Fadnavis opens Dharavi Experience Centre as Pranav Adani maps ‘Mumbai 3.0’ vision

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday inaugurated the Dharavi Experience Centre in Mumbai, giving residents a physical and digital preview of the proposed redevelopment of the area, including rehabilitation homes, workplaces, transport infrastructure and social amenities.

Spread across 22,500 sq ft, the centre features life-size models of 350 sq ft and 500 sq ft apartments, interactive exhibits and a detailed 3D walkthrough of the proposed township. It also showcases planned roads, public spaces, transport links, commercial areas and social infrastructure.

The centre is intended to provide residents with information on surveys, eligibility, documentation and rehabilitation, while giving them a clearer picture of how the redevelopment could affect their homes and livelihoods. Fadnavis said the facility would help address questions and confusion around the project and build trust among residents.

Fadnavis: Dharavi is an economic engine

Speaking after inspecting the centre, Fadnavis said Dharavi's redevelopment would have to account for the area's existing economic activity.

“Dharavi is not just a slum; it is a major economic engine,” Fadnavis said, referring to industries including pottery, leather, food processing, plastic recycling and various micro, small and medium enterprises.

He said the redevelopment plan respects these industries and focuses on providing them with better-planned workspaces, while seeking to preserve Dharavi's social, cultural and economic identity.

The centre also showcases proposed environmental and connectivity features, including the rejuvenation of the Mithi River, around 40,000 trees across Dharavi, a 3.3-km public riverfront and a Multimodal Transport Hub.

Pranav Adani's people-first pitch

Speaking at the Invest Maharashtra event, Adani Enterprises director Pranav Adani said, “Infrastructure must always have a human heart.”

“Our approach is people first, ensuring dignity, creating modern housing before relocation, formalising and safeguarding thousands of micro enterprises, and transforming Asia's largest informal settlement into a vibrant, integrated economic hub without displacing the community's soul,” he said.

Adani also described Dharavi redevelopment as the group's contribution towards “Mumbai 3.0”, aimed at creating “a better connected, more balanced, and a more inclusive metropolitan region”.

Separately, Pranav Adani said the Adani Group has an investment blueprint exceeding ₹6 lakh crore across Maharashtra, spanning energy, aviation and aero districts, urban regeneration, data centres and coal gasification, with projects worth ₹2.6 lakh crore already completed or under execution.

During Friday's inauguration, Fadnavis also unveiled a Dharavi anthem and released a coffee table book documenting the area's history, businesses and entrepreneurial activity.