Ultra rich family prepares to move into 27 story home -- in India

[KossackRealityCheck]

Apologies if this has already been diaried.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/world/asia/29mumbai.html

Soaring Above India’s Poverty, a 27-Story Home
By JIM YARDLEY
Published: October 28, 2010

MUMBAI — The newest and most exclusive residential tower for this city’s superrich is a cantilevered sheath of steel and glass soaring 27 floors into the sky. The parking garage fills six levels. Three helipads are on the roof. There are terraces upon terraces, airborne swimming pools and hanging gardens in a Blade Runner-meets-Babylon edifice overlooking India’s most dynamic city.

There are nine elevators, a spa, a 50-seat theater and a grand ballroom. Hundreds of servants and staff are expected to work inside. And now, finally, after several years of planning and construction, the residents are about to move in.

All five of them.

The tower, known as Antilia, is the new home of India’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, whose $27 billion fortune also ranks him among the richest people in the world. And even here in the country’s financial capital, where residents bear daily witness to the stark extremes of Indian wealth and poverty, Mr. Ambani’s building is so spectacularly over the top that the city’s already elastic boundaries of excess and disparity are being stretched to new dimensions.

[MineralMan]

1. Lots of folks in Mumbai being employed by this construction,

and in the place afterwards, it seems. There's always a side to every story that is missed. Yes, it's obscene, but I'm betting the people who'll be working there wouldn't say so.

[KossackRealityCheck]

2. The same people could be employed

in a project of 27 stories for 27 families or 67 families. Read the article. The building includes a room that creates artificial weather. Which is more productive, a room that creates artificial weather or 67 new kitchens for the middle class?

[MineralMan]

3. Yes, I realize that. However, the 200 people who will be working

in the building, now that it's built, would not. Ups and downs for everything. Like I said, the idea behind this residence is obscene.

[KossackRealityCheck]

7. Did you even read the linked article?

The family that built this owns manufacturing plants (textiles). The same $1 billion spent on this obscene building and the same people who will be catering to their whims could have been deployed making useful articles or for that matter, they could have increased pay.

Mumbai has a shortage of land for housing and a shortage of housing for the growing middle class. This land and resources would have employed just as many people building middle class housing, and since middle class Indians employ servants, many fold more domestic workers.

You can point to any boondogle and say it creates jobs -- like hiring 10 people to kiss the ass of the Queen of England. That doesn't mean it's the best use of those employees or resources.

[Bitwit1234]

10. And all this money they made in TEXTILES just shows

how all the jobs outsourced from here in the US are making money for the companies AND NOT THE EMPLOYEES.

[sabrina 1]

6. Thank you, that's exactly what I was thinking.

There's no way to look at this in a positive way in the world we live in. It is obscene. Any work it provides in the construction will be short term and being slaves to the very wealthy should not be the only way to make a living, especially in democracy.

It's is disgusting, unless he's some kind of philanthropist, no human being needs this kind of wealth unless they are doing some good with it.

[cynzke]

11. Spot On!

I agree with you 100%. No one needs this kind of wealth. I find it appalling that Meg Whitman spent million to be CA's next governor. Think what she could have done better with that money for her fellow human beings. Meantime people die around the world and in this country because they can't afford medical treatment. Always reading about community bake sales, car washes, etc. for some unfortunate person who desperately needs an operation, but can't afford the thousands of dollars it would cost to save their life. If I were this wealthy, I would be spending my money on worthy causes. Can't help but wonder how much of this family's wealth is due to US outsourcing our jobs to India. A great deal I bet!

[sabrina 1]

12. Probably a lot of their money came from the exploitation of workers.

India is supposedly a Democracy. So why do they allow obscenely wealth people like this exploit their own people?

[readmoreoften]

16. Probably all of it.

Nah. Definitely all of it. That's where profit comes from. You think these people "worked for it"? Nope.

[readmoreoften]

15. Yeah, bet again.

What? People were paid 6 rupees an hour to mine the gold? How do you even know the workers were paid after all is said and done? (Workers don't get paid here; why would they necessarily get paid there? See link.) A public works project would cost the same. Sometimes, you just have to not side with the exploiters in order to not be assessed as a total conservative. This would be a good time to land on that side.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=463336213472

Do you really think no buildings would get made without rich people? Who mines the ore? Who crafts the gold? Who cuts the stone? Who draws up the plans? Who makes the cranes? Who teaches the workers so they can do their job? Who feeds everyone their lunch? Who does the plumbing? Who lays the floors? Who pours the concrete? Who does the measurements? Who tests the materials in a lab?

What useful thing has this family done? They are totally useless to the process.

[Aristus]

4. What an ugly fucking building...

I'd ask for my money back. Unless ugliness and bad taste are just how this guy rolls...

[avaistheone1]

8. Ugly family with god awful ugly house.

How fitting.

k&r

[woo me with science]

5. Picture

[proteus_lives]

18. Looks like a bad Lego tower.

[Obamanaut]

9. More discussion at these earlier threads ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9385003

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=9220523

[JI7]

13. anyone who builds such a thing in India is an asshole

[readmoreoften]

17. +1

[Name removed]

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