Hubballi's Gokul Road, popularly known as Airport Road, is undergoing a dramatic transformation, swiftly establishing itself as the city's foremost destination for shopping malls and large-scale commercial complexes. This nearly 9-kilometer stretch is no longer just a transit corridor but is blossoming into a vibrant lifestyle hub, a shift largely fueled by a significant influx of young professionals and students into the region.
Escaping Congestion: The Shift to Modern Retail Spaces
The rise of Gokul Road is a direct response to the challenges faced by traditional market areas in Hubballi. Older malls located in the city's core often grapple with severe traffic congestion and a critical shortage of parking space. In contrast, the newer developments on Gokul Road offer shoppers easier accessibility and, crucially, ample parking facilities. This has made the area a highly preferred alternative for a seamless shopping experience.
Rohit Gopalani, Chief Business Officer of Inorbit Malls (India), highlighted that Hubballi is emerging as a standout example, now being dubbed the ‘student city' of North Karnataka. He explained that malls are evolving beyond mere shopping centers into dynamic social ecosystems tailored for the youth. They now blend fashion, affordability, food culture, and community experiences. The city's expanding student population has directly led to an increase in lifestyle spending, encompassing everything from ‘first stipend shopping' to weekend hangouts and aspirations for budget-friendly brands.
Real Estate Boom and Infrastructure Driving Growth
The commercial surge has had a profound ripple effect on the real estate sector along Gokul Road. Gururaj Annigeri, Executive Director of Marvel Properties, observed a sharp increase in demand for residential projects in the area. He revealed a staggering fact: land prices have skyrocketed by over 200 times since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Annigeri attributes this growth to the congestion in older parts of the city, with the proximity to the central bus stand and the airport serving as a major advantage. The parking woes in the central business district are actively pushing both shoppers and businesses toward this well-planned stretch. Furthermore, new malls and complexes are offering premium facilities for office spaces, including managed offices with interiors, which is attracting IT companies to set up units here.
The development is closely tied to infrastructure projects. The facelift of the central bus stand provided an initial boost, and stakeholders are now anticipating similar upgrades to the airport. Annigeri predicts that once the upcoming 6-lane Hubballi-Dharwad bypass is completed, this stretch will reach unprecedented heights. This optimism is reflected in the market, with upcoming apartment projects receiving enquiries from IT employees of major firms like Infosys.
Resident Perspectives and a Note of Caution
Local residents echo the sentiment of this shift. PM Veeresha Sharma, an entrepreneur residing in Gandhi Nagar on Gokul Road, points out that ongoing construction works like flyovers, the HD-BRTS lane, and the Old Bus Stand redevelopment have inadvertently driven shoppers away from Hubballi's traditional market areas. "Transportation and traffic have made shopping miserable there," he stated.
He contrasts this with the systematic development of Airport Road, which features modern layouts, malls, and larger complexes, drawing shoppers from neighborhoods like Vidyanagar and Old Hubballi. However, Sharma adds a crucial warning for authorities: they must implement precautionary measures immediately to prevent the very congestion and traffic jams that plague the old markets from recurring on this promising new stretch.
The transformation is visibly marked by several key establishments that now define the corridor:
- Inorbit Mall
- Mangalya Shopping Mall
- South India Shopping Mall
- Urban Oasis Mall
- Pride Icon
- Akshay Park Building
- Signature Mall
In summary, Gokul Road's ascent as Hubballi's commercial and social nucleus is a multifaceted story of strategic urban shift, demographic change, and infrastructural development, positioning it as the definitive growth corridor for North Karnataka's ‘student city'.
