Centre offers a modern vision of Dharavi’s present and future
Mumbai, October 2026: The Dharavi Experience Centre will enable residents to gain a practical understanding of the redevelopment project by experiencing what their future homes, neighbourhoods and workplaces will look like, rather than merely viewing project plans. The centre will help counter rumours, misunderstandings and incomplete information, thereby fostering trust in the redevelopment process, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said while interacting with the media.
The state-of-the-art Dharavi Experience Centre, which offers a physical and digital presentation of the redevelopment plan, rehabilitation homes, spaces for industries and future social infrastructure, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Fadnavis. He also inspected the facility, established at PMGP Colony, H Block, near the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
Those present on the occasion included Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashwini Bhide; Dr Mahendra Kalyankar, Chief Executive Officer of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority; Secretary Vipin Paliwal; Anil Sardana, CEO of Adani Navbharat Developers Private Limited, the special-purpose company implementing the Dharavi redevelopment project; and Pranav Adani, Managing Director of the Adani Group, among others.
After visiting the centre, Fadnavis said Dharavi was not merely a slum but a major economic engine. Its economy has grown around several activities, including the pottery industry in Kumbharwada, leather businesses, food processing, plastic recycling and other small and medium enterprises.
He said the redevelopment plan aimed to preserve the dignity and identity of these businesses while providing them with better-organised and improved workplaces. The project seeks to bring about a comprehensive urban transformation while safeguarding Dharavi’s existing social, cultural and economic identity. He added that the initiative was an example of the urban transformation taking place across the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Chief Minister said the Dharavi Experience Centre would provide real-time information about the redevelopment project, explaining the existing conditions in Dharavi and how the area is expected to transform in the future. The facility will play an important role in addressing residents’ concerns and uncertainties about their lives after redevelopment.
Fadnavis expressed confidence that the centre would serve as a single point of information on rehabilitation homes, roads, open spaces, social amenities and employment opportunities. Besides residents, it would also be useful to stakeholders and those studying urban planning from across the country.
Using modern audio-visual and digital technologies, the centre presents Dharavi’s journey from its present condition to its proposed future development. The Chief Minister toured the entire facility during the inauguration.
On the occasion, Fadnavis also launched “Dharavi Ka Kal,” a special song sung by renowned singer Shankar Mahadevan depicting Dharavi’s transformation. He also released the book “Mere Sapnon Ki Dharavi.”
