Nandini Raghavendra
The Economics Times; 17th April 1999

They are making hay while the sun does not shine. At 20,000 feet in Sangla, Rajesh Ojha and Ajay Sud promise the unbelievable in the lap of nature.

It was pitch dark when Rajesh Ojha and Ajay Sud (a former captain of the Indian army) reached Sangla in November '93 for the first time. "One look at the 20,000-feet high, snow clad ranges towering over us and I knew I had found my Shangri-La," says jawan-turned-entrepreneur Ajay Sud.

In terms of tourism, the valleys of Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti are the last frontiers. These areas opened to tourism as late as 1992 and it was in Bhatseri village in Sangla valley where Sud and Ojha decided to put up their maiden venture, Banjara Camps. It was their love for the mountains and the outdoors that stoked their entrepreneurial fire.

If it meant exploring every nook and corner of the Sangla valley for that perfect camping ground, so be it. The pre-requisites they had in mind were ambitious a source of water closeby; power; far and away from the main road; next to a forest; away from the pying eyes of villagers...

That's asking for Heaven on earth. "Ojha, with a Masters in Philosophy and a penchant for life, found the whole thing to his liking," says Sud. With formal financing options out of the question, both partners raised the initial capital of Rs.4 lakh on their own. "We had no collateral, so approaching the banks was out," says Sud, who started the first camp at Sangla in 1994.

Today Sud and Ojha, pioneers in luxury camping, have extended the facilities of Banjara to Tabo (1997) and Chail (1999). The total accommodation capacity between three camps is 68, with each tent accommodating two people. Since operational costs are huge, Sud and Ojha gave themselves five years before they could see any profits. "Because of the remoteness of our camps, operational costs are as high as 65 per cent. A major chunk is transportation cost, as Banjara gives the option of picking up people
in Jeeps from as far as Delhi," says Sud.

Recently, the bookings are on the rise, thanks to word-of-mouth publicity, media coverage and their website (http://www.banjaracamps.com). By the end of this season, Banjara hopes to post a turnover of Rs.35 lakh, nearly double that of last year. For centuries, the Sangla-Spiti areas were islands of rich, unspoilt civilization, open only for seven months of the year (April to October), with the area snow-bound for the remaining five months.

Sud's experience with the Indian army has helped in giving shape to the décor. Sud and Ojha organise eco-friendly, yet luxurious tented camps and combine it with adventure for the visitors in the lap of nature. This is where Sud's fauji camping experience came handy. "We wouldn't have thought of luxury camping in a new area had it not been my experience in the army. I had seen from close quarters how Commanding Officer's tamboos were made comfortable and so went about doing the same for our guests," says Sud.

Each camp offers totally personalized service with either Sud or Ojha always being present, indoor and outdoor games, angling, river crossing and bonfires. Banjara's main clientele comes from Delhi and Mumbai industrialists, businessmen and executives of multinational companies.

The 20 percent foreign clientele comes mainly from France, Germany, Uk and the USA. Why Sangla, why Lahaul Spiti? Kaza, near Tabo camp, boasts of the highest gas filling station in the world at 12,000 ft. Pooh and Chango, both in Kinnaur, produce the best apples in the country today; the Hindustan Tibet road was built in record time after the Chinese descended on Kinnaur in 1962. And, for the star struck, Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford visited Kinnaur in 1991; Mani Ratnam's blockbuster Dil Se was shot near Tabo.

But it's trekking on unbelievably scenic routes, rafting and paragliding for the adventurous and angling for trout for the contemplative that makes Sangla a memorable place to be in. Or, just sitting by the river Baspa and reading.