Delhi is not Europe, with cobbled squares built around open founts and a carnival of streets artists, open-air grills, readers drowned in their books, everybody soaking in the sense of the balmy and beautiful outdoors. But 27-year-old Samegh Batra is all set to sprinkle some of that European languor on the surface of the city.
Situated in south Delhi’s Netaji Nagar, One Golden Mile is an open-air plaza spread out around a musical fountain, which was lying defunct since 1997. For now, the place has opened its doors with the fine-dine restaurant Indigo, which has been drawing crowds with its chicken caesar salads, cinnamon-spiced grilled quails, quail biryanis, potato crusted rawas and what not. But, as Batra puts it, “there’s a lot more action the city can expect from this area. We plan to open retail outlets, an art gallery, a book store, a wide children’s playing area, and a public space to encourage performative arts like bands and st and-up comics”.
After his education at the University of Essex in 2011, Batra returned to join his family business Sunrydge India Heritage, where he worked on the restoration of the group’s flagship project ‘The Kila @ Seven Style Mile’ which houses, among others, the world renowned blueFROG, a live music venue and Evoluzione, a multidesigner store that stocks over 70 of India’s top designers. A product of St. Columba’s, Batra loves to call himself a Delhi boy. He feels the Delhi that he grew up in and the Delhi that he now works in are two very different places. “People want to spend on experiences; there’s more discretionary spending, especially with big corporate houses based in Noida and Gurgaon. Strong Wi-Fi, great food and a lively environment is really all people care for,” he says, pointing to the fact that there are takers for every kind of offering. “The city has diverse interests and we want to play a part in facilitating as many as we can,” says Batra. The company is planning a full calendar of outdoor events for the city to take in.