The Tamesis
Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group.
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Adani Airport Holdings Ltd., controlled by ports-to-energy billionaire Gautam Adani, has signed a deal with IHG Hotels & Resorts to build hotels across India to capitalize on the country’s booming travel demand.
The five hotels will be built in key airport connectivity and high-growth urban destinations in India and will have nearly 1,500 rooms, the two companies said in a joint statement.
“Our partnership with IHG Hotels and the development of five hotels in key gateway destinations marks a significant step forward in strengthening high-quality hotel infrastructure in line with India’s long-term tourism and economic growth,” said Pranav Adani, director of Adani Enterprises and nephew of Gautam Adani, chairman of the Ahmedabad-based Adani Group.
The partners’ initial portfolio will include a Kimpton hotel in Jaipur, a UNESCO World Heritage site in India’s northwestern state of Rajasthan, as well as Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in mixed-use projects being developed by Adani Group as part of its so-called Airport Cities in Mumbai, Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.
“Our vision is to create world-class destinations that seamlessly integrate travel, accommodation and city experiences in India’s rapidly growing aviation ecosystem,” said Pranav Adani, adding that the airport operator and IHG are in advanced talks to further deepen and expand their partnership.
Adani Airports serves more than 70 million passengers annually through its network of eight airports in India, including Ahmedabad and Lucknow, and is developing an Airport City covering an area of 268 hectares. The company aims to enable airports to become integrated urban ecosystems, combining aviation with hospitality, retail, commercial and social infrastructure to enhance the travel experience and long-term economic and urban growth.
“This partnership with Adani Airports reflects the tremendous opportunities we continue to see in the Indian hospitality industry, particularly in gateway cities and airport-led developments where demand is strong,” said Sudeep Jain, Managing Director, Southwest Asia, IHG. “With a mix of luxury, premium and essential brands, this portfolio enables us to meaningfully strengthen our presence in high-growth markets across the country.”
IHG currently operates 52 hotels across six brands in India and plans to open 98 more hotels in the next three to five years.
According to a list of India’s 100 richest people released by Forbes Asia last October, Adani and his family have an estimated net worth of US$92 billion, ranking them second in India’s richest list. The Adani Group is involved in airports, cement manufacturing, energy, logistics, media, mining, ports and real estate.
