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11. Moving to Mumbai

Mumbai at a Glance

Moving to Mumbai

Mumbai is widely considered the unofficial capital of India.

Moving to Mumbai, you might be about to embark on one of the biggest adventures of your life. Formerly known as Bombay, Mumbai is widely regarded as India’s unofficial capital. It is certainly India’s richest and most populous city, attracting thousands of migrants moving to Mumbai from other regions within India and foreign employees from abroad.

Due to India’s rise to economic power on the global stage, Mumbai is also very popular among expats. The latter usually flock to this city in order to work for one of the many multinational companies, which have been moving to Mumbai for the past few decades in an attempt to tap the vast Indian market.

Moving to Mumbai: General Information

People moving to Mumbai should be prepared for a vibrant and multicultural city. If you’ve never been in India before, moving to Mumbai might present less of a challenge than some other Indian cities. Expats moving to Mumbai can expect one of the highest living standards in India as well as a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

The capital of the Maharashtra state lies on India’s west coast. Originally, the place was a combination of seven individual islands. The ultimate goal of merging the seven islands was achieved around 1840. At this time, the local economy began to experience constant growth. About a decade later, the arrival of the passenger railway brought in neverending streams of people moving to Mumbai from other parts of the country.

Moving to Mumbai: Language and Climate

Today, the decision of moving to Mumbai is mostly made for economic reasons. Despite the culture shock that most people moving to Mumbai from abroad experience, language is the one thing expats moving to Mumbai need not worry about. Among the many languages spoken on the streets, e.g. Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati, English is one of the most common and prevails in the white-collar businessworld.

The tropical climate, with its distinct wet and dry seasons, on the other hand, is often seen as one of the negative aspects of moving to Mumbai. Temperatures rarely drop below 20°C and often exceed 30°C. During the Monsoon season from June to September, expatriates moving to Mumbai should be prepared for heavy rainfall.

Moving to Mumbai: Safety

Mumbai is generally considered a comparatively safe place. During the past two decades, however, it has increasingly become the scene of religious tensions and a target of terrorist attacks. For example, the horrible 2008 shootings and bombings left over 160 people dead and 300 victims wounded. In 2011, three coordinated explosions killed another 26 victims and injured 130 others.

While there are no official warnings, foreigners in Mumbai are generally made aware of the potential threat by the Foreign Office of their respective home countries. Expats are thus advised to stay alert when visiting public places that attract large numbers of people, such as markets, festivals and sports events, or venues which are frequented by foreigners, such as hotels or foreign embassies.

Moving to Mumbai: Health Risks

As in most tropical climes, common health risks for Mumbai residents include vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, and chikungunya (another tropical fever). Precautions against mosquito bites should always be taken, and expats planning to stay in Mumbai for an extended period of time might want to consider a vaccination if available.

Additional immunizations for hepatitis, typhus and rabies are also recommended, and all standard vaccinations such as tetanus, polio, diphtheria, MMR, pertussis, and influenza should be refreshed before moving to Mumbai. The existing risk of cholera infections can be avoided by observing strict food and personal hygiene guidelines. Always take out an insurance policy with an international health insurance provider before moving to Mumbai.