How a quiet neighbourhood turned into a night spot

Arjun Shenoy, 50, a banker, says it is the ambience which is the draw. “The rooftop bars with lo-fi music in the background just gets you in the mood as soon as you hit the floor. The prices are a bit high, but I don't mind paying up once in a while for the experience,” he says.
Bhavik Pradhan, 26, a marketing professional, loves the place for get-togethers with friends and colleagues. “Great place to hang around and suits our pockets while going Dutch,” he says. “To conclude, we sometimes have omelette pav from the carts lined up on the opposite side of the road in the end and go home. evening,” he adds.
Ritu Sharma, 45, a resident of Vartak Nagar, Thane, says of late the place has become a good venue for kitty parties. “Generally, from Mondays to Thursdays, they have good discount schemes so we plan our monthly ladies get-together there. It is absolutely safe also,” she says.
You couldn’t be blamed if you mistook “the place” they are all referring to for a weekend destination or a hill resort. But they are actually talking about Thane's landmark Wagle Industrial Estate with an IT (infotech) Park located within its precincts, which has all but transformed into a popular night spot in recent years.
The change from a laid-back and quiet Maharashtrian neighbourhood into a hangout zone for meetups and parties is illustrative of the many changes that have overtaken Thane in recent decades. Wagle Estate, which was set up in 1962 (same year that MIDC was established), was an industrial cluster that hosted units of several big businesses. Caprihans India, Bush Radio, Bradma and others functioned out of the 250-odd hectare sprawl comprising the estate.
Over the years, as most units shut down, the area acquired a mostly laid-back residential character. A couple of years back, the MIDC developed space for an IT park, given the centralised location and non-polluting nature of the industry. Soon, this led to the influx of retail businesses hoping to capitalise on an affluent, captive clientele. Redevelopment of housing projects also ushered in a more cosmopolitan feel to the place.
The regional officer at MIDC-Thane, Uday Kisave, said, “The IT Park at Wagle Industrial Estate is spread over an area of 258 hectares. The new IT policy came into effect on July 23, 2023 and the ratio of IT to non-IT units at the park is 60:40. It was earlier 80:20. Hence, 40% of non-IT companies which are also non-polluting, operate here.”
The changes
This influx of commercial establishments has also paved the way for ancillary employment avenues in housekeeping, hospitality, security. For the blue collared class residing in the erstwhile industrial belt, the transition has meant more jobs.
With bars and pubs now adding to the bustling retail scene in the area, Wagle Estate is a far cry from the days when its narrow streets were only lined with tea shops and vada pav stalls. The bylanes, especially road numbers 16 and 22, that used to go silent after dusk, are lined with vehicles.
A local political functionary said the nightlife has even reversed the trend of Thane residents travelling towards Mumbai over the weekend for entertainment and instead it has begun to attract some from adjoining suburbs here. A bar and restaurant owner from Thane said the crowd at the lounge bars are mostly from corporates in addition to youth employed in the local IT parks.
But this gentrification has been questioned by some local activists and residents. Some object to the presence of bars and liquor shops on the grounds that the liquor business has no connection to infotech or ITES (IT Enabled Services) and ITSS (IT Support Services) sectors which MIDC seeks to promote. Local activist Raju Panchal said, “I have written letters to MIDC and other departments that bars or wine shops must not be allowed within the IT Park.”
However, MIDC regional officer Kisave said licences to serve liquor are granted by the excise department and MIDC has no role in this matter. “From our side, we only granted permissions for restaurants and cafeterias. Their managements have acquired permission from the excise department,” he said.
Ashwini Kokate, general manager of Thane’s District Industries Centre (DIC), which facilitates clearances for companies in the region and saves them the trouble of visiting Mantralaya, also stated: “In the previous IT policy, only 20% of allied industries (ITES and ITSS) could be set up in an IT Park. Now, 40% of non-IT industries can be operated. Restaurants and cafeterias come under ITSS. However, the alcohol permission is not given by us.”
RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan said even in the main office building of MIDC in Thane, there are two bars and one liquor shop adjoining the offices of MIDC, DIC and Labour Courts. “The idea of bars within a govt office building raises constitutional and legal concerns. It can negatively impact and inconvenience the public who visit for govt work. Also, govt buildings are public places, so the Bombay Prohibition Act can also apply since liquor is being sold or served here,” said Chauhan. Incidentally, MIDC has sent formal notices to certain bars for operating inside the IT Park.
Despite such pushback from government departments and a section of locals, retail business remains brisk. Raveena J, a 21-year-old resident of Mulund, who prefers to socialise with her group at Wagle Estate instead of travelling to Mumbai, says facilities here are at par and comparatively economical. Plus it is closer to home. “We find it safer compared to far-off places in Mumbai,” said another frequent visitor, B Bhavika.
(With inputs from Manoj Badgeri)