Dubai consortium moves SC after Bombay HC verdict, claims it lost Dharavi project due to changed tender terms

A Dubai-based consortium that had earlier emerged as the highest bidder for the redevelopment of Mumbai’s Dharavi has now approached the Supreme Court of India, after the Bombay High Court rejected its plea, as per reports. 

According to a report in Khaleej Times, SecLink Technologies Corporation based in Dubai alleges that tender conditions were altered after it was declared the top bidder.

Dharavi spread over roughly 2.4 sq km in the heart of Mumbai is home to more than a million people and is among the most densely populated informal settlements in the world. The redevelopment project promises enormous commercial potential, estimated at over Dh125 billion (about ₹2.8 lakh crore) in the long run, drawing substantial global interest.

As per the Khaleej Times report, Maharashtra had invited international bids in late 2018. SecLink, which was competing against a number of Indian developers, was declared the preferred bidder in 2019. However, before the project could be awarded, the state government cancelled the process and later issued fresh tender conditions in which SecLink says it became ineligible to participate.

After that SecLink had also submitted a revised bid exceeding Dh3.6 billion (14,500 cr) and expressed willingness to comply with all conditions of the 2022 tender on which Bombay HC had rejected the plea.

Nilang Shah, chairman and managing director of SecLink, told Khaleej Times that the consortium had already tied up major financial commitments before the cancellation of the previous tender.

Meanwhile, the Dharavi redevelopment now being led by the Adani Group aims to transform Asia’s largest slum cluster into a modern, integrated urban district. The ambitious blueprint includes large public parks, community spaces, and green corridors to ensure walkable access to open areas for residents.

A major highlight planned in the project is a Multi-Modal Transit Hub which could become the first location in India where inter-city trains, suburban trains, Metro, High-Speed Rail, Airport Express, buses and other city transport options converge at one single point.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)