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Digital Museums: Bringing Mumbai's Forgotten History to Life

Monday, May 11, 2026
5 min read
Digital Museums: Bringing Mumbai's Forgotten History to Life

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is looking at something big. A way to use technology, you know? To build digital museums right into the city.

He put it forward. And now it’s slated for discussion in the civic house later this month.

Tiwana’s focus isn’t just on the big names. He stressed that the real goal is bringing people to know the folks who actually shaped Mumbai—the ones who made huge contributions to the culture and society, but who just fade away from public memory.

We know the big ones. Names on roads everywhere. But there are so many others, almost forgotten.

He brought up Kavi V R Kant. A road bears his name, sure. But how many people actually know what he did? Hardly anyone. That’s the gap they want to fill.

The proposal is pretty specific about how this would work. Think about the road nameplates. They’re blue signs, right? Now, the plan is to slap QR codes onto all of them. Simple scanning with a smartphone.

What happens next? You scan it. You don't just get a link. You get this AI dashboard . It’s going to feature stories, short videos, animations.

The Indian Express covered this. They said it’ll present things in an engaging way. Not just dry facts. You get the biography, the local history of the neighborhood. It’s supposed to make you feel like you’re walking through the evolution of Mumbai.

Because the municipal records show this is already happening. Nearly nineteen thousand roads in the city are named after specific personalities. It’s history embedded in the geography.

There’s already a bit of context there. The BMC road department pointed out some of these names have functional roots. Cotton Green, for instance. Named because of the cotton mills that drove the city’s economy back then. Or Bread Lane in Crawford Market. That name comes from the bakeries supplying bread to ships at the harbour.

It’s history right there, visible.

And this digital move could be useful for visitors too. Imagine someone visiting Haji Ali. They scan a nearby sign. Instantly, they get the story. The history. The origins of the name. It turns street signs into little gateways of knowledge.

It’s not a brand new concept, though. This isn't the first time someone has floated this. The BMC actually looked at something similar back in 2021. They worked with an NGO. But it just didn't happen.

Now, the sticking point, the thing that needs to actually work, is the information itself. Officials admitted something important. For this to actually succeed, they need serious collaboration. They need city historians. Experts. People who can actually document and digitize this massive historical narrative into one coherent platform.

It’s a huge undertaking. Turning ordinary street signs into real educational tools. It’s about preserving those stories. Promoting the identity of the city over time. It’s a big shift.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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