The Hindu Business Line : Scouting for Indian space tourist

While everybody from Indian ministers such as Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath to Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, or Indian Ambasador to the US Ronen Sen to the CII President and CEO of Bharti enterprises Sunil Mittal were looking for some “serious investment” into India from the rich and powerful two-million-strong Indian American community, there was a different kind of visitor at the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, held for the first time outside India in New York.

Tom Shelley, Vice-President, Marketing, of Space Adventures, an Englishman working for an American company, was a man with a mission; among the rich India-American community, which includes umpteen fat-cats, particularly in the Silicon Valley, he was scouting for the first possible Indian to go on a “space adventure.”

“It costs about $ 30 million for a person to travel into space; we’ve already sent 5 people – four Americans and one south African. Our company doesn’t advertise but we do go to areas where we think there could be potential takers. Somebody told me that I should attend this meeting of overseas Indians in the US, so I’m here. But now I’ve been told that its impossible to meet a prospective customer at such a huge gathering and have been advised to go directly to the Silicon Valley to look for a potential Indian traveller,” he said.

Age no bar

Shelley added that of the five persons his company had already sent to space, one was a woman. Another Japanese man who had shown interest was not found to be medically fit for the tour. “In fact age is no bar, we do some tests and if you are found medically fit, you can go.”

Provided you can blow up $ 30 million for such a mission which could last between 8 days to two weeks.

While Shelley exited the hall after the morning session, the huge Indian community in the US which had assembled for the event lapped up the confident and resurgent voices emanating from the speakers about the bullish outlook for the Indian economy in the coming years.

As Mittal outlined mouth-watering prospects for anybody who would invest to reap a rich harvest from the exploding Indian consumer base, now armed with a substantial purchasing power, he was listened to in rapt attention. At appropriate intervals thundering applause resulted, but whether this applause will be followed up by opened purses remains to be seen.

An impressive inaugural show was put up at the Lincoln hall, which was done up in typical Indian fashion with flowers, zari drapery, etc and where a magnificent dance performance enthralled the packed hall.

The auditorium can seat 3000 and one could hardly spot an empty seat. The confluence of the various dance forms – Mohiniattam, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Odisi, etc – held the audience spellbound. What was a heart-warming sight was the manner in which pursestrings have been opened – on the Indian side – by the public-private sector partnership to add colour, elegance and grandeur to the week-long event.

The signal was loud and clear and came from a confident nation – India’s moment in the sun has come.

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