I am a master in India

Chapter 178 Thank you for your help.

Mulayam Yadav has run for office twice, the first time in the late 80s.

At that time, India's economy was closed, and all industries required licenses. Industries such as energy and mining were state-owned.

Ordinary businessmen find it difficult to get involved; they mostly try to find loopholes and dabble in the business of daily necessities.

This makes it difficult for Yadav to raise enough election funds, because the businessmen also lack funds.

But there was one exception: the wine business that Guldeep Chada was in.

In fact, many castes in India prohibit alcohol, and most people look down on the brewing industry.

In addition, Indian men are prone to causing trouble after drinking, and women are especially affected, so many politicians advocate for a ban on alcohol.

The Indian government has implemented controls, including regulations on the price and location of alcohol purchases, as well as extremely high import tariffs.

Later, even the syrup, a basic ingredient in rum and whiskey, was regulated, with its price and trading volume determined by regulatory agencies.

Finally, wineries are subject to heavy taxes, and local governments have hundreds of complicated regulations for the wine industry.

It is said that opening a winery requires 20 different kinds of licenses from government departments.

An astronomical figure! If we follow the proper procedures, it might take ten years to get the distillery up and running.

To this day, this licensing system has not been abolished.

Yes, the licensing system was abolished in 91 for most industries, but it was retained for some key industries.

For example, industries with state-owned assets such as liquor, petrochemicals, steel, and mining still require licenses.

Politicians and governments have gone to great lengths to restrict the development of the liquor industry.

Indians love to drink, especially whiskey; Indian men can't resist whiskey.

The huge demand in the market has forced wine merchants to find ways to cultivate relationships with government officials.

Chada and Yadav were a perfect match; one needed a government license, and the other needed money from businessmen.

After Yadav got money, he started doing all sorts of dirty tricks, with only one goal: to bribe voters.

Who to bribe? The voters of Uttar Pradesh, of course.

India’s electoral system stipulates that a political party that wins a majority of votes in a state can directly nominate the chief minister.

Yadav, of course, did everything he could to get votes in order for the Socialist Party to win.

In some areas, cash is given directly, while in others, fake weddings are held, with villagers treated to fine food and wine.

Others provided hemp, fertilizer, seeds, and so on. The most violent method was to force villagers to vote, leaving them with no choice whatsoever.

In short, there are all sorts of methods, but they all involve money.

Yadav, who had served as Chief Minister once, knew that if he wanted to continue ruling Uttar Pradesh, he would have to make a fortune while in office.

Otherwise, where will the funding come from for the next election? And where will the capital come from to make a comeback after a defeat?

In the early years, due to a lack of experience, Yadav hadn't actually made much money. Moreover, the economy was sluggish at that time, and businessmen didn't have much to gain.

Things are different now. Just two years after the licensing system was abolished, Yadav could hear the sound of money flowing in.

Today, members of the Dube family from eastern Uttar Pradesh visited, and Yadav knows that this caste controls land resources.

Land is wealth, and this wealth appreciates over time.

So Yadav made a special effort to meet with them.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh has a dedicated residence in New Delhi, but Yadav prefers to stay in his office in Uttar Pradesh, where he can experience the taste of power at any time.

Ron and Adiya followed Dube straight into the minister's office.

Surprisingly, the office didn't look luxurious, and there was a poster of Yadav's campaign hanging on the wall.

On the walnut-colored desk was a bicycle-shaped clock, which was the symbol of the Socialist Party in Uttar Pradesh.

Mulayam Yadav has a square face and dark skin. He doesn't look authoritative at all; in fact, he seems quite approachable.

Dube bowed to him with his hands clasped in prayer, and Ron and Adiya followed suit.

Yadav speaks very directly, but his voice is calm and unhurried, sounding like a kind old man.

After exchanging greetings, Dube explained his purpose, nodded to Ron and the others, and left the office.

In the next situation, fewer people are better; less is more.

Ron was also very direct; he placed the travel bag he was carrying on Yadav's desk.

Yadav opened it carefully, his gaze no longer as calm as before.

“Sir, I would like to express my gratitude to you,” Ron said.

"Thank me for what?" Yadav squinted at the contents of the bag.

“Thank you for your help,” Ron smiled.

So, what you're busy with is...

"Mirzabur, limestone mine."

"Your gratitude needs to be increased even more," he said, counting the money.

"Okay, I can add another third."

"What are you planning to do?" Yadav asked a different question.

Agree on the price first, then discuss the business.

“I was planning to open a cement plant, but there is a cement shortage everywhere in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Chadda promised to help me build a branch plant, but the project was halted as soon as it started due to the cement shortage.”

"Chada? You have business dealings with him?"

"Of course, we will continue to do business together, and I will supply him with cement continuously."

"When will it be completed? I don't want it to take too long."

"I guarantee it will be within two years, but I might need your help with something else."

"You said."

“I need funding from the Uttar Pradesh State Bank.” “What is the budget for this project?” Yadav squinted.

"1 million rupees, with an annual output of 10 tons."

"What about a loan?"

“Seventy million, with a 10% budget error,” Ron hinted.

The so-called budget error is actually a rebate.

Yadav quickly calculated, his mind instantly filled with rupees.

This is a large sum of money, ranking among the top three in terms of the amount of bribes he received.

“The Suer family is in the east, right?” he asked.

"Yes." Ron nodded.

"Can you handle the crazy East?"

“Of course, the Suer family has the capability,” Adiya replied this time.

Crazy East, that's what outsiders call the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh.

As is well known, Uttar Pradesh has the highest crime rate in the country, and the eastern region has the highest crime rate in Uttar Pradesh.

Bollywood films about robbers and the mafia are often set in that area.

Gotham in Gotham, this is the black signboard of Ron's hometown.

You can't really get by there without some real skills, and Latan's arms purchases weren't just for fun.

“I don’t want to hear about too many murder cases,” Yadav said, looking at the two men.

"No problem, it definitely won't be reported in the newspapers." Adiya is an expert at this kind of thing!
Yadav pressed the electronic bell on his desk, and soon an assistant came in.

“Every year, one million young people from Uttar Pradesh flock to the job market, but there are very few jobs available. The construction of the Suer cement plant can create thousands of jobs in the state. If any reporters ask you this later, just answer them like this.”

"Yes, sir!" The assistant wrote it down word for word.

"I'll talk to the people below, and you should be able to get the permit in about two weeks."

“Thank you for your generous help.” Ron and Adiya left the office.

This was their first time connecting with the Chief Minister, and they did not have a deep conversation.

However, once there's a first time, there will be a second; there's plenty of time in the future.

Standing outside the corridor of power in the Uttar Pradesh, Ron took a deep breath.

"Second Uncle, I will definitely get you into the state assembly in the next election."

Adiya was taken aback, then her breathing quickened. "Ron, that'll cost a lot of money. I've never even thought about that day."

“Money is not a problem. After you are elected as a state legislator, we can get even more money back.”

“I hate Yadav, but I will join the Socialist Party.”

Ron laughed, "That's a proper politician."

Doing business in India inevitably involves dealing with politics, and the lines between the political and business worlds are often blurred.

If Adiya and Dube hadn't known each other, and if Dube hadn't been a state legislator, they might have had a hard time being introduced to the Chief Minister.

But once the connection is established, the transaction becomes simple.

It's all about money; Indian politicians only care about money, which makes Ron very satisfied.

Yadav's appetite isn't that big yet; he acquired the mining rights to the Mirzapur limestone mine for 200 million rupees in cash.

Of course, the 700 million yuan in bank kickbacks also counts, but that was the money for building the cement plant.

The budget of 1 million rupees was not something Ron made up off the cuff.

He only built a small cement plant, and without considering the costs of mining and land, he spent most of the money on equipment.

Rotary kilns and mills are core components of cement plants, and they are ultra-large-scale equipment.

Fortunately, the technology for this kind of basic industrial equipment is relatively mature in India, and the price is not outrageous.

But it will cost at least tens of millions of rupees, plus mining equipment, bringing the total to at least 1 million rupees.

This is Ron’s largest investment to date.

"Ron, it's 100 million rupees. Even if the bank covers most of the funding, what about the remaining 30 million? Can your own factory come up with that amount?"

“I won’t be paying the remaining 30 million either,” Ron replied with a smile.

"Hmm?" Adiya asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I will try to get a loan from another bank.”

Small businesses are one thing, but how can you use your own money for a project that requires an investment of hundreds of millions?
Ron will take out a loan of 30 million rupees from a bank in Mumbai in the name of Suer Electric, citing the reason as factory expansion.

The Zhu Hu factory area and the Jinbuer factory area were both under construction at the same time, so the bank would never suspect anything.

After receiving the 30 million from the Mumbai bank, Ron returned here and showed the account balance to the Uttar Pradesh Bank.

The bank took a look and, lo and behold, it was indeed 30 million in cash.

We can approve the loan for this project, and we'll share the risks.

It's a very simple tactic, and it works absolutely in India.

Because the states of India are highly independent, information between regional banks is not shared.

Even in the computer age, it wouldn't be surprising if this happened in India.

Ron didn't spend a single penny on the 100 million rupee deal.

Is it because he doesn't have money? Of course not, his secret stash is for other purposes, and it really is his own money.

Ron plans to visit the limestone mines in Mirzabul soon, but there's another matter to attend to before that.

The movie "In Praise of the Difficult Mother" is about to be released.

(End of this chapter)