Indian companies are likely to emerge as major brand owners in the United States, helping expand India’s global influence beyond Bollywood and the IT sector, Oyo founder and PRISM CEO Ritesh Agarwal said during an event in New York.
Speaking at a fireside chat hosted by the Consulate General of India in New York, Agarwal stated that Indian businesses are increasingly building global consumer brands and are well-placed to expand in the US market.
“I feel we are going to very quickly move to Indian corporations becoming large brand owners in the US,” Agarwal said, as quoted by PTI. He further added that American consumers would increasingly use Indian brands, helping generate soft power for India “beyond Bollywood and beyond the software services.
‘India’s time is now’
Agarwal underlined the role of technology in India’s growth story, noting that the country hosts the second-largest offices of several major US technology firms, often referred to as FAANG–Facebook (Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google.
He also highlighted Oyo’s international growth, saying that the company now produces its highest sales from the US. In 2024, Oyo completed the USD 525 million acquisition of G6 Hospitality, the parent company of Motel 6.
“We are also the single largest economy hotel brand owner here in the US, with the acquisition of Motel Six,” Agarwal stated as reported by PTI.
Looking ahead, he said that more Indian consumer-focussed business are likely to invest overseas and build globally recognised brands. “I think in the future you will start seeing large investments with consumer-driven businesses,” he said. He also further added that “I think India’s time is now.”
Housing opportunity and startup push
Asked about opportunities in the US, Agarwal feels that housing as a sector excites him the most.
“The one challenge that I find most exciting is housing in America,” he said, adding that Oyo’s extended stay model sits “somewhere in the middle” between hotels and housing.
The discussion comes amid reports that PRISM has got the approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its proposed Rs 6,650 crore initial public offering. The firm had filed draft papers through the confidential route in December 2025.
Agarwal also remembered attending a SpaceX launch with Elon Musk that ended in failure after the rocket crashed. As reported by PTI, he said Musk’s reaction demonstrated the importance of resilience and the “ability to celebrate failure” and consider setbacks as learning opportunities.
Commenting on India’s startup ecosystem, Agarwal mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the country’s “startup Prime Minister” and praised government assistance for entrepreneurs. He said that India has offered “near to USD 2 billion of capital to new startups.”
According to the post shared by the Consulate General of India in New York on X, the discussion also covered opportunities in medical, religious, cultural and experiential tourism. Agarwal also underlined India’s tourism potential and spoke about the growing role of AI, digital platforms and data-driven solutions in enhancing customer experiences across the hospitality sector.
Agarwal also described US President Donald Trump as business-friendly, terming that quality as “a big reason for the Indian-American relationship over the many years.”