The road is named after a social activist and first Mayor of Bombay (present-day Mumbai) after India's Independence, Dr. Gopalrao Deshmukh.

The first flyover built in Mumbai connected Hughes Road to Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg at Kemp's Corner.

Of his notable descendants one can name Dr Uday Dokras, international author of Human Resource books, who is his grandson.

In February 2000, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay carried out a study on traffic in the area which found that 94,000 vehicles used the route every day at that time.

[5] According to a Times of India article in 2006, in new constructions coming up on Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg (among other localities), transactions "routinely take place" at over ₹1 lakh (US$1,200) per square foot.