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Last week, India-based Lodha Developers made a rather interesting announcement. The developer said it plans to build the world’s tallest residential tower in the Indian city of Mumbai.

Called World One, the development will include three towers, with the tallest one soaring 442 metres into the sky and is scheduled for completion in 2014.

On the same day, Dubai-based Trident International Holdings decided to remind the world that it is building the 516 metres Pentominium tower in the emirate, which it claims will be finished by 2013.

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So why are both developers claiming the same title when the discrepancy is clear and which one is really going to be the tallest?

Assuming both structures are completed, Dubai’s Pentominium Tower will be 74 metres taller than Mumbai’s World One. Clearly!

But a spokesperson for Lodha Development seems confident that World One is going to be the tallest, which means just two things: One, mental maths wasn’t a strong point and a few calculators need to be distributed in the Lodha offices. Or two, the developer is quite confident (and such confidence can only come from good inside information) that the Pentominium is, in fact, never going to see the light of day.

When Construction Week India asked Lodha Developers to explain, here is what was said: “At the time of the press conference, we knew for certain that ours is going to be the tallest residential building in the world when completed in 2014. Having done elaborate research and worked comprehensively on the specifications of our mammoth project which is set to become the new symbol of Mumbai in this century, we still stand by our statement. Anyone can make any claims post our press conference, but the fact remains that at the time of our announcement, our statement was valid and accurate.”

By reading in-between the lines, including the little loop-hole (“at the time of our announcement, our statement was valid and accurate”) with the operative words being “at the time”, it looks like a rather poorly thought-out publicity strategy. Any bets on a retraction in the coming few weeks, where the “at the time” is taken full advantage of?

Few questions: Why is this tower being built? Is it to make a statement and grab world headlines like Dubai did by building the Burj Khalifa, or has the tower been designed on the principles of promoting a sustainable world? And more worrying, is Mumbai trying to be Dubai? The whole world is witness to where speculation can get you.

Dubai experienced the world’s worst property slump during the global recession, with selling prices falling by more than 50% and project cancellations exceeding US $300 billion.