Wakad, Pune

Wakad sits on the north bank of the Mula river in Pimpri-Chinchwad, between the Hinjewadi IT park to the west and Pimple Saudagar to the east. The Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, the stretch locals still call the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, runs through it, and the Bhosari-Wakad and Sangavi-Kiwale BRT roads carry buses across the area. For many people who work in Hinjewadi, Wakad is the first choice of address because it puts the IT park a short drive away while staying inside the municipal corporation.

The area changed quickly once the IT park filled up. Farmland known for black soil gave way to housing societies, schools and restaurants, and Phoenix Mall of the Millennium opened in 2023. IndiProp lists 10 projects in Wakad. The range is wide: Siddhashila W57 offers 1 and 2 BHK homes, Kohinoor Courtyard One, Kalpataru Exquisite and Goel Ganga Asmi focus on 2 and 3 BHK, and Pride Purple Park Titanium includes 4 BHK formats, as does one Kasturi Housing project. VTP HiLife and Kohinoor Westview Reserve are among the other names.

Growth has put pressure on the roads. Congestion builds at Bhumkar Chowk and the highway underpasses, and Datta Mandir Road is a known choke point. NHAI has been widening service roads between Mamurdi and Wakad and has approved new underpasses, while PCMC has cleared seven road projects for Wakad, Punawale and Tathawade. The Wakad Chowk station on Metro Line 3 will give a direct rail link to Hinjewadi and Baner. Wakad suits IT professionals and young families who want Hinjewadi jobs close by without living inside the park.