Dharavi Rising
26 Apr 2025 CW Team
Dharavi, Asia’s largest informal settlement, stands on the cusp of a historic transformation. With an ambitious urban renewal project finally taking shape, millions of residents are looking ahead with hope. But delivering a project of this scale brings immense challenges – from land acquisition to rehabilitate ineligible residents outside Dharavi and rehabilitation to infrastructure development. It also requires balancing commercial goals with deep-rooted social impact. At the helm is SVR Srinivas, IAS, CEO & Officer on Special Duty, Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP), Government of Maharashtra, who is steering this complex urban renewal. In this report, CW explores the vision, challenges and path forward for one of India’s most ambitious redevelopment efforts.
A historic reset for Mumbai
Dharavi began as a humble fishing village in the late 1800s. Over the decades, it evolved, shaped by waves of workers and migrants seeking a foothold in a rapidly growing Mumbai. What emerged was not just one of the world’s largest informal settlements, but a closely knit community of nearly a million people...