Dharavi, Mumbai, India 2026

Dharavi, Mumbai, India 2026

Never have we had such an eye-opening afternoon. This tour was definitely the most poignant during the 2026 World Cruise that we just finished.

Dharavi, in Mumbai, India, is home to 1,000,000 people in less than 1 square mile. It is known as one of the largest slums in the world.

It is cramped and filthy. Over the next seven years the government is tearing down and/or renovating the slums and replacing them in one of the world’s most ambitious urban renewal projects ever. New housing and will be lovely upgraded 500 – 750 sq ft homes to about 1 million residents with free rent. Interestingly, some residents are quite opposed to the plan and want no change. Apparently, this is a common phenomenon with these type projects.

Check out the tight walkways between homes which are are attached to each other. Every road is dirty, dark and sweltering.

Here is the inside of a few homes.

Dharavi  has a shockingly thriving economy of 15,000 businesses generating over $1 billion annually. It comes from recycling 600–800 tons of waste daily and recycles up to 80% of Mumbai’s dry waste. It employs over 250,000 people to sort, clean, and crush materials like plastic, metal, and electronics. And the small businesses take that recycled garbage and make so many things from it.

This man makes shipping cartons.

These people make soap.

This man recycles old electronics.

This man colors plain cloth.

This company upgrades the cloth to nice fabric.

This young man has an outdoor barber shop.

Part of the downside is that the plastic recycling work throws off dangerous toxins and nobody wears masks or other protection.

We were shocked to learn that crime is totally absent here. What an overwhelming experience this was for us. We feel so fortunate to have been born in the States.