Dharavi Redevelopment Project changes name to Navbharat Mega Developers

Company says it is to avoid being mistaken for the government authority in the same space, which is Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA)

Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Ltd (DRPPL), the Adani-backed company undertaking the ambitious project to rebuild the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai, has renamed itself Navbharat Mega Developers Private Ltd (NMDPL).

 

The company said on Saturday that it had received the affirmation of its board of directors and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for the rebranding. According to the company’s statement, the initiative is not just for rebranding but also to avoid being mistaken for the government authority in the same space, which is the Dharavi Redevelopment Authority (DRA), a special planning authority of the Maharashtra government for Dharavi’s redevelopment.

 

The role of the Maharashtra government will remain unchanged and the DRA will continue to be the supervising authority for the project, the company said. “The change in name does not alter the government’s pivotal role or the core purpose of the project,” it asserted.

 

DRPPL, now NMDPL, is the executing body for the over 600-acre Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP). NMDPL is a special-purpose vehicle between the Maharashtra government through the DRP)/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), and the Adani Group.

 

While an Adani Group entity holds an 80 per cent stake in the NMDPL, the Maharashtra government controls the remaining 20 per cent. As of November 2024, Rs 2,000 crore has been invested in the project, including Rs 1,000 crore for land transactions and another Rs 1,000 crore for surveying and other purposes.

 

Recently, the Bombay High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by SecLink Technologies Corporation (STC), a UAE-based construction and real estate firm, challenging the project award. Adani Group’s Adani Properties Private Limited (APPL) was declared as the preferred bidder in November 2022 by the state authorities.