New Delhi, March 8, 2025 – The Supreme Court on Friday declined to put a hold on the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, a massive slum rehabilitation initiative in Mumbai being executed by the Adani Group. The ruling comes as a setback to Dubai-based Seclink Technology Corporation (STC), which had challenged the Maharashtra government’s decision to cancel its 2019 bid and award the project to Adani Properties through a fresh tender in 2022.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar refused to order a status quo after being informed that significant progress had already been made on the site, with ongoing demolition and machinery worth crores already deployed.
Court Rejects Seclink’s Plea, Cites Project Progress
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Adani Group, informed the court that hundreds of workers were actively engaged at the site and that demolition work, including that of an Indian Railways quarters, had commenced. Given these developments, the court saw no reason to halt the project.
However, the Supreme Court directed the Adani Group to maintain an escrow account for all project-related transactions, ensuring transparency in payments and record-keeping through invoices and documentation.
Seclink’s Higher Bid Offer Under Consideration
Senior Advocate C Aryama Sundaram, appearing for Seclink, argued that his client had been unfairly sidelined despite originally winning the bid in 2019. He also stated that STC was willing to increase its original bid of ₹7,200 crore by 20%, raising it to ₹8,640 crore. The court asked STC to submit an affidavit outlining the revised offer for further consideration.
Bombay High Court’s Earlier Verdict in Favor of Adani
Seclink’s challenge comes after the Bombay High Court, on December 19, 2024, dismissed its plea against the Maharashtra government’s decision to award the Dharavi Redevelopment Project to Adani Properties. The high court ruled that the claims of tender conditions being “tailor-made” for the Adani Group were “misconceived” and lacked merit.
Seclink had specifically contested the July 13, 2023, government resolution formally awarding the project to Adani Properties as the lead developer and the subsequent work order issued on July 17, 2023.
Adani’s Bid and Project Details
In November 2022, Adani Properties won the bid to redevelop approximately 259 hectares of slum land in Central Mumbai. The company emerged as the highest bidder, offering ₹5,069 crore, along with a ₹2,800 crore payment to the Indian Railways, bringing the total bid amount to ₹7,869 crore.
The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is one of India’s most ambitious urban transformation initiatives, aiming to provide modern housing and infrastructure to thousands of slum dwellers. With the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, the project is set to move forward, while legal disputes over the bidding process continue.
