The Adani Group is undertaking the largest urban redevelopment project in Asia at Dharavi, central Mumbai, involving the rehabilitation of more than 1 million slum dwellers and the construction of over 1,25,000 homes. The Dharavi Redevelopment Project, approved in 2022, is structured as a public-private partnership between the Maharashtra Government (20% stake) and the Adani Group (80% stake), with the stated goal of transforming one of Asia's most densely populated informal settlements into a transit-oriented urban hub.

Scale and Scope of the Project

Dharavi spans roughly 600 acres in central Mumbai and is widely regarded as Asia's largest slum, home to over a million residents alongside four major industries — pottery, food processing, leather, and plastic scrap, according to an HSBC report. The total redevelopment footprint covers 225 million square feet (msf), of which 95 msf is earmarked for rehabilitation and 130 msf constitutes free sale area.

Of the 1,25,000 residential units planned for displaced slum dwellers, approximately half will be built within the existing Dharavi boundary, while the remainder will be distributed across six locations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Commercial Opportunity for Adani Group

The 130 msf of free sale area — situated roughly 5 km from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai's central business district — represents a substantial commercial windfall. According to the HSBC report, this land parcel is approximately 2.5 times Mumbai's total residential absorption in FY26. The Adani Group plans to develop both residential and commercial projects on this land.

Notably, the free sale component effectively cross-subsidises the rehabilitation effort, a model common to large-scale slum redevelopment schemes in Maharashtra but rarely executed at this magnitude.

Infrastructure Upgrades Planned

Beyond housing, the project envisions sweeping infrastructure improvements. Plans include a multi-modal transport hub integrating three metro stations, bus depots, sports centres, schools, and healthcare facilities. Environmental components include a clean-up of the Mithi river and the Deonar dumping ground, development of a 6 km mangrove creek, and a Marine Drive-style promenade along the Mithi river, as per the report.

Timeline and Execution

The Adani Group aims to complete the rehabilitation portion over the next seven to eight years. The first building — on a land parcel belonging to Indian Railways — is scheduled for handover in December 2026, with construction of 30,000 units expected to be underway by FY27. The group has also committed to providing 10 years of operations and maintenance (O&M) for all rehabilitated units.

With construction milestones approaching and the first handovers less than two years away, the project's execution will be closely watched as a test case for large-scale public-private urban renewal in India.