07 June,2026 08:06 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
The redevelopment project spans approximately 225 million square feet (msf), comprising 95 msf of rehabilitation area and 130 msf of free-sale area. File Pic
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, being undertaken by the Adani Group in central Mumbai, is set to become Asia's largest urban redevelopment initiative.
The project involves the rehabilitation of more than one million slum dwellers, with over 1.25 lakh homes planned for construction, reported IANS.
Spread across approximately 600 acres, Dharavi is widely regarded as Asia's largest slum. It is home to more than one million people living in densely populated conditions. The area also hosts four major industries: pottery, food processing, leather, and plastic recycling, according to an HSBC report.
Approved in 2022, the Dharavi Redevelopment Project is structured as a public-private partnership between the Maharashtra government, which holds a 20 per cent stake, and the Adani Group, which holds the remaining 80 per cent.
The project aims to transform Dharavi into a transit-oriented urban hub by rehabilitating residents into high-rise housing complexes, upgrading civic infrastructure, and developing residential and commercial projects in the free-sale component of the land.
The redevelopment project spans approximately 225 million square feet (msf), comprising 95 msf of rehabilitation area and 130 msf of free-sale area, reported IANS.
The 95 msf rehabilitation component is expected to accommodate more than one million slum residents through the construction of over 1.25 lakh housing units.
Around half of these units will be built within Dharavi itself, while the remaining units will be developed across six locations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the report stated.
The project also unlocks a substantial 130 msf free-sale area for the Adani Group, located roughly 5 km from Mumbai's central business district, the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
To put the scale into perspective, the free-sale area is approximately 2.5 times Mumbai's residential absorption in FY26. The Adani Group plans to develop residential and commercial projects in the area, along with major infrastructure upgrades.
According to the report, the redevelopment blueprint includes a multi-modal transport hub featuring three metro stations, bus depots, sports centres, schools, healthcare facilities, green spaces, and pedestrian-friendly walkways.
The Adani Group aims to complete the rehabilitation component of the project over the next seven to eight years. The first building on land owned by Indian Railways is expected to be handed over in December 2026, while construction of 30,000 housing units is scheduled to be underway in the next fiscal.
The company has also committed to providing 10 years of operations and maintenance (O and M) support for rehabilitated housing units. In addition, it plans to undertake environmental restoration projects, including the cleanup of the Mithi River and the Deonar dumping ground.
Other proposed initiatives include the development of a 6-km-long mangrove creek and a Marine Drive-style promenade along the Mithi River, along with several other infrastructure upgrades, the report added.
(With IANS inputs)
