More musical streets, please

India’s first musical road is on a 500-metre stretch called Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Marg and plays Jai Ho when vehicles move on specially marked grooves at a set speed. Pic/PTI

I learned a lot of things about infrastructure and technology this February. One reason was my decision to skip the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, because I'm told no one who attended it learned anything of importance. The other was the announcement of a melody strip on a mysterious stretch of road called Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Marg. Apparently, those lucky enough to drive down this 500-metre pathway will be entertained by a tune, which I suspect will prompt thousands of drivers to reroute their commutes. I can also imagine tourists extending their vacations in Bombay to record this drive for their Instagram reels. It makes me want to applaud whoever came up with the idea, irrespective of what it may have cost.

There was some muttering about misplaced priorities, as well as complaints about the incessant noise bothering neighbours, which annoyed me. This sort of bickering makes me feel as if Indians aren't interested in anything other than mundane things like efficiency and security. It makes me want to shake these critics by their shoulders and ask them to imagine how boring life would be without the presence of bells and whistles. Imagine how uninspiring Bandra would be, for instance, if residents were forced to just stare at the sea instead of LED-powered hoardings advertising luxury homes in Worli. Is that the kind of dull future any of us wants for our children? I doubt it.

Apparently, there are a lot of signboards placed before the musical stretch to inform motorists about the right speed they need to maintain. I expect this emphasis on rules will gradually extend beyond 500 metres to roads across the city over the next decade or two. It's arguably the first step towards getting motorists to drive in a sane manner that acknowledges the presence of other drivers. I'm also told this is a pilot project to explore if ‘sound-based design' can make everyone's commute safer and more engaging. I'm not sure what engagement means in this context, but I'm pretty sure it's a good thing because that has always prompted all government decisions. If there's one thing we understand in India, it's design.

I had a few questions about how the tune to be played on this road was chosen but assumed it had been selected after healthy debate and a lot of PowerPoint presentations. I also wondered if these engineered rumble strips could be used to replicate the sound of a human voice at some point, making it possible for motorists to listen to inspiring speeches by our ministers. The technology may not be available yet, but nothing can stop the government from diverting funds towards this potentially awesome project that will make the rest of the world sit up and notice. If we can't develop it ourselves, we can always borrow the technology from China and say we helped develop it.

The aim of the musical road - yes, I'm told there is one - is reportedly to see if infrastructure can merge engineering, art, and public experience. I believe related experiments have already been initiated on this front, in the form of public installations of statues, selfie points, and light displays on bridges. It's the sort of thing guaranteed to convince visiting foreign dignitaries that this is a city devoted to pushing all boundaries. It's also the kind of commitment that, I believe, will one day make commuting feel less like an ordeal and more like a trip to an amusement park, where strange and wonderful things can happen at every turn.

For now, I am happy with the musical road, and hope it is replicated as often as possible at various points across the city. I look forward to sitting in a cab and wondering what tune will play as I get off the Western Express Highway and turn into BKC. Perhaps each suburb can vote for its preferred tune based on what local listening habits are like, and we end up with a city where a thousand songs fill the air at all hours of day and night. Imagine being lulled to sleep with contemporary and classic hits like Dum Maro Dum, Sheila ki Jawaani, Laal Pari and Bijuria playing on
repeat mode.

That is the kind of progressive city I look forward to fervently: one where music and dance is an everyday occurrence, and where we start to pay more attention to having fun than to worrying about things like accidents, road rage, or falling concrete slabs.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
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