Mumbai gets India’s first musical road: How it works, what you hear

Mumbai has introduced what is being described as India’s first musical road on the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road. The 500-metre stretch has been developed on the northbound carriageway between Nariman Point and Worli, shortly after vehicles exit the Coastal Road tunnel. Here, let’s take a look at some key details about this stretch.

The project was inaugurated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Mumbai’s musical road: What is it, how it works

The stretch has been engineered using specially designed rumble strips carved into the asphalt at calculated intervals and depths. When vehicles travel over these grooves at a speed of around 60 to 80 kmph, the interaction between the tyres and the road surface produces vibrations. These vibrations generate sound waves that recreate the tune of ‘Jai Ho’, the Academy Award-winning song composed by A.R. Rahman for the film Slumdog Millionaire.




The BMC has installed signboards 500 metres, 100 metres and 60 metres ahead of the musical stretch, including within the tunnel section.

Only a handful of countries in the world have set up melody roads

The concept of melody roads was first identified in Japan in 2007 and has since been implemented in select countries including Hungary, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. Mumbai’s installation is the first of its kind in India.

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