Asia’s largest slum in Mumbai to undergo $8b makeover

Planned as a ‘city within a city’, with new roads, green zones and modern facilities

Last updated:
Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor
3 MIN READ
High-rise buildings tower over the densely packed homes of Dharavi, Mumbai’s sprawling slum settlement, in this photograph taken on July 12, 2025. A massive $8 billion redevelopment project, led by the Mumbai authorities and Adani Realty, aims to transform Asia’s largest slum into a modern urban district.
High-rise buildings tower over the densely packed homes of Dharavi, Mumbai’s sprawling slum settlement, in this photograph taken on July 12, 2025. A massive $8 billion redevelopment project, led by the Mumbai authorities and Adani Realty, aims to transform Asia’s largest slum into a modern urban district.
AFP

Dubai: Mumbai’s sprawling slum Dharavi — often dubbed Asia’s largest — is now being pitched as a development opportunity. Bulldozers are expected to soon roar through its winding alleys, flattening makeshift homes to make way for a sweeping $8 billion redevelopment.

Under the plan, residents who occupied homes before 2000 would receive free housing, while those arriving between 2000 and 2011 could purchase at subsidised rates. Later arrivals, however, would be forced to find homes elsewhere. (The catch: relief only extends to ground-floor home-owners — many dwell in upper floors added informally, making them ineligible.

Officials describe the effort as a “city within a city,” promising new roads, green spaces, and upgraded infrastructure right in the heart of Dharavi. Local businesses and workshops would be retained — but their operations would be subject to tight regulation. ( “We want to get out of the slums… but we do not want them to push us out of Dharavi,” says Ullesh Gajakosh, a leader of the “Save Dharavi” campaign.

The redevelopment is being driven by Navbharat Mega Developers (formerly DRPPL), a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and Adani Realty. Legal challenges have dogged the project — notably a bid protest by a Dubai-based firm that the Bombay High Court dismissed. In March 2025, India’s Supreme Court asked Adani to respond to allegations of unfair advantage in winning the Dharavi contract.

As bulldozers prepare to roll in, the plan is hailed by some as a long-overdue upgrade for a crowded settlement. But critics warn that without strong protections, the move risks uprooting hundreds of thousands who have called Dharavi their home for decades.

With inputs from AFP

Devadasan K P
Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor
Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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