Adani’s Dharavi Dream Devastates Mumbai’s Poor as Elites Seize Control
Mumbai, July 9, 2025 – In the heart of Mumbai, where cramped alleys of Dharavi pulse with the dreams of millions, a corporate giant casts a long shadow. The Adani Group, helmed by billionaire Gautam Adani, has tightened its grip on the city’s future, securing massive redevelopment projects like the ₹36,000 crore Motilal Nagar scheme and the ₹5,000 crore Dharavi Redevelopment Project. But for the poor—those who stitch, toil, and survive in these sprawling slums—these projects feel less like progress and more like a betrayal, stripping them of homes and hope while funneling wealth to the elite.
Dharavi’s Heartbreak: A Slum’s Soul at Stake
Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, spans 240 hectares and houses nearly a million people. Its narrow lanes brim with small businesses, from pottery to leatherwork, sustaining families for generations. The Adani-led Dharavi Redevelopment Project Pvt. Ltd., with an 80% stake, promises a modern urban hub—gleaming homes, commercial zones, and infrastructure. Yet, the reality is grim. Of 505 slum dwellers initially listed for rehabilitation, only 101 were deemed eligible, leaving 75% disqualified and facing eviction. “My family has lived here for 40 years,” says Lakshmi, a 52-year-old seamstress, her voice trembling. “Now they say we don’t qualify. Where do we go?”
The project’s reliance on 256 acres of salt-pan land—crucial for flood control—has sparked environmental fears. Critics, including urban planner Shirish Patel, warn that disrupting these ecologically sensitive areas risks worsening Mumbai’s floods, endangering the very communities Adani claims to uplift. Opposition leaders like Uddhav Thackeray have decried the project as a “land grab,” accusing the Maharashtra government of handing Mumbai to Adani like a modern East India Company.
Motilal Nagar: Promises Broken, Voices Ignored
In Goregaon West, the Motilal Nagar redevelopment, a 142-acre MHADA project, tells a similar story. Signed with Adani Properties on Monday, the ₹36,000 crore deal dwarfs the Dharavi project. It promises 3,372 residential units (1,600 sq ft), 328 commercial units (987 sq ft), and 1,600 slum tenements (300 sq ft). But residents, led by Yuvraj Mohite, chairman of the Motilal Nagar Development Committee, are furious. Their demand for 2,000 sq ft homes was ignored, and the agreement was finalized without their input. “We’ve been cheated,” Mohite told The Times of India. “We’ll take this fight to the streets.”
Rahul Gandhi’s viral statement captures the anguish: “Under BJP-RSS rule, India’s democracy is dead. Public assets—ports, slums, railways, airports—are gifted to Adani. Maharashtra’s land, from Dharavi to Goregaon, is now his private property. The poor are evicted, the rich get richer.” His words echo the despair of residents like Anil, a Motilal Nagar shopkeeper, who fears losing his livelihood. “They promise us homes, but it’s all for show. The big players win, and we’re left with nothing.”
Public Outrage & A Pattern of Power
Several recent X posts and web reports reveals widespread outrage. Posts on X, like one claim: “Adani’s projects are a looting spree—Dharavi’s poor get 300 sq ft cages while elites get skyscrapers.” Another user, alleges: “SEBI stays silent on Adani’s market manipulations, but the poor lose everything.” Web reports from Mint and The Hindu confirm Adani’s broader Mumbai takeover, including airport management and a ₹1,000 crore data center MoU, fueled by renewable energy but criticized for opaque government concessions.
Adani’s financial muscle is staggering. A ₹1,000 crore NCD issue at 9.3% yield, rated A- by ICRA and CARE, follows an ₹800 crore bond sale in 2024. With ₹76,236 crore in gross debt and a net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 2.9×, the Group’s aggressive $5 billion investment plan over five years signals unrelenting expansion. Yet, this financial might contrasts sharply with the plight of displaced slum dwellers, many of whom face uncertain futures.
A City Sold, A People Forgotten
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) oversees a wave of 2025 brownfield projects, from Kamathipura’s 34-acre redevelopment to housing schemes in Ghatkopar. While Adani insists these drive growth and jobs, the human cost is undeniable. “This isn’t redevelopment—it’s displacement,” says Varsha Gaikwad, Congress leader, pointing to the government’s silence on resident concerns. Environmentalists warn of ecological ruin, while locals mourn the loss of community and heritage.
For Dharavi’s weavers and Motilal Nagar’s shopkeepers, the gleaming towers promised by Adani feel like a cruel mirage. As Mumbai’s land becomes a billionaire’s playground, the poor are left to wonder: who will fight for them when the powerful take it all?
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