Want snow? Travel to Delhi

Come October 1, Delhiites may not have to go up to the hills to enjoy snow. Polo group has tied up with two Japanese companies, in a 50:50 joint venture, to start India's first snow theme park.

While the Polo group runs amusement and water parks under the brand name Fun 'n' Food village, the Japanese companies, Patine Corporation and Leisure Industries Co, hold a major share in the snow facility market in their country.

According to Balwant Chawla, CEO, Polo group, the snow park is in keeping with the market demand for sport, amusement and entertainment. To be housed within the company's water theme park in Kapashera, Delhi, the snow park will be spread in a 2,000 sq m area and will have a floor area of 60,000 sq ft.

Among the facilities available will be an ice rink (for skating, hockey, figure skating, snow games and magic shows) and a 110-m long ski slope where visitors can, besides skiing, enjoy sledging, tubing and tobogganing.

"The first phase of the snow park will be opened to the public early next month. Initially, there will be shows on the rink such as performances by international dance troupes," says Chawla. A group of Russian skaters is already practising for its show on the new rink.

The next phase will include course on the basics of skating, an ice museum that would house statues made of ice and lastly an audio-visual show on life in Antarctica. The park will be fully operational by October end.

While Chawla's company has invested Rs 5.5 crore (Rs 55 million), his Japanese partners have put in the technological know-how and have sourced the machinery needed to run the park. On an average around 15 cubic m of snow, to be produced in the park itself, will be required.

The temperatures, inside the park would range from 22 degrees Celsius (at the rink) to –5 degrees Celsius inside the ice museum. The 800 sq m rink will have a seating capacity of 800. Though ticket prices have not yet been fixed, Chawla says they might range anywhere from Rs 75 (for students) to Rs 500 (for corporates) for a three-hour tour.

Chawla claims that his latest venture is a step towards being among the first few to get into the snow park business, which is estimated to be worth Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) And he is aiming to do Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) worth of business a year. There might be the initial slips and slides, but he is confident of coasting home dry.