Adani Group begins Dharavi redevelopment work; first five towers to be ready by March 2029

The Adani Group on Monday commenced construction of the rehabilitation component of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project on a 22-acre railway land parcel in Matunga, marking a major milestone in the ambitious plan to transform one of Asia's largest informal settlements. The first five residential towers are scheduled to be handed over by March 2029, while the entire 10-tower development is expected to be completed by August 2030.

Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL), the special purpose vehicle implementing the project, performed the bhoomi poojan at the site on October 12. The development will comprise 10,432 residential apartments and 1,379 commercial and industrial units for eligible Dharavi residents.

The company said the project would provide modern housing, improved infrastructure and essential community facilities while supporting the livelihoods of families and businesses affected by redevelopment.

𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱

According to the company, the rehabilitation development will consist of 10 residential towers, each rising between 37 and 39 storeys. The buildings will have 10 to 12 passenger elevators and two dedicated fire elevators, while two additional lifts will serve the commercial and industrial units.

The towers will be transferred to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA), under the Maharashtra government, in three phases. The first five towers are scheduled for handover by March 2029, followed by two towers in August 2029. The remaining three towers are expected to be completed and handed over by August 2030.

Pranav Adani said the project was intended to provide secure housing and better living conditions for Dharavi's families.

"Every family deserves a home where they feel secure and can plan for the future," he said, adding that the Matunga development would create neighbourhoods with improved residential and commercial infrastructure.

𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

The company said eligible residents covered under the in-situ rehabilitation scheme would receive homes measuring 350 sq ft, compared with the 300 sq ft units generally provided under other slum redevelopment projects.

The development will include community facilities such as a kindergarten, community hall, podium gardens, sitting areas, society offices and places of worship.

The project also provides for commercial and industrial spaces intended to accommodate economic activities associated with Dharavi's extensive informal economy.

Under the proposed arrangement, 10% of the commercial space in each rehabilitation building will be reserved to generate revenue for maintaining common infrastructure.

ANDPL will be responsible for maintaining the residential buildings and shared infrastructure for the first 10 years following handover.

Mahendra Kalyankar, Chief Executive Officer of DRP/SRA, said the commencement of construction represented an important step towards providing residents with improved housing and essential amenities.

He said the focus would be on creating safe, modern homes supported by infrastructure necessary for a better quality of life.

𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱

The company has brought together international and Indian architectural, engineering and urban-planning firms for the project.

The development will draw on expertise from US-based design firm Sasaki, UK-based engineering consultancy Buro Happold, Mumbai-based Studio POD, architect Hafeez Contractor, P&T and ARC Studio.

Urban-planning specialists from Singapore are also associated with the initiative.

The involvement of multiple design and engineering firms is intended to support the development of integrated residential neighbourhoods, commercial facilities and public infrastructure within the redevelopment area.

𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱

The commencement of construction follows the inauguration of the Dharavi Experience Centre by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on October 2, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi's 157th birth anniversary.

Spread across 22,500 sq ft, the centre provides residents with an opportunity to examine the proposed redevelopment through life-size sample homes, interactive displays and a three-dimensional walkthrough.

The displays cover housing layouts, workplaces, transport connections, public amenities and open spaces planned under the project.

Anil Sardana, Chief Executive Officer of ANDPL, said the centre had given residents their first detailed look at the proposed homes and neighbourhoods.

He said the company's focus had now shifted towards construction, timely delivery and long-term maintenance of the facilities.

𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝟲𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘀

The wider Dharavi Redevelopment Project covers nearly 600 acres in the heart of Mumbai and seeks to transform the densely populated settlement into a modern, integrated urban neighbourhood.

The project envisages approximately 1.25 lakh to 1.5 lakh new homes to rehabilitate an estimated 10 lakh residents.

Apart from housing, the master plan includes schools, healthcare facilities, commercial establishments, places of worship, parks, public transport infrastructure and improved civic services.

The redevelopment is being designed around a neighbourhood model under which essential services would be accessible within a 15-minute walk.

The authorities have maintained that the project aims to improve housing conditions while preserving Dharavi's social networks and economic activities, which include numerous small-scale manufacturing, recycling, leather and other enterprises.

Under Maharashtra's slum rehabilitation framework, each eligible resident is entitled to one rehabilitation unit, irrespective of the number of tenements owned.

𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮

The Adani Group emerged as the successful bidder for the Dharavi redevelopment project in November 2022, committing an initial investment of ₹5,069 crore to undertake the long-pending transformation.

The project is among Mumbai's largest urban redevelopment initiatives, involving the rehabilitation of a substantial residential population and the reorganisation of commercial and industrial activities within one of the city's most densely populated areas.

With construction now beginning at the Matunga railway land parcel, the focus will shift towards meeting the announced handover deadlines and implementing the rehabilitation arrangements for eligible residents.

The first phase, comprising five towers, is expected to be completed by March 2029, with the remaining towers scheduled for delivery in stages over the following 17 months.