With Modi govt ministers in attendance, Donald Trump Jr burnishes his business credentials

Donald Trump Jr, the eldest child of US President Donald Trump, praised India’s “entrepreneurial spirit” at a conference in New Delhi on Friday.

“There is an entrepreneurial spirit that is different than elsewhere in the world. I have seen reforms happening here. I have seen changes,” Trump Jr said, when questioned about India’s widely business culture of “bending the rules.” He was interacting at the Global Business Summit, a major draw of his weeklong visit to India that has been mired in conflict-of-interest allegations.

Officially on a business trip, Trump Jr has been criticised back home for mixing business with politics. The New York Times on Friday reported that Trump Jr was originally slated to deliver a foreign policy speech “Reshaping Indo-Pacific Ties: The New Era of Cooperation” at the event. However, there were some last-minute revisions and Trump Jr’s interaction was rejigged as a “fireside chat.”

Trump Jr’s talk was attended by industry captains, celebrities and ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and fellow union minister Jitendra Singh were part of the audience.

The keynote address was delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived minutes after Trump Jr had finished talking.

Even as the Trump administration and Trump Jr face criticism from opponents and American media back home, the interviewer refrained from asking probing questions to the US’ first son. The questions centred around Trump Jr’s experience during the campaigning stages of his father’s presidential campaign and how things changed after Trump became American President.

The businessman took care to play to the gallery as he put India above China as far as the Trump Organisation’s real estate interests were concerned.

“My focus has been on India. The ease of communication makes things here much more natural,” he remarked.

Trump Jr is selling his company’s luxury apartments in major Indian cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Kolkata.

The Washington Post quoted Jordan Libowitz, the communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, as saying, “For many people wanting to impact American policy in the region, the cost of a condo is a small price to pay to lobby one of the people closest to the president, far away from watchful eyes.”