WhatsAppOffice signage · Mumbai
Office Signage & Name Plates
in Mumbai
Office name boards, cabin name plates, reception logo walls, wayfinding and glass manifestation made at IBS’s facility in Mumbai and installed with the fit-out. Since 17 March 2022, every establishment in Maharashtra has had to show its name board in Marathi in Devanagari script, written first and no smaller than any other script, under section 36A of the Shops and Establishments Act.
17 Mar 2022Marathi name board rule in force
1,400 mmFloor to bottom of a room sign
70 pointsRecommended LRV contrast
What does office signage in Mumbai involve?
Three things decide it. The establishment’s name board must carry Marathi in Devanagari first, in letters no smaller than any other script. A lit name board on an office needs written BMC permission, while a non-lit board naming the occupier does not. And India’s accessibility standards set letter sizes, contrast and mounting heights for the signs inside, which IBS plans signage around.
What is an establishment name board?
The board that names the business at its premises. Section 36A of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act governs it: Marathi in Devanagari script, written first, no smaller than any other script. The Act does not extend that rule to cabin plates, door signs or wayfinding inside an office.
What is LRV?
Light reflectance value: how much light a surface reflects, on a scale from 0 for black to 100 for white. Accessibility standards measure sign contrast as the LRV difference between letters and background, and India’s Harmonised Guidelines 2021 recommend a difference of 70 points.
What is glass manifestation?
Frosted or printed film on glass partitions and doors, placed so people see the glass before they walk into it. It also gives meeting rooms privacy and can carry branding, and it is usually specified with the rest of the office signage during the fit-out.
Marathi rule
The Marathi name board rule, section 36A
Read on the Maharashtra Government Gazette text of Mah. Act XXIV of 2022, which inserted section 36A into the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017.
What the Act requires
- Name board in Marathi in Devanagari script (section 36A(1))
- Other languages allowed in addition to Marathi
- Marathi written first, in letters no smaller than any other script
- Applies to establishments with fewer than ten workers too (section 1(3)(b))
- In force since 17 March 2022
What it does not cover
- The Act governs the name board, not cabin plates, door signs or wayfinding
- It sets no minimum letter height, only that Marathi is no smaller than other scripts
- Premises serving or selling liquor cannot name the board after legends or forts (section 36A(2))
Penalty and challenge
- General penalty (section 29): a fine up to ₹1 lakh, plus up to ₹2,000 a day while a breach continues
- The total fine is capped at ₹2,000 per worker employed
- The Bombay High Court rejected a traders’ challenge to the earlier Marathi board rule (rule 35 of the 2018 Rules) on 23 February 2022
- BMC’s Shops and Establishments checklist asks for a photograph of the Marathi name board
BMC rules
What BMC requires for office signs
BMC’s Policy Guidelines for Display of Outdoor Advertisements 2025 cover signs visible from a street. Read on the policy published 27 November 2025.
No permission needed
- Non-lit boards naming the building or its occupier, unless they form a sky sign (clause 1.9)
- Non-lit boards relating to the business carried on at the premises
- Window graphics for the business, if they keep light and ventilation clear
Permission needed
- Illuminated establishment name boards and backlit signs on offices (clause 2.1(a))
- Boards must not project beyond the building line (clause 2.1(d))
- Glass facade graphics: up to 50% of each panel, with a Chief Fire Officer NOC (clause 2.7)
- Over 300 sq ft, a structural stability report from a BMC-registered engineer
Inside the office
- The policy defines an advertisement as one visible from a street
- It has no clause on lobby, directory or cabin signs
- Confirm with the ward office before lighting any sign that faces the street
Accessibility
Sign sizes, contrast and heights India’s standards set
Office signs are read by visitors, staff and people with low vision. India’s accessibility standards turn legibility into numbers, and IBS lays out signage to them.
Harmonised Guidelines 2021
- 70 point LRV difference between letters and background
- Sans serif type, mixed upper and lower case, left justified
- Room signs 1,400 mm from floor to the bottom of the sign, 50 mm from the door frame
- Braille and tactile signs 900 to 1,500 mm high, ideally 1,050 mm
- Lighting of 100 to 300 lux; 200 lux minimum for directional signs and maps
Letter height by viewing distance
- 15 mm at 2 to 3 m
- 25 mm at 8 m
- 50 mm at 15 m
- 100 mm at 35 m
- 150 mm at 50 m
National Building Code 2016, Part 3
- 20 to 30 mm of letter height per metre of viewing distance, never below 15 mm
- Signs 1,200 to 1,600 mm from the floor; projecting signs at least 2,100 mm
- Door signs on the latch side, 50 to 100 mm from the architrave
- Raised tactile letters 15 to 55 mm, with at least 0.8 mm relief
- Braille on lift panels, hotel room numbers and public toilet doors
Who the duty falls on
- RPwD Act 2016: public buildings include workplaces and commercial buildings (section 2(w))
- Existing public buildings to be made accessible within five years of the rules (section 45)
- Service providers to comply with the accessibility rules within two years (section 46)
- Directory signs topped at 1,800 mm from the floor under the 2021 guidelines
Specification
How IBS makes office signage for Mumbai
Office signage mixes materials and must read as one system across floors. IBS designs it with the fit-out, makes it at its facility in Mumbai and installs it with the same team.
Name boards and reception
- Built-up acrylic and metal letters, lit or dimensional, for the reception wall
- ACP and powder-coated metal for exterior name boards
- The Marathi line laid out first, at least as tall as the English
- Lit boards with named drivers and MCB and RCCB protection
Name plates and wayfinding
- One name plate design in clear, frosted or colour-matched acrylic
- Matt, non-reflective faces, as the 2021 guidelines recommend
- Directory, floor, room and direction signs from one signage schedule
- Glass manifestation in frosted and printed film
Fire and exit signs
- Exit signs green, lit, on an independent circuit with a backup supply (NBC Part 4)
- A directional sign at every change of direction; no point more than 30 m from one
- Sizes and colours to IS 9457 and IS 12349
- Floor number boards on every landing; the owner or occupier is responsible under the Maharashtra Fire Act
What IBS’s Mumbai base changes for you
- Fabrication at the IBS facility in Mumbai, furniture and joinery at the factory near Vasai East; head office in Goregaon West
- Site survey, fabrication and installation by the same team, without a courier leg
- Service calls in the Mumbai-Pune corridor typically answered within 24 to 48 hours
- Drawings and board sizes prepared for the BMC application as part of the job
- A line-item BOQ within five to seven working days of the brief
Commercials
How a Mumbai signage job is priced, specified and verified
The parts of a quotation that decide whether the number you compare is the number you pay, and the named components behind the specification.
How the price is built
- A line-item BOQ against the drawing, not a single rate per square foot
- BMC licence fees shown separately, because they are paid to BMC, not to IBS
- Structural engineer’s report priced as its own line where the board is over 300 sq ft
- Night work, scaffolding and access equipment listed, not hidden in a rate
- Written assumptions, so you can see which one moved if the number changes
Named components we specify
- LED and drivers: Nichia-class modules with Mean Well or Schneider drivers, IP65 outdoors
- Films and vinyl: 3M and Avery Dennison cast media for outdoor graphics
- Electrical: Havells, Legrand and Schneider switchgear with MCB and RCCB protection
- Faces in acrylic or printed flex over aluminium composite panel or powder-coated frames
- Stainless or galvanised fixings sized for the 44 m/s wind load
What to check in any Mumbai quotation
- Is the driver brand named? It is the component that fails first in humid air
- Does the price include the BMC application drawings, or only the board?
- Is monsoon sealing (drainage, gasketed faces, sealed terminations) specified?
- Is the warranty stated in months, and who answers a service call in the city?
Quality
How quality is checked before and after installation
Most signage faults in Mumbai trace back to something that could have been caught in the workshop.
Before it leaves the workshop
- Every lit board tested lit at the IBS facility before dispatch
- Colour proofed against one approved physical swatch
- Joints, gaskets and drainage checked on each box
- Earthing verified to IS 3043; electrical work to IS 732
At handover
- As-installed photographs, day and night for lit signs
- Electrical test records and warranty certificate in one file
- Signage workmanship warranted 12 to 24 months depending on the product
- A named IBS contact holding the drawings and spares
Approved vendor status
- IBS is an approved vendor at Adani Airports, HDFC ERGO, Reliance Retail, Godrej Finance, EPSON, Duravit and HSBC
- Company-level BCAS security clearance for airport projects; site access arranged per assignment
Signage for a Mumbai office?
Send the floor plans, the room list and your brand guidelines. You get a signage schedule with Marathi-first name boards, accessible sizes and heights, and a line-item BOQ.
Request a signage scheduleWhich rule applies to which office sign in Mumbai
From section 36A of the Shops and Establishments Act, BMC’s 2025 advertisement policy and the Harmonised Guidelines 2021. Where a rule is silent, the table says so.
| Marathi first (section 36A) | BMC permission | Accessibility guidance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name board, non-lit | Yes | Not needed if it names the occupier or trade | Contrast and legible letter height |
| Name board, lit | Yes | Needed: illuminated | Contrast and legible letter height |
| Reception logo wall | Not addressed by the Act | Not addressed by the policy unless visible from a street | Contrast and 100 to 300 lux lighting |
| Cabin and room name plates | Not addressed by the Act | Not addressed by the policy | 1,400 mm to the bottom of the sign, 50 mm from the door frame |
| Wayfinding and directory | Not addressed by the Act | Not addressed by the policy | Directory top at 1,800 mm; letter height by viewing distance |
| Exit signs | Not addressed by the Act | Not addressed by the policy | NBC: green, lit, on a backup circuit |
Market Context
What the published data says
- Every establishment’s name board must be in Marathi in Devanagari script, written first and no smaller than any other script; premises serving or selling liquor cannot name the board after legends or forts. Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017, section 36A, inserted by Mah. Act XXIV of 2022 (17 March 2022)
- The Bombay High Court rejected a traders’ challenge to the Marathi name board rule, with costs of ₹25,000. Bombay High Court, Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association v. State of Maharashtra, WP (L) 4162 of 2022, 23 February 2022
- Glow signs, illuminated name boards and backlit displays on business premises need written BMC permission; non-illuminated boards relating to the trade on the premises do not. BMC, Policy Guidelines for Display of Outdoor Advertisements 2025, 27 November 2025, clauses 1.9 and 2.1
- Signs should have a 70 point LRV difference between letters and background; room signs sit 1,400 mm from floor to the bottom of the sign; Braille and tactile signs between 900 and 1,500 mm. MoHUA, Harmonised Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021, chapter 5 (notified under RPwD Rules, rule 15(1)(a))
- Letters 20 to 30 mm high per metre of viewing distance, never below 15 mm; exit signs green, lit and on an independent circuit, no point more than 30 m from one. BIS, National Building Code of India 2016, Part 3 Annex B-24.2 and Part 4 clause 3.4.7.4
- A public building includes a workplace and buildings for commercial activities; existing public buildings are to be made accessible within five years of the rules. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, sections 2(w) and 45
Questions Buyers Ask
Frequently asked questions
Is a Marathi name board compulsory in Mumbai?
Yes. Section 36A of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, in force since 17 March 2022, requires every establishment’s name board to be in Marathi in Devanagari script. Other languages can be added, but the Marathi must be written first and in letters no smaller than any other script. It applies across Maharashtra, not only in Mumbai.
Does the Marathi rule apply to small offices with fewer than ten staff?
Yes. The 2022 amendment rewrote section 1(3) of the Act so that sections 7 and 36A apply to establishments employing fewer than ten workers, which were outside most of the Act before. A two-person office in Mumbai needs a Marathi-first name board just as a large one does.
Do cabin name plates and door signs have to be in Marathi?
The Act does not say so. Section 36A governs the establishment’s name board, and it does not extend to cabin plates, door signs or wayfinding inside an office. IBS can lay out directory and room signs in Marathi and English as one system if you want them.
What is the penalty for not having a Marathi name board?
The Shops and Establishments Act’s general penalty, section 29, is a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, plus up to ₹2,000 a day while a breach continues, with the total capped at ₹2,000 per worker employed. How that applies to establishments with fewer than ten workers is a legal question to put to your adviser.
Can the Marathi text be smaller than the English on my office board?
No. Section 36A says the Marathi lettering must be written at the beginning of the name board and its font size must not be smaller than the letters in any other language. It can be the same size or larger. IBS sets the Marathi line first and at least as tall as the English.
Was the Marathi name board rule challenged in court?
Yes. On 23 February 2022 the Bombay High Court rejected a traders’ association’s challenge to the earlier Marathi board rule, rule 35 of the 2018 Rules, and imposed costs of ₹25,000. The same association took the matter further, and reports of the Supreme Court hearing in September 2023 say it asked for two months to comply.
Does an office name board in Mumbai need BMC permission?
Only if it is lit. BMC’s 2025 guidelines exempt non-lit boards naming the building or its occupier, or relating to the business carried on there. Clause 2.1(a) names offices among the premises where illuminated establishment name boards and backlit signs need written permission from the ward office.
Does a lit logo inside my office need BMC permission?
BMC’s 2025 policy defines an advertisement as one visible from a street, and it has no clause on lobby or reception signs. A lit logo that can be seen from the street through glazing is a different case from one deep inside. Confirm with the ward office before lighting any sign that faces the street.
How big should the letters on an office sign be?
It depends on the viewing distance. India’s Harmonised Guidelines 2021 suggest 15 mm letters for signs read from 2 to 3 m, 50 mm at 15 m and 150 mm at 50 m. The National Building Code 2016 asks for 20 to 30 mm of letter height per metre of viewing distance, never below 15 mm.
At what height should a name plate be fixed?
India’s Harmonised Guidelines 2021 put room identification signs at 1,400 mm from the finished floor to the bottom of the sign, 50 mm from the door frame. The National Building Code 2016 places signs between 1,200 and 1,600 mm, with door signs on the latch side. Heights belong on the signage schedule before installation.
Do office signs in Mumbai need Braille?
The National Building Code 2016 requires raised tactile lettering and Braille on lift panels, hotel room numbers and doors to public toilets, and the 2021 guidelines set Braille dimensions. The RPwD Act 2016 counts workplaces as public buildings for its accessibility duty. Which signs need tactile lettering and Braille in a given office depends on the building and its use, so settle it at the design stage.
What colour and contrast should office signs use?
Enough contrast to read at a glance. The Harmonised Guidelines 2021 recommend a 70 point difference in light reflectance value between letters and background, in a sans serif typeface with mixed upper and lower case. Matt, non-reflective faces help too, because glare from office lighting hides lettering on gloss.
What are the rules for exit signs in a Mumbai office?
The National Building Code 2016 fire chapter asks for green exit signs, lit and wired to an independent circuit with a backup supply, with a directional sign at every change of direction and no point more than 30 m from one. Sizes and colours follow IS 9457 and IS 12349. The Maharashtra Fire Act makes the owner or occupier responsible.
Which materials suit office name plates?
Acrylic, metal and ACP cover most office work. The 2021 guidelines suggest wood, acrylic or aluminium composite panel in a matt, non-reflective finish. IBS usually makes a single name plate design in clear, frosted or colour-matched acrylic and repeats it across the office, so replacement plates match when people move.
Can IBS make signage as part of an office fit-out in Mumbai?
Yes. IBS designs the reception wall, name boards, name plates, wayfinding and glass manifestation with the fit-out, makes them at its facility in Mumbai and installs them with the same team. A signage schedule and the component and warranty details are handed over with the office.
How much do office name plates cost in Mumbai?
IBS has not found a reliable published Mumbai reference for name plates; listing pages were unavailable when this page was checked. The price depends on size, material, lettering and quantity, so IBS quotes from the signage schedule, with every plate and sign listed as a line on the BOQ.
What does IBS need to quote office signage in Mumbai?
The floor plans, the list of rooms and cabins, the brand guidelines, and whether the name board will be lit. From those IBS drafts a signage schedule covering the name board, reception, name plates, wayfinding, glass manifestation and exit signs, and prices it line by line.
What are the rules for signboards in Maharashtra?
Two sets matter for most offices and shops. Section 36A of the Shops and Establishments Act requires the name board in Marathi in Devanagari, first and no smaller than any other script. In Mumbai, BMC’s 2025 guidelines require written permission for lit boards, keep boards within the building line and cap glass facade graphics at 50% of each panel.
Can IBS supply office name plates in bulk?
Yes. IBS makes a single name plate design in clear, frosted or colour-matched acrylic and repeats it across floors, offices or cities from one signage schedule, so every plate matches. Spare blanks and the artwork template are kept, so a plate for a new joiner or a moved cabin matches the rest.