Mumbai

A resident of Mumbai is called Mumbaikar (pronounced[ˈmumbəikəɾ]) in Marathi, in which the suffix -kar means a 'resident of'. The term had been in use for quite some time, but it gained popularity after the official name change to Mumbai.^[70] Older terms such as Bombayite are used infrequently.^[71][72]

Mumbai is built on what was once an archipelago of seven islands: Isle of Bombay, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli, and Old Woman's Island (also known as Little Colaba).^[73]Pleistocene sediments found along the coast near Kandivali suggest that the islands were inhabited since the South Asian Stone Age.^[74] In the 3rd century BCE, the islands formed part of the Maurya Empire, ruled by the emperor Ashoka.^[75] The islands were perhaps occupied by the Koli fishing community during the beginning of the Common Era.^[76][77]

The Kanheri Caves in Borivali were excavated in the first century CE,^[78] and served as a centre of Buddhism in Western India.^[79] The Mahakali Caves in Andheri were cut out between the 1st century BCE and the 6th century CE.^[80][81] Greek geographer Ptolemy referred to the islands as Heptanesia (Ancient Greek: A cluster of seven islands) in 150 CE.^[82] Between the 2nd century BCE and 9th century CE, the islands came under the control of successive indigenous dynasties–Satavahanas, Western Satraps, Abhira, Vakataka, Kalachuris, Konkan Mauryas, Chalukyas, and Rashtrakutas,^[83] before being ruled by the Shilaharas from 810 to 1260 CE.^[84] Some of the oldest edifices in the city are the Jogeshwari Caves (between 520 and 525 CE),^[85]Elephanta Caves (between 6th to 7th century CE),^[86]Walkeshwar Temple (10th century CE),^[87][88] and Banganga Tank (12th century CE).^[89][90]

King Bhima founded his kingdom in the region in the late 13th century CE and established his capital in Mahikawati (present day Mahim).^[91] The Pathare Prabhus, among the earliest known settlers of the city, came to Mahikawati from Saurashtra in Gujarat around 1298 CE.^[92] The Delhi Sultanate annexed the islands in 1347–48 CE and controlled it until 1407 CE. During this time, the islands were administered by the Muslim governors of Gujarat, appointed by the sultanate.^[93][94] The islands were later governed by the independent Gujarat Sultanate, established in 1407CE. Numerous mosques were built during the period, including the Haji Ali Dargah in Worli, erected in 1431, as a homage to Sufi saint Haji Ali.^[95] From 1429 to 1431 CE, the islands were a source of contention between the Gujarat Sultanate and the Bahmani Sultanate of the Deccan.^[96][97] In 1493 CE, Bahadur Khan Gilani of the Bahmani Sultanate attempted to conquer the islands but was repulsed.^[98]

Apprehensive of the power of the Mughal Empire under emperor Humayun, sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat signed the Treaty of Bassein with the Portuguese Empire on 23 December 1534. As per the treaty, the seven islands of Bombay, the nearby town of Bassein, and its dependencies were given to the Portuguese on 25 October 1535.^[99]

The Portuguese leased the islands to various Portuguese officers during their regime, and assisted the Roman Catholic religious orders.^[100] The islands were called by various names, and later took the written form Bombaim. The Portuguese Franciscans and Jesuits built churches in the city, such as the St. Michael's Church at Mahim (1534),^[101]St. John the Baptist Church at Andheri (1579),^[102]St. Andrew's Church at Bandra (1580),^[103] and Gloria Church at Byculla (1632).^[104] They also built several fortifications including the Bombay Castle, Castella de Aguada, and Madh Fort.^[105] The English vied with the Portuguese for hegemony over Mumbai, recognising its strategic natural harbour and its separation from the main land.^[106] On 11 May 1661 CE, the marriage treaty of Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, daughter of King John IV of Portugal, gave most of the islands to the English, as part of Catherine's dowry to Charles.^[107]

In accordance with the Royal Charter of 27 March 1668, England leased these islands to the English East India Company in 1668 for a sum of £10 per annum.^[108] The population quickly rose from 10,000 in 1661 to 60,000 in 1675.^[109] The islands were subject to several attacks such as by Yakut Khan, the Muslim Koli admiral of the Mughal Empire, in October 1672,^{[110][111][112]}Rickloffe van Goen, the governor-general of Dutch India on 20 February 1673,^[113] and Siddi admiral Sambal on 10 October 1673.^[114] In 1687, the English East India Company transferred its headquarters from Surat to Mumbai, and the city eventually became the headquarters of the Bombay Presidency.^[115][116] The islands again suffered incursions from Yakut Khan in 1689–90.^[117]

The Portuguese presence in the region ended when the Marathas under PeshwaBaji Rao I captured Salsette in 1737, and Bassein in 1739.^[118] By the middle of the 18th century, Bombay expanded into a major trading town, receiving a large influx of migrants from across India.^[119] The British occupied Salsette on 28 December 1774, and signed the Treaty of Surat (1775), with Raghunathrao, one of the claimants to the Maratha throne, to transfer control of Salsette and Bassein.^[120] This resulted in the First Anglo-Maratha War, and the British secured Salsette officially through the Treaty of Purandar (1776),^[121] and later through the Treaty of Salbai (1782), signed to settle the outcome of the war.^[122]

From 1782 onwards, the English undertook large-scale civil engineering projects to merge the seven islands of Bombay into one by means of a causeway, the Hornby Vellard, completed by 1784.^[32][123] In 1817, the English East India Company under Mountstuart Elphinstone defeated Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa of the Marathas in the Battle of Khadki.^[124] The success of the campaign marked the end of attacks by native powers, and brought almost the whole of the Deccan Plateau under the British suzerainty and the Bombay Presidency.^[125] On 16 April 1853, India's first passenger railway line was established, connecting Bombay to the neighbouring town of Thana.^[126] During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the city became the world's chief cotton-trading market, resulting in an economic boom.^[127]

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea.^[128] In September 1896, the city was hit by a bubonic plague epidemic, which resulted in an over 20,000 people,^[129] and a large proportion of the population fleeing the city, harming the textile industry.^[130] The Indian independence movement fostered the Quit India Movement in 1942 at the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress and the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in 1946.^[131][132]

After India's independence in 1947, the Bombay Presidency was restructured into Bombay State, which was further expanded when several erstwhile princely states were integrated into the Indian union. Subsequently, the city became the capital of Bombay State.^[133] In April 1950, municipal limits were expanded by merging the Mumbai suburban and city districts to form the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation.^[134]

The Samyukta Maharashtra movement to establish a separate Maharashtra state reached its heights in the 1950s. In 1955, during discussions in the Parliament of India, the Congress party demanded that the city be made an autonomous city-state.^[135] While the States Reorganisation Committee recommended a bilingual state for Maharashtra–Gujarat with Bombay as its capital in its 1955 report, the Bombay Citizens' Committee, an advocacy group of Gujarati industrialists, lobbied for an independent status for the city.^[136]

Following several protests in which 105 people died in clashes with the law enforcement agencies, Bombay State was reorganised on linguistic lines into separate states of Maharashtra and Gujarat on 1 May 1960.^[137] The Gujarati-speaking areas were separated from Bombay State to form Gujarat.^[138] Maharashtra was established with Bombay as its capital was formed with the merger of Marathi-speaking areas of Bombay State, eight districts from Central Provinces and Berar, five districts from Hyderabad State, and numerous princely states.^[139] As a memorial to the martyrs of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, Flora Fountain was renamed as Hutatma Chowk (Martyr's Square) and a memorial was erected.^[140]

The following decades saw a massive expansion of the city and its suburbs. In the late 1960s, Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade were reclaimed from the sea and developed.^[141] Industrial development began with a focus on the petrochemical, electronic, and automotive sectors. In the 1950s, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum commissioned Mumbai Refinery at Trombay and BPCL Refinery respectively.^[142] The Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority was established on 26 January 1975 by the Government of Maharashtra to co-ordinate development in the Mumbai metropolitan area.^[143]

In August 1979, a sister township of New Bombay was established by the City and Industrial Development Corporation, spread across the Thane and Raigad districts to accommodate the city's expanding population. The Great Bombay Textile Strike in 1982, which involved nearly 250,000 workers in more than 50 textile mills, resulted in the downfall of the sector.^[144] The defunct cotton mills of the city have since become the focus of redevelopment in the 21st century.^[145][146]

The Jawaharlal Nehru Port was commissioned on 26 May 1989 across the creek at Nhava Sheva to de-congest the Mumbai Harbour and to serve as a hub port for the city.^[147] The geographical limit of Greater Bombay, was coextensive with its municipal limit. On 1 October 1990, it was bifurcated to form the city and suburban revenue districts, though they continued to be administered by the same municipal administration.^[148]

The 1990s and 2000s saw a slew of violence and terrorism incidents. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the city was rocked by the Hindu-Muslim riots of 1992–93 in which more than 1,000 people were killed.^[149] In March 1993, a series of 13 coordinated bombings at city landmarks by Islamic extremists and the Mumbai underworld resulted in 257 deaths and over 700 injuries.^[150] In 2006, 209 people were killed and over 700 injured when seven bombs exploded on the city's commuter trains.^[151] In 2008, a series of ten coordinated attacks by armed terrorists for three days resulted in 173 deaths, 308 injuries, and severe damage to several heritage landmarks and prestigious hotels.^[152] The three coordinated bomb explosions in July 2011 that occurred at the Opera house, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar were the latest in the series of terrorist attacks in Mumbai which resulted in 26 deaths and 130 injuries.^[153][154]

In the 21st century, Mumbai has become the commercial capital of India and a global financial hub.^[155] It is the home of India's main financial services companies and a focus for infrastructure development and private investment.^[156] It has become one of South Asia's largest cities and home of the world's most prolific film industry.^[157]

Mumbai has a tropical wet and dry climate, classified as Aw under the Köppen climate classification. The central and northern suburbs have a tropical monsoon climate (Am) with heavier rainfall during the wet season. Mumbai has a nearly rainless stretch from October to May, with its most intense rainfall during July.^[182] A cooler season from December to February is followed by a hotter season from March to May. The period from June to the end of September is the southwest monsoon season.^[183]

The average annual temperature is 27 °C (81 °F).^[184] In the city, the average maximum and minimum temperatures are 31 °C (88 °F) and 24 °C (75 °F) respetively. In the suburbs, the daily mean maximum temperature ranges from 29 °C (84 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F). The daily mean minimum temperature ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).^[185] The record high is 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) set on 14 April 1952.^[186] The record low was 7.4 °C (45.3 °F), set on 27 January 1962.^[186][187] The average annual precipitation is 2,213 mm (87.1 in).^[184] The maximum annual rainfall ever recorded was 3,452 mm (136 in) for 1954.^[185] The most rainfall recorded in a single day was 944 mm (37 in) on 26 July 2005.^[188] The average total annual rainfall is 2,213.4 mm (87 in) in Mumbai City and 2,502.3 mm (99 in) for the suburbs.^[185]

Mumbai encounters occasional tropical cyclones. The worst cyclone encountered was on 23 November 1948, with gusts reaching 151 km/h (94 mph), and resulted in 38 deaths and 47 people missing.^{[189][190][191]} The city is prone to flooding during monsoons,^[192][193] Unplanned drainage systems and informal settlements are amongst the key drivers of Mumbai's frequent floods.^[194] The 2005 Mumbai floods caused 500-1000 deaths and financial losses of US$ 1.2 billion.^[194][195] To reduce flooding in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government implemented a flood mitigation plan that included restoring the Mithi River, restructuring the drainage system, and moving informal settlements.^{[194][195][196]}

Air pollution is a major issue in Mumbai.^{[206][207][208]} In 2013, the annual average PM2.5 concentration was 63 μg/m³, which was 6.3 times higher than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guideline for annual mean PM2.5.^[209][210] The Central Pollution Control Board of the Government of India monitors and publicly shares real-time air quality data.^[211] In December 2019, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in partnership with the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, launched the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Facility at Mumbai to study air pollution in Indian cities.^[212] According to the 2016 report of the Central Pollution Control Board, Mumbai is the noisiest city in India.^[213]

As per the 2011 Census, Hinduism is the major religion with nearly two-third of the population adhering to it, followed by Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and Sikhism.^[215][225] The oldest Muslim communities in Mumbai include the Dawoodi Bohras, Ismaili Khojas, and Konkani Muslims.^[226] Native Christians include East Indian Catholics, converted by the Portuguese during the 16th century.^[227]

Jews settled in Mumbai during the 18th century. The Bene Israeli Jewish community of Mumbai, who migrated from the Konkan villages, south of Mumbai, are believed to be the descendants of the Jews of Israel shipwrecked off the Konkan coast, probably in the year 175 BCE, during the reign of the Greek ruler, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.^[228] Mumbai is home to the largest population of ParsiZoroastrians in the world,^[229] numbering about 60,000, however their population is declining rapidly.^[230] Parsis migrated to India from Greater Iran following the Muslim conquest of Persia in the seventh century.^[231] The ethnic demographics in the Mumbai consists of Maharashtrians (32%), Gujaratis (20%), with the rest hailing from other parts of India.^[232]

Marathi is the most spoken language in the state. Hindi is the second–most-spoken language, followed by Urdu and Gujarati.^{[233][235][236]} Marathi and English serve as the official languages of the government.^[236] English is the principal language of the city's white collar workforce. A colloquial form of Hindi, known as Bombay Hindi is spoken on the streets.^[237] Many Hindi speakers are workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who migrate seasonally to Mumbai to work as labourers.^[238]

Greater Mumbai (or Brihanmumbai), an area of 603 km² (233 mi²),^[264] consisting of the Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban districts, extends from Colaba in the south, to Mulund and Dahisar in the north, and Mankhurd in the east. Its population as per the 2011 census was 12,442,373.^[265]

It is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also referred to as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, and formerly known as the Bombay Municipal Corporation.^[163] The BMC is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis.^[266] BMC is the richest civic body in India and among the wealthiest in Asia.^[267] As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the BMC had a revenue of ₹378.91 billion (US$3.9 billion) and an expenditure of ₹338.25 billion (US$3.5 billion) in 2022–23. Taxes contributed to 17.1% of the revenue, with 51.2% of the income coming from other sources, and 31.8% from government grants.^[268]

The BMC is headed by a mayor, who serves for a term of two and a half years, is chosen through an indirect election by the councillors from among themselves.^[269][270] The municipal commissioner is the chief executive officer and head of the executive arm of the municipal corporation. The commissioner, who is an Indian Administrative Service officer appointed by the state government, is responsible for implementing the executive policies. The commissioner is appointed for a fixed term, and the powers of the commissioner are those provided by statute and those delegated by the corporation or the standing committee.^[271]

In 2014, The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was ranked ninth out of 21 cities for best governance & administrative practices in India, scoring 3.5 out of 10, compared to the national average of 3.3.^[272]

The Mumbai Police is headed by a police commissioner, who is an Indian Police Service officer. The Mumbai Police is a division of the Maharashtra Police, under the home ministry of the state government.^[273] The city is divided into seven police zones and seventeen traffic police zones,^[274] each headed by a deputy commissioner of police.^[275] The Mumbai Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Mumbai Police, and is responsible for traffic organisation in the city. The Mumbai Fire Brigade, which is under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation, is headed by the chief fire officer, who is assisted by four deputy chief fire officers and six divisional officers.^[274] The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is responsible for infrastructure development and planning of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.^[276]

Mumbai is the seat of the Bombay High Court, which exercises jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.^[277] Mumbai has two lower courts, the Court of Small Causes for civil matters, and the Sessions Court for criminal cases. Mumbai has a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities court for people accused of conspiring and abetting acts of terrorism in the city.^[278]

The founding session of the Indian National Congress (INC) was held in Mumbai in December 1885.^[279] Its first session was held in Mumbai from 28 to 31 December 1885.^[280] The city played host to the sessions of the INC six times during its first 50 years, and was a base for the Indian independence movement during the 20th century.^[281]

The 1960s saw the rise of regionalist politics, and the Shiv Sena was formed on 19 June 1966 by Bal Thackeray out of resentment about the marginalisation of Marathi people in Mumbai.^[282] Shiv Sena switched from the 'Marathi cause' to a Hindutva plank in 1985 and joined hands with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) that year.^[283] The Congress had dominated the politics of Mumbai from the Indian independence until the early 1980s, when the Shiv Sena won the 1985 municipal elections for the first time.^[284]

In 1989, the BJP forged an electoral alliance with the Shiv Sena to dislodge the Congress in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. In 1999, several members left the Congress to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) but later allied with the Congress to form the Democratic Front.^[285] Other parties such as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen have contested and won seats in the local body elections in the city.^[286]

In the Indian national elections held every five years, Mumbai is represented by six parliamentary constituencies: North, North West, North East, North Central, South Central, and South.^[287] A member of parliament to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, is elected from each of the parliamentary constituencies. In the 2019 national election, all six parliamentary constituencies were won by the BJP and Shiv Sena in alliance, each winning three seats.^[288]

In the Maharashtra state assembly elections held every five years, Mumbai is represented by 36 assembly constituencies.^[289][290] A member of the legislative assembly to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) is elected from each of the assembly constituencies. In the 2024 state assembly election, out of the 36 constituencies, 15 were won by the BJP, 10 by Shiv Sena (UBT), six by the Shiv Sena, three by the Congress, and one each by the NCP and an independent.^[291]

Elections are held every five years to elect the corporators of the BMC.^[292] The Corporation comprises 227 directly elected Councillors representing the 24 municipal wards, five nominated Councillors with knowledge of municipal administration, and a ceremonial mayor.^{[293][294][295]} In the 2026 municipal corporation elections, out of the 227 seats, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance secured 118 seats, with the BJP winning 89 seats.^[296]

Mumbai is one of the four termini of the Golden Quadrilateral highway system.^[297][298] The city is connected to Chennai and Delhi by National Highway 48. The highways NH-61 and NH-66 originate in the outskirts of the city.^[299][300] The Mumbai–Pune Expressway opened in 2000, and was the first expressway in India.^[301] The Mumbai–Nagpur Expressway opened in June 2025.^{[302][303][304]} The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway,^[305] is under construction from 2019, and is planned to be completed by 2027.^{[306][307][308]} In 2022, the state government proposed the Konkan Expressway, traversing along the Konkan coast.^[309]

Mumbai has approximately 1,900 km (1,200 mi) of public roads.^[310] The Eastern Freeway, which connects South Mumbai with Thane, opened in 2013.^[311] The Sion Panvel Expressway from Sion to Panvel and the Western Express Highway from Bandra to Bhayander, are the other major arterial roads in the city.^[312] The Bandra-Worli Sea Link bridge, along with Mahim Causeway, links South Mumbai to the city's western suburbs.^[313] The 21.8 km (13.5 mi) long Mumbai Trans Harbour Link was inaugurated on 12 January 2024, and connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.^[314] There are five tolled entry points to the city by road.^[315]

Mumbai's transport system is one of the most congested in the world.^[316][317]As of March 2014, Mumbai had about 721,000 private vehicles.^[318] Black-and-yellow meter taxis, and auto rickshaws serve are available for hire.^[319] Auto rickshaws are allowed to operate only in suburban areas, while taxis are allowed to operate throughout the city, but work mostly in the City district.^[320] Taxis and the lower-cost auto rickshaws are legally required to run on compressed natural gas.^[320][321]As of 2005, there were 56,459 black and yellow taxis ^[322] and 106,000 auto rickshaws, as of May 2013.^[310] Ride hailing services Ola, Rapido, and Uber operate in the city.^[323]

Bus

The public bus transport system is operated by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). Buses carried over 5.5 million passengers per day in 2008, and the BEST bus services together with the Mumbai's local rail network accounted for about 88% of the passenger traffic.^[319] The bus ridership dropped to 2.8 million in 2015.^[324] Buses are favoured for commuting short to medium distances.^[325] Public buses cover the entire city, and extend to parts of Mira-Bhayandar, Navi Mumbai, and Thane.^[326]

In 2011, the BEST operated 4,608 buses along 390 routes.^[319][327] The fleet consists of single-decker, double-decker, vestibule, low-floor, and air-conditioned buses, and run on diesel, compressed natural gas, or electric power.^[328][329] The earlier BEST buses were red, and based on London's Routemaster buses.^[330] BEST introduced air-conditioned buses in 1998.^[331]

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses provide intercity transport connecting Mumbai with other cities of Maharashtra and nearby states.^{[332][333][334]} The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport and Thane Municipal Transport operate buses in Mumbai, connecting Navi Mumbai and Thane to parts of Mumbai.^[335][336] The Mumbai Darshan tourist bus service covers the various tourist attractions in the city.^[337] Bus Rapid Transit System lanes have been planned throughout Mumbai.^[338]

The Mumbai Suburban Railway, colloquially referred to as "locals", forms the backbone of the city's transport system.^[339] It is operated by the Central and Western Railway zones of the Indian Railways.^[340] Mumbai's suburban rail systems carried 6.3 million passengers per day in 2007.^[341] The suburban rail network spans 319 km (198 mi), and 2,226 train services operated daily in 2010.^[342] The trains are often overcrowded during peak hours, with twelve-car trains with a rated capacity 1,700 passengers, carrying nearly 4,500 passengers.^[343]

The Mumbai Monorail and Mumbai Metro were inaugurated to relieve the overcrowding on the existing rail network. The Monorail operates on a single route and opened in early February 2014.^[344] The first line of the Mumbai Metro opened in June 2014.^[345] After that, many lines of Mumbai Metro have started operating partially or fully.

Mumbai is the headquarters of two zones of the Indian Railways: the Central Railway headquartered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and the Western Railway headquartered at Churchgate.^[346] Mumbai is well connected with major stations across the Indian Railways network. Long-distance trains operate from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai Central, and Bandra Terminus railway stations.^[347]As of 2026, four lines of the metro are operational and eight are planned.^[348]

• 
  A Mumbai Suburban Railway train
• 
  Mumbai Metro was opened in 2014
• 
  Mumbai Monorail operates a single line

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is the main aviation hub in the city. It handled 52.8 million passengers in 2023–24, and is the second busiest airport in India in terms of passenger traffic.^[349][350] A modernisation and upgrade plan was initiated in 2006, targeted at increasing the capacity of the airport to handle up to 40 million passengers annually,^[351] and the new T2 terminal was opened in February 2014.^[352]

The Navi Mumbai International airport, built in the Ulwe suburb in Raigad district, opened in December 2025, and serves as the second international airport in the metropolitan region.^[353][354] The Juhu Aerodrome hosts the Bombay Flying Club, a heliport operated by state-owned Pawan Hans, and handles private flights.^[355]

Mumbai is served by two major ports, Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port, which lies just across the creek in Navi Mumbai.^[356] Mumbai Port is a natural harbour, and has extensive wet and dry dock accommodation facilities.^[357] Jawaharlal Nehru Port, commissioned on 26 May 1989, is the busiest major port in India,^[358] and handles around 50% of the country's total containerised cargo.^[359]

Local water transport in Mumbai consists of ferries, small boats, and catamarans. Ferry services are operated by government agencies and private partners.^[360]Hovercraft services plied briefly in the late 1990s between the Gateway of India and CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, and were scrapped due to lack of adequate infrastructure and opposition from the local fishermen.^[361] Ferries from Ferry Wharf in Mazagaon allow access to islands near the city.^[362]

The city is also the headquarters of the Western Naval Command, and an important base for the Indian Navy.^[163]

Schools in Mumbai include municipal schools run by the municipal corporation, government aided, and private schools.^[385] The schools usually use Marathi or English as the primary language of instruction.^[386]As of 2026, the BMC operated 1,135 schools which provided free education to nearly 293,000 students. The schools taught in eight languages (Marathi, Hindu, Gujarati, Urdu, English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada).^[387][388]

Under the 10+2+3 plan, students complete ten years of schooling and then two years in junior college, where they select one of three streams: arts, commerce, or science.^[389] This is followed by either a degree course in any of three disciplines, or a professional degree course, such as engineering, law, and medicine.^[390]

Most colleges are affiliated with the University of Mumbai, established in 1857, and is one of the premier universities in India.^[391][392] It was ranked 41 among the top 50 engineering schools by Business Insider in 2012,^[393] fifth in the list of best universities in India by India Today in 2013,^[394] and 10th among the top Universities of India in 2013 in the QS World University Rankings.^[395][396] The Wilson College was the first college in the city, established in 1832. The Grant Government Medical College was opened in 1845, the Government Law College in 1855, and Elphinstone College in 1856. The Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, was the first engineering institute, opened in 1887.^[391]

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay,^[397] and Institute of Chemical Technology are amongst the major engineering schools in the city.^[398] Mumbai is home to several prominent business schools including IIM Mumbai, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, S P Jain Institute of Management and Research, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences.^{[399][400][401]} The Sir J. J. School of Art is Mumbai's oldest art institution.^[402] The city is home to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which operates CIRUS nuclear research reactor in Trombay.^[403][404]

• 
  University of Mumbai
• 
  IIT Bombay
• 
  Government Law College
• 
  IIM Mumbai

Mumbai's cityscape consists of several tall buildings and structures, most of which were built in the 21st century. There was a lull in construction from the mid-1990s, after which construction projects began taking the skyline upwards, with a major acceleration since 2000, when the Lower Parel area began developing.^[434] Amongst the tall buildings, Mumbai has more residential buildings rather than commercial, and limited land resources and an exponential increase in urban population are the primary reasons for Mumbai's vertical growth compared to other Indian cities.^[435]As of 2023, about 77% of the tallest buildings in India are in Mumbai, and the city commands premium real estate prices compared to other cities in India.^[436] As of June 2023, Mumbai has a total of around 250 tall buildings out of which more than 100 are completed, and more than 90 were under construction.^[437]

Source: The Hindustan Times^[479]