The Indian Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Approves $340 Million Museum in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum through adaptive reuse of the North and South Block complex in Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of $340 Million.
Initially announced in 2023, the project gained formal approval amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government’s ongoing push to highlight India's pre-colonial cultural identity. Named Yuge Yugeen Bharat—roughly translating to "India through the ages" and referencing the nation's ancient Sanskrit name—the museum will take over New Delhi’s North and South Blocks. Designed in the 1920s by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, these former civil service offices will be transformed into a massive cultural hub.
According to a cabinet statement on Wednesday, the facility will span roughly 178,509 square meters, giving it the world's largest museum display area when measured against major global institutions. Officials envision it as a landmark space for learning, research, and celebrating the depth and diversity of India's civilizational legacy. Set to host up to 10 million visitors annually, the museum will draw from a pool of about 1.8 million artifacts sourced from state, national, archaeological, and private collections. Its first gallery is slated to debut by late 2027, with full completion targeted for the 2030–31 financial year.
The project aligns with a broader cultural and architectural overhaul spearheaded by Modi since taking office in May 2014. His administration previously constructed the world's tallest statue—a 182-meter (597-foot) tribute to independence leader Vallabhbhai Patel—and spearheaded a major redevelopment of New Delhi's colonial-era administrative district, which included moving lawmakers into a new parliament building in 2023.
Main Image: X - Prime Minister Narendra Modi