The transformation of the Worli Dairy site into a commercial hub was set in motion with the Maharashtra government issuing a notification to alter its land-use classification. The 6.40-hectare property, located along Mumbai’s Worli sea face, had been reserved for residential use under earlier development plans but was reclassified to allow commercial activity. The change was initiated by the state’s Urban Development Department, which announced that objections and suggestions would be invited before the amendment was finalised in the Development Control and Promotional Regulations (DCPR) 2034.
The dairy, which had been closed for more than a decade, previously housed government offices and residential quarters. It was one of three state-run dairies in Mumbai and had been classified as a “dairy” within a residential zone under the Development Plan of 1991. The Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government had earlier directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to reimagine the site for public benefit, proposing a marine research institute, aquarium, and exhibition centre. A notification to that effect was issued in 2022.
A change in administration significantly altered the trajectory of the project. The BJP-led Mahayuti government received a request in January 2024 from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to transfer control of the property. The MMRDA suggested that the land should be developed as a mixed-use complex aimed at generating employment opportunities. This proposal was subsequently approved, and in April 2025 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that MMRDA would draft development plans for the site. With the recent notification, the path has now been cleared for the property to be monetised by leasing it to private entities for commercial exploitation.
The redevelopment of Worli Dairy follows a pattern observed with other government-run dairies. The Kurla Dairy is being repurposed to house slum residents relocated from Dharavi, while parts of Aarey Dairy have been allocated for infrastructure projects such as a metro car shed and the Regional Transport Office. Worli Dairy, which supplied milk to the island city, is now set to be commercialised in line with these precedents.
Objections to the plan have been raised by both citizens and political representatives. Former IPS officer Y P Singh warned that the move could be illegal under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, which permitted only reconstruction of authorised buildings without altering land use. He argued that a commercial complex on this site was legally untenable unless the CRZ rules were amended. South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant of the Sena (UBT) criticised the decision as a ploy to allow “favourite builders” to benefit from prime real estate, while stressing that Mumbai still lacked facilities such as an aquarium or oceanarium, which had once been envisioned for the location.
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