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"Bombay was renamed Mumbai in 1995. But it was in 1996 that the name came into full legal and civic effect — making 1996 the year Mumbai truly became Mumbai. That's why we are Mumbai96."
Mumbai96 is named after 1996 — the year the city's identity crystallised. We are not just a platform, we are a commitment to this city and its people, built around the belief that Mumbai deserves its own digital home that is as ambitious, resilient and inclusive as the city itself.
Mumbai was seven separate islands — Bombay, Colaba, Old Woman's Island, Mahim, Mazagaon, Parel, Worli — inhabited by Koli fisher communities for millennia. The name "Mumbai" derives from Mumba Devi, the patron goddess of the Koli people.
Portuguese took control from the Sultan of Gujarat. Named the harbour "Bom Bahia" (Good Bay) — corrupted to "Bombay" by the British. The Portuguese began modest development, building churches including St. Thomas Cathedral (1718).
Bombay was gifted to England as part of the marriage dowry when King Charles II wed Catherine of Braganza. In 1668, the Crown leased the islands to the East India Company for £10 per year. One of history's most consequential property deals.
The British undertook the Hornby Vellard project — connecting the seven islands through massive land reclamation. By 1845 Mumbai was a single landmass. This engineering feat (joining 438 sq km of islands and reclaimed land) created the geography of modern Mumbai.
April 16, 1853: India's first passenger train ran from Bombay's Bori Bunder (now CSMT) to Thane — 34 km. The train that would define Mumbai's identity for the next 170 years was born. 400 passengers on the inaugural run, 21-gun salute.
The American Civil War disrupted US cotton supply, making Mumbai's cotton mills incredibly profitable. Over 130 cotton textile mills employed lakhs of workers — Girangaon (Village of Mills) in Parel, Worli, Dadar became the beating heart of working-class Mumbai. This era created Mumbai's unique working-class culture, trade unions, and Dadar's distinct identity.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Dadasaheb) made India's first feature film Raja Harishchandra in 1913 — primarily in Mumbai. The city has been the capital of Indian cinema ever since. Today Bollywood contributes ₹12,000 crore+ annually to Mumbai's economy.
May 1, 1960: Bombay State was bifurcated into Maharashtra (Marathi-speaking) and Gujarat (Gujarati-speaking). Bombay became the capital of Maharashtra after a long Samyukta Maharashtra movement (1955–1960) in which 106 protesters died for the cause.
December 1992–January 1993 communal riots following Babri Masjid demolition killed over 900 people. The Bombay Serial Blasts of March 1993 killed 257 more. Yet Mumbai rebuilt — returning to normalcy faster than any other city had. "Mumbai Bandh nahin hota" became the city's defining self-belief.
November 1995: Maharashtra government officially renamed Bombay to Mumbai — restoring the Koli community's ancient name for their goddess Mumba Devi. The legal transition completed through 1996, making Mumbai the city's permanent name in all official use. This is why we are Mumbai96.
July 11, 2006: Serial train bombings killed 209 Mumbaikars. November 26–29, 2008: 10 Pakistani terrorists held the city hostage for 60 hours, killing 175 people including at Taj Mahal Hotel, CST and Nariman House. Mumbai mourned and resumed. The city's resilience became its global identity.
The Coastal Road, Metro Line 3 (underground), Atal Setu (longest sea bridge in India), Trans Harbour Link — Mumbai is in the middle of the largest infrastructure transformation in its history. The city that built itself from seven islands is rebuilding itself again, faster than ever.
Mumbai96 was built on a simple belief: this city, with its 2 crore people and 170-year history as India's commercial capital, deserved a platform that was exclusively and unconditionally its own. Not a national platform with a Mumbai section. Not a listing site. A city platform — built by a Mumbaikar, for Mumbaikars, covering every dimension of city life from street food to co-op society bye-laws.
Before the British, before the Portuguese, before any colonial power — the Koli fishing communities lived on these seven islands and called their patron goddess Mumba Devi. Every time a Mumbaikar says "Mumbai," they are unknowingly honouring the Koli community's ancient name. The Koliwada fishing villages still exist in Worli, Versova, Mahim, Colaba and Cuffe Parade — living within the megacity as Mumbai's oldest residents.