An India’s economic hub
Mumbai is not just the wealthiest city in the country, but among the wealthiest globally. It is where the headquarters of multiple financial institutions are located too, from the Bombay Stock Exchange, Reserve Bank of India, National Stock Exchange, and the Mint, to Indian business giants such as the Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, Essel Group and Reliance Industries.
Bollywood
Bollywood, India’s largest and one of the world’s largest film industries is synonymous with Mumbai. The city has accordingly established itself not the film capital in India but also the world. Bollywood is where many Bollywood storylines are based, top studios located and the most famous directors, producers, actors and crew members live too. And so, to the rest of India, the charm and appeal of Bollywood hold true for Mumbai as well.
Home of many incredible architectures
From the stunning Bandra-Worli Sea link to the pristine white Haji Ali Dargah, Mumbai’s architecture is complex, rich and exceptional. Marine Drive whose lights form an arc resembling a string of pearls dubbed as Queen’s Necklace, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus whose Victorian architecture has resiliently stood through more than a century of events from terror attacks to freedom struggles – are all symbolic of Mumbai’s charm to the rest of the subcontinent.
The combination of past and future
Mumbai’s dream-like quality has as much to do with its rich past as it has with its promising future. While the city’s global importance and position grow by the day as India re-positions its economy globally, it was a hub of civilization and exchange with other great civilizations even 2000 years ago. The stunning Kanheri Caves, Elephanta Caves are remnants of a rich past where Mumbai fared as a commercial and ideological hotspot. Even Mumbai’s journey from a scattered group of seven historic islands to its current form is nothing short of dream-like for onlookers from elsewhere in the country.
City of many “firsts”
From India’s first five-star hotel, the Taj Mahal Palace, to the country’s first movie screening – by the Lumiere Brothers in 1896 – Mumbai has been home to many ‘firsts’ and ‘premieres’ in the country. The subcontinent’s first passenger train ran in Mumbai from the now-defunct Bori Bunder station to Thane in 1853, and the country’s first civil aviation airport opened at Juhu in 1928 – showing how Mumbai holds the promise of innovation beyond that of any other Indian city.
The city of arts and entertainment
Mumbai isn’t just the film capital of the country. A majority of the city’s leading ad agencies, media companies, television studios, music production companies and cultural movements are placed here. Some of the city’s premier art institutions including the legendary Jehangir Arts Gallery which has played a major part in the country’s modern art movement are all situated here.