Losers make promises they often break and winners make commitments they always keep. And Sant Singh Chatwal, the world-renowned hotelier is one of those professionals who have made it a habit to keep his promises, may what come. No doubt, it's the trust, reliability and his commitment, which have made him one of most successful businessmen in the hotel industry. In fact, Chatwal's foray into the world of business began in 1967 when he left Faridkot, Punjab, for Ethiopia. But, the hotel business was not what he had planned for, but by chance a local restaurant-owner recognised his flair for business. "He left me in charge for a few months and I upgraded it to a roaring business," he recalls.

"I also recognised my own potential." Chatwal became close with Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, but lost a $5 million fortune when the emperor was overthrown in 1974. And the family ended up in Montreal, where he opened his first Bombay Palace restaurant. It was an immediate success. "Proper planning, passion for my work, having the right people around me and having lady luck with me are always my business mantra. They say wise men learn from others' mistakes but I've learnt from my own," he once said in an interview.

Today, he has Bombay Palace restaurants all over the West: one in London, two in Montreal, four in Toronto, two in New York, one in Houston, one in Los Angeles, one in Washington, one in Budapest and one in Kuala Lumpur. And he lives in the top-floor penthouse of his 45-story high-rise in Manhattan. For Chatwal, it was a typical American dream coming true. But more than the Bombay Palace restaurants, it is the Hampshire hotel and resort chain that has made him what he is today. "As part our Hampshire Hotels and Resorts chain, we have 15 hotels with 3,000 rooms.

And we are the single-largest group in New York, with nine hotels and 2,000 rooms in Manhattan alone," he says proudly. Now, the founder-president of the $750-million Manhattan-based Hampshire Hotels and Resorts, is in the news following his announcement that he is all set to invest $100 million in India to develop five luxury 'boutique hotels' at prime locations. Under the brand name 'Dream Hotels', Chatwal says work will shortly begin on a 200-room boutique hotel in Bandra-Kurla in Mumbai at an investment of $40 million.

This will be followed by acquisition of the Palace hotel in Jaipur. According to Chatwal this is the 'right time' for investments in India. "So many airlines are coming up in India. And with some of them starting international operations, I believe there will be a huge demand for hotel rooms in India in the next 2-3 years," he said. With a keen eye on business, Chatwal now plans to open hotels in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Amritsar. From India to Ethiopia to Canada to US and back to India it's full circle for Chatwal. But his journey, nonetheless, is a never-ending walkway to success, fame and glory, which still continues.