Mumbai – culturally diverse, warm and vibrant

Located on Maharashtra’s coast, Mumbai is India’s most-populous city, and it is one of the largest and most densely populated urban areas in the world with a population of about 20.4 million people. The city derives its name from goddess Mumba devi and was known as Bombay under the British rule. It was renamed to Mumbai in 1995.

Mumbai has developed a highly diversified manufacturing sector that included an increasingly important information technology (IT) component. In addition, the city’s commercial and financial institutions are strong and vigorous, and Mumbai serves as the country’s financial hub. Being the center of business, arts, commerce and entertainment for the country, Mumbai attracts people from across the country who come here looking for their city of dreams. The culture of Mumbai represents the culture of all the states of India. It is a kind of synthesis and reflection of the culture of India, as a whole.  

The history of this beautiful city dates back to the formation of the seven islands, namely Colaba, Mazagaon, Mahim, Parel, Bombay Island, Worli and Old Woman’s Island. They came together as one big metropolis in 1840. The religious representation of Hinduism in Mumbai city is more than 65% of the total population. There are also various communities of Muslims (20%), Christians (3%), Jains (4%), Zoroastrians (1%) and Buddhists (5%). 

Mumbai has a tropical climate with temperatures rarely dropping below 20°C (68°F) and can reach as high as 40°C (104°F) in peak summers. The monsoon season is from June to September and is prone to disruptions in transportation due to flooding of roads and railway lines. Expats coming to Mumbai will find themselves a part of a diverse ethnic population from across the world as the city has built a reputation of being one of the safest cities in India. Mumbai being the financial capital of the country, witnesses people from a varied cultural background working together as one. The Principal language of the city is Marathi but you’d find more people speaking in Hindi and English.

Housing

Mumbai is among the most expensive cities in the world when it comes to real estate. The apartments are usually smaller than what you’d expect to find in any other major Indian city. That said, there’s enough options at every budget. Neighborhoods in Bandra, Powai and South Mumbai are preferred by the expatriates while identifying housing options. 

Neighborhoods in “South Mumbai” like Peddar Road, Napean Sea Road, Malabar Hill, Altamount Road and Breach Candy still maintain their historical charm, but unfortunately do not have many modern housing options available. The neighborhood here is well planned and less congested. It has well maintained parks, which can be used by the children to play and the commercial vehicles have limited access to the inner roads of the area, making it pretty safe to walk around in the neighborhood.

While looking for an apartment in the city there are a few things to be considered. For example, unfurnished apartments lack all basic household and kitchen appliances including air conditioners. These can sometimes be negotiated with the landlord. On the other hand, furnished apartments are very few and furniture is not always up to expat quality. There are very few Hotel service apartments in Mumbai. Though there are customized apartments but they are not expat preferred due to lack of amenities and low quality of furniture & fixtures. 

Due to lack of space, some buildings do not have open areas such as balconies or terraces and a garden is rare. One needs to check if the rental quoted is inclusive of apartment associated maintenance costs and if the landlord is providing you with utility connections. The set up cost is sometimes borne by the landlord and the monthly rental and usage charges are borne by the tenant. The monthly payment will have to be made directly to the vendors. Please note that there is always a due date for making payments. 

Landlords typically ask for 1-3 months of advance rent but what sets you back is the security deposit, a refundable deposit that could be anywhere between 3-6 months of monthly rent. The rental agreements are signed for a minimum period of 12 months with a one to two month notice for termination. Longer agreements come with a clause for an increase in rent at about 5 – 10% on completion of every year.

Mumbai Cuisine

Although street food is common all over India, street food in Mumbai is noted because people from all economic classes eat on the roadside almost round the clock and it is sometimes felt that the taste of street food is better than restaurants in the city. The metropolis is very famous for its street-fare such as Vada Pav, Dabeli, Pav Bhaji, Misal Pav, Pani Puri, Dahi Puri, Sev Puri and Bhel Puri. 

Apart from the local street food, South Indian food tweaked to suit the Maharashtrian palate, Maharashtrian food, Mughlai, Malvani, Punjabi, European and even Southeast Asian cuisines have caught on as popular fares in this lively city. That said, there are several restaurants that’ll offer you the Michelin Star Experience with cuisines from every part of the world. 

Healthcare

Mumbai has some of the best world-class hospitals where thousands of international patients come for treatment each year. However, public facilities don’t often meet international standards and you’re better off going to a private hospital. You’ll easily find English-speaking staff at most private hospitals. But despite affordable medical facilities in the city, it is best to take medical insurance that covers all your medical expenses. 

Some of the best hospitals in the city are Hiranandani Hospital, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, RN Cooper Hospital and Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Center. There are however certain precautions that one needs to take in Mumbai to maintain the health of their family. For example, all water must be boiled and filtered before drinking or used for oral hygiene. Drinking tap water is not recommended and one should always use a water filter at home or buy filtered water. 

Schooling

With India gaining popularity globally, Mumbai, the financial capital, stands to gain a lot and this fact is clearly reflected in terms of education. Mumbai, today, is considered a desirable destination to pursue education and is a favored educational destination among many nationalities. 

The medium of learning is usually English, Marathi or Hindi and these schools are affiliated to either the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Board, Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). Mumbai also has several international schools and preschools available, offering both British and American curriculum. The American school early childhood education center has a program for three to five years. Some of the top international schools in the city are Bombay International School, American School of Bombay, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Ecole Mondiale International School and Japanese School of Mumbai. 

Finance

Mumbai is the best paid city for expats across the world. Foreign professionals in the Indian metropolis earn higher than what expats make in cities like San Francisco and London. That’s more than enough to live a lavish life in the city. 

The official unit of currency is Indian Rupee. As a foreigner employed in India, binding to the India foreign exchange and Income tax law, you are restricted to open one bank account per city. Foreign nationals have to obtain a PAN (permanent account number) card for applying for a bank account. 

Direct taxes are low in the city compared to most international cities but you’ll need an accountant to help you with your taxes, given the highly complex tax structure. Overall, depending on the income level, taxes vary from 5 percent to 33 percent. Additionally, there is a GST (Goods & Services Tax) charged at almost everything that you purchase in the city or any services that you avail. The GST rates vary between 5-28 percent depending on the type of goods and services being availed. 

Transportation and Shopping

Mumbai is well-served by its suburban rail network. It can get extremely overcrowded particularly during rush hour. There are ladies-only carriages which are recommended for all female travellers. Buses are also useful for getting around town. Fares are cheap around South Mumbai but bus routes can be hard to fathom. Buses are often crowded and seats are hard to come by—only a small minority are fitted with air conditioning. Tickets are best purchased from the conductor. Plans are underway for an extensive metro system to ease overcrowding on trains and buses and to reduce traffic congestion. 

The first metro line is already operational since 2013. Mumbai has plenty of black-and-yellow taxis and private cab services like Uber and Ola plying the streets and they are the best way to get around. Unlike other Indian cities, auto rickshaws are banned from the centre of the city and are only available in the suburbs. To go out and shop, malls are your best bet since local markets are often crowded. Some of the popular malls with high street international brands include Phoenix Market City, Kurla Market City, High Street Phoenix and In-Orbit Mall. For street shopping, you can visit Colaba Causeway market, Linking Road market and Crawford Bazaar. 

Safety

Mumbai is an extremely crowded city that means there are people everywhere, round the clock, making Mumbai one of the safest cities in India and at par with most European cities in terms of safety. That said, it is a large metropolis and it is advisable to take general safety precautions. It is advisable to follow safety rules which you would anywhere in the world. It is best to avoid secluded places late at night. But beyond that, you can indulge in the city’s nightlife with minimum worries. 

Immigration

Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Indian government had made several changes to the country’s visa policies, making it easier for foreign nationals to travel to India for work or for leisure. Indian visas are divided between Regular Visas, e-Visas and Visa-on-Arrival. As per the recent changes now an applicant can apply for e-Tourist or e-Business Visa any time before his travel to India. The validity of the visa has now been made 365 days. Thus, an applicant can enter India any day post the grant to e-Tourist and e-Business visa until any time in the next 365 days.  

Maximum continuous stay period allowed under e-Tourist visa is up to 180 days for – USA, UK, Canada and Japan. For other countries it is 90 continuous days. Similarly, under e-Business visa, a continuous stay of 180 days is allowed and there is no requirement for registration. If the stay exceeds 180 days or if the aggregate stay in a calendar year has increased then 180 days then the applicant is required to register with the FRRO/FRO within 2 weeks of the completion of 180 days in India.

India also has a facility for visa-on-arrival, which has now been extended to nationals of South Korea and UAE also in addition to Japanese nationals. For UAE nationals though they are eligible for this category of visa only if they have applied for e-Visa and/or Regular sticker visa in the past. The validity of the visa is 60 days and can be used for tourism, business, conference and medical visit purposes. Pakistan-origin UAE nationals are not eligible for this visa category and would need to apply for a regular or e-Visa. 

Currently, the regular Tourist Visa, e-Visas and Visa-on-Arrival remain to be suspended until further notice due to the Pandemic. All other visa categories that is – Employment, Dependent, Student and Business Visa are being issued by the Indian missions abroad. In-country visa services like Resident Permit, Visa Extension, Change of Address/Passport etc are being processed smoothly.