One will NOT have to pass through the Suez Canal while going from Mumbai to

The Suez Canal runs between Port Said in the north and Port Suez (the City of Suez) in the south, linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea [1]. A vessel sailing from Mumbai can enter the Red Sea and call at Suez (Port Suez) without transiting the canal itself because Suez lies at the southern (Red Sea) entrance of the canal system [1]. By contrast, Alexandria and Port Said (both on the Mediterranean) and Benghazi (Libya, western Mediterranean) require passage from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean — normally via the Suez Canal — to reach directly from Mumbai, unless the much longer Cape of Good Hope detour is taken [2].

Sources

1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > The Suez Canal > p. 63
2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > INDIA AND THE GEO-POLITICS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN > p. 64