Mumbai: The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada) has allotted a prime two-acre plot in Kalina to a Pune-based tennis foundation without charging any lease fee. In addition, the housing body will invest ₹10 crore to develop a training facility on the site.
The 8,000 sq m plot is located along CST Road in Kalina, behind the Ibis Hotel near the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district. It has been allocated to the Maha Tennis Foundation, led by Prashant Sutar, chairman and managing director of Aryan Pumps.
Mhada’s decision was approved on March 17. According to the state housing department, Mhada and the foundation will enter into a first-of-its-kind partnership to develop tennis infrastructure. The official document highlights the “importance of promoting tennis in Mumbai city as well as surrounding areas and to develop a large number of tennis players who can participate at national and international levels.”
The Maha Tennis Foundation currently runs training programmes at Balewadi grounds and the YMCA, and has organised state-level tournaments and other initiatives to identify and develop talent. “The foundation has requested land from Mhada to construct a comprehensive tennis infrastructure...Mhada has approved this request, considering the importance of promoting tennis in the region, and plans to support the project with a capital investment of ₹10 crore, with additional support from the foundation,” the document read.
The plot, which is reserved for recreation and sports activities, has been allotted for 30 years. Sutar, chairman and managing director of the tennis foundation, and also the chairman of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association did not respond to HT’s attempts to understand his perspective on the training academy. This academy claims to have a collaboration with Spain’s JC Ferrero Academy, where Carlos Alcaraz and Maria Sharapova trained.
{{/usCountry}}The plot, which is reserved for recreation and sports activities, has been allotted for 30 years. Sutar, chairman and managing director of the tennis foundation, and also the chairman of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association did not respond to HT’s attempts to understand his perspective on the training academy. This academy claims to have a collaboration with Spain’s JC Ferrero Academy, where Carlos Alcaraz and Maria Sharapova trained.
{{/usCountry}}As per the agreement between Mhada and the foundation, Mhada will remain the owner of the land, and both parties will share the rights and responsibilities. While Mhada will bear taxes, charges and other costs related to the land, the plot will be used exclusively for tennis infrastructure and related activities, and Mhada will not charge any taxes or fees for the development.
A key condition of the deal allows the foundation to lease or transfer the infrastructure to other approved entities. The revenue generated through training and other activities will be shared between Mhada and the foundation in a 40:60 ratio.
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