One of the most densely populated urban areas on earth, and also one of the most economically productive — Dharavi generates an estimated one billion dollars in economic output annually from its network of small industries: leather tanneries, pottery kilns, recycling operations, textile workshops, and food processing. It is often described as a slum, but that word obscures the complexity of what is essentially an informal city-within-a-city.
Organised tours with responsible operators (Reality Tours and Travels is the best-known) offer a structured way to visit the industrial sectors without intruding on residential areas. Photography is generally not permitted on residential lanes. What becomes clear on any visit is the extraordinary density of enterprise — this is not a place where people are waiting for help, but a place where people are working extremely hard.