The Uddhav Thackeray cabinet on Wednesday decided to let malls and eateries to stay open throughout the night in Mumbai from January 27. In the first phase, shops, eateries, and theatres in malls and compounds situated in non-residental areas will be allowed to remain open. The exemption, however, would not apply to the eateries that serve liquor such as pubs, bars, and wine shops. The bars and permit rooms will have to follow the 1:30am deadline, tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray said after the state cabinet cleared his proposal. Thackeray stressed that Wednesday's cabinet decision did not imply that people had to keep shops open the entire night its optional, the minister said.
“London’s nightlife economy is 5 billion pounds and we expect similar growth in Mumbai. We have 5 lakh youths employed in the service sector in Mumbai. This proposal may help the number of jobs to double to 10 lakh,” Thackeray explained.In the first phase, the government has rolled out the 24x7 concession for gated communities such as Bandra Kurla Complex and Nariman Point. One lane each at Nariman Point and BKC have been identified to allow food trucks to do business during the night. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said Mumbai 24 hours proposal had been okayed because for now, it was limited for specified areas. The government also warned establishments not to violate the law during the extended working hours, arguing that these would lead to permanent cancellation of licenses.