ND Studios

ND Studios is a privately owned film and television production facility in Karjat, Maharashtra, in the wider Mumbai region. The studio was established and opened in 2005 by production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai. It was created to provide filmmakers with both indoor and outdoor environments for production, and its location places it within reach of Mumbai while offering substantially more space than a conventional urban soundstage. The facility covers approximately 52 acres, or about 210,000 square metres. Its business role extends beyond producing or hosting filmed content: it provides physical locations and production infrastructure for feature films, television programs, and reality television. The studio has been used for period and large-scale productions requiring constructed environments, as well as for ongoing television work. One of its best-known television associations is Bigg Boss, the Indian reality television franchise hosted by Salman Khan, for which ND Studios has served as a location. ND Studios also became associated with Indian and international screen production through projects filmed at the site. The listed productions include Slumdog Millionaire, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, and the television series Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. In 2008, the United States-based studio 20th Century Fox entered into a 10-year agreement to hire four floors at ND Studios, demonstrating the facility's appeal as a larger-scale production base and not merely as a local filming location. Its physical scale, proximity to Mumbai, and combination of indoor and outdoor shooting options have also supported a secondary role as a visitor attraction. The studio has been described as a popular tourist destination, helped by its location roughly a 90-minute drive from Mumbai. This dual identity—as a working production complex and a destination associated with film sets—distinguishes ND Studios from a conventional content label or narrowly defined film banner. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about ND Studios' corporate structure, financial performance, executive team beyond its owner and founder, and current production slate. The available record supports describing it primarily as an Indian production studio and production-location business rather than as a widely diversified media conglomerate.

ND Studios was established and opened in 2005 in Karjat, Maharashtra, by Indian production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai. The site was developed as a substantial film and television production campus serving the Mumbai-area screen industry. Rather than functioning only as a conventional production company that finances or releases titles under its own banner, ND Studios provides a physical environment in which other productions can be staged and filmed. The studio extends across approximately 52 acres, equivalent to around 210,000 square metres. Its facilities include indoor and outdoor shooting options, allowing productions to combine controlled studio work with exterior settings and constructed environments. This scale has made the complex suitable for projects requiring period architecture, expansive sets, or extended production activity. Its location in Karjat, a north-eastern suburb or satellite area of Mumbai, offers access to India's principal Hindi-language film and television production centre while providing more space than a central-city facility. The site gained a significant commercial association in 2008 when United States-based studio 20th Century Fox signed a 10-year agreement to hire four floors at ND Studios. The agreement placed the facility within a broader international production context and indicated that its infrastructure could support the requirements of a major overseas studio. Public reference material does not provide the financial terms of that arrangement. ND Studios has hosted or been used for a range of screen productions. Cited examples include the film Slumdog Millionaire, the Hindi film Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, and the television series Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. The studio has also been used as a location for Bigg Boss, the reality television program hosted by Salman Khan. These associations reflect the site's ability to serve different production formats, from feature films and historical or period-oriented television to long-running reality programming. Over time, ND Studios developed a public-facing role in addition to its production function. Because it is approximately a 90-minute drive from Mumbai, the complex became a popular tourist destination connected with the Indian film industry. Visitors could associate the site with recognizable sets and screen productions, although the available reference material does not specify admission arrangements, visitor numbers, or the precise scope of its tourism operations. The published record on ND Studios remains limited. It identifies Desai as the private owner and establishes the facility's approximate size, opening date, principal use, notable production associations, and 20th Century Fox agreement. It does not document a detailed corporate hierarchy, financial results, current ownership changes, a complete catalogue of productions, or a confirmed current executive roster. Accordingly, ND Studios is best understood from the available evidence as a privately owned Indian film and television studio, production-location complex, and film-related visitor destination.

• 2008

  20th Century Fox enters a long-term hiring agreement

  [1]ND Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  20th Century Fox signs a 10-year agreement to hire four floors at ND Studios.

• 2005

  ND Studios opens in Karjat

  [1]ND Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Nitin Chandrakant Desai's privately owned 52-acre film and television studio opens with indoor and outdoor shooting facilities.

A large-format Indian film and television production campus combining studio infrastructure, outdoor sets, and location services near Mumbai.

• Studio and location services · 2005

  Film production facilities

  ND Studios provides indoor and outdoor environments for feature-film production. Its approximately 52-acre campus is designed to accommodate large sets, location work, and productions that require more space than a conventional soundstage. The cited film work associated with the site includes Slumdog Millionaire and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

• Television studio and location services · 2005

  Television production facilities

  The studio supports television production through its indoor and outdoor spaces. Its documented television associations include Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat and Bigg Boss, showing use across scripted programming and reality television. The facility's scale enables recurring or extended television shoots as well as productions requiring constructed environments.

• Tourism and studio experience

  Film-related visitor destination

  ND Studios has also become a destination for visitors interested in Indian film production. Its proximity to Mumbai and association with recognizable screen projects have contributed to its tourism profile. Public references describe it as a popular tourist destination, but do not provide detailed information about visitor services, ticketing, or operating schedules.

• 2008

  Long-term capacity agreement with 20th Century FoxStrategy

  Background

  ND Studios sought to establish itself as a production base capable of serving large-scale and international studio requirements.

  Action taken

  20th Century Fox signed a 10-year agreement to hire four floors at the facility.

  Aftermath

  The agreement strengthened the studio's profile as a substantial production facility. Public reference material does not state the financial terms or document the full duration of the arrangement.

  Source

• 2008

  20th Century Fox signs a 10-year facility agreement with ND Studios[1]ND Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  The United States-based film studio 20th Century Fox agreed to hire four floors at ND Studios for a 10-year period.

• 2005

  ND Studios opens as a major film and television production facility[1]ND Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The 52-acre ND Studios facility in Karjat opened with indoor and outdoor shooting options under the ownership of production designer Nitin Chandrakant Desai.

1. 1ND Studiosen.wikipedia.org