Music and Youth
Mumbai commuters may soon enjoy FM on Best buses
MUMBAI: FM radio on Mumbai’s ubiquitous Best buses? It could soon be a reality with the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (Best) proposing to call for a tender from all the existing FM operators to offer radio services in buses.
The main aim in this effort is to have a communication system designed that will connect Best’s control room to the radio station in case of emergency like last year’s 26 July deluge that ground the city to a halt. Best has had a few rounds of discussions with operators expressing its interest in providing value added service to its commuters.
The public transport undertaking has stated that only one FM radio station will be able to broadcast their content. According to a reliable source, “At the moment, Best has proposed that the operators run a pilot project whereby the operators will learn the possible cost of the infrastructure that has to be built.” The pilot project has been chalked out for a month.
“The operators will be given four to five buses wherein they will be able the get the know-how as to how the communication system cum FM radio can be set-up. Also on which radio band frequency can they run their station and have a better clue of the FM system,” the source adds.
It is interesting to note that Best is already exploiting mobile services. The users of two operators; Reliance and Tata mobile services can get information of the entire route network on their mobile phones.
There are approximately 3,400 buses and everyday as many as 4.5 million people commute by Best buses in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
