Dharavi redevelopment project plans to house India's next prime business district

Time of India

11 hours ago

The redevelopment of Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, is expected to include an exclusive
commercial business district
adding a significant business and employment component to one of the most complex
urban transformation
efforts globally.
A substantial portion of the nearly 600-acre prime land in the heart of the country's financial capital will be earmarked for commercial development, with the intent to create a central business district (CBD) designed to attract companies from various sectors.
This district is expected to include Grade-A office spaces, high-street retail, co-working hubs, hotels, and support infrastructure, according to people familiar with the planning process.
"The commercial zone will be carved out of land that is not reserved for residential rehabilitation. This will also help in upgrading existing businesses operating in Dharavi ushering them into formal economy. The intent isbto grow the
Dharavi economy
by at least 3X," said one of the persons mentioned above.
The inclusion of this commercial area is aimed at creating a
self-sustaining economic engine
within Dharavi, while also providing long-term revenue streams to fund other components of the nearly Rs 96,000-crore redevelopment project.
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The
Dharavi Redevelopment Project
, awarded to
Adani Group
through a specially formed joint venture company with the state government, aims to rehabilitate more than one million residents and regularise over 12,000 commercial units currently operating in the unorganised sector.
The plan is to deliver integrated development that combines formal housing, upgraded civic infrastructure, social amenities, and structured commercial spaces.
The business district component is being designed to both accommodate existing small businesses within Dharavi and attract new commercial tenants to the area.
"A hybrid integrated approach is being considered, where portions of the commercial inventory may be leased to large corporations, while designated spaces could be offered to small-scale industrial and retail businesses that are already part of Dharavi's economy," said another person mentioned earlier.
The upcoming multi-modal transport integration is expected to further support the viability of the commercial hub. The
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority
(MMRDA), now appointed as the nodal agency for the adjoining multi-modal transit hub (MMTH), is working to integrate Dharavi with major railway lines, metro corridors, and arterial roads.
The proposed commercial district is expected to benefit significantly from this connectivity, making it attractive to businesses looking for centrally located office and retail space.
ET's email query to
Navbharat Mega Developers Pvt Ltd
(NMDPL), the SPV undertaking the project, remained unanswered.
Experts believe that this commercial component, if executed well, could redefine Dharavi's perception from an informal settlement into a mixed-use urban business precinct.
'For the commercial zone to succeed, it must be integrated with the city's infrastructure and be positioned competitively with other business districts. Its success can create a new benchmark for urban redevelopment,' said another person familiar with the city's infrastructure planning.
Work on initial phases of the redevelopment project including surveys, resettlement planning, and infrastructure design, is currently underway.