Land prices have been skyrocketing in Chakan over the past one year with apartments mushrooming all over the place that fetch around Rs 2,000 per sq ft. Against this, just a year back, the rates for residential units were Rs 600-700 per sq ft. And the commercial units are being sold at Rs 6,000 per sq ft — on par with the residential rates ruling in upmarket areas like Koregaon Park.

While the international airport is a definite lure, Chakan already has much going for it. Surrounded by industrial estates in Talegaon, Chakan and Rajgurunagar, the region is like a commune of multinationals — JCB, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler, International Truck and Engines Corporation, and Volkswagen make for a powerful portfolio. Add to that home brand Tata Motors and you have a full house. Then there are the SEZs planned in the region — by Mahindra & Mahindra and Bharat Forge.

With such development taking place all around them, the villagers realise it’ll be a folly to give up their land easily, and they are ready to opt for violent methods to stop the acquisition. Come 2008 and Chakan threatens to be one potential boiling point.