October 7, 2025: Mumbai’s vast Dharavi settlement — often described as Asia’s largest slum — is on the brink of transformation as bulldozers prepare to move in for a long-awaited USD 8 billion redevelopment. The project aims to replace the maze of informal homes and workshops with modern housing, upgraded infrastructure, and green spaces in what officials call a “city within a city.”
Under the rehabilitation plan, residents who occupied homes before 2000 will receive new apartments free of cost, while those who moved in between 2000 and 2011 will be eligible to purchase units at subsidised rates. However, those who settled later will not qualify for relief and may have to relocate elsewhere. Complicating matters further, the entitlement extends only to ground-floor occupants — leaving many families who built informal upper floors outside the eligibility net.
The redevelopment is being undertaken by Navbharat Mega Developers (formerly DRPPL), a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and Adani Realty. The project has faced legal hurdles, including a challenge from a Dubai-based bidder that was dismissed by the Bombay High Court. In March 2025, India’s Supreme Court sought a response from Adani regarding allegations of unfair advantage in securing the redevelopment contract.
While officials promise improved living conditions, new roads, and integrated commercial spaces, many residents remain wary. “We want to get out of the slums, but we do not want to be pushed out of Dharavi,” said Ullesh Gajakosh, a leader of the Save Dharavi campaign.
Supporters hail the project as a long-overdue urban renewal effort, but critics caution that without robust safeguards, it could displace tens of thousands and erode Dharavi’s unique social and economic fabric.
Source: Gulf News
