Delhi businesswoman plans first floating restaurant on Mumbai seafront, wins praise from Lords in London

Delhi-based businesswoman Shripriya Dalmia Thirani, who, along with her husband and business partner Mridul Thirani, is set to open Mumbai’s first 475-seater floating restaurants on the Arabian Sea, has praise coming in for her project from faraway London.

In what is a rare gesture, Britain’s most influential politicians and Lords of Asian origin came out in full support last week for Mumbai’s first large scale restaurants on the sea, that will be built on ships Queensline Neverland and Queensline See YAH, which hosted the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth.

Owners of the venture, Mridul and Shripriya, who were in London last week to attend the prestigious Asian Awards, were met personally by three of the biggest names in business and politics – Lord Swaraj Paul, Lord Karan Bilimoria and the longest serving MP of Indian origin in UK, Keith Vaz, all of who hailed the project as the next big thing coming up in India.

Mridul Thirani, Shripriya Dalmia Thirani and Lord Swaraj Paul

Lord Paul of Marylebone, chairman of the Caparo Group is one of Britain’s richest business tycoons and has been Deputy speaker at the House of Lords from 2008-2010, the Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton since 1999 and was Chancellor of the University of Westminster from 2006 to 2014.On meeting with the couple, Lord Paul said, “This is a very exciting project. I will be glad to help in whatever way I can.”

Mridul Thirani, Shripriya Dalmia Thirani and Lord Karan Bilimoria

Lord Bilimoria, the first Parsi Lord in Britian, met the duo at the House of Lords, and said, “People will now be able to dine in Mumbai like they do in the European Rivieras. I wish the project all the best.” Keith Vaz showered praise for the project and said that he will attend the launch of the 475-seater floating restaurants coming up in Chowpatty and Gateway of India, in October.

Speaking about the encouraging reaction from the three stalwarts for her project, Shripriya said, “I am honoured and humbled that such stalwarts of British life are taking interest and coming out in support of my project.”