A company named SecLink Technologies Corporation, registered in Dubai, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India. The company alleges that after winning the bidding process for Mumbai’s Dharavi redevelopment project, the government changed the rules, due to which they were excluded.
Dharavi — spread over 2.4 square kilometers and home to more than 1 million people — is one of the largest slums in the world. The cost of this project is estimated at approximately 125 billion dirhams, which is included in Asia’s largest urban development works.
💼How did the controversy start?
The Maharashtra government invited global companies to redevelop Dharavi in 2018.
Dubai’s SecLink company made the highest bid of nearly 3 billion dirhams and became the top bidder in 2019.
The company had also arranged funding of $4 billion (13.5 billion dirhams).
But in 2020, the state government canceled the tender, saying the project involved railway land.
Two years later, a new tender was issued in 2022, in which SecLink was disqualified under the new rules. This contract was given to Adani Group company.
⚖️ Case under the supervision of Supreme Court
In March 2025, the Supreme Court of India started hearing this entire case.
The Court commented that “the new rules appear to be designed to exclude SecLink”.
The court ordered to produce all the government files from 2018 till now.
All funds related to the project will now be operated from a monitored bank account so that transparency is maintained.
The next hearing will be on 13 November 2025.
💰 Concerns of Dubai investors
SecLink Chairman Nilang Shah said the company has already spent more than Dh3.82 billion.
He said, “We have kept the financing structure alive, but every delay is hurting us further. Our UAE investors are facing this risk.”
This controversy has become a warning to all Dubai investors who want to invest money in India’s real estate or infrastructure sector.
📅 Complete timeline so far
Year Event Details 2018 Maharashtra invites global bids Dubai’s SecLink participates 2019 Company becomes the biggest bidder Offers ₹3 billion dirhams 2020 Tender canceled Argument to include railway land 2022 New tender, new rules SecLink thrown out 2023–24 Bombay High Court rejects petition Adani Group gets the project 2025 (March) Supreme Court starts hearing to present all records Order 2025 (13 November), next hearing fixed, state government will give records