Economy of Khopoli

Khopoli, a small town in the Khalapur taluka of the Raigad district of Maharashtra, has over the time gained its recognition in the industrial arena. Being at the base of the Sahyadri mountain, Khopoli had a topography suitable for hydro power plants. Moreover, due to proximity with the main cities of the state like, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune etc. this region has commercially evolved tremendously over time.

This town has been under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with the presence of its own municipal council. All industries in this region are under the Municipality. The industrial upsurge has led to the formation of a wide network of well maintained roads, which connect all parts of India. NH-4 runs through the area making the place accessible. There is also a broad gauge Central Railway Urban line that connects Khopoli with Mumbai.  This railway line has helped in the industrial upsurge of the area. The state government of Maharashtra had declared Khopoli as an important industrial zone of India.

Agricultural Economy of Khopoli

Being a rugged and rough terrain, Khopoli region is not at all suitable for agriculture. Very few patches of agrarian land are available, mostly along the Khopoli - Pali road. The main crop of the Raigad district is Rice, with almost 70% of the total cultivable land under rice production. Khopoli even has dedicated institutes for research on varieties of rice production in the state. Other than Rice, Finger Millet, Proso Millet, Areca Nut, Black-Eyed Peas and Red Gram are some of the top cultivated crops in this region. The total contribution of agriculture of this region towards the state’s economy is very less.

Industrial Economy of Khopoli

The first hydro electric power generation station of Maharashtra was built in Khopoli in the year 1915, with a capacity of 72 mega watt.  With the formation of this power plant which is helping the other industries with cheap power resource, there started the industrial revolution of the region. The tail water of the Patalganga river from the hydro plant project has also helped in many new plant operation.

Khopoli region has got various industries which ranges from manufacturing plants like Hi-Tech Engineering and Contractors, Venus Wire Industries, Raigad Oxygen & Pvt. Ltd., Bombay Oxygen, Zenith Steel Pipes Limited, Wartsila India Limited etc. to various other industries. Many important steel producers like, Bhushan Steel Limited, India Steel Works Limited, Mahindra Ugine Steel Company Limited etc. have set up their huge plants in this region. There are many chemical producing plants namely, Prasol Chemicals Limited Factory, DSV Chemicals Pvt Ltd., Alta Laboratories Ltd., Dujodwala Paper Chemicals Limited and Sunshield Chemicals Ltd. Alta Laboratories Ltd. is India’s leading bulk chemical manufacturer and the pioneer and largest producer of Salicylic Acid.

Apart from these Khopoli is famous for its small scale industries which include brick laying plants and paper and pulp conversion mills. Paper & Pulp Conversions Ltd (PAPCO) was the first paper mill of India, started in 1949, which helped Khopoli region with early electricity supply. Various cottage industries are being set up by the government, to make the local village people self sufficient by giving them a means of earning.

With so much development, Khopoli has hardly remained a village anymore. There are well maintained roads, schools, colleges and shopping areas with good sanitation system. The local railway connection with Mumbai has acted as a boon for the place. Khopoli gradually becoming an industrial centre has added to the overall economic development of the entire area.