Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) Director Pranav Adani performed the Bhoomi Poojan at the 22-acre Matunga railway site on Monday, formally marking the commencement of rehabilitation construction for Dharavi. The mega-project, spearheaded by Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited (ANDPL)—a special purpose vehicle established with the Government of Maharashtra—aims to transform one of Asia’s largest informal settlements.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Aseem Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department, and Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, CEO of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP/SRA). Eligible residents from Sectors 6 and 1 will be the first to receive homes at the Matunga site, followed by approximately 4,500 apartments allocated to other eligible families on a priority basis.

Project Scale, Design, And Infrastructure

Under the in-situ rehabilitation framework, eligible residents will receive 350 sq ft homes. The Matunga development will feature 10 towers comprising a total of 10,432 rehabilitation apartments alongside 1,379 commercial and industrial units. Each tower will stand between 37 and 39 storeys high, equipped with 10 to 12 passenger elevators, two dedicated fire elevators, and additional lifts for commercial spaces.

The urban planning and architectural design incorporate global expertise from firms including US-based Sasaki, UK-based engineering consultancy Buro Happold, Mumbai-based StudioPOD, architect Hafeez Contractor, P&T, ARC Studio, and urban planning experts from Singapore. The construction is slated for a phased handover to the DRP/SRA, with the first five towers scheduled by March 2029, the next two by August 2029, and the remaining three by August 2030.

Amenities and Broader Redevelopment Scope

Community facilities within the complex will include kindergarten spaces, community halls, podium gardens, sit-out areas, society offices, and places of worship. To ensure long-term sustainability, the group has reserved 10 per cent of the commercial space in each building to generate revenue for common infrastructure upkeep, with ANDPL maintaining the buildings and shared amenities for the first 10 years.

The broader redevelopment blueprint envisions a mixed-use township featuring retail shops, schools, healthcare facilities, parks, and integrated public transport within a 15-minute walking radius. The construction launch follows the recent inauguration of the Dharavi Experience Centre by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Gandhi Jayanti, which offers residents interactive displays and life-size sample homes of the proposed township.

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