IHG Bets Big on India as It Eyes Top-Five Market Status
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), owner of brands such as Holiday Inn and Avid Hotels, expects India to become one of its top five global markets in the coming years, a senior executive said. Speaking at the Hospitality Overview Presentation & Exchange conference in Goa, Sudeep Jain, managing director for South West Asia, described India as a “game-changer” with vast growth potential. IHG currently operates about 50 hotels in India and has nearly 80 more in development, with plans to expand its combined open and pipeline portfolio to over 400 properties within five years. Globally, the company runs more than 6,900 hotels, around two-thirds of them in the Americas.
India’s hospitality industry is projected to nearly double to $55.7 billion by 2031 from $23.5 billion in 2025, according to consultancy Mordor Intelligence. Growth is being driven by rapid urbanisation, population expansion, and rising travel demand across both premium and budget segments. International hotel operators are increasingly scaling up to tap into demand in the world’s most populous country.
IHG’s expansion push mirrors similar moves by rivals. Hyatt Hotels has said it aims to quintuple its India footprint over five years, while Hilton Worldwide plans to quadruple its hotel room pipeline in the country. Executives from Accor and Wyndham Hotels also highlighted India as a priority market at the Goa event. Despite the aggressive expansion, Jain said IHG does not plan to list its Indian operations on the stock market in the near term.
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