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Leather industry in Dharavi

Dharavi is a diverse settlement in Mumbai, commonly referred as the biggest slum in India. It became famous around the world after the movie Slumdog Millionaire, which pictured the extremely poor conditions of slums in India. The Hollywood  fiction picture, however, does not fit reality, as Dharavi is much more complex than the imaginary of most outsiders.

Dharavi started during the British colonial era around the 1880’s and grew in part because of an expulsion of factories and residents from peninsular city center, Collaba, in South Mumbai, by colonial government, and from rural poor migrating into urban Mumbai[1]. Today Dharavi is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, diverse settlement where between 300,000 and 1 million people live in. It is also the center of a thriving economy. Leather, pottery, textiles, recycled materials, laundry are some of the main activities that generates an estimated annual turnover of over US$ 500 million[2].

Dharavi is also centrally located in the heart of Mumbai. Across mangroves lands to the north is located Bandra, the new Central Business District of Mumbai; a little further north is the main airport of the region; to the east is the north part of the port; further south is the old city and central area of Mumbai. Around Dharavi two of the main train-lines make its borders, also many of the main roads connecting the north and south parts of Mumbai pass close to Dharavi.

Given the above information, one could argue that Dharavi is more than a slum, despite the temporary and unsafe conditions of dwellings and lack of infrastructure. This is an internationally famous, extremely well-connected, economically thriving, socially diverse site. These features attracted the interest of many, especially of the real estate market.

In a dramatic — if not ironic — scenario, Dharavi becomes what many other parts of the city already is: an exclusive site. A new condominium clearly defined by a 22km long, 2m thick and 12m high wall.

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[1] Jan Nijman, A STUDY OF SPACE IN MUMBAI'S SLUMS, Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie, Volume 101, Issue 1, pages 4–17, February 2010

[2] "Jai Ho Dharavi". Nyenrode Business Universiteit. http://www.nyenrode.nl/businesstopics/europeindia/Pages/%E2%80%9CJaiHo%E2%80%9DDharavi.aspx