Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, 3 September declared that Mumbai will be made slum-free within the next 10 years, with a cluster development model already in place to drive the city's comprehensive redevelopment. Speaking at NAREDCO Maharashtra's 'Change of Guard' ceremony, Fadnavis outlined an ambitious urban overhaul spanning the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, MHADA colony revitalisation, and the modernisation of BEST bus depots.

Dharavi and MHADA: The Redevelopment Pillars

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project has already commenced under the cluster-based planning approach, with a target to deliver 10,000 rehabilitation housing units by January 2029. Fadnavis also stressed the urgent need to redevelop 50-year-old MHADA colonies, ensuring planned development through the maximisation of available land resources.

BEST bus depots are set for state-of-the-art redevelopment, incorporating modern bus stations, upgraded passenger amenities, and mixed-use spaces featuring commercial and residential units, museums, sports grounds, and recreational hubs. The Chief Minister said this approach will generate new revenue streams for BEST while reshaping Mumbai's urban design.

Maharashtra's Economic Ambitions

Fadnavis noted that while India recorded a GDP growth rate of 7.8% in the first quarter, Maharashtra outpaced the national figure with an 8.8% growth rate during the same period, crediting the real estate sector as a key driver. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) development plan is structured to scale MMR's economy to $1.5 trillion by 2047.

MMR currently hosts nearly 60% of India's data centre capacity, with plans underway to build ecosystems for smart manufacturing, frontier technologies, and deep tech. Next-generation urbanisation is set to accelerate across the MMR, Pune Metropolitan Region, and Nagpur Metropolitan Region.

Mumbai 3.0, Sea Link, and Vadhavan Port

'Mumbai 3 is no longer just a future concept — its implementation has begun,' Fadnavis said, referencing the active development of Smart Cities, Edu-Cities, Medi-Cities, and Innovation Cities. A 24-kilometre sea link from Uttan to Virar is also planned as a critical infrastructure project to ease traffic flow and render Mumbai signal-free.

Vadhavan Port — described as nearly three times larger than JNPT — is expected to generate approximately 1 million job opportunities in Palghar district and lay the foundation for a 'Fourth Mumbai'. A dedicated freight corridor linking Vadhavan Port and JNPT to Nashik, with onward connectivity to Jalna, Wardha, and Gadchiroli via the Samruddhi Expressway, is also planned.

Pune, Nagpur, and the Quantum Corridor

In Nagpur, a 'New Nagpur' is being developed with plug-and-play industrial facilities. In Pune, land acquisition for a new airport is complete and tendering for construction will launch this year; the surrounding area is earmarked for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and smart manufacturing ecosystems. The state government also aims to establish the Mumbai-Pune corridor as a 'Quantum Corridor'.

Fadnavis highlighted that with 65% of India's population being young — including nearly 30 million youth aged 18 to 28 in Maharashtra — and Artificial Intelligence set to reshape jobs and business models, the construction sector must adopt modern technology for faster, advanced building techniques. An agreement was also signed between NAREDCO Chairman Kamlesh Thakur and Nagpur NMRDA Commissioner Sanjay Meena at the event, alongside the unveiling of the 'New Nagpur' logo. The next phase of Maharashtra's urban story, Fadnavis indicated, will be defined by how swiftly these projects move from announcement to delivery.