Circa 1855 govt printing press at Marine Drive to be pulled down

Maharashtra's government printing press on Marine Drive will be redeveloped into Udyog Bhavan, enhancing space and facilities for IAS officers.

MUMBAI: The state government’s printing press—one of the oldest establishments along the plush Marine Drive precinct—is soon to be redeveloped to accommodate a massive Udyog Bhavan as well. P Velarasu, the chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), said that MIDC’s plan had been approved and all the permissions from the BMC were in hand.

Mumbai, India – 07, Jan 2025: A view Government Central Press, at Charni Road, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, Jan 07, 2025. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The printing press, established in 1855, is one of the oldest government offices along Marine Drive. Several important documents of the state, including the agenda of the state cabinet, papers related to the state legislature, government reports, white papers and even confidential papers are printed here. There was a time when the press printed various exam question papers of Mumbai University too.

The plot on which the press stands is owned by the government’s industries department. The Udyog Bhavan is being constructed to afford more space as well as a more opulent ambience to IAS officers who deal with industrialists and foreign delegations as part of their job.

For instance, the development commissioner, who is responsible for bringing in investments, currently has his office in the new administrative building opposite Mantralaya while the industries secretary’s office is in the Mantralaya annexe. Both are perceived as shabby, and many meetings with captains of industry and corporate czars are thus held in the state guesthouse Sahyadri.

The new building will have more lavish meeting halls and offices. MIDC and the industries department will also get office space here. The entire complex, which the state government has already renamed as the Ratan Tata Udyog Bhavan, will cost ₹800 crore according to MIDC estimates.

At present, the printing press has two buildings—a ground-plus-two structure and a ground-plus-four structure. These will be pulled down, and the new complex will have two wings—A wing, which will have a ground-plus-four-storey building and B wing, which will be ground plus six storeys. “We have enough FSI but there are height restrictions, as the area falls in the Marine Drive precinct,” said MIDC chief engineer Prakash Chavan, adding that the project would be completed in three years. MIDC will construct 46,918 square metres and give 29,254 square metres to the printing press.