Mumbai: Days ahead of the July 4 elections to the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, the “Asiatic Tomorrow” panel on Monday unveiled an ambitious reform agenda, promising financial overhaul, digital modernisation and greater public access to the city’s 220-year-old heritage institution if voted to power.Mumbai, India - Sept. 25, 2025: Asiatic Library at Fort in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, September 25, 2025. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)At a press conference, presidential candidate Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, joined by actor Chandraprakash Dwivedi, former Mumbai University vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh and Ramen Matange, announced the panel’s Vision 2030 document, describing it as a roadmap for reviving the historic library and research institution.The panel said it would tighten financial management, reform the administration and end what it called “ideological gatekeeping”. It also plans to take the Society beyond its South Mumbai base.“To break the institution’s geographic confinement to South Mumbai, the panel plans to launch proactive suburban outreach programs. By collaborating with libraries in areas like Borivali and Thane, the institution aims to host regional events and make its vast resources accessible to a wider metropolitan audience,” Sahasrabuddhe said. Another proposal is to celebrate the contributions of communities that built Mumbai, including Parsis, Pathare Prabhus, Kolis and the police force, through curated exhibitions and events.To attract younger members, the panel has promised dedicated student memberships, guided archive tours and a major upgrade of the Society’s digital platforms to make rare manuscripts and 19th-century maps more accessible.Announcing the Vision 2030 document, Deshmukh said it offers a long-term centred on preserving rare collections, expanding digitisation, strengthening research, promoting Indian knowledge traditions, encouraging responsible use of artificial intelligence and making the institution financially self-sufficient.The panel also aims to collaborate with international heritage institutions to establish Mumbai as a leading centre for Asian knowledge dialogues.