'There's nothing he won't do to drum up business': Maharaja Branson surrounds himself with a bevy of air hostesses and dancing girls in India

Billionaire Virgin boss attempts Indian dancing, bangs a trad itional drum and waves the national flag for his latest outlandish PR stunt in Mumbai



We've seen him riding a camel across a desert in Arab robes, impersonating Elvis Presley in Las Vegas, and even posing naked - all in the name of promoting his Virgin brand.

It seems there are no lengths Sir Richard Branson won't go to to generate publicity, with the 62-year-old dressing up as a Maharaja and surrounding himself with a bevy of Indian beauties in Mumbai for his latest wacky PR stunt.

Never afraid to make a fool of himself for the cameras, the billionaire performed a traditional dance, banged a drum and waved the Indian flag, all to mark the relaunch of Virgin Atlantic flights from London to Mumbai, India.

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Maharaja: Dressed in red and gold and wearing an Indian head dress, Virgin boss Richard Branson plays a traditional dhol while sitting on top of a taxi in Mumbai

Virgin is resurrecting its London to Mumbai flights after dropping the route in 2009 due to falling demand in the wake of terror attacks on three hotels in the city.

Three years on the number of foreigners visiting India is rising, increasing by almost 25 per cent to 6.29 million between 2009 and 2011, while the number of Indians taking trips abroad has risen to 14.2 million.

The airline is hoping to capitalise on demand from inter-continental transfer passengers by timing its relaunched service to depart or arrive at Heathrow within two hours of flights from U.S. cities including New York and Washington, according to a report in The Washington Post .



'As you grow, you get to a stage where you can’t just fill your planes on point-to-point passengers, you need some connecting passengers,' said Virgin Atlantic CEO Steve Ridgway.

VIDEO: Branson beats the drum in Mumbai:





PR stunt: Virgin boss Richard Branson is surrounded by air hostesses and Indian beauties in Mumbai

Publicity parade: The Virgin parade incorporated taxis emblazoned with the Union Jack, Virgin air hostesses, and some cheerleaders thrown in for good measure

Keeping time: The tycoon is surrounded by women as he performs a Lezim, a traditional Indian folk dance

Earlier this month Branson's Virgin group was gifted a PR victory after the Department for Transport was forced to ask him to keep running trains on the West Coast main line.

It came after Virgin Trains lost the lucrative contract to run Britain's busiest rail line in August.

Virgin was due to hand over the line to rival First Group on December 9 but ‘significant technical flaws’ in the contract competition were unearthed this month, which saw three civil servants suspended and the deal torn up.

The fiasco saw ministers pleading with Virgin Trains to remain in control of the line for between nine and 13 months while the government decides who will operate the franchise on a more permanent basis.

Drumming up business: Sir Richard Branson sits cross-legged on top of a taxi escorted by guards dressed in British bearskins through the streets of Mumbai



