India is a key market for Hilton’s growth in APAC. Navjit Ahluwalia, senior vice-president and country head – India, Hilton, talks about the hospitality company’s strategies for the country, its expansion plans, focus on sustainability, new trends and more, in an exclusive interview with Kunal Doley. Edited excerpts:

With the hospitality industry rebounding after two years of the pandemic lull, how much recovery in terms of pre-Covid levels have you witnessed so far?

The pent-up travel demand is real. We have seen business return to the pre-pandemic levels across the country – with weddings, corporate business and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) witnessing a significant upturn.

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The India hospitality industry presents a tremendous opportunity as it is on course to become the third-largest lodging market as the economy grows, which gives us an opportunity to deploy several of our brands across key cities and destinations.

We feel we are at a real inflection point in India with our ambitious growth plans, the strength of our brands – and with travel having returned with a vengeance.

How big is the market for you in India and how committed are you to the country? What are your strategies, both short-term and long-term?

India is a key strategic market for Hilton’s growth in APAC. Our momentum in the market is strong and we have ambitious plans to double our presence in India in the next five years.

With 24 hotels open and trading and 16 in the pipeline (including Nepal & Bangladesh), Hilton continues to grow and expand its regional footprint, focusing on the right opportunities with the right owners. In 2022, we signed the Hilton Hyderabad Resort & Spa and DoubleTree by Hilton Amritsar, both key locations.

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The India development strategy will see our locally focused country teams organically build on and expand the footprint of our core brands Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Hilton Garden Inn – ultimately ensuring a presence in all key markets.

We also aim to add to our luxury presence in first-tier high-visibility markets and selectively introduce lifestyle and collection brands in India. The growth focus has been on both urban and leisure destinations. New landmark properties such as the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn in Bangalore Embassy Manyata Business Park are some of the largest combination developments in the country and have been incredibly well-received in the market.

How do you stand out from your competitors in India? What is your USP?

As a global hospitality firm, Hilton continues to maintain a strong position in India with our resilient business model, powerful commercial engine and industry-leading brands enabling us to continue delivering value to our stakeholders. Our strength lies in our portfolio of brands, which ensures that we have a hotel fit for everyone’s needs – from luxury to focused-service properties. We deliver best-in-class experiences across our portfolio of brands in the most sought-after destinations around the world including India.

Earlier this year, some reports said in the next five years, Hilton has plans to double its presence in India. Is that still on track?

Yes, our development plans remain on track and we are excited about the opportunity India presents.

Hilton continues to grow and expand its regional footprint, focusing on the right opportunities with the right owners. We aim to double our operating portfolio in the next five to seven years, with an emphasis on getting big box hotels in Delhi and Mumbai. The future lies ahead of us in India.

How serious are you about the significance of sustainability?

Sustainability has become a global trend since the pandemic, and we see more guests leaning towards staying in hotels that are friendly to the environment.

Hilton focuses on driving responsible and sustainable tourism through a wide range of initiatives aimed at making a positive environmental and social impact — from reducing single-use plastics to enabling sustainable dining to reimagining business events as corporate travel makes a comeback.

For example, we are piloting a food waste reduction programme in our hotels, in line with our global commitment to cut food waste by 50%. It is our priority to reduce our environmental impact by removing single-use, travel-size toiletries, and have begun transitioning to full-sized amenities. We also offer customers ‘carbon neutral meetings’, a programme which allows them to calculate the carbon footprint of their event, and then offset their emissions through carbon credits.

Our hotels are adopting various solutions to reduce their carbon and water footprints, including investing in property improvement projects, such as the use of renewable energy, installation of energy-saving pumps and boilers, auto-sensor lights, and more efficient laundry systems. Alternative hydration solutions, food waste digesters and transitioning to full-sized amenities are other ways our hotels are working towards waste, water and energy reduction.


Have you seen any new trends in the hospitality sector in India?

If 2022 was the year of the changed traveller, 2023 will be the year of the evolved traveller. According to our latest 2023 Trends Report, 84% of global consumers hope to travel just as much – or more – in 2023. This is the same trend we see among Indian consumers. The research also uncovered four consistent themes for 2023 travel, driven by traveller experiences over the last three years. We are seeing that travellers are looking for a balance of technological and human innovations, deeper connections and care, embedded wellness experiences and more.

Travel is a gateway to discovering different perspectives and rich traditions. In 2023, travellers will focus on travel to create deeper connections with family, friends, colleagues, customers, cultures and the planet. From destination-focused culinary travel packages to impactful programmes like Hilton’s ‘Travel with Purpose’, which helps guests positively impact the communities they visit, travellers are looking to create meaningful change through more immersive travel experiences.

Our report shows that overall wellness remains a priority for travellers as they seek travel experiences in 2023 that align with their holistic wellness goals and priorities. Physical wellness and accessibility to fitness centres or activities will be top of mind when it comes to traveling in 2023.

The third trend we see is that travelers will want to be taken care of more than ever. Personalisation will continue to be a significant priority for travellers, with 86% of survey respondents indicating they want recognition and personalisation while on the road.