India, April 16 -- Two decades after the idea was first championed by housing activists like Chandrashekhar Prabhu, self-redevelopment has finally begun to gain momentum in the city. The state government's Self Group Redevelopment Authority (SGRA), set up in 2025, has received over 1,600 proposals from housing societies seeking to undertake redevelopment on their own.

The concept was first floated by former MHADA chairman and urban planner Chandrashekhar Prabhu with the aim of enabling the redevelopment of over 16,000 (now 13,500) cessed and dilapidated buildings without relying on private builders. However, despite sustained efforts, only a handful of societies managed to execute such projects. Two key challenges hindered progress: lack...