Mumbai’s sprawling Dharavi slum is on the cusp of transformation as the Maharashtra government transfers 118 acres of prime land in Malad-Malvani’s Mukteshwar area to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). This move empowers the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), Nav Bharat Mega Developers Private Limited (NMDPL), a joint venture between the state and the Adani Group, to kickstart planning and construction of rehabilitation buildings.
The land allocation targets Dharavi residents ineligible for in-situ rehabilitation within the slum. Officials confirmed this as the third major plot handed over to DRP, following sites at Kurla’s Mother Dairy and Mulund’s Jamas Saltpan. Primarily, it will house upper-floor occupants and those who settled in Dharavi after January 1, 2011, but before November 15, 2022.
Under project guidelines, these families will be resettled in modern, planned townships across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Ownership of the Malad land remains with DRP/SRA, while NMDPL holds development rights. Valued at around ₹540 crore, the plot saw ₹135 crore already paid as premium by NMDPL.
Of the designated 140 acres in Mukteshwar, 118 acres are now transferred, with 22 acres pending due to litigation. Overall, the state has earmarked nearly 540 acres in MMR for high-quality affordable housing, including plots in Kurla, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, Mulund salt pans, and parts of Deonar dumping ground.
This handover is expected to accelerate rehabilitation housing construction, propelling phased redevelopment. Dharavi’s approximately 10 lakh residents could see 1.25-1.5 lakh new homes built, enabling eligible families to shift to better homes within seven years. The project promises a new chapter for one of Asia’s largest slums, blending urban renewal with social equity.