The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced a comprehensive renovation of the Dadar Hawkers Plaza Market as part of its 2026 Budget, aiming to enhance urban infrastructure and improve public spaces in one of Mumbai’s busiest commercial hubs.
The project focuses on upgrading facilities for both vendors and visitors, enhancing hygiene standards, and creating safer, more accessible market areas. “The project seeks to provide vendors and shoppers with safe, accessible, and better-planned facilities,” the civic body stated, highlighting the dual goals of infrastructure improvement and public convenience.
The Dadar market revamp falls under the ‘Repair/Renovation Works in Progress’ segment of the BMC budget and is part of the corporation’s broader urban development strategy. The initiative will include better market layouts, improved pedestrian pathways, and organized vendor stalls, which are expected to reduce congestion in the surrounding areas and support smoother movement of goods and people.
This infrastructure upgrade is also linked to wider regulatory measures in Mumbai, including the issuance of QR code-based licences to authorised hawkers. “The QR-coded certificates will help distinguish licensed hawkers from unauthorised ones, thereby curbing illegal encroachments,” said a BMC official, emphasizing how regulation and infrastructure improvement are being pursued together.
City planners note that the Dadar market renovation represents a shift towards modernizing Mumbai’s traditional commercial zones without displacing vendors, balancing the needs of businesses with urban planning priorities. By integrating digital licence verification, enhanced hygiene, and better-organized stalls, the BMC aims to set a model for other markets across the city.
The project underscores the corporation’s commitment to using urban infrastructure upgrades to improve public safety, accessibility, and the overall experience for residents and commuters, ensuring Mumbai’s markets remain vibrant yet orderly spaces in a growing metropolis.
Source: The Free Press Journal
