[5] On 24 December 2016, for a foundation-stone laying ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, volunteers collected water from various rivers in the state and soil from Shivaji's forts.

[8][9] On 1 March 2018, a Letter of Acceptance was issued to the contracting firm Larsen & Toubro to begin construction of the project.

[10] Initial plans for the project called for the foundation to be built from reclaimed basalt and rubble from the Colaba–SEEPZ metro tunnel.

[11] The statue will be located facing Mumbai's Girgaum Chowpatty beach, 1.5 km away on a manmade island of rocks.

[21] In February 2021, the detailed project report from Maharashtra state Public Works Department (PWD) and the environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change were awaited for the undersea metro rail link from Cuffe Parade to Shiv Smarak.