Travel Guide

Name: Devcon 8 India
Start: 2026-11-03
End: 2026-11-07
Location: Jio World Centre

Aamchi Mumbai!

Devcon is where the people behind decentralized systems come together to learn, build, and connect, and this year it calls Mumbai home.

Engineering talent runs deep in India, and its open-source community is expanding faster than almost any other in the world. Mumbai is where that energy and creative spirit gathers, and this November it's where Ethereum's does, too.

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Good to know

TimezoneUTC+5:30
CurrencyIndian Rupee (₹ / INR)
LanguagesMarathi, Hindi, English widely spoken
Avg. temp30–32 °C day / 24–26 °C evening
Event weatherPleasant temperatures and low humidity
WaterNot universally potable. Use sealed bottles.

Venue:

Dates:

Address: G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, IndiaSupport: Devcon Telegram

Welcome to Mumbai

Mumbai is one of India's largest cities and its financial capital, stretching along the Arabian Sea.

It's dense, energetic, and made up of distinct neighborhoods that feel very different from one another: historic colonial districts in the south, glossy business hubs in the center, and trendier residential areas along the western corridor.

It's a city of contrasts; glass towers sit alongside busy markets and street food stalls. The pace is fast, the streets are lively, and traffic can be intense.

Zone

Feel

Zone & Feel

West

Trendy, residential, social

South

Historic, architectural, scenic

Central

Dense commercial/nightlife belt

East / airport belt

Practical, transit-focused

Mumbai runs roughly north–south along the coast in distinct "micro-cities" that feel very different from one another.

Devcon is coming to Mumbai to recognize and build on what India is already creating

India has one of the world's largest concentrations of engineering talent and one of its fastest-growing open-source communities.

Infrastructure, ZK identity systems, and coordination layers built in India already power Ethereum globally, including India's established ecosystem of communities like ETHMumbai, Devfolio, and Polygon (founded in Mumbai as Matic Network).

"It will be the whole world, all of Ethereum coming over to Mumbai, and being able to see the spirit of Ethereum right there." @kanishkkhurana

Getting to Mumbai

BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) is Mumbai's modern corporate district, easily accessible from the airport.

Devcon will take place at the Jio World Centre, a large convention venue in Mumbai's BKC district.

Arriving by air

Mumbai is served by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), the city's primary airport.

Terminal 2 (T2): Most international flights and several domestic airlines
Terminal 1 (T1): Select domestic flights

The terminals are in different locations, so double-check your arrival terminal before traveling.

Inside Terminal 2 of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport

From Mumbai Airport

App-based cabs

Uber, Ola and Rapido are widely available. Follow the airport signs to the designated app-cab pickup area near the arrivals exit.

Prepaid taxis

Official prepaid taxi counters are located inside the airport and are a useful alternative if you don't have mobile data or an Indian number.

Mumbai Metro

The metro is another convenient option for traveling from the airport towards BKC, South Mumbai and other parts of the city.

Route

Time

Route & Time

Metro Line 3 to BKC

~5 min

By car to BKC

20–60 min (traffic-dependent)

Arriving by train

Mumbai's main long-distance railway terminals include:

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus — CSMT
Mumbai Central — MMCT
Bandra Terminus — BDTS
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus — LTT
Dadar — DDR/DR

Check the exact station listed on your ticket, as these terminals are located in different parts of the city.

Metro access: BKC station on Metro Line 3 is located between 200m and 1.3 km from the Jio venue entrance.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus seen through a stone archway

Arriving by car

Travel Tips

Download Uber, Ola and OpenStreetMap before arriving.
Save your hotel and venue address offline.
Allow extra travel time during rush hours and heavy rain.
Avoid unsolicited taxi offers inside or outside the terminal.
Black-and-yellow taxis are metered, but app cabs are easier for first-timers.
Auto-rickshaws operate mainly in the suburbs, not South Mumbai.

Visa questions? See the Devcon FAQ

Find the Devcon welcome booth

If you are arriving at Mumbai Airport Terminal 2, look out for the Devcon Welcome Booth in the arrivals area, shortly after baggage collection.

Our team will be there to welcome attendees, help with basic arrival questions, and share useful information for getting around Mumbai and reaching your accommodation.

Look out for the Devcon Welcome Booth at arrivals in Mumbai Airport Terminal 2

Where to stay

Pick where you stay by the commute to Jio World Centre, not just by neighborhood.

A 3km trip in Mumbai can take 10 minutes at dawn or 45 minutes at 6pm. Devcon overlaps with Diwali, India's biggest festival, so book your stay early as rooms will go fast.

We'd generally recommend established hotel chains, though Airbnb and independent hotels work fine too. Unsure about a specific place? Ask in the Devcon Telegram group.

Accommodation options

Tripsha

Discounted rooms and perks for Devcon attendees. Rooms are subject to availability on a first come, first served basis.

Reserve

FLYFI.IO

Flyfi is a wallet-native hotel booking platform for Web3. Book 300,000+ hotels worldwide, pay with crypto, and travel without creating an account. No weird retargeting ads, no data trail.

View hotels

Niranta Transit Hotel

Directly connected to Terminal 2 of Mumbai airport. An accessible option if your flight lands late, or you need a buffer before traveling to or from the city.

View hotel

More hotels: BKC & Airport Cluster

Indie Stays (BKC Kalina) sits about 3km from JWCC, though traffic can stretch that to 15–25 minutes.
ibis Mumbai BKC is the strongest pick if you want consistency with a business-hotel feel, restaurant, and workspaces; rooms are compact but reliable.
T24 Retro (Vile Parle East) is a stylish boutique option with easy access to BKC, good for once Indie Stays or ibis price out.
Hotel Bawa International, also in Vile Parle East, is a straightforward business stay convenient for both the airport and BKC.

Neighborhoods

South Mumbai (SoBo)Commute: 30–40 min

Colaba: Visitor-friendly, Gateway of India, cafés, galleries
Fort / Kala Ghoda: Colonial architecture, museums, heritage feel
Marine Drive / Churchgate: Seafront promenade, Art Deco, great sunsets
Nariman Point: Corporate, polished
Malabar Hill: Leafy, upscale, residential
Girgaon / Charni Road: Traditional, local markets, near Chowpatty Beach
Byculla: Everyday Mumbai, museums
Worli: High-rises plus fishing-village roots (Worli Koliwada)

View on map

Bandra & Western CorridorCommute: 10–45 min

Central MumbaiCommute: 15–25 min

AndheriCommute: 15–25 min

Areas to avoid

High-rise towers in central Mumbai at dusk

Safety in Mumbai

The official national travel advisories cited below do not currently advise against travel to Mumbai.

Mumbai falls within their broader guidance for travel in India, while their strongest warnings apply to specified regions elsewhere in the country.

None of the advisories identifies a current Mumbai-specific threat or recommends avoiding the city. At the same time, they continue to identify terrorism as a risk in India generally, including in major cities and busy public places. They also address risks relevant to visitors such as theft and scams, road and transport safety, drink spiking, demonstrations, and harassment or sexual assault affecting women travellers.

The precautions described in the advisories include remaining aware in crowded places, looking after belongings and drinks, taking care at night and when using transport, avoiding demonstrations, monitoring local developments, and following instructions from local authorities.

This section summarises official government guidance rather than providing separate safety advice from Devcon. As official guidance can change, travellers should consult their own government’s current advisory before and during their trip.

Official national travel advisories: Australia · Canada · France · Germany · Netherlands · New Zealand · Singapore · United Kingdom · United States

Emergency

Number

General

112

Police

100

Women's Helpline

1091

Ambulance

102

Gender-based safety & LGBTQ+ safety

Official national travel advisories cited below do not currently advise women travelers against traveling to Mumbai.

Generally, as part of their broader guidance for India, they note that women travelers may encounter unwanted attention or harassment and that sexual assaults have been reported, including in cities and tourist areas. The advisories provide practical precautions, particularly for women traveling alone, such as taking additional care at night or in quiet or unlit places, being careful when using public transport or taxis, and keeping food and drinks attended. Stronger travel warnings apply to specified regions elsewhere in India.

Official national travel advisories: Australia · Canada · France · Germany · Netherlands · New Zealand · Singapore · United Kingdom · United States

Mumbai's suburban trains have women-only compartments, and it's best to avoid local trains at peak hours (roughly 8–10am and 5–8pm). It's recommended to use Uber/Ola after dark.

Same-sex relationships have been legal in India since 2018, but same-sex marriage is not legally recognized. India legally recognizes a third gender. Mumbai has one of the country's most visible and active queer communities, and India is generally considered safe for LGBTQ+ travelers.

Air quality & masks

November–February is historically Mumbai's worst window for air quality because the dry season removes the rain that normally clears the air. This doesn't mean venue days will be unsafe, but it's recommended to pack a basic N95-style mask and use it if it makes you more comfortable.

You likely won't need a mask constantly, as most of your time at the Devcon event will be indoors at the venue or in hotels/cafés. But outdoor time in BKC and heavy-traffic corridors is worth masking up for if you're at all sensitive to air quality.

Outdoor mask use is particularly recommended if you're extending your stay for the Diwali festival, when firework smoke adds to the load for a few days afterward.

Food, water & restaurants near the venue

The CDC advises travelers to India not to drink tap water and to use only sealed, factory-bottled water, including for brushing your teeth.

Major bottled water brands like Bisleri, Aquafina, and Kinley are easily available at most places in Mumbai. It is also recommended to avoid ice unless you're confident it's made from purified water.

For street food, follow the CDC guidance that fully cooked food served hot is safest; ease into street food via high-turnover stalls where it's cooked in front of you (don't miss trying foods like vada pav, pav bhaji, bhel puri, thali, and coastal Konkani seafood).

Freshly prepared snacks at a Mumbai food stall

Recommended restaurants near the venue:

Jio World Drive

SodaBottleOpenerWala
Foo
Smoke House Deli
Harajuku Tokyo Café

BKC

Gajalee
Masala Library

Bandra West (15 min off-peak) has the city's best concentration of reliable restaurants. Check out Candela's running list of café recommendations here on X.

Getting around safely

App-based cabs are the easiest way for first-time visitors to get around. Uber, Ola, and Rapido all operate across Mumbai, with fixed upfront pricing and trip tracking you can share with a friend.

Mumbai's black-and-yellow taxis are metered and generally reliable, but avoid unsolicited taxi or guide offers in tourist areas, where scams targeting foreigners are common. At the airport, use the designated app-cab pickup zones or the official prepaid taxi counters inside the terminal. Auto-rickshaws operate in the suburbs (including around BKC) but aren't permitted in South Mumbai.

For the venue, Metro Line 3 is the fastest and most comfortable option, reaching BKC from the airport in around 5 minutes. If you try the suburban local trains, travel outside rush hour and keep bags in front of you in crowds, where pickpocketing is the main risk.

After dark, book an app cab rather than walking or hailing on the street, and follow the standard advisory guidance to stick to well-known venues and avoid isolated areas, avoiding dimly-lit bylanes anywhere in the city, and isolated spots after 10pm.

Uber, Ola, and Rapido all operate across Mumbai, with fixed upfront pricing and trip tracking

Culture

What to see near the venue

Gateway of India & Colaba

Iconic and walkable, good for a half-day outing

Marine Drive

Best at sunset, easy to combine with Churchgate's Art Deco architecture

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST)

Striking colonial-era architecture, quick stop

Bandra West street art + Chapel Road

Pairs naturally with a meal in the neighborhood

Elephanta Caves

Worth planning around if you're extending your stay, but requires a ferry and significant round-trip time

Cultural notes

Remove shoes at temples and homes

Use your right hand when paying or handing items

Bargain at markets, not at fixed-price shops

A head wobble means yes, not no

Ask before photographing people

What to wear

General

Light, breathable fabrics and comfortable walking shoes. Early November is warm (30–32°C daytime) even though it's the "cooler" season.

Temples and religious sites

Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered. It's worth packing one modest outfit even if the rest of your wardrobe is conference-casual.

At the venue

Jio World Centre's air conditioning can get cold. Bring a light jacket to transition from hot outdoor spaces to cooler inside events.

Festivals & Bollywood

Diwali, the festival of lights, falls on November 8, two days after Devcon ends.

It's the one festival nearly the whole country celebrates together: homes glow with oil lamps, doorsteps fill with rangoli patterns, and fireworks light up the evenings. If you're extending your stay, it's a rare chance to experience India at its most festive.

Book accommodation early, since rooms fill fast around the holiday, and see the air quality notes in the Safety section if fireworks smoke is a concern for you.

Bollywood is woven into everyday life in Mumbai, the industry's home city, and watching a film in a local theater is an experience in itself.

The timing is good: Ramayana Part 1, one of the year's biggest releases, a big-screen epic based on the Ramayana with music by Hans Zimmer, opens in theaters on November 5, during Devcon week.

Tickets for this and everything else are on BookMyShow. For a crash course before you land, locals recommend starting with Swades, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, or Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara.

@nidhisinghattri shares a few must-do's when visiting India: from testing your spice tolerance to exploring historic temples.

Payments & Crypto in India

Cards & cash

Visa/Mastercard are widely accepted; Amex is less reliable outside luxury hotels.

Cash is still useful for autos, street food, and small shops. ATMs brands include HDFC, ICICI, SBI, and Kotak.

UPI — India's dominant payment method

UPI is a mobile-based payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Visitors will notice UPI payment QR codes everywhere in Mumbai, from restaurants to street stalls. Here's how it works for foreign visitors:

Pick a UPI One World partner app. CheQ and Mony are built specifically for foreign travelers, or IDFC First Bank's app.
Complete KYC with passport + visa, either in person at an airport kiosk (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru all have these in international arrivals), or digitally through the app itself (CheQ and Mony both support digital KYC; Mony provides post-arrival verification within 24-48 hours via an agent).
Load the wallet with an international card or cash.
Scan any UPI QR code and pay with a PIN. UPI works at everything from street food stalls to five-star hotels.
Any unused balance can be refunded back to your original card before you leave. Don't skip this step, it has to be done before departure, not after.

Typical wallet limits (~INR 2,00,000/month) are well above what a Devcon trip will need. There are no onboarding or transaction fees to use UPI.

A heads-up on digital assets

India has introduced specific anti-money laundering and tax requirements applicable to certain digital assets and related transactions, as defined under Indian law.

India's legal and regulatory landscape in relation to digital assets and related transactions continues to evolve. If you intend to engage in activities involving digital assets while in India (for example, buying, selling, trading, payments, or token-related transactions), please ensure you understand the applicable legal and tax requirements before doing so and, where appropriate, seek advice from qualified legal and tax professionals familiar with Indian law.

Side events & Community

Devcon week is bigger than the venue: expect meetups, hackathons, and community gatherings across Mumbai in the days around the conference, hosted by local and global Ethereum communities alike.

The gathering has already started. Road to Devcon is a year of community-run events across India, from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Kerala and Jaipur, building toward Devcon 8.

Browse upcoming events, meet the communities behind them, or get your own event listed.

Join the Road to Devcon

A packed Road to Devcon hackathon in Mumbai

A community speaker at a Road to Devcon meetup