The Union Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (November 11, 2026), approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum through adaptive reuse of the North and South Block complex in Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of ₹3,230 crore.
The ambitious museum project was announced by the Prime Minister on May 18, 2023.
The museum is also expected to generate recurring revenue through ticket sales, food and beverage facilities, events and venue rentals, digital experiences, guided tours, retail outlets and other visitor services. In February, the new executive enclave, Seva Teerth, began functioning, housing the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Secretariat and National Security Council Secretariat. The proposal was appraised by the Public Investment Board on July 27, 2026, and the Ministry of Culture has concurred with its recommendations. Earlier reporting noted: Union Cabinet approves ₹3,230 crore for Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved ₹ 3,230 crore for the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum in New Delhi’s North Block and South Block. March 2031 is the deadline for the project’s completion. Earlier reporting noted: The museum, showcasing India’s civilisational history spanning 10,000 years in the two nearly century-old buildings that served as the seat of the Union government, will involve the adaptive reuse of the heritage structures.
The museum will be developed through the adaptive reuse of the historic North and South Block complex, “preserving their architectural character and heritage significance while transforming them into a public cultural institution”, the government said. “The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today has approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum [YYBM] at the North and South Block Complex, New Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of ₹3,230 crore, as appraised by the Public Investment Board [PIB],” the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said. It is being equipped to handle a visitor flow of one crore visitors in a year, the government said. The historic North Block and South Block, following the relocation of the government offices, provide a “unique opportunity for their adaptive reuse for a significant public cultural purpose”, the CCEA said.
Earlier reporting noted: The project follows the relocation of government offices from the two buildings as part of the Central Vista redevelopment.
