National School of Drama’s Mumbai Centre Inaugurated Its New Mumbai Centre, Marking a Historic Expansion for India’s Premier Theatre Institution

National School of Drama’s Mumbai Centre (NSD), one of the world’s most prestigious theatre training institutions and the only one of its kind in India, celebrated the grand launch of its newest branch in Mumbai. The inauguration marked a significant milestone in NSD’s journey of nurturing generations of theatre practitioners since its establishment in 1959.

The event witnessed an inspiring gathering of theatre veterans, eminent alumni, academicians, and students, all celebrating the arrival of NSD’s world-class training ethos in the heart of the city. The new campus has been thoughtfully designed to reflect NSD’s core philosophy, where learning is immersive, collaborative, and deeply rooted in both theory and practice.

Chittaranjan Tripathy, Waman Kendre, Ram Gopal Bajaj, Paresh Rawal, Raghubir Yadav, Zakir Hussain, Mukesh Chhabra, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Manoj Joshi, Vivek Aggarwal, Amita Prasad Sarbhai, Bharat Gupt, Mita Vashisht, Ashok Banthia, Atul Tiwari, Swanand Kirkire, Nivedita Bhargava, Ashok Mishra, Sameer Upadhyay attended the launch

Originally set up by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, NSD became an autonomous organization in 1975 and continues to be fully financed by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. With the launch of the Mumbai branch, the institution aims to extend its legacy of rigorous artistic training to Mumbai, India’s cultural and creative epicentre.

Speaking at the launch, Director Chitanjan Tripathy shared that the Mumbai branch will uphold the School’s intensive training tradition, guided by a meticulously structured syllabus that covers every facet of theatre. As with the main campus, students will be encouraged to apply their learning through practical stage productions, which will be performed for the public as part of their curriculum _”The launch of NSD Mumbai marks not just an expansion of our institution, but an expansion of opportunities for every young artist who dreams in the language of theatre. Mumbai’s creative pulse makes it the perfect home for our next chapter”

The expansion reaffirms NSD’s dedication to strengthening India’s performing arts ecosystem by making professional theatre training more accessible to young talent across the country.