Pranav Adani says Dharavi redevelopment must put residents and jobs first

Adani Enterprises Director Pranav Adani has described the Dharavi redevelopment project as a “people-first” urban transformation programme, saying the focus will be on providing dignity to residents, building modern housing before relocation and protecting thousands of micro enterprises.Speaking about the project, Adani said infrastructure should “always have a human heart” and described the Dharavi redevelopment programme as one of the most ambitious urban transformation initiatives.“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.#WATCH | Mumbai: Pranav Adani, Managing Director (Agro, Oil & Gas) and Director of Adani Enterprises, says, "Infrastructure must always have a human heart. Through the Dharavi Redevelopment Program, we have undertaken one of the most ambitious and compassionate urban pic.twitter.com/gkGbL5WJCw— ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2026Adani said the redevelopment would form part of what he called “Mumbai 3.0”, with the aim of creating a more connected, balanced and inclusive metropolitan region. “This is our contribution towards Mumbai 3.0, not just a larger Mumbai, but a better connected, more balanced, and more inclusive metropolitan region,” he said.He also reiterated the Adani Group’s commitment to Maharashtra, saying the group would work with the state government and its people. “Maharashtra represents one of our country's most remarkable economic powerhouses,” Adani said, adding that the group was committed to helping build what he described as the “twin engines” of Maharashtra’s future — industrial growth and dignity for citizens.ADANI GROUP'S MAHARASHTRA INVESTMENT PLANSThe comments come as the Adani Group has outlined an investment blueprint of more than Rs 6 lakh crore across Maharashtra, with projects worth about Rs 2.6 lakh crore already completed or under execution. The proposed investments span energy, aviation and aero-districts, urban regeneration, data centres and coal gasification, as Maharashtra seeks to position itself as a preferred destination for investment and targets becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.Among the group's major projects in the state is the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which Adani said would eventually be capable of handling more than 90 million passengers annually. The group is also planning a residential and commercial township near the airport.The Adani Group also operates Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Adani Electricity Mumbai, which supplies power to more than 3 million homes and establishments across the city. The group is also developing pumped-storage hydro projects and operates a 1,000 MW high-voltage direct current transmission link bringing power into Mumbai.Adani said the group's partnership with Maharashtra spans decades, but its latest commitments represent a “quantum leap” in scale and conviction.The investment push comes as Maharashtra launches Invest Maharashtra, a mechanism aimed at converting investment proposals into projects on the ground.FOCUS ON DHARAVI'S MICRO ENTERPRISESDharavi remains one of the key urban regeneration projects in the group's Maharashtra plans.In his remarks, Adani highlighted the need to formalise and safeguard the area's micro enterprises while creating modern housing for residents and the Dharavi project as a people-first urban transformation programme involving modern housing, formalisation of micro enterprises and redevelopment of the settlement.Adani said the broader objective was not merely to expand Mumbai but to create a more integrated metropolitan region while retaining the community and economic activity that have developed in Dharavi.- Ends