Four days immersed in India and the adventure continues...Feb. 3, 2010 - India is a nation of contrast and day two in Mumbai exemplified this reality with a large dose of culture – both modern and traditional. In the morning, the families boarded a bus to Film City for a glimpse of India’s Bollywood industry. Over 300 Hindi films are produced here annually, many to international acclaim. From the glamour of the movie sets and shoots the group transitioned to the streets of Mumbai for a look at the architecture and several major attractions such as the Mani Bhavan (Ghandi Museum), the Gateway to India, the Haji Ali Mosque, the Mantralaya (ministerial homes and state parliament offices), and the largest shanty town in Asia as featured in Slumdog Millionaire.
All families were treated to a shopping excursion to acquire authentic Indian attire for the Sangam Family Day festivities in Hazira later in the week. The women were outfitted with salwar kameez and the gents in kurta and pajama. And if that wasn’t enough excitement to pack into a day, the evening held the promise of a gala dinner at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Adil Malia, Group President- Human Resources, hosted the group along with Armando Plastino, CEO of Essar Steel Algoma, who just arrived in India the day before.
When the group visited Essar House, Dr. Sujaya Banerjee, Chief Learning Officer with the Essar Group, gave a presentation and shared some insights into the economic, political and socio-cultural landscape in India. She described India as a country in transition, caught between the agricultural, industrial and technological eras. Shanties with satellite dishes, BMWs driving next to bullock carts; village women carrying water on their heads alongside businessmen dressed in Armani and blue tooth headsets; masons hand mixing mortar to build magnificent marble sky rises. Such stark contrasts have intrigued the families on their travels through this remarkable country, furthering their understanding of how a developing nation of 1.2 billion can wield such influence on the global stage.
