MBD Group on Monday signed a Master Franchise Agreement with Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) to develop 50 co-branded luxury and lifestyle hotels across India, marking a significant pivot towards an asset-light growth strategy in the country’s premium hospitality segment.
Under the agreement, the brands will be introduced as Radisson Collection MBD Hotels and Radisson RED MBD Hotels, with MBD leading business development, management and franchising across India. The expansion will follow a strategic portfolio mix of 80% managed or franchised properties and 20% owned assets, limiting capital intensity while accelerating scale.
The alliance builds on a two-decade relationship between the two groups. Over the years, MBD has emerged as one of Radisson’s top-performing partners in the Asia Pacific region, with its flagship property, the Radisson Blu MBD Hotel Noida, consistently ranking among the highest revenue-generating hotels in the Radisson ecosystem.
Chairperson of MBD Group Satish Bala Malhotra said the expanded alliance reflects the group’s founding vision of building institutions anchored in integrity and excellence. With the 50-hotel target set for the next decade, the partnership seeks to redefine luxury and lifestyle hospitality in India through a blend of international brand equity and deep local market insight.
Luxury positioning of the Radisson collection
Radisson Collection is positioned as a luxury lifestyle brand featuring iconic properties in unique locations, offering bespoke design, curated dining, wellness and immersive guest experiences. Radisson RED, by contrast, is an upper-upscale lifestyle brand with bold aesthetics, vibrant social spaces and a playful approach designed to appeal to younger, aspirational travellers.
Nikhil Sharma, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, said India’s premium hospitality market continues to see strong growth alongside rising demand for contemporary, design-led experiences.
“This strategic partnership further strengthens our ability to expand Radisson Collection and Radisson RED across key Indian markets. Together, we are well positioned to scale these brands while reinforcing our long-term commitment to India,” he said.
Expansion design stratergies
The two brands will follow sharply differentiated expansion and design strategies.
“Radisson Collection MBD will focus on high-barrier luxury markets, prime locations and destinations commanding strong average room rates. Typical room sizes could extend to 45 sq metres in prime urban settings, with a higher capital expenditure outlay per key,” Sonica Malhotra Kandhari, joint managing director, MBD Group, said, adding that Radisson RED MBD, on the other hand, will adopt a more aggressive, penetration-led model, targeting aspirational and millennial travellers with smaller room formats (around 24 sq metres), vibrant aesthetics and lower per-key investment.
While major metros such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will remain priority markets, the expansion blueprint extends well beyond tier-I cities.
“The luxury Collection brand will also target high-performing leisure and spiritual destinations such as Udaipur, Ranthambore, Rishikesh and Varanasi — markets that are witnessing elevated ADRs driven by domestic premium travel and inbound tourism. Radisson RED, meanwhile, is expected to scale more widely, with executives indicating that large urban clusters such as NCR could absorb multiple properties under the lifestyle brand,” Sonica stated.
Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD Group, said evolving traveller expectations — driven by greater global exposure and digital influence — are reshaping luxury hospitality. “Luxury today is defined by aesthetic refinement and immersive experiences. With our design and management expertise, we aim to deliver elevated guest experiences that blend global standards with Indian cultural narratives,” she said. “Radisson Collection MBD will reflect timeless, rooted and curated luxury, while Radisson RED MBD will bring bold, playful and socially driven design.”
She added that domestic premium travel has surged while international arrivals are rising, making consumers more design-conscious and experience-driven than a decade ago. Artificial intelligence and data analytics, she said, will increasingly help hotels understand granular guest preferences and deliver personalised experiences.
Beyond hospitality, MBD is also expanding into managed real estate verticals, including luxury residences and commercial office spaces in India and the UK. The group is developing a large-format commercial office project in Bengaluru, which will integrate a 250-key hotel, alongside scaling its food and beverage brands.