The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
Sometimes major events completely disconnected may be data points for the plans of the different powers around the world. The challenge is to discern what purpose they serve? More critically, what are we moving towards?
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
Antilla, Mukesh Ambani’s roughly $2 billion home is the most expensive home in the world. If one takes a look at its features and what it offers the Ambanis, one would be aghast at the opulence of it all. In a country, where just below their building, thousands of people without food or shelter would be roaming every day, here is a family that lives in amazing grandiose quarters.
Since he and his family have worked hard at getting to where they are, one cannot grudge them the wealth. However, it does seem that the charitable habits of India’s rich is not visible any more.
Anyhow, lets go in to his house and check out what they have.
Features at a Glance
27 stories high
3 helipads on top. Mumbai corporation has not given permission for making this operational yet.
9 elevators in the lobby area: 2 for parking areas, 3 for guest quarters, 2 for Ambani family residences and 2 for service.
Hanging gardens within the structure
Swimming pool within the structure
A two storey Health centre
Parking space for 168 cars (6 floors). All are Mukesh Ambani’s own cars. He drives an Rs 5 crore Maybach.
Hanging vertical gardens with hydroponic plants which are grown in liquid nutrient solutions instead of soil – so as to reduce the energy consumption.
A floor exclusively for servicing these automobiles within the building.
A floor for Home theatre – sitting capacity of 50
Has double height ceilings, ballrooms, crystal chandelier ceilings, retractable stages, and managed by 600 servants
If you had to take a Home Loan for this $2 billion home, then at current standard (US) jumbo mortgage rates, the monthly payment on a 30-year loan would be about 25 million dollars!
Lobby: The lobby opens to a number of various areas like the lounges, reception areas and powder rooms. There is a Dual stairway that leads from the lobby floor down to the ballroom.
Ballroom The ballroom has an open layout with a two-story roof. Crystal chandeliers cover almost 80% of the ceiling.
There is a silver stairway leading to a central landing. Behind the staircase are two retractable doors. They open up to an area that displays exquisite works of art. The room has a stage with a projection screen behind it. There is a kitchen to feed the guests in an area equal to the ballroom itself!
Bathroom
The bathroom has amazing features with Gingko-leaf sink designs. These leaves are shaped in such a way that their stems guide water into the bowl created by the basket of the leaf. Modern bathrooms these days seem to have a clean and slick feel to them, and this is often the case in large houses like this one. Often, glass showers are seen as luxurious, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the owners of this home went to buy frameless shower doors to make this bathroom stand out even more.
Lounges
There are multiple lounges in the building, both traditional and modern. They come with expensive carpets, furniture and hardwoods.
Entertainment room/space
The Entertainment area has full fledged Cinema space with a wine room, snack bar and entertaining space. It also has beautiful couches and tables.
Health Area
This space has a lap pool, a Jacuzzi, lounge chairs with shade trees and a view of the city skyline. There are dance and yoga studios as well. Also included are changing rooms for men and women, gyms, a solarium with a juice bar and an ice room – where Mukesh Ambani can cool himself off in the heat of Mumbai with snow all around him!!
The Indian budget every year has always been an eagerly awaited event. For many decades, the best minds in economics, finance, tax, business and industry throng the media house to analyze the provisions shared by the Financial Minister.
When the US Ambassador threatened India's "Strategic Autonomy" policy over India's friendship with Russia - much more than meets the eye was at stake. Let us unpack how the Ukraine war has fundamentally changed the US and the world. And why are we here anyway?
This visit of India left me with many questions. Many observations and inputs from different people and sections. Food for thought that I have tried to contemplate on and make sense of. Sharing all that with you.
When you analyze the last 60 years of the economic miracles of Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia versus the continued impoverished Indian economy, you get very interesting lessons. Can Indians have the wherewithal in them to do in one generation so that the coming generations may rise?
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