Waluj MIDC: Pioneer of Marathwada’s industrial revolution

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

City has long been recognised as a thriving industrial hub, with a strong base of manufacturing units and growing IT parks. Among its major industrial estates, Waluj MIDC stands out as the city’s first fully developed and most influential hub.

As an exclusive in Lokmat Times, for the first time a detailed account is presented on all MIDCs of district. Among them, Waluj MIDC stands out as the city’s first fully developed and most influential hub. Established in 1980's after large-scale land acquisition, Waluj MIDC is considered the pioneer of Marathwada’s industrial wave. The estate currently generates over 2.5 lakh direct and indirect jobs, transforming the city into a magnet for industries. The turning point came in 1984 with Bajaj Auto’s entry, which triggered an industrial revolution and attracted leading companies. Today, Waluj houses giants such as Bajaj Auto, Endress Hauser, Goodyear Tyres, Canpack, Forbes, Colgate-Palmolive, and Carlsberg, along with a major private health research centre. Despite its scale and contribution, Waluj MIDC now faces pressing challenges land shortage, hawkers, worker availability, and soaring land prices, all of which have become critical talking points among industrialists.

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Land and expansion

Waluj MIDC

• Total land area: 1,523.10 hectares

• Vacant space: None

• Status: All land fully acquired; no space for new companies

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Ad. Waluj–Arapur MIDC

• Government land: 9.60 hectares

• Private land: 752.43 hectares

• Total area: 762.03 hectares

• Status: Land acquisition to begin soon; negotiations with farmers on compensation underway

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Land issue talks at Waluj

“Most land issues in Waluj MIDC are being resolved through Arapur MIDC. We are working on it, and will try to fulfill industrialists’ land demands at the earliest.”

— Amit Bhamre, regional officer, MIDC

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Hawkers, power rules hurdle

“As an industrialist from Waluj MIDC, I strongly feel hawkers, poor power supply, and sudden changes in government solar power rules are hurting MSMEs. If industries around us get proper support, growth is inevitable.”

— Rishi Kumar Bagla, industrialist, Waluj MIDC

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Worker shortage hits MIDC

“As an industrialist in Waluj MIDC, I see Bidkin and other new estates rising fast, while older MIDCs have already boomed. The major challenge today is worker shortage big companies hire in bulk, leaving smaller units struggling for manpower.”

— Kaustubh Pulkundwar, industrialist, Waluj MIDC

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Workers resist migration

Most workers are unwilling to shift to Bidkin due to lack of housing and rising costs. Land that was once available in Waluj MIDC for Rs 20,000 now exceeds Rs 1 crore in new estates, making it difficult for first-generation industrialists to set up. Affordable housing and a new road link between Waluj and Shendra are urgently needed for smoother connectivity.

— Ashok Choure, treasurer, Waluj Industrial Association