Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum Approved at ₹3,230 Crore: North and South Block to Become the World's Largest Museum
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM) in the North and South Block complex, New Delhi, at an estimated cost of ₹3,230 crore, as appraised by the Public Investment Board.
The museum will be made through adaptive reuse of the two historic buildings: their architecture and heritage value will be kept, while they are turned into a public cultural institution.
It will have a built-up area of about 1,78,509 square metres. It is billed to become the museum with the largest display area in the world.
It will tell the story of India's civilisational journey through themed galleries on cultural traditions, knowledge systems, art and heritage, both tangible (objects, buildings) and intangible (living traditions).
The project includes galleries, storage and conservation labs, visitor facilities, immersive technology, landscaping and smart building systems. It will be built in phases from FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31.
The first gallery, on the theme of "Adornment", is expected to open in the North Block in the latter part of 2027. The project was first announced on 18 May 2023.
Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum
The Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum is a planned national museum in New Delhi that will tell the story of Indian civilisation across about 5,000 years. "Yuge Yugeen" roughly means "through the ages", showing the idea of a culture that has continued from age to age. It is being created inside the North Block and South Block, the two grand colonial-era secretariat buildings on Raisina Hill that housed key ministries for over 90 years. When complete, it is expected to be the museum with the largest display area in the world.
The CCEA approval turns a 2023 announcement into a funded project with a cost, size and timeline. It confirms that North and South Block will be reused as one giant museum, with the first gallery due in 2027 and full work by 2030-31.
Central Vista Redevelopment Project
The Central Vista is the grand heart of New Delhi: the roughly 3 km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill to India Gate, with Parliament, North and South Block and many government buildings around it. The Central Vista Redevelopment Project is a large government plan, started in 2019, to rebuild this area for modern needs. It includes a new Parliament House, a redesigned avenue (Kartavya Path), new common offices for all ministries, a new office complex for the Prime Minister, and turning North and South Block into a museum.
The museum approval is one of the final steps of the Central Vista plan. With the PMO now in Seva Teerth and ministries moving into Kartavya Bhavan, North and South Block are free. The CCEA decision decides their future: they will not be demolished but reused as a museum open to the public.
- Project: Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM), in the North and South Block complex, New Delhi
- Approved by: Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, 11 November 2026
- Cost: ₹3,230 crore, appraised by the Public Investment Board
- Built-up area: about 1,78,509 sq m; billed as the world's largest museum by display area
- Timeline: phased, FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31
- First gallery: "Adornment", North Block, latter part of 2027
- Announced: 18 May 2023
- Method: adaptive reuse of the heritage buildings
- Technical partner: France Muséums Développement (agreement with National Museum, December 2024)