Hyatt Hotels is exploring acquisitions of local hospitality brands in India and weighing a homegrown brand built specifically for Indian travelers, as it aims to grow its India footprint nearly fivefold over the next five years.
Vikas Chawla, Hyatt’s recently-appointed president for India and Southwest Asia, told Skift the hotel company is actively evaluating acquiring Indian hospitality brands to bolt onto its existing portfolio, a strategy that would mark a shift from Hyatt’s organic, management-and-franchise-led growth in the country.
“I wouldn’t focus on either small or large (companies) at this stage, but the fact is that there are opportunities in the market for adding on other brands from the Indian market into our portfolio and we are looking at it in a considered way,” Chawla said.
Hyatt currently operates 56 hotels across nine brands in India and Southwest Asia, backed by a pipeline of 100 additional properties. That pipeline, combi
