Mumbi Monsoons Rain, just find a cafe

Sajjad Hussain/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesPedestrians shelter under umbrellas during a downpour in Mumbai earlier this month.

Mumbai

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With the arrival of the monsoon, Mumbaikars and visitors alike turn their focus towards dodging puddles and staying dry. But the three-month rainy season can be a remarkably pleasant time to experience the city; provided you’re watching the rain and not stuck in it. One of the best ways to do so is to find a cafe — one with good views of the cascading showers, of course — and settle in with a cup of tea, a snack or a hearty lunch.

The Champagne Lounge (Nariman Point; 91-22-6632-5757) at the recently reopened Oberoi Hotel is one such spot. Nestled in an alcove off the hotel atrium, the second-floor cafe offers sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. Try a glass of Champagne, a loose-leaf Darjeeling tea, or come between 3 and 6:30 p.m. for afternoon high tea, which includes sandwiches, pastries and scones (750 rupees, $16.18 at 46.35 rupees to the dollar).

For something a little more frugal, grab a cup of sweet milky chai (20 rupees) at the outdoor cafe of the Privthi Theater (20 Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu; 91-22-2614-9546). This hangout for the arts and theater crowd is freshly weatherproofed; you’ll hear and see the rain, but will be out of its direct path.

Or cozy up to one of Mumbai’s iconic dishes, the berry pulao (150 to 300 rupees) served at Britannia and Company (11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate; 91-22-2261-5264). You can enjoy this generous pile of saffron-hued rice, mixed with mutton, chicken or a hard boiled egg, then topped with chunks of potatoes, crispy onions, fried cashews, and dried-red berries — while watching the rain pour down on the street from the open entryways. Just don’t leave your umbrella behind.

The Associated Press: CBS and Reliance plan to launch Indian TV channels

MUMBAI, India — A unit of CBS Corp. and Reliance Broadcast Network, a subsidiary of India's powerful Reliance-ADA Group, plan to launch television channels in India together, Reliance said.
The joint venture is a first for both CBS Studios International and Reliance Broadcast Network, known until last week as Reliance Media World, as they try to tap India's fast-growing TV market.
The companies signed a preliminary, nonbinding agreement Sunday to establish a 50-50 joint venture to operate a portfolio of TV channels and hope to close the deal within a month, Reliance said in a June 20 letter to Indian stock exchanges.
They would begin with an English language general entertainment channel that would distribute primarily existing CBS content via cable or direct-to-home satellite broadcasting and later explore owning or operating channels in Hindi and other regional languages, the company said.
CBS's hit shows include "CSI," "America's Next Top Model" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show," but Reliance spokesman Gaurav Rahi told The Associated Press on Monday that it was too early to say which shows would be picked for India broadcast.
The venture would have programming rights across India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Pakistan, with the potential for further expansion.
CBS joins foreign companies like Viacom Inc., Time Warner Inc., Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. that have jumped into India's TV market, which is expected to grow at 15 percent a year to become a 521 billion rupee ($11.4 billion) business by 2014.
Television is the largest segment of India's entertainment industry, with revenues of 257 billion rupees ($5.6 billion) in 2009 — nearly three times what the much-hyped Bollywood film industry pulled in, according to KPMG.
KPMG says India's TV audience has grown to 500 million viewers — still just 60 percent of households — and the number of channels has mushroomed from 120 in 2003 to over 460 in 2009.
Reliance-ADA Group is run by Anil Ambani, one of India's richest men. Another subsidiary, Reliance Big Entertainment, last year paid $325 million for a 50 percent stake in Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios.

World’s tallest apartment building in Mumbai by 2014 (Lead)

Mumbai, June 8 (IANS) Mumbai will have the world’s tallest residential building, nearly half a km in height, by 2014, providing an unhindered view of the city from all sides.
City-based realty group Lodha Developers will collaborate with two New York-based firms to build an over 450 metre residential tower at Worli in south-central Mumbai at a cost of Rs.2,000 crore ($424.67 million), the company said here Tuesday.
“The project has been christened World One and will be built on a 17-acre site at Worli (south-central Mumbai). It will include a 117-storeyed tower, around 1,450 feet, which will be the world’s tallest residential building,” the firm’s managing director Abhisheck Lodha told media persons here.
The World One complex, which will have two more towers, shall offer 300 exclusive 3-4 bedroom flats, lavish villas with private swimming pools and a few duplex suites.
“The unique 360 degrees curved design will enable all the residents an unrestricted view of entire Mumbai from all sides,” he added.
Lodha Developers has tied up with New York’s architectural firm, Pei Cobb Free & Parners, and structural consultants, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, for the prestigious project which will be a landmark in Mumbai.
The construction work on the project will start in a couple of months and it is expected to be completed by 2014, Lodha said.
Each housing unit in the building, which will dwarf the existing tallest residential towers in the world, including even Q1 in Gold Coast (Australia), currently the world’s tallest. It will cost upwards of Rs.7.50 crore ($1.5 million), he said.
The flat sales/bookings shall start by June-end.
The complex will offer world-class amenities for the occupants, including a 3-level club-house and spa.
The project is estimated to use over 250,000 cubic metres cement-concrete, 35,000 metric tonnes of steel rebars, 40,000 square metres of glass, 18 high-speed lifts, each travelling at nearly 3 floors per second.
According to Lodha, a significant aspect of the World One project will be rating of Gold Leed Certified Building by the Green Building Council. It will be the only 100-plus storey building in the world to get this coveted certification for its high-level of environmental care.
The key eco-friendly measures it will incorporate are: 100 percent water harvesting and recycling, using VRV air-conditioning and solar energy for common areas and heating, thus slashing electricity consumption by over 40 percent, and waste segregation and recycling.
For the luxurious in-house feel, all the components for the kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and bedrooms shall come from Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and France.
Lodha said the World One project would give a icon to the vibrant city on the lines of Paris’ Eiffel Tower or Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers.


World’s tallest apartment building in Mumbai by 2014 (Lead)

India, Cheap Beer?

Want a cheap beer? Go to India, my friend

Thomas Cook has revealed that India is the destination where British travellers will get most value for their pounds. Thomas Cook’s Cost of Living survey 2010 found India remains the cheapest destination overall (short, medium and long haul), with a beer costing just 68 pence. Malaysia was third cheapest destination long haul. Top Seven Long Haul Destinations Destination Three Course Meal Beer Total Daily Expenses 1. India £5.48 £0.68 £17.10 2. Cuba £10.00 £1.07 £24.23 3. Malaysia £14.00 £2.24 £31.33 4. Mexico £25.00 £1.80 £39.80 5. South Africa £17.00 £1.16 £40.34 6. Canada £19.50 £2.40 £45.60 7. USA £15.90 £2.55 £46.95 Thomas Cook UK & Ireland chief executive Ian Derbyshire said: “The fantastic news for travellers this year is that the cost of everyday essentials has gone down in many resorts so those looking to enjoy themselves on excursions and evening entertainment will be able to do exactly that. “Medium haul destinations like Turkey and Egypt are still extremely good value compared to the UK, and with holidaymakers having the option of all-inclusive packages, daily expenses are being cut down even further.” By Bev Fearis