Central Telegram Office of Mumbai
It can be said that the history of Indian telecom started with the introduction of telegram in India. The first experimental electric telegraph line was wired between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1850. Then in 1851, the telegraph department became a small part of Public Works Department as its use was opened up for the British East India Company. Then started the construction of 6,400Km of telegraph lines connecting Kolkata, Peshawar, Mumbai, Chennai, Ootacamund and Bangalore. William O'Shaughnessy, who mastered the telegram and telephone in India, belonged to the Public Works Department, and worked towards the development of telecom throughout this period. A separate department was formed in 1854 when telegram facilities were opened for the public. A picturesque 19th Century building in Mumbai, which is now known as Central Telegram Office, came into existence in 1872. After serving the country and its people for almost 140 years, the telegram office and its service worldwide have been shut down permanently on the 15th July 2013.
