Cabinet approves Rs 3,230-crore Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project
The historic North and South Block buildings in New Delhi will be converted into the world's largest museum by display area.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the Rs 3,230-crore Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum project, according to The Indian Express. The project involves the adaptive reuse of the 100-year-old North and South Block buildings in New Delhi to create a cultural institution.
The museum will showcase 10,000 years of India's civilisational history through thematic galleries. These include sections on 'Architecture and Cityscapes', 'Mathematics and Astronomy', 'Languages and Scripts', 'Faith and Spirituality', and 'Bharat Connects — Trade and Ideas'.
Officials stated that approximately 1.8 million objects have been identified from the National Museum, 52 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) site museums, various state museums, and private collections. The facility is being designed to host one crore visitors every year.
The project will be implemented in phases from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a tentative completion deadline of March 2031. The first gallery, titled 'Adornment', is expected to open to the public in the North Block during the latter half of 2027.
The Ministry of Culture has signed Los Angeles-based architect and designer Kulapat Yantrasast as the principal architect. The museum will feature immersive technologies, visitor amenities, and conservation facilities while preserving the architectural character of the historic buildings.