I learned a lot of things about infrastructure and technology this February. One reason was my decision to skip the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in Delhi, because I’m told no one who attended it learned anything of importance. The other was the announcement of a melody strip on a mysterious stretch of road called Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Marg. Apparently, those lucky enough to drive down this 500-metre pathway will be entertained by a tune, which I suspect will prompt thousands of drivers to reroute their commutes. I can also imagine tourists extending their vacations in Bombay to record this drive for their Instagram reels. It makes me want to applaud whoever came up with the idea, irrespective of what it may have cost.

There was some muttering about misplaced priorities, as well as complaints about the incessant noise bothering neighbours, which annoyed me. This sort of bickering makes me feel as if Indians aren’t interested in anything other than mundane things like efficiency and security. It makes me want to shake these critics by their shoulders and ask them to imagine how boring life would be without the presence of bells and whistles. Imagine how uninspiring Bandra would be, for instance, if residents were forced to just stare at the sea instead of LED-powered hoardings advertising luxury homes in Worli. Is that the kind of dull future any of us wants for our children? I doubt it.