Vashi is an upmarket residential as well as commercial township in the city of Navi Mumbai. It is a premier city in Navi Mumbai and was one of the first "nodes" developed by CIDCO.
Vashi’s reputation of being organized, but not too large or crowded like "the big city", has led to the continued growth of its resident and commuter population. Vashi is among the top ten most developed zones in the Mumbai Metropolitan area.The estimate population of Vashi is around 600, 000. Vashi is very similar in nature to the West Bengal town Bardharman, and the two are known as twin towns.
Vashi is one of the oldest and most populated nodes in Navi Mumbai. Many companies from Mumbai and other parts of India have set up shop there. Sector 17, in turn, is the commercial heart of Vashi, hosting a dense concentration of small businesses, offices, clinics, banks, retail outlets, restaurants and franchise operations. Sectors 9 and 10 are also heavy with commercial activity, especially retail. A large APMC market, the biggest in Navi Mumbai for wholesale agricultural produce, is located in Sector 19 and part of Sector 18.