December 2nd, 1655
On the Coast of the Arabian Sea, Region of Baluchistan, Dakshin Bharatiya Empire
Coming back to Makran, on the Bay of Chah Bahar, thousands of ships are docked in the port, and the Gujarati people are disembarking from these boats one by one with excitement on their faces.
*Dong*
The bell recently installed in the port rang, indicating the time ’9:00 AM’. However, that was not all; it also rang for important events such as war, public announcements, etc., each with different time signatures to distinguish them.
A man in his 40s, with a moustache and a light brown complexion, looked forward at the bustling scenery with a curious gaze as he walked down from a merchant ship. He wore a turban and a black coat, appearing more dignified than the people around him. As soon as this man stepped off the boat, the crowd immediately quieted down and opened up a path for him.
Not because they knew the man, but because of his attire, which was a typical uniform for high-level executives responsible for overseeing road construction. This man also had a badge signifying his status. The badge said "Construction Officer: Naveen Ambani." Though only a few people could read it, they could identify the pattern and colour of the Ministry of Transportation.
Naveen, looking at the people around him who were running around in a hurry, couldn’t help but be amazed at the logistical efficiency of the empire to bring all these people here in a matter of a few weeks. When he had taken up the job as a worker near his hometown in Gujarat, although he was not the best at work, and neither was his son, they were quick learners.
Hence, Naveen Ambani, along with his son Ashwin Ambani, both understood the management structure and how the management of the construction workers was done.
They wanted to apply for a job immediately after understanding the work. Unfortunately, there was a requirement for the officer candidate to be literate. Hence, both father and son worked hard for one month, going to the government-funded night classes every day and learning enough to identify what was written on paper and to speak the Bharati language fluently.
After they had passed a literacy test, due to God’s grace, two roles immediately opened up for both of them. One role was to be a construction administrator in Baluchistan, and the other was to be an assistant to the construction administrator in the region of Gujarat. These roles could be picked between both Naveen and Ashwin Ambani as they had essentially the same qualifications.
This was the opportunity for their family. Even though most of the neighbours and villagers of their fellow village were rushing to complete the labour tasks and earn the land previously owned by the nobles, both Naveen Ambani and Ashwin Ambani saw an opportunity to reach a bigger goal. They could see that the administrators earned a lot more in payments than the normal workers.
With enough experience, an administrator could form his own company, which apparently would be privatized after the military economy system ends.
Although the Ambani family did not understand most of the concepts or benefits of a construction officer, they grasped the most crucial points: after the military-economic system of the Dakshin Bharatiya Empire ends, the company funded by the government and run by them would be there’s to claim. This prospect greatly strengthened the Ambanis’ belief in choosing to work as administrators.
Fortunately, their hard work paid off, as both father and son are now in different units of the Ministry of Transportation, doing the job most envied.
Initially, Ashwin Ambani wanted to come to the region of Baluchistan because, unlike others, he saw more opportunity in this barren region. However, his father, who also saw this opportunity, also saw the danger.
"Son, the region of Balochistan is an active war zone, and it is also the place where tribal people frequently fight. The war in Gujarat had been over for two months. It’s safer here; you should stay in Gujarat. I will go to Balochistan; you look after your mother," Naveen Ambani said, as he comforted and tried to convince Ashwin Ambani.
But it wasn’t an easy task because Ashwin was not willing to listen to his words, especially after hearing about the danger.
However, when things were starting to get out of hand, Ashwin, who was really stubborn, finally agreed with some convincing from his mother.
With Naveen Ambani as one of the road construction administrators, the work in the city of Makran immediately started.
The workers, who were being trained on the job for the first time, were slow to start due to their inexperience. However, this changed in the coming few days as most people became proficient, and the construction of the road truly began.
Naveen Ambani, who oversaw a small stretch of the road construction, had a good idea and put forward an important proposal, which even reached the higher-ups in the Ministry of Transportation.
"A petition for the road to be constructed over the southernmost part of Char Bahar Lake,"
This petition was put forward by Naveen Ambani, who further explained how constructing the road at the edge of Char Bahar Lake, which was nestled in the hills and mountains of the Makran range, could prove to be a beautiful attraction for visitors to the city. He emphasized that it would leave a lasting impression on their minds and potentially drive the city’s economy.
Although the term "tourist attraction" was not yet a concept in this era, as the word "tourist" had not been invented until the 18th century, this was essentially what Naveen Ambani was pointing at.
The higher-ups in the Ministry of Transportation felt like this was a fresh and new concept that could be extended to other regions where infrastructure is being laid. They felt like this concept had a lot of potential to be explored.
Hence, this news was eventually passed over to the Minister of Transportation, Nirmal. When he heard this idea for the first time, he was taken aback, as he felt dumb to not consider the natural attraction of mother nature when considering which place to build the road on.
Now, he felt like he had missed out on a big opportunity since a lot of the routes in the empire had already been constructed. But still, he quite appreciated this idea and coined the term "tourist attraction" for the first time in the history of the world.
Following this development, an official decree was issued within the Ministry of Transportation, enshrined as ’Rule 25 of Tourist Destination’.
The mandate stipulated: "As long as the road construction serves civilian objectives and the budget remains within reasonable proximity to the optimal site for road construction, preference shall be given to the location offering the most scenic route between destinations."
This law profoundly influenced the road construction of the empire and the culture of the subcontinent as a whole. In the future, many countries imitated this rule because, by the time the internet became widespread, Bharat was hailed as one of the most beautiful places in the world to have a road trip.
This made revenue from tourism a very considerable part of the gross domestic product, similar to Japan in Vijay’s previous life.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
Nirmal also remembered the name Naveen Ambani. He did write a letter praising the man, but Naveen’s promotion was not too drastic. Even though he contributed a lot to the empire and proposed new theories which proved to be true, his abilities had not yet reached the level to independently take over the management of road construction in a whole region.
In other words, although the Ministry of Transportation deemed him very talented, they felt he was not experienced enough to run his own company, Yet, at least.
Unknown to Nirmal, Naveen had already obtained permission from the Ministry of Transportation for his proposal. It’s just that he had not been informed yet. As soon as he completes the construction of the road from Makran to Gwadar and Gwadar to Ormara, he will have enough experience to run his own company affiliated with the Ministry of Transportation.
As for the progress of the war...
General Ramayya Senapati is only halfway to his destination. He is currently climbing up a small hill along with his troops, with the scorching 40+ degree sun shining on the soldiers constantly.
Ramayya Senapati, drenched in sweat, finally got to experience what Narasimha Nayak experienced in the first phase of the war, and Senapati couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the pressure put on him by the environment. Fortunately, he, similar to Narasimha Nayak, was a strong-willed and extremely determined person.
Also, he knew that if he went back for a trivial reason like not being able to adapt to the environment, even though he felt like his majesty would forgive him, he was very sure that his father would at least beat him nearly to death, and as if that was not enough, he would surely disown him. Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.
However, it’s not like he is considering it; he is not a person who leaves things unfinished anyway, so he is determined to see the operation through.
As for Narasimha Nayak, who has been delayed by the blasting of the hill, he is running a little late. He has currently only reached 80 kilometres of his 259-kilometer journey, putting him very behind. However, he feels confident in catching up as he senses that the terrain is becoming a little more forgiving for his army.