Mumbai, India – at the center of the financial capital of India, Mumbai, is the closely wrapped district of Dharavi. Open drains, pressed residential dwellings, naked electrical wires, and narrow trails define the area.
The Adani group, led by one of the richest people in Asia, should now transform Dharavi into a modern canton, with roads, schools, parks, hospitals and housing enclaves. The multinational conglomerate has promised an initial investment of 5,069 roller crore (around 1.7 million dollars) and offers to sell just over 40% of the area on the free market.
Some residents fear gentrification, while others fear the trip.
“Anyway, Dharavi will stop existing as he does now,” said Khursheed Sheikh, a leather jacket seller who has lived in Dharavi since the early 1990s.
The Adani group did not respond to several interview requests.
The district is flanked by two main railway lines which connect the north and the south of the city, making it a desired land for real estate developers.