Dharavi: A Slum, A Powerhouse, A Vision In Transition

Dharavi is often described in contradictions: a slum and a factory, a hazard and a home. Nearly one million people live in 2.5 sq km, powering thousands of micro-enterprises and a billion-rupee informal economy. Yet, infra remains rudimentary. The current redevelopment plan aims to fundamentally transform this space into a modern, integrated urban precinct.

Tech and Trust

When deployed ethically, digital tools can level the playing field. GIS and blockchain can secure property tenure, reducing fraud. IoT Sensors can monitor air quality, construction safety, and waste management in real time. AI can guide infrastructure planning, predict climate risks, and optimise service delivery. Digital ID integration ensures beneficiaries are mapped and supported. Technology, when humanised, can make informal realities visible to formal systems, and empower inclusive governance. Infrastructure can be built in months. Trust takes years. Residents must feel heard, not herded. They must believe that redevelopment is not displacement, but upliftment. This demands transparent communication in local languages, structured community consultations, grievance redressal with real-time responsiveness, and partnerships with NGOs, SHGs, and local leaders who command credibility.

Competitive Advantage

Globally, the private sector is under increasing pressure to go beyond profit; to demonstrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibility. Slum redevelopment is not a reputational risk; it is an ESG opportunity. Firms that embed ESG in their core strategy – not just their reporting – will unlock long-term value, lower risk, and win trust. For conglomerates like Adani, which lead the Dharavi project, this is not just a national responsibility; it is a global opportunity to define what future-ready, people-centric urban redevelopment looks like.

Exporting the Model

India’s urban DNA – resilient, adaptive, informal – mirrors much of the Global South. A successful Dharavi model can be adapted for: Lagos, Nigeria – for high-density coastal communities; Jakarta, Indonesia – for flood-resilient low-income zones; Nairobi, Kenya – for community-led smart settlements. But this demands humility. India must share learnings and co-create solutions with others, not as a donor or expert, but as a peer.

The writer is an environment and development innovation expert and community engagement specialist (This is the concluding part of a two-part article)

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