Earlier this year, French Polynesia agreed to allow testing for an incredible, new concept called floating cities, which The New York Times dubbed ‘start-up cities’. A little closer than distant planets, humans are still exploring the huge expanse of earth’s water for places to inhabit. Building on oceans and seas could very well create brand-new national economies. Setting sail while the waves are big then, Shripriya, 38-year-old visionary businesswoman and descendent of the Dalmia clan, honours her beloved India by making sure it comes to this particular 21st Century fore. She will launch: “Mumbai’s largest gastronomic extravaganza on the sea, in October 2018. It will have the first ever super luxury floating restaurants,” comprised of ships, Queensline Neverland and Queensline See YAH, making the Indian equivalent of the French Riviera on the Arabian Sea. “Until now, India’s connoisseurs travelled as far as Monte Carlo or Portugal or the Cote d’Azur for such a treat,” Shripriya commented.
“They’d watch the setting sun while savouring the best champagne money could buy as the world’s most expensive caviar melted in their mouths. But now, they don’t have to go far. A 20-minute drive from their home or office in Mumbai will take them to a deck with all this and more. There will be a range of restaurants that boast the world’s best-known chefs, and most sumptuous dishes. Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey all have Rivieras too. Nice, France’s second most-visited city after Paris rakes in 1.5 billion euros annually from tourism just because of its water. This made we wonder – why does India, which has so much of it covered by water, not take advantage of it?” A reflection of ambitious, pioneering women everywhere, the two ships Shripriya has selected actually once hosted strong female monarch, Queen Elizabeth 1, while the project has also been widely praised by British Lords such as Lord Swaraj Paul and Lord Karan Bilimoria. Keith Vaz, longest serving MP of Indian origin in the UK endorsed the waterfront wonder as being a massive commercial win for India.
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“Those on board will also for the first time be able to cruise on the sea, catching breath-taking views of Mumbai’s enviable skyline,” Shripriya added. The moving ships can be boarded at Mumbai’s most iconic spots: Gateway of India and Chowpatty. However, Shripriya also made sure to emphasise that she wants to bestow an experience that goes beyond aesthetics and getting glamour points to connecting worldy travellers and a space of modern shared culture: “I want the deck to become a continent of people from far corners of the globe merging and mixing. Millions of tourists from both within and outside the country will be able to dine getting a stunning 360-degree view of the city: Mumbai’s incredible seafront is a spectacular place, brimming with life and just teeming with stories and emotion. The ships will be a one stop place for everything spectacularly creative – from food to art to philosophy.” This was certainly evident in the one-of-a-kind photographic exhibit which marked the opening of Shripriya’s timelessly beautiful water structure: ‘ALTARS OF YEARNING – HOW INDIA PRAYS’. “It reminded the world of India’s incredible secular social fabric – a land of many people, many cultures, and many religions coexisting peacefully as one – prayer a common phenomenon among all of them.”
Here, much like her specially curated works, the entrepreneur showed her underlying emotional inspiration and the power of human vulnerability: “it is always important for my endeavours to have resonant meaning. I actually started my career as a graphic designer for arts and lifestyle products, at one point owning the rights to about 50 artworks in a gallery which I artistically interpreted in my own way onto lifestyle goods. In Jan 2018, I also commissioned a calendar that would intuitively explore my love for water – the very same that gave birth to Queensline. Each month on the seasonal chart delved into an aspect of water in my life - water as art, water as a symbol of resilience and tenacity, water as a need, water and its shortage, water and its natural drama, water as meditation, water as a symbol of serenity, water as a place of commerce, water as a symbol of fury, water as a medium to cleanse, water as the great leveller and water as a divinity. The DNA of water is a very strong message and is at once very timely. It is the most contentious issue right now.” Indeed, with both increasing impact of climate change and “opportunities on land getting monotonous, water solutions and tourism are a fast-growing, important sector globally.” Thus, much like the Napoleonic imagination behind Paris, great passion, personal pull, business acumen and politics culminate in a 2018 historic milestone. Of course, being a creation of today, this site of beauty lies in a warmer continent, sculpted by an unfettered female.
As a businesswoman, who has ties with an industrialist family, how do you feel you make a statement?
Being from a business family does not always mean you have the insight to run a business. Like all traits, some children are good at it and some are not. But the staple rule is this – everyone lives and learns.
All the Dalmia clan realise that the primary responsibility on our shoulders is not to emerge successful but to be able to live our lives with the principles set out by our ancestors –honesty, humility, patience, hard work and above all perseverance. We have been taught from childhood that there are no short cuts to success. But the sense of purpose and the drive to achieve near impossible targets has always been a hallmark.
Is jumping into the food business so boldly your ‘jewel’ in the professional crown?
It’s not so much a jewel in the sense of achievement but one as a teacher. It was a lot easier for me to stick to productions, I have worked extensively in film too, or graphic design – both of which I know well and have dabbled with earlier. But cuisine is all new and hence a real jewel in a learning regard, bringing new challenges and networking opportunities.
What’s been the most exciting part of planning this project?
Pitching to win the rights to start the first floating restaurants in Mumbai when the government announced the tender. Travelling across the world then to find the right ships was really wonderful, especially when finally locating them in Turkey.
Finally, what advice do you have for career women who want to achieve high standards?
I have 5 pieces of advice: take that first step. It might seem daunting in the beginning but everything falls in place if your heart and your willingness to succeed are in the right place; never be dejected by rejection; never compromise on self-respect and dignity; think big; finally, yes, life is slightly tougher for us. We have to manage home, children and work. Try and accept this and focus on what you can reach and do.
