Domnic Romell, who led the association for the past two years. The new management committee was also announced with Mr. Bandish Ajmera as President Elect, Mr. Rushi Mehta as Secretary, and Mr. Nikunj Sanghavi as Treasurer.
In his address at the event, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the importance of collaboration between the government and the real estate industry in shaping Mumbai’s urban transformation. He noted that reforms such as RERA implementation, the push for ease of doing business, and the preparation of the Mumbai Development Plan were significant milestones achieved through joint efforts. The Chief Minister also pointed to major ongoing projects, including the redevelopment of BDD chawls, large-scale slum rehabilitation schemes, and the development of the Third and Fourth Mumbai regions. He stressed that the coming decade presents a unique opportunity to position Mumbai as a global benchmark city through infrastructure expansion, new housing initiatives, and innovation-led growth.
The new leadership announced Mission CARES as the central strategic framework for the coming term. The framework seeks to combine economic growth with social responsibility, with the acronym standing for Compassion, Affordability, Reforestation, Empowerment, and Skilling. Compassion will focus on programmes for construction workers, women, and underserved communities, including daycare centres, scholarships, and free health camps. Affordability will address housing costs by pushing for rationalised development premiums, single-window approvals, and policy reforms. Reforestation will aim to offset the environmental impact of construction by planting trees, creating biodiversity parks, and introducing green buffers in projects. Empowerment will focus on wider adoption of technology such as PropTech, AI-driven approvals, and blockchain-based compliance to improve transparency and efficiency. Skilling will ensure the training of more than 10,000 workers annually, supported by mobile skilling labs and certification programmes for green construction and safety.
Developers in Mumbai continue to face some of the highest approval costs in the country, averaging ₹54,221 per square metre, with premiums and duties accounting for nearly 40 percent of project costs. According to Mr. Keval Valambhia, Chief Operating Officer of CREDAI-MCHI, this cost burden has slowed project timelines and raised housing prices, placing a strain on affordability for homebuyers. He stated that greater use of technology for approvals, along with rationalised costs and streamlined procedures, could make housing delivery faster, more transparent, and more affordable.
The roadmap for 2025–2027 includes the establishment of a dedicated PropTech Lab to encourage digital adoption across member developers and the launch of an Affordable Housing Innovation Cell that will work on innovative models and push for 10,000 affordable homes by 2026. On the social responsibility front, CREDAI-MCHI has committed to organising more than 100 health camps annually, extending scholarships to 1,000 students, particularly girls, and maintaining strict monitoring systems to eliminate child labour from member projects. In line with its environmental vision, the organisation aims to plant one million trees in over 50 urban locations and partner with local authorities to create five biodiversity parks. The association has also pledged to train over 10,000 workers annually and issue at least 2,500 Green Job Cards during the term.
Outgoing President Domnic Romell extended his support to the new leadership, describing Mission CARES as a natural evolution of the efforts undertaken in the past two years. Outgoing Secretary Dhaval Ajmera added that consistent policy interventions and the integration of sustainability and inclusiveness into governance frameworks were essential to ensure long-term sectoral progress.
With more than 2,200 member developers, CREDAI-MCHI remains the largest developer body in the MMR. The new leadership under Sukhraj Nahar signals a decisive shift towards balancing affordability, innovation, and sustainability. The next two years are expected to test the industry’s ability to deliver housing solutions that not only meet economic goals but also uphold environmental stewardship and social equity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Image- CMO Maharashtra
