Contact usRevenue opportunities for unused plots in Karjat-Khopoli
Land use · 27 October 2026 · 4 min read · The Vistara team
Land around Karjat and Khopoli is close to both Mumbai and Pune, and Maharashtra now has written policies for several businesses that fit open land. This article covers the three routes with the clearest published rules, and the checks to make before you start.
Agro-tourism: let guests stay on your land
Maharashtra moved early on agro-tourism. The Agro-Tourism Development Corporation was formed in 2005, and the Maharashtra State Agro Tourism Co-operative Federation followed in 2008. Under Tourism Policy 2024 the tourism department takes registrations for agricultural tourism through the MTDC portal, and the state tourism director says about 2,000 operators have registered, with another 2,000 in line.
Karjat falls in the Konkan division. A 2020 study counted 33 established agro-tourism centres there, against 124 in the Pune division, the highest of any division.
The state’s agri-tourism guidelines make two things obligatory: permissions from every department involved, and a registration certificate from the tourism department. MTDC’s FAQ adds that incentives, including a capital investment subsidy, stamp duty and registration fee waivers, SGST reimbursement and electricity duty exemption, open up only after a business is registered and approved.
Homestays and vacation homes
MTDC’s portal lists separate registrations under Tourism Policy 2024 for homestays, vacation homes, tourism villas, tourism apartments and bed-and-breakfast units. Each has its own registration, so the first step is deciding which one matches what you plan to build or already own.
Karjat suits short stays. It is roughly 60 to 70 km from Mumbai and about 100 km from Pune, and travel guides describe it as a weekend and monsoon getaway where farm stays are common. Matheran is about 10 km away, and rafting on the Ulhas river runs from July to September, depending on rainfall.
One published summary of the policy says agro-tourism homestays qualify for domestic electricity rates. Treat that as something to confirm with MTDC, not a given.
Leasing land for solar
Under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krushi Vahini Yojana (MSKVY), MSEDCL builds solar plants close to substations so that farms get power during the day. It leases land for these plants from private owners as well as the government. MSEDCL’s 2021 notice fixed private land rent at ₹30,000 per acre a year, rising 3% every year. Government land was offered at ₹1 for 30 years.
Reports on MSKVY 2.0 in 2023 quoted an MSEB Holding Company director saying landowners could earn ₹1.25 lakh per hectare a year on a 30-year lease. That works out to about ₹50,600 per acre. The two figures come from different years, so ask MSEDCL which rate applies to your land.
MSEDCL has said private owners can offer land within 5 km of the nearest substation. The solar projects it has tendered under the scheme range from 2 MW to 10 MW, depending on substation connectivity.
Calculated from MSEDCL’s ₹30,000 per acre rate with a 3% yearly increment. An illustration only; the lease terms you are offered may differ.
Other routes the policy lists
MTDC also takes registrations under its Caravan Tourism and Adventure Tourism policies, and under the Women-Centered Tourism Policy. Whether a particular plot suits any of these is a question for MTDC, so read the policy text before planning around one.
Check these before you commit
Register first
Tourism Policy 2024 incentives are open only to registered and approved businesses, according to MTDC’s FAQ.
Collect every permission
The agri-tourism guidelines make permissions from all departments, plus a tourism registration certificate, obligatory.
Confirm current rates
The solar lease figures above come from 2021 and 2023 reports. Ask MSEDCL for the rate that applies today.
Read the policy itself
Published figures for the maximum capital subsidy differ between reports, from ₹15 crore to ₹20 crore. The policy text on the MTDC website is the reference.
Sources
- Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, registrations list and Tourism Policy 2024: maharashtratourism.gov.in
- Agri Tourism Policy Maharashtra, Ministry of Tourism rural portal: rural.tourism.gov.in
- Agro tourism study, Konkan and Pune divisions (2020 data): agriculturejournal.org
- SolarQuarter, MSKVY 2.0 and farmer rent (2023): solarquarter.com
- Lohono, Things to do in Karjat: blog.lohono.com
- The Tax Talk, Maharashtra Tourism Policy 2024 summary: thetaxtalk.com
- MTDC FAQ on registration and incentives: maharashtratourism.gov.in/faq
- Free Press Journal, interview with the state tourism director, on agro-tourism registrations: freepressjournal.in
- SolarQuarter, MSEDCL expression of interest for 500 MW solar (2021): solarquarter.com
- pv magazine India, EESL commissions 8 MW plant for MSEDCL: pv-magazine-india.com
- StayVista, Unwind in Karjat: stayvista.com
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