People of no Indian city know, respect and optimise the economic value of time and space as Mumbaikars do. Since expanding Mumbai’s space has peak, even split at its seams, it has set an example for India on how to expand time; the time a city engages in economically productive activity, instead of tamely going to sleep.
Mankind’s rise is fundamentally about the rise of the city, the word was drawn from civilisation itself and Mumbai is India’s greatest city — an icon of pride and an exemplar for the rest. A great city like Mumbai does not sleep, and indeed, harnesses the owl and bat specimens amongst the humans, who would love to work or play till sunrise and sleep till noon to co-create value along with those who live by the sun’s arc.
A salute to Mumbai would not be enough. Every great Indian metro — Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai — and the two southern hi-tech capitals — Hyderabad and Bengaluru — must not lose time in imitating the move, even improvising it. At any hour, if thousands or more people are engaged in economic activity, shop, watch movies, work, eat, drink, travel around — that indeed stands as a testimony of its spirit, of its youth, of its dynamism and entrepreneurship. The sleepless city is a goal worthy of aspiration amongst all wonderful Indian cities. Let Hyderabad harness this moment too. Law and order should no longer be an excuse to shut us down. Thomas Alva Edison has given us the power to light the nights. Let us declare to the world — when the sun goes down, our people don’t.