Mumbai's iconic sea views will soon have some additions: floating advertising barges and hoardings. The proposal to place them at waterfront spots such as Juhu and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link has drawn sharp online criticism.Mumbai's floating ad plan sparks furious backlash online The proposal to introduce floating advertising barges and hoardings at waterfront locations in Mumbai, including Juhu and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, has drawn sharp criticism on social media.Soon after the news was posted by several X accounts, social media users expressed disappointment over the prospect of commercial advertisements taking over scenic seaside views.Several users on X questioned the need to turn Mumbai’s coastline into another advertising space, arguing that the sea should remain a place where people can enjoy natural beauty, watch sunsets and take a break from the bustle of urban life.“Congratulations, Mumbai!
Soon you'll be enjoying beautiful views of promotional hoardings floating on the sea instead of the sea itself. Who needs natural beauty when you can have waterfront advertising?” one user wrote sarcastically.
Another recalled seeing a floating advertisement at Juhu Beach and described it as an eyesore: “We want to see the beautiful Arabian Sea, not another ugly advertisement.”The prospect of advertisements interrupting romantic evenings by the sea also became a talking point. One user imagined “spending time with your loved one here, watching the zubaan kesari-coloured sunset in between two floating Vimal ads.” Another post criticised the commercialisation of the waterfront, saying, “Floating billboards on the sea off Mumbai.
Capitalism and idiocy go hand in hand, and know no limits. This has to be stopped.”Others questioned why advertising needed to extend to the coastline, with one user writing that “nothing ruins a peaceful sunset view of Mumbai's coastline quite like giant floating billboards screaming advertisements at you.”One post captured the frustration more bluntly: “You go to a beach to stare into the abyss and feel peace, and get confronted with an ad floating on a giant screen.”For some, the issue went beyond aesthetics.
They argued that the sea offers Mumbai residents a rare public space to pause and escape the city's everyday pressures.“The sea is the only place in Mumbai where a citizen can sit and stare at the sea and forget the daily woes of this city, courtesy of the BMC,” a user wrote, questioning whether the civic body had the right to take away even that basic experience by placing floating advertising barges along the waterfront.Another user added, “Nothing is free in this country. You have to watch unskippable ads before you enjoy any kind of sea view.”Sample these tweets:Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the proposal, calling the arrangement with the contractor a “disgusting deal” and questioning the administration's priorities.And anybody objecting to this disgusting deal with the contractor will be called anti- Maharashtra/ urban naxal.
Zero sense of aesthetics for the city, the regime is not even leaving the sea to loot every bit of Mumbai that they can. Infact, the number of LED screens put up with their insane brightness at night, should be reduced.
But the regime belongs to those who can buy them out, not to the people!— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) October 28, 2026The backlash highlights concerns over the growing presence of advertising in public spaces, particularly along Mumbai's coastline, where views of the Arabian Sea remain an important part of the city's appeal for residents and visitors alike.- Ends