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Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man, builds worlds first billion-dollar home

// October 15th, 2010

The building – named Antilia, after a mythical island – will be home to Ambani, the richest man in India and the fourth richest in the world, plus his wife and their three children. It contains a health club with a gym and dance studio, at least one swimming pool, a ballroom, guestrooms, a variety of lounges and a 50-seater cinema.

On the top floors, with a sweeping view of the city and out over the Arabian Sea, are quarters for the 53-year-old tycoon and his family. Overall, there is reported to be 37,000 sq metres of space, more than the Palace of Versailles. To keep things running smoothly, there is a staff of 600.

It cost an estimated £44m to build but, because of Mumbai’s astronomic land and property prices, will be worth about 15 times that amount – £630m.

Experts say there is no other private property of comparable size and prominence in the world.

That seems unnecessary, especially given that…

Indias prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has previously called on business leaders to “eschew conspicuous consumption” and “be role models of moderation”.

via Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man, builds worlds first billion-dollar home | World news | The Guardian.

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The Global Phones-to-Toilets Ratio

// May 1st, 2010

Fully 16% of the world is still forced to defecate in public every day. Fascinatingly, there are more cell phones than toilets in the world today.

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Punjab water ‘is risk to health’

// December 1st, 2007

Punjab water ‘is risk to health’

The study says that blood samples collected from people in the area showed that in 65% of the cases the DNA had mutated.

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In India, One Cheap Car Could Go a Long Way

// November 24th, 2007

In India, One Cheap Car Could Go a Long Way – washingtonpost.com

“Can you imagine if even half of the 1.1 billion Indians owned a car?” said Mahesh Mehta, an environmental lawyer in New Delhi. “We should not be following the Western model of car ownership. I think this will be disastrous in India.”

Don’t do it!

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Jobs Abroad Support ‘Model’ State in India | NextBillion.net – Development Through Enterprise

// November 24th, 2007

Jobs Abroad Support ‘Model’ State in India | NextBillion.net – Development Through Enterprise

Kerala’s low-level economy works, though it may be dependent on the larger global capitalist structure by way of the migrant workers that comprise 1/6th of its population and work force. They have long longevity and high literacy rates, however, and the matriarchal state lends itself to economics making pnderings such as the one below:

“The fact that quality of life can be improved through government intervention, even in societies that are very poor — I think that’s important,” said Prabhat Patnaik, the vice chairman of the state planning board. Kerala’s experience, he said, shows “the quality of life is not just related to the growth rate” of the economy.

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