June 2024 | Mumbai, India
In a bold and progressive vision, the CEO of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project has reaffirmed that the transformation of Asia’s largest informal settlement is not just about urban renewal — it’s about inclusive growth, economic upliftment, and protecting livelihoods.
The redevelopment of Dharavi, a densely populated hub in the heart of Mumbai, aims to strike a delicate but crucial balance: “Housing for all” without displacing the informal economy that sustains hundreds of thousands.
Often recognized globally as a symbol of poverty and overcrowding, Dharavi is now being re-envisioned as a future business growth centre, thanks to its existing entrepreneurial spirit.
“Dharavi is not just a residential zone — it’s a thriving economic ecosystem. The goal is not to erase it, but to enhance it,”
said the project’s CEO during a recent press briefing.
Home to over 12,000 micro-industrial units, including leather workshops, recycling plants, food production, and textiles, Dharavi generates billions in informal economic output. The new plan will integrate these cottage industries into a formal, well-planned urban grid, complete with infrastructure, compliance frameworks, digital access, and market linkages.
The cornerstone of the redevelopment vision is “housing for all” — with special provisions to offer free or subsidized housing to eligible residents and slum dwellers who have lived in Dharavi since the 2000 cut-off.
Each unit will be self-contained, equipped with proper sanitation, electricity, clean water, and access to community spaces. Importantly, the resettlement is being designed within Dharavi itself, ensuring residents do not lose their social fabric or proximity to their workplaces.
The CEO emphasized that redevelopment is not a demolition drive, but a carefully phased transformation. Many of the businesses currently operating from congested and unsafe buildings will be relocated into designated industrial clusters within the new plan.
These clusters will offer:
- Better infrastructure
- Safety and hygiene compliance
- Formal recognition
- Access to financing and digital platforms
This model is meant to preserve employment, encourage entrepreneurship, and unlock Dharavi’s full economic potential.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is being executed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with Adani Realty as the lead developer and the Government of Maharashtra overseeing policy compliance and rehabilitation.
“This is not just a construction project — it’s a social and economic transformation,”
the CEO said. “We are committed to ensuring that no one’s livelihood is sacrificed at the altar of modernization.”
With over 650 acres of prime urban land, Dharavi is poised to become one of India’s most ambitious and socially conscious redevelopment stories. The vision is not just to build high-rises but to build futures — where the residents of Dharavi can live with dignity, work with stability, and grow with opportunity.
The project is expected to roll out in phases, with community engagement, livelihood mapping, and infrastructure groundwork forming the core of the initial phase.
As Mumbai continues to expand, the Dharavi redevelopment project stands as a template for inclusive urban growth — proving that it’s possible to modernize without marginalizing, and to develop without displacing.
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