Imagine a virtual city where the bustling cityscape and intricate infrastructure come to life before your eyes. This futuristic vision is now a reality thanks to the Mumbai Megapolis Metaverse project acting as a digital twin for the city. 

During Mumbai Tech Week on February 18, the Maharashtra Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai (TEAM), launched the Mumbai Megapolis Metaverse. The project aims to revolutionize urban governance by offering a virtual replica of Mumbai, incorporating advanced technology to educate and engage citizens.

The metaverse provides an immersive experience, showcasing major infrastructure projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). From the Mumbai Coastal Road to the Navi Mumbai International Airport, citizens can explore these ventures through virtual reality (VR) devices, a user-friendly mobile app, and the official Maharashtra tourism platform.

By simulating 12 key infrastructure projects, the digital twin metaverse aims to enhance public understanding of the technological aspects, costs, and environmental impacts involved. This initiative promotes sustainable infrastructure development and encourages support from the community to shape Mumbai’s future, a city of over 21 million inhabitants.

The Mumbai Tech Week, a vibrant celebration of the city’s tech ecosystem, serves as a platform for collaboration and innovation. With 46 tech companies participating, the event culminates in a grand launch at the Jio World Convention Center, highlighting the metaverse as a main attraction for engaging with Mumbai’s technological advancements.

Key figures such as Smriti Irani, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Meta, Microsoft, and Google representatives will partake in discussions during Mumbai Tech Week. TEAM, the driving force behind Mumbai’s tech ecosystem, champions this initiative with its 46 member companies.

In recent developments, urban centres around the globe have been embracing digital transformation through integrating metaverse technologies into public services. Last year, the Seoul Government made strides with the launch of its Metaverse Seoul initiative, allowing residents to access city services within a virtual environment. 

This pioneering effort, highlighted by Mayor Oh Se-hoon, successfully transitioned from a beta phase to becoming recognized as one of TIME’s 200 best inventions of 2022. The platform is a tool for Seoul’s citizens, facilitating virtual connections and access to official documents, complaint filings, and tax-related inquiries.

Following Seoul’s example, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in collaboration with the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently unveiled “HELLO! TOKYO FRIENDS.” This interactive portal, leveraging both the metaverse and AR technologies, is designed to enhance Tokyo’s charm as a tourist destination on both a domestic and global scale, aiming to grow the community of Tokyo enthusiasts. 

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