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18 Aug 2008

Trump To Launch India Hedge Fund

Trump Organization USA announced plans to launch a $1 billion hedge fund to invest in Indian real estate. Donald Trump Jr.'s interest in the Indian real estate market was sparked in 2007 when he visited the subcontinent for the Cityscape real-estate conference in Mumbai.

"We feel it is now time to invest in Indian realty projects as the quality has moved up and we see emergence of some high-end developers with a product level that will support our brand," Trump Jr. said.

Trump announced in late July that he intends to set up a hedge fund worth up to $1 billion to invest in Indian real estate, the privately held fund would initially target property in Mumbai.

Thirty year-old Trump did not give specific details about the fund, such as how he plans to raise the money, or where the first investment would be made. But in an interview with Bloomberg LP, he did say that it would start conservatively and expand as the opportunities presented themselves.

"The fund will be for acquisitions of real estate in the high end and across the spectrum," Trump said. "We'll start it off relatively small and grow it as we get more familiar with the Indian market. Our entry has to be in Mumbai, and that's where everything is going on right now in terms of the high-end real estate. That's the place where one is going to achieve the highest prices per square foot. It sets the tone for all of the other future developments."

When asked at the conference which cities Trump Organization would consider for business deals, Trump responded, "Certainly, the city I'm standing on (Mumbai), Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, where the IT sector has witnessed a boom."