The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum at the historic North and South Block complex in New Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 3,230 crore.
Envisaged as a landmark cultural institution, the museum will showcase the continuity, diversity and richness of India's civilisational legacy through an integrated presentation of the country's tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said the project would involve the adaptive reuse of the iconic North and South Blocks, preserving their architectural character and historical significance while transforming them into a major public museum.
"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today has approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM) at the North and South Block Complex, New Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of Rs 3,230 crore, as appraised by the Public Investment Board (PIB)," an official statement said.
The museum will have a proposed built-up area of approximately 1,78,509 square metres and will incorporate contemporary exhibition practices, immersive technologies and visitor-oriented facilities.
According to the government, the institution is being planned to have the world's largest museum display area, benchmarked against leading international museums.
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ
The project will be implemented in phases between the financial years 2026-27 and 2030-31.
The first inaugural gallery, themed "Adornment", is expected to open to the public in the North Block during the latter part of 2027.
The ambitious museum project was first announced by Prime Minister Modi on May 18, 2023.
It will present India's civilisational journey through curated thematic galleries, exhibitions and interpretations of the country's diverse cultural traditions, knowledge systems, artistic practices and heritage.
The project includes gallery development, collection storage and conservation facilities, visitor amenities, advanced technologies, immersive experiences, landscaping, intelligent building systems and supporting infrastructure.
The CCEA said the museum was being developed in accordance with international best practices in museum planning, heritage conservation, exhibition design and sustainable cultural management, adapted to India's cultural context.
The estimated project cost of Rs 3,230 crore is based on detailed architectural and exhibition designs, engineering assessments and museum planning requirements, including technical evaluations undertaken by the agencies concerned.
๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐
The government said the museum would be equipped to accommodate approximately one crore visitors annually, making it a major destination for cultural tourism and public education.
The institution is expected to generate recurring revenue through ticket sales, food and beverage facilities, events, venue rentals, digital experiences, guided tours, retail outlets and other visitor services.
It is being developed as a national public cultural institution catering to students, researchers, scholars, cultural practitioners, domestic and international tourists and the general public.
"As a public cultural and educational institution, it will provide opportunities for learning, research, cultural engagement and appreciation of India's civilisational heritage. A fixed beneficiary count is not applicable to this project," the CCEA said.
๐๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ
The relocation of government offices from the North and South Blocks has created an opportunity to repurpose the historic structures for a major public cultural institution.
The government said the project would preserve the architectural and heritage character of the buildings while assigning them a new institutional role.
Located on Raisina Hill, the North and South Blocks flank Rashtrapati Bhavan, formerly the Viceroy's House, and form part of the architectural ensemble developed when the British administration shifted India's capital to Delhi.
The buildings, along with the nearby old Parliament House, were constructed as part of the development of the new capital between 1912 and 1931.
The proposal was appraised by the Public Investment Board on July 27, 2026, and the Ministry of Culture subsequently concurred with its recommendations.
The government said the museum would combine heritage conservation with modern exhibition infrastructure, transforming two of the capital's most recognisable administrative landmarks into a public institution dedicated to India's cultural and civilisational history.