Donald Trump Jr. urges developers to think 'location, location, brand' at Cityscape India launch

Trump was speaking in Mumbai on the opening day of Cityscape India, the latest in a series of sister events around the world that have spun off from the success of Cityscape Dubai and now the world's biggest business-to-business real estate brand. The first Indian event has attracted major participation by Middle East companies.

Trump stressed that the key challenge for Indian property developers is to ensure they continue to meet the expectations of high net-worth global investors. 'Owners and developers must understand the mindset of prospective investors and offer unique and attractive real estate developments in a secure and transparent investment environment.'

He added: 'High-end luxury gets into the best locations. Premium quality brands get premium quality returns. Investors are more willing to play for high stakes if the risk is minimal.'

It has been well documented that the sub-prime crisis could cause write downs of over US$400 billion in bad loans, sending property prices plummeting in the USA and dampening investor confidence in Ireland, UK, Spain and Australasia. In sharp contrast, the case for real estate growth in India is undeniable. Its annual GDP is currently 9%, allied with a population of 1.2 billion people which is swelling at a rate of 1.4% per annum.

'Put simply, that's an additional 16.8 million people annually adding to the surging demand for infrastructure, housing, schools, hospitals, retail as well as hospitality and commercial property,' said Rohan Marwaha, Managing Director, Cityscape. 'With many property markets around the world already depressed or on the cusp of recession, India offers ideal investment opportunities now and for the foreseeable future, unaffected by the lack of confidence or the impending credit squeeze.'

Running concurrently with the three-day exhibition, the Cityscape conference also examined, development and investment hotspots in India, joint ventures, a legal and regulatory update and financing options. Contributions were made by top industry figures from key organisations including, Raheja Universal, Unitech Group, Shipra Estate and Walton Street Capital.

Cityscape India is being supported by leading industry players. Jordan-based Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority; Dheeraj and East Coast, from Dubai; and major Indian developer Shipra Group, are all confirmed platinum sponsors. Major Middle East developers, Damac and Tanmiyat Group are gold sponsors with global property service company GVA Intercapitalis and India's Shristi taking silver.