User:Mehulsg/Redevelopment of Mumbai mills

Redevelopment of Mumbai mills is a process that commenced nearly two decades ago in 1992, wherein the numerous mills that once dotted the landscape of Mumbai were demolished and replaced by swanky new residential and commercial buildings as part of the modernization of Mumbai.

The Cotton Mill era and its Decline
These mills once served as the well-oiled engines that drove Mumbai's economy, particularly during the colonial period when Mumbai was often referred to as the "Manchester of the East". However, with the passing of time and the development of alternatives to cotton, these mills ceased to be profitable, and fell into a state of disrepair.

Before the middle of the nineteenth century, India used to export cotton to Britain, and then reimport the textile. In 1820 the total textile import cost only Rs. 350,000. However, these costs escalated tremendously until in 1860 textile imports stood at Rs. 19.3 million. The impetus towards the founding of a cotton industry came from Indian entrepreneurs. The first Indian cotton mill, "The Bombay Spinning Mill", was opened in 1854 in Bombay by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar. Opposition from the Lancashire mill owners was eventually offset by the support of the British manufacturers of textile machinery.

The cotton mills of Bombay, and the rest of India, were owned and managed mainly by Indians. The initial investments came from families of the mill-owners, mainly obtained from trading. Later, when shares became available to the public, much of the ownership still remained Indian. As an example, of the 53 mills in the city in 1925, only 14 were British owned. The management and directorships of these mills were also mainly Indian. Of the 386 directorships recorded in 1925, only 44 were English.

By 1870 there were 13 mills in Bombay. Cotton exports grew during the American Civil War, when supplies from the USA were interrupted. At the end of 1895 there were 70 mills; growing to 83 in 1915. A period of stagnation set in during the recession of the 1920's. In 1925 there were 81 mills in the city. After World War II, under strong competition from Japan, the mills declined. In 1953 there remained only 53 mills in the city.

Gradually, the government relaxed its norms that once restricted mill lands from being redeveloped, and as a result, numerous high profile builders jumped at the opportunity of grabbing hold of these land parcels. Between the period from 1990 to 2010, majority of these mill lands were acquired and redeveloped. The list below shows the names of the former mills that once existed, and the structure that currently stands on the land today.

List of Mills in Mumbai
Please note that this list is not exhaustive.