Around the World in Seven Days
David B. South Talks Domes in India
May 25, 2004
by Kris Garrison
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"I had to ask myself while I was traveling for nearly 30 hours; Do I not have enough to do in the United States to keep me busy? Why in the world am I traveling all away around the world to sell domes?" said David B. South.
But after a visit to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India, David soon remembered Monolithic Domes fill a need all around the world, not just in our backyard.
David left Dallas, Texas on Saturday, April 24, 2004 and returned 7 days later having circumnavigated the globe. He flew from Dallas to Los Angeles to Singapore and then into Mumbai - a total of 33 hours of travel time to get to the other side of the world. Then after several days of meetings, he flew to Delhi, then Frankfurt, Germany and then home.
While in India, David met with Roy Sahara, founder and Chief Guardian of Sahara India Pariwar; and Jack McAdams, a movie industry specialist from Santa Clarita, California and Alistair Monteith-Hodge, a consultant out of Hong Kong. They met at the offices of Percept, a media company which works closely with the Sahara group.
David said, "After you have been in India for a short time, you begin to realize just how big of an operation [Mr. Sahara] runs. Sahara employs 750,000 employees."
Mr. Sahara is interested in a huge media project. Phase I of the proposed project includes two 285-foot domes built for movie studios. Also included in Phase I are additional domes (possibly up to 100) built as support facilities. A university or school of communication arts similar to the School of Communication Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina is also planned for phase I. Phase II includes 212 movie theaters being built throughout India.
David South said, "Sahara has a vision for improving India. In addition to developing a huge movie industry, he wants to build over 900 new cities." Even though there is still a huge problem with poverty, great steps have been taken towards a better quality of life throughout the country.
While in India David recorded his observations about the area surrounding his hotel and nearby city life:
"It is 2:30 PM, April 29th, 2004 - which means it's about 4:30 a.m. Thursday in Dallas. I am looking out the window of my room at the Continental Hotel in Mumbai - a city of huge contrasts.
The hotel has a high concrete wall all the way around it and there is a large contingency of people that lives behind the hotel. A double-walled alley goes around the hotel to their homes. Across the street, they are putting in a road. It has been under construction since my arrival...
As I look down from my window, I see what we would call a "shanty town" -- very small habitations, poorly built, plaster, corrugated metal and corrugated cement tiles. To the left, I see an apartment block. I have seen such blocks in Algeria and other places. A new one is being put up that so far is 12 stories high, but it has the rebar sticking out the top so you know it is going to go up more stories. I can see a little bit of steel scaffolding. Most scaffolding is nothing more than bamboo lashed together."
On the first day of his visit, David was invited to an evening release party for Roy Sahara's wife's new CD. It was a glamorous affair with friends and family. David said, "The release of her CD recording was beautifully done. Mrs. Sahara played a sample of her music and showed some film of the family. During the course of the evening I met Roy Sahara and "Big B," who I think is the "John Wayne" of India.
The following day we met with Roy Sahara in the afternoon at his new Sahara headquarters in Mumbai.
David educated Sahara on the benefits of Monolithic Domes for the film studio's project and housing developments. They discussed cost, energy efficiency and building survivability as well as specific benefits the domes would bring to media and housing applications in India.
"Whether the project(s) will come to pass remains to be seen," David said.
Learn more about Sahara India Pariwar
Related Links:
- New Oroville - A High-tech City in India
- Monolithic Seeks Sponsors for Emerging Countries Housing Projects
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