Harsh Vardhan Patodia, the developer of Trump Tower in Calcutta, has become the new national president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (Credai).

The chairman of city-based Unimark Group, Patodia will be the first national president from the East after Santosh Rungta, who was president between 2009 and 2011.

Credai is the largest body of developers in India with 13,000 members across the country. Patodia will have a two-year term at the top.

“This is a great honour to be there, especially from the east, a region that often suffers from perception problems,” Patodia said this evening. Eastern region lags west, south and north in terms of construction activities, both residential and commercial.

In his maiden official speech as the president, Patodia announced Covid-19 vaccination drive for 2.5 crore construction workers at sites. Credai would talk to the governments at the states and the Centre to hold camps at the site in association with public and private hospitals.

“We are ready to bear the cost of vaccination of the workers,” Patodia said.