Donald Trump's business in India: The roller coaster ride of Trump Towers
It was quite a public relations splash. Donald Trump came jetting into Pune way back in August 2014 to inaugurate the first of the Trump Towers in India. The super luxury residential towers were being developed by the Chordias of Panchshil Realty. Unfortunately, there was a small last-minute glitch. Nobody had figured that the 'T-Bird', as Trump calls his personal $100-million Boeing 757-200 jet, was too large for Pune's airport facilities, and he couldn't get off. After being stranded in the plane for an hour, the ground staff put together a special ramp, and Donald Trump descended to Mother Earth.
The tycoon, someone reported, was nonplussed and after an hour of jovial bantering went on to open his first commercial franchise in India - two 22-storey towers in Pune's upscale Kalyani Nagar - at a gala dinner of the who's who of Bollywood and real estate. This was followed by The Trump Organization franchising a second 75-storey tower in Mumbai to the Lodha Group.
The Chordias, or for that matter the Lodhas, then didn't have a clue that their brand icon would run for US President; and what more, win handsomely. That did not stop them from cashing in when
