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<ul><li>Indian Hotels — the hospitality arm of the <keyword id="6355725" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-group">Tata Group</keyword> that includes the <keyword id="6453087" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="taj-hotels">Taj Hotels</keyword> — is planning to put its properties under sale and lease back.</li><li>Six of the <keyword id="73077" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ginger-Hotels">Ginger hotels</keyword> are already in line along with other hotels that come under joint ventures or associated companies.</li><li>Indian Hotels is planning on becoming ‘asset light’ as the Indian economy cools off and consumer spending is starting to slow down.</li></ul>Tata Group’s Taj Hotels aren’t going anywhere but some of its more budget offerings — like the Ginger hotel chain — are getting sold off but will be leased right back to them. Indian Hotels, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/inside-taj-mahal-hotels-beautiful-and-luxurious-suites/articleshow/53549610.cms">hospitality arm</a> of the Tata Group that owns and operates the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/culture/the-25-best-hotels-in-india/slidelist/22493456.cms">Taj Hotels</a>, is looking to reduce its ownership of properties to 50% by 2022, as it wants to turn ‘asset light’. It has around 45 properties it owns under the Ginger brand, but wants to shed some weight by offloading 5-10% of the properties, and continue to operate it. 
 
 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="As part of our Aspiration 2022 business strategy we are pursuing an asset light model. In line with this we propose to sell and lease back some of our Ginger properties in non metro towns. We will continue to operate these properties under a management contract after the proposed sale." auname="IHCL Company Spokesperson"></div>







 Retaining flagship properties The Managing Director and CEO of Indian Hotels, Puneet Chhatwal, told <a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEHD6x-q4b9jaA9jUjpJESRQqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow2pqGCzD954MDMM_yigY?hl=en-IN&amp;gl=IN&amp;ceid=IN%3Aen">Bloomberg</a><a href="https://theprint.in/economy/tatas-taj-hotel-chain-to-sell-assets-to-trim-debt-as-consumer-spending-slackens/274158/amp/?__twitter_impression=true"> </a>that while the company is looking to reduce its debt by getting rid of some of the <keyword id="507551" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-hotels">budget hotels</keyword> in its portfolio — the legacy and flagship properties, namely hotels within the Taj brand, aren’t up for grabs. However, as many as six of the Ginger hotels are already a part of the sale and lease-back plans. What this mean is that Indian Hotels will be selling the properties and then taking them up on rent so that the current management stays in place. This is also true with other hotels that are a part of joint ventures or under associate companies, according to Chhatwal. On the other hand, Indian Hotels also opened up three new hotels in key strategic markets like Goa and Agra as per last quarter’s <a href="https://www.ihcltata.com/investors/">earnings report</a>. It has also launched a new hotel brand called ‘SeleQtions’ to up its brand image. SeleQtions includes named and distinctive hotels as well as Chambers — India’s most iconic business club. Cutting down on debt India’s economy is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-growth-will-come-from-cities-as-urban-indians-will-contribute-75-of-it/articleshow/70563586.cms">cooling down</a> and consumer spending is set to fall further, which is why Indian Hotels is looking to lighten its assets. Even, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-tata-group-has-two-airlines-and-two-more-to-choose-fromair-india-and-jet-airways/articleshow/70129384.cms">Jet Airways</a> going out of business hit the Tata-owned enterprise, forcing the company to write off some of its dues. Indian Hotels has been on the path to reduce its debt for a while. It has gone from ₹31 billion in 2017 to ₹20 billion as of March 2019. Tata Group’s Indian Hotels isn’t the only brand under the umbrella that’s being revamped. Tata Steel and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/interesting-facts-about-ratan-tata-favorite-company-tata-motors/articleshow/69970526.cms">Tata Motors</a> are also restructuring their portfolio to gain some headwind in the European markets. Note: The article has been updated to include the statement from IHCL spokesperson to clarify that they will still be operating Ginger hotels and the headline has been changed accordingly. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tata-is-planning-to-open-extreme-fast-fashion-stores-just-like-zara/articleshow/69938341.cms">Cheaper by the dozen: Tata wants to bring Instagram styles to stores, instantly</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indiainsider/tata-lic-infosys-sbi-and-mahindra-are-among-the-top-10-indian-corporate-brands/slidelist/70256778.cms">Tata, LIC, Infosys, SBI, and Mahindra are among the top 10 Indian corporate brands</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tata-motors-stock-price-falls-after-record-loss-due-to-jlr-troubles-in-china-and-uk/articleshow/67894956.cms">Tata Motors loses over a billion dollars in market value</a>

Taj Hotels wants to turn asset light with its sell-and-lease-back strategy

<ul><li>India's largest budget hotel chain is looking to go asset light going forward.</li><li>The company will either retain a part stake or to manage the same hotels, Chairman <keyword id="6370083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Patanjali-Keswani">Patanjali Keswani</keyword> explained.</li><li>The stake can be sold to <keyword id="148003" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="pension-funds">pension funds</keyword>, insurance companies, or sovereign funds that seek assured returns.</li></ul>Lemon Tree Hotels was already the largest Indian chain in the mid-market segment when the stock listed on the Indian stock exchanges just about a year ago. In the next five years, the business may look very different what it is today, according to revelations by founder and Chairman Patanjali Keswani, in an exclusive chat with Business Insider. The goal is to unlock value. "Broader point is, in the next three to five years, I will sell every hotel I own and then, either own a part stake in it or I will sell it and lease it back for a very long period with assured returns," said Keswani, who is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) and Indian Institute of Management (Kolkata). How will the business make money? In some cases, the company will continue to own a part of the original stake. In the ones that are fully sold, the company will make money from the management of these hotels. "The new hotels, which are managed, I only charge a management fee. I, typically, get a seventh of the owner’s profit. Being asset light means seven hotels under management is the same as owning one hotel. It is a risk-free approach. We are right now very asset heavy," Keswani revealed. 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="So who will buy this- people like pension funds, or insurance companies or even a sovereign fund- those guys who want a long-term assured returns." auname="Patanjali Keswani, Chairman and Managing Director, Lemon Tree Hotels"></div>





 But he is not in a hurry to sell. "The question is the right price. If I am willing to sell my hotels today, I am sure I will find a buyer but I want a certain price, which is a return on my risk for developing hotels. When you develop a hotel there are multiple risks -- there are land title issues, government approvals, financing, my equity-- and so, I want a return. Therefore, I will not sell it cheap," Keswani explained, adding that the stake sale will happen only when the business cycle turns around. And by most accounts, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/heres-why-hotel-room-rates-in-india-may-double-in-the-next-3-to-4-years/articleshow/68664363.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">recovery is right around the corner</a>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-is-eyeing-properties-in-new-york-bangkok-and-colombo/articleshow/68666574.cms" target="_blank">Lemon Tree Hotels is eyeing properties in New York, Bangkok, and Colombo</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/lemon-tree-hotels-loyalty-programme-smile-is-looking-to-ape-jet-privilege-and-plans-tie-ups-with-airlines-and-retailers/articleshow/68669196.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Lemon Tree Hotels' loyalty programme may open doors to new partnerships</a>

Lemon Tree will sell stake in all its hotels in 3 to 5 years: Chairman

<ul><li>Big Indian startups have been in the public eye for many controversies thanks to the concerns raised by various <keyword id="946463" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="industry-bodies">industry bodies</keyword>. </li><li>From ban on sales to stopping discounts, industry bodies have picked a fight against startups. </li><li><keyword id="830092" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato">Zomato</keyword>, Oyo, Flipkart and Amazon have all been affected by the same. </li></ul>Indian startups have a growing problem at home – industry bodies from different sectors are now up in arms against discounts and deals. From Zomato and Oyo to Flipkart and even the global retail giant Amazon is caught in a fight. Here’s a look at all that’s gone down between industry bodies and startups in just the last month. Restaurants vs online aggregators All seemed to be going well between Indian restaurateurs and online aggregators until last month. The National Restaurant Association of India, which has over 500,000 outlets as members, woke up to the many deals presented by the likes of Zomato, <keyword id="6358977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy">Swiggy</keyword>, EazyDiner, Dineout etc., and said that the excessive discounts offered by the delivery apps are throttling their businesses. Zomato bore the brunt of the restaurants’ ire – from the logout movement to social media uproar from hoteliers It had also faced protests from its delivery executives, who were not happy with the pay cuts from the aggregator. The foodtech unicorn paused on its Infinity Dining feature and curtailed the Zomato Gold program but the restaurants remain animus towards the firm. Despite many attempts to thaw in the frosty relationship there is no resolution yet for Zomato and Swiggy. Hotel associations against Oyo Oyo Hotels &amp; Homes in the past few years has grown at a rapid pace to have its signboard up in every big city, and many small towns-- adding up to 270,000 rooms across the country. But in its fast acquisition of buildings and hotels, some traditional hoteliers have raised concerns about ‘illegal practices’. Oyo is battling legal complaints from a Bengaluru-based hotelier accusing Ritesh Agarwal, the founder, of cheating and breach of trust. A month ago, hoteliers too began boycotting Oyo but the Delhi High Court ruled the case in favour of the $5 billion startup. The good ol’ e-commerce fight Indian e-commerce has long been in the eye of public dissent from industry bodies. The likes of Flipkart and Amazon were the first to be hit because of their deep discounting which allows them to acquire customers faster. With the festive season around the corner, Flipkart and Amazon both have massive sales coming up. Flipkart is in fact getting ready with its annual sale – The Big Billion Day Sale. However, now the Confederation of All India Traders is demanding a <a href="https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/e-commerce/e-tailing/ahead-of-diwali-sale-cait-says-ecomm-giants-flouting-rules/71167595">ban </a>on these sales. The CAIT is an industry body for over 7 crore traders. The body has alleged that the two e-commerce giants are violating the Foreign Direct Investment rules with their massive ad campaigns. It has also written to Union Minister Piyush Goyal regarding the same.

India’s biggest startups are faced with growing resistance from industry bodies

The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> might modify its order on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Good-karma-or-bad-Man-behind-liquor-ban-cant-find-liquor-nearby/articleshow/57985331.cms">ban on sale of liquor</a> within 500 meters of national and state highways in the second week of July. Hotels and clubs, which were forced to stop serving alcohol following the order, had sought changes in the order. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/FHRAI-To-Seek-Legal-Redressal-regarding-Liquor-Ban-on-Highways/articleshow/58179341.cms">FHRAI To Seek Legal Redressal regarding Liquor Ban on Highways</a> In its order, SC had already exempted Sikkim and Meghalaya states from the ban, keeping in mind their topography and terrain. "Our request is not to dilute the judgment of the SC <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Liquor-ban-would-dent-state-governments-estimated-revenue-by-Rs-50000-crore/articleshow/57985674.cms">banning liquor</a> sale on the highways at all. This application is to draw attention to the plight of 93 hotels in Tamil Nadu which have invested Rs 6,133 crore and employ about 9,450 people directly and 94,500 indirectly to promote tourism," said the statement from South India Hotels and Restaurants Association. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Good-karma-or-bad-Man-behind-liquor-ban-cant-find-liquor-nearby/articleshow/57985331.cms">Good karma or bad? Man behind liquor ban can’t find liquor nearby</a>"Due to flaws in the system followed by state governments in notifying highways, the SC's judgement to ban liqour has brought down with it certain <a href="http://www1.m.businessinsider.in/still-sad-about-liquor-ban-at-cyber-hub-indigo-delis-bbqpork-ribs-and-lemon-butter-calamari-will-make-you-forget-that/articleshow/57311109.cms">unintended victims</a>," it added.(Image source New Indian Express)

Supreme Court’s order on liquor ban near highways could be modified

OyoOyo CEO Ritesh Agarwal<ul class="summary-list"><li>Oyo, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-backed-oyo-layoffs-2020-1">the Indian budget hotel startup backed by SoftBank</a>, is laying off sales employees in the U.S., two sources directly familiar with the cuts told Business Insider. </li><li>Layoffs will impact mainly sales personnel and sales support staff at Oyo's US headquarters in Dallas and other sales hubs.</li><li>The layoffs come just weeks after the startup cut 1,800 jobs across its larger offices in India and China.</li><li>The buzzy startup was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oyo-raises-15-billion-from-ceo-and-other-backers-at-10-billion-valuation-2019-10">widely considered one of the "crown jewels" in SoftBank's portfolio</a> after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-masayoshi-son-vision-fund-portfolio-founders-wework-zume-fair-2019-12">the implosion at coworking startup WeWork</a>. It had raised more than $3 billion in funding and was valued at $10 billion.</li><li>This is the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zume-pizza-robots-layoffs-leadership-turmoil-alex-garden-softbank-2020-1"> latest of job cuts hitting SoftBank-backed startups as the investor pushes its companies to prioritize profitability over growth</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>Oyo, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-backed-oyo-layoffs-2020-1">the Indian budget hotel startup backed by SoftBank</a>, is laying off a significant number of its sales and support staff in the US, two sources directly familiar with the cuts told Business Insider. The job cuts come three weeks after the Gurugram, India-based startup said it was eliminating 1,800 jobs at its much larger offices in China and India. Company leaders had described the layoffs as part of a reorganization, consolidating jobs in an effort to juice the company's revenue.It was not immediately clear how many jobs were cut and which offices were affected. Spokespeople for SoftBank and Oyo did not return Business Insider's request for comment. Oyo's layoffs come as other SoftBank-backed companies also restructure with a new focus on profitability. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-many-people-have-been-laid-off-at-softbank-companies-2020-1">A Business Insider review of SoftBank's portfolio</a> found 2,600 job cuts across Oyo, Rappi, Getaround, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zume-pizza-robots-layoffs-leadership-turmoil-alex-garden-softbank-2020-1">Zume in the first week of January, </a>and more than 7,000 layoffs in the last year across 14 companies. The total number of cuts doesn't include groups of employees like WeWork's 1,000 janitorial staff who are being outsourced in the US and Canada.In a memo sent to Oyo staff on Wednesday that was seen by Business Insider, chief operating officer Abhinav Sinha cited sustainable growth as the reason for sweeping cuts. He wrote that many roles will become "redundant" under a new business plan that prioritizes profitability over growth. "We will be primarily redirecting resources from sales and sales support functions to functions that build our operational capabilities like revenue management, data science &amp; machine learning, engineering, and other areas," Sinha wrote in the memo.Sinha continued: "These decisions have been really difficult to make. But I am confident that these are the right decisions for the business today."Oyo's US layoffs occurred in two rounds, said two sources with knowledge of the layoffs. Sinha traveled to the US to deliver the news about the first set of cuts in an all-staff meeting in Dallas on January 22, and further layoffs came on January 29, said one source.The second round of layoffs will mostly affect sales personnel and sales support staff, according to the memo. The startup announced an expansion into the US market in a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oyo-hotels-the-young-hotel-startup-to-invest-300-million-in-the-us-brings-great-living-spaces-to-more-than-10-states-300871517.html">press release</a> last year, setting up a second headquarters in Dallas and offices in Chicago, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.One source told Business Insider that the startup moved its headquarters from a WeWork location in Dallas in January. A LinkedIn search found that several sales employees in Dallas had indicated they departed the company in January, but it is not clear whether those employees were part of the larger layoffs made public Wednesday.The memo seen by Business Insider said that affected employees will receive "all possible assistance and support," but did not detail a severance package. The source familiar with the layoffs said employees were offered up to three weeks' severance pay.<h2>Questionable business practices fueled massive growth</h2>Following the implosion at coworking startup WeWork, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oyo-raises-15-billion-from-ceo-and-other-backers-at-10-billion-valuation-2019-10">Oyo was considered SoftBank's saving grace among its portfolio of cash-burning</a> companies.The startup had raised more than $3 billion in funding since its founding in 2014, though its latest round included $700 million from founder and chief executive Ritesh Agarwal to buy back shares from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital. The deal raised Oyo's valuation to $10 billion. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-masayoshi-son-vision-fund-portfolio-founders-wework-zume-fair-2019-12">SoftBank has been on the startup's capital table since 2015</a>.Oyo used some of that money for staff expansion, much of it in India, per job postings analyzed by alternative data company Thinknum. In the US, the company has had fewer than 20 job postings since July and is now down to less than 10.Globally, Oyo's job postings have dropped steeply in the last year, from August's high of 775 to 23 currently. Oyo's premise is relatively simple and based on similar short-term rental or hotel booking startups in the United States, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/technology/oyo-softbank-india.html">has been called "SoftBank's jewel in India"</a> for being one of the country's most valuable private companies.Customers can book hotel rooms in more than 80 countries through an app by marketing local hotels as Oyo franchises. The startup then fronts the costs associated with overhauling the often-struggling hotels, including adding things like WiFi and updated interior decorations. In turn, Oyo takes a percentage of every booking. But the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/technology/oyo-softbank-india.html">New York Times reported</a> earlier this month that the startup, and Agarwal in particular, have engaged in questionable business practices to accelerate growth, a common theme among some of SoftBank's hottest investments. The investigation showed that Oyo rented thousands of rooms at unlicensed hotels and guesthouses, and let police and other officials use the service for free to avoid trouble with the authorities.Do you work at Oyo or another SoftBank-backed startup and want to share your story? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (331) 625-2555 using a nonwork phone, email at mhernbroth@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @megan_hernbroth. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hydrogen-fuel-cell-cars-teslas-biggest-threat-2019-12">Why hydrogen cars will be Tesla's biggest threat</a></h3>

Oyo, the 'jewel' in SoftBank's startup portfolio, just announced more layoffs in the U.S. weeks after cutting thousands of jobs in India and China

The big, fat, Indian wedding is the stuff of dreams.For Krishma Sood Bhojwani, this meant hosting a four-day-long celebration at the JW Marriott in Phuket, Thailand. The bride imported cheese wheels from Italy, sourced Iberico ham directly from Spain, and hired a photography team from Mumbai. She flew in <a href="https://www.wedmegood.com/blog/epic-phuket-wedding-with-head-turning-bridal-looks/">chefs</a> from India and Japan, and had cooks preparing fresh food across 24 dining stations.The wedding consisted of eight events spread across four days, all set against the backdrop of the oceanfront resort where lush jungle meets the province's coastline. The 120 guests, who flew in from around the world and wore black-tie attire and intricately embroidered lehengas, were treated to cocktail dinners by the beach and ballroom parties.Bhojwani had arranged for a floating altar and wore <a href="https://wedbook.in/real-weddings/thailand-destination-wedding-of-a-couple-who-postponed-their-wedding-thrice/">traditional outfits</a> that were made by luxury designers like Sabyasachi, whose <a href="https://www.azafashions.com/products/floral-embroidered-lehenga-set/222913?utm_country=sg&amp;wpsrc=Google%20AdWords&amp;wpscid=&amp;wpsnetn=x&amp;wpkwn=&amp;wpkmatch=&amp;wpcrid=&amp;wpcid=17961464551&amp;wpkwid=&amp;wpscn=&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_source=google-pmax&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=SGD-ACQ-GOOGLE-PMAX-ALL-MCV-12August2022&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwmouZBhDSARIsALYcouoPDwycaxZa2Np04dLTMyBf5DqDEeZg9yHbJ1QgQ70oSm4Cs6s5uEIaAlgrEALw_wcB">designs</a> can go for $30,000 a piece.As for the cost? Around $400,000 for the wedding events alone, Bhojwani estimates — and that doesn't account for the couple's jewelry and outfits. "I did have a strict budget — money doesn't grow on a tree. We were sharp on cost and didn't spend a dollar over what I said we would," Bhojwani, who's from Australia, told Insider.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3555" width="4740" msid="94268295" hostid="261"></div>In India, the wedding industry is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/indias-50-billion-wedding-industry-is-gearing-up-for-a-busy-winter/articleshow/78163437.cms">worth</a> a whopping $50 billion, and it's not uncommon for wealthy families to spend astronomical amounts of money on weddings. In 2018, billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-10/real-crazy-rich-asian-wedding-is-said-to-cost-100-million?leadSource=uverify%20wall">spent</a> a reported $100 million on his daughter's wedding, with guests like Beyonce, Shah Rukh Khan, and Hillary Clinton in attendance.But even for the just ordinarily wealthy, weddings can ring up serious price tags: Indian families are known to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-looks-indian-weddings-boost-tourism-revenue-2022-08-31/">spend</a> as much as $800,000 on destination weddings at five-star hotels and resorts across Southeast Asia. Traditionally, the bride's family would bear the wedding costs, but that's now considered an <a href="https://qz.com/2130328/how-hindu-weddings-became-indias-cultural-export/">outdated practice</a> — many families, including Bhojwani and her husband's, choose to share the expenses. As Bhojwani put it, Indian couples typically have a "huge amount of parental support" in financing the costs of their wedding.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="4023" width="5365" msid="94268298" hostid="261"></div>Now, as luxury resorts across Southeast Asia emerge from the pandemic, many of them are competing for these lucrative Indian weddings. Many of these establishments are still reeling from the financial impact of the pandemic, and they're sparing no effort to attract the business of wealthy Indian couples to make up for the deficits. After all, that big Indian wedding may just be the tipping factor between ending the year in red or black. <h2>The big business of big Indian weddings</h2>One reason high-end Indian weddings can be so expensive is because they're often not single-day events — Sikh wedding ceremonies, for example, are held over several days, said Vin Ramash, a wedding planner with Singapore-based wedding and events company Alangkaar. <div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding in Phuket." height="4023" width="5365" msid="94268301" hostid="261"></div>"At the higher end, Punjabi weddings start at $100,000 per day, so spending $500,000 is possible," Ramash told Insider, explaining that this is typical of weddings held at premium hotels like Capella, St. Regis, or Ritz-Carlton.But the bells, whistles, and whims of the couple also contribute to the hefty price tag.Hand-made mandaps, or altars, and custom-designed decorations can cost around $40,000, Ramash said — and additional requests like fireworks can cost even more.And then there's the travel element. As destination weddings become more popular among high-net worth Indian couples, many couples are looking to Thailand. Ramash said Alangkaar's tourism partner in the country anticipates 400 to 500 "large-sale Indian weddings" in 2023 alone.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3580" width="4773" msid="94268303" hostid="261"></div>"Couples love destination weddings in Thailand because of the value you get for every dollar you spend. People want an experience — it's not just about status," Ramash, who plans weddings in Singapore, Bali, and Phuket, added. Bhojwani and her husband had initially planned to host their wedding at the Intercontinental Hotel in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. After lockdowns, travel restrictions, and four postponements, they finally decided to host their wedding in Thailand.Vendors and planners in Phu Quoc failed to understand what they wanted for their wedding "no matter how hard we negotiated," Bhojwani said. The planners and venue in Thailand, meanwhile, "understood the vision, the scale, the grandeur, and experience" she and her husband were looking for.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3881" width="5174" msid="94268305" hostid="261"></div><h2>Tourism boards and luxury hotels are fighting for weddings</h2>Given the pent-up demand, and in an effort to get back to pre-pandemic business levels, tourism boards and luxury hotels are prioritizing marketing campaigns that target the ultra-luxe destination Indian wedding segment. That means that destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Maldives are often vying for the same big-budget weddings.Resorts are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to become the destination of choice. Hotels are catering to all sorts of demands from the wedding parties, including making special arrangements for religious rituals like providing a Hindu priest to solemnize the wedding. In some instances, they've even offered to rebook guests at sister venues if a bigger wedding party wants to book out the entire property. Tourism boards are getting in on it, too.For Thailand, wedding revenue is embedded into the tourism revenue for the year. Thailand expects a 600 billion to 700 billion baht, or $16 to 19 million, boost to tourism revenues this year from luxury weddings and honeymooners, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailand-looks-indian-weddings-boost-tourism-revenue-2022-08-31/">reported</a>, citing a senior tourism official. Indian tourists are the "priority" this year, Tanes Petsuwan, the deputy governor of Thailand's tourism authority, <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Travel-Leisure/Thai-tourism-eyes-Indian-weddings-as-Chinese-spending-dries-up">told</a> Nikkei Asia.<div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="2250" width="3000" msid="94268475" hostid="261"></div>Other tourism boards, like Indonesia's, are also on the prowl to woo these glitzy-eyed couples. These exclusive weddings can cost anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000, Sanjay Sondhi, the CEO of Om Tourism and the head of Indonesia's tourism board for India, told Insider. Indonesia tourism board officials often collaborate with the biggest wedding planners in countries like India, and in some instances are even present when resorts are pitching to the prospective brides and grooms. The fruits of this labor can be sweet. For one high-profile wedding slated to be held in the tropical island of Bali, talks are now revolving around a chartered flight for around 250 guests, Sondhi said. The couple was previously mulling a destination wedding in Thailand. <h2>Hotels lay out the red carpet</h2>With the main Indian wedding season, which runs from October to December, just around the corner, hotels are seeing a pick-up in inquiries.Demand for Six Senses properties across Southeast Asia for Indian destination weddings has been on the rise, with Six Senses Uluwatu in Bali being the absolute "favorite," Agnes Poon, the director of sales and marketing for Six Senses in Asia, told Insider. In August, the five-star resort held the wedding for a high-end family based in South India, Poon said. And in late 2021, the hotel chain <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/vicky-kaushal-katrina-kaif-s-wedding-suites-in-six-senses-resort-costs-rs-7-lakh-per-night-exclusive-1882458-2021-11-30">hosted</a> the wedding of Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal. The wedding took place at the chain's flagship property in India, Six Senses Fort Barwara.Poon said queries are coming in for minimums of 200-250 rooms at the resort, which rests on the famed limestone cliffs of Uluwatu and opens up to sweeping views of the Indian Ocean.To be sure, it's not just Indian weddings that are big business. The global wedding services industry generated $160.5 billion revenues in 2020 and is expected to generate revenues of $414.2 billion in 2030, per an Allied Market Research <a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/wedding-services-market-A15864">report</a>.Luxury hotel Capella Singapore has weddings scheduled for every weekend of the year, Victoria Lim, a content marketing specialist at Capella Hotel group, told Insider. Demand for venues is topping pre-pandemic levels — but the type of demand is also diversifying. Capella is seeing an increase in small and intimate solemnization, especially for couples who put their weddings on pause due to the pandemic, Lim said. <div type="image" title="Krishma Sood Bhojwani's wedding." height="3843" width="5124" msid="94268478" hostid="261"></div>But for many of those taking the traditional big Indian wedding route, it's worth it to dish out — even if they had to change their plans multiple times along the way."I've always dreamed of having a beautiful wedding," Bhojwani said of her April wedding. "It was really hard, it was delayed for three years but we got there in the end. It's definitely worth it."

Indian weddings are big money &mdash; and luxury resorts across Southeast Asia are competing to draw them in to make up for their Covid deficits

If you are unhappy with the food or service at the restaurant and think paying service charge is unjustified, you don’t have to pay it now. 
 
Yes, the Indian Government has made service charges at any restaurant optional now, saying restaurants billing 'service charges' in addition to taxes is optional and consumer has discretion to pay 'service charge' or not. 
 
In its notification, the Department of Consumer Affairs has advised hotels and restaurants to disseminate information through display at the appropriate place in the hotels and restaurants. 
 
The department took cognizance of a number of complaints, where consumers said hotels and restaurants followed the practice of charging "service charge" in the range of 5-20 per cent, in lieu of tips, which a consumer is forced to pay irrespective of the kind of service provided to him. 
 
The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 provides that a trade practice which, for the purpose of promoting the sale, use or the supply of any goods or for the provision of any service, adopts any unfair method or deceptive practice, is to be treated as an unfair trade practice and that a consumer can make a complaint to the appropriate consumer forum established under the Act against such unfair trade practices.

You don’t have to pay service charge in any restaurant. It is optional now

A Delhi court on Wednesday discharged senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in a case related to his wife <keyword id="138503" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunanda-Pushkar">Sunanda Pushkar</keyword>'s death in a luxury hotel here. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel passed the order in a virtual hearing. Tharoor thanked the judge, and said it was "an absolute torture for last seven-and-a-half-years" and that it was a "great relief". During the arguments, while police had sought framing of various charges, including 306 (abetment of suicide), senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, told the court that the investigation conducted by the SIT completely exonerated the politician of all the charges levelled against him. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time. Tharoor was charged under sections 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 306 of the Indian Penal Code by the Delhi Police, but was not arrested in the case. He was granted bail on July 5, 2018. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/paytm-ipo-former-one-97-communication-director-urges-sebi-to-stall-the-public-issue/articleshow/85293132.cms">Paytm IPO: Former One 97 Communication director urges SEBI to stall the public issue</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/windows-11-microsoft-rolling-out-updated-snipping-tool-calculator-and-mail-apps/articleshow/85292943.cms">Windows 11 Microsoft rolling out updated snipping tool, calculator and mail apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/infibeam-avenues-is-looking-to-acquire-a-point-of-sale-company/articleshow/85292156.cms">INTERVIEW: Infibeam Avenues is looking to acquire a point-of-sale company</a>

Sunanda Pushkar death case: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says it is a "great relief" after a special court lets him off

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>London's upscale Grosvenor House Hotel is up for sale after the owner, a subsidiary of Indian billionaire Subrata Roy's Sahara Group, defaulted on debts, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/11445940/Grosvenor-House-Hotel-put-up-for-sale-after-owner-placed-in-administration.html">The Telegraph's Andrew Trotman reported</a>.Roy - who's been in a New Delhi jail for the past year after ignoring a court order to return more than $3 billion in illegal bonds to investors - has been trying to mortgage the Grosvenor House, on London's Park Lane, as well as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/prince-alwaleed-is-buying-the-plaza-2014-12/#.VPX_2kjND9A">New York's Plaza Hotel</a> in order to make bail.The conglomerate said it still plans to refinance the hotel, despite defaulting on a Bank of China loan, <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/india-sahara-grosvenorhouse-idINKBN0LZ1OE20150303">Reuters</a> reported. Deloitte will now administer the Sahara subsidiary that owns the hotel.Sahara was recently in talks with US investors Mirach Capital to help pay a Bank of China loan, but it turned out that Mirach didn't actually have the necessary funds and had <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-indian-tycoon-roys-get-out-of-jail-deal-is-mired-in-mystery-2015-2">forged a bank</a> letter suggesting that they did.Roy needs to raise 100 billion rupees, or $1.6 billion, to make bail - the <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/03/03/india-sahara-grosvenorhouse-idINKBN0LZ1OE20150303">largest bail ever</a> set in India.Ironically, Sahara Group is actually worth about $11 billion, according to India's <a href="http://profit.ndtv.com/news/corporates/article-sahara-properties-that-may-buy-subrata-roy-freedom-385187">NDTV</a> - but most of that is in property and real estate (some 36,000 acres in total). So while the company's value is locked up in illiquid assets, its chairman and founder remains locked up behind bars. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/deepflight-super-falcon-submarine-2014-2">This Million Dollar Submarine Is Like An Underwater Plane For The Super-Rich</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZjajJuazreWS7pnof-GeGDDimHMc9ihy" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

The Indian billionaire who tried to mortgage the Plaza Hotel to make bail is now selling London's Grosvernor House

From home sales and jewellery to power consumption, these are all the sectors that are back to pre-pandemic levels

One of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=snapdeal&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Snapdeal’s</a> investors, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kalaari+capital&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kalaari Capital</a>, has apparently agreed to sale of the e-commerce site to <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=softbank&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">SoftBank</a> has been coaxing Kalaari and another investor Nexus Venture Partners for <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword>’s sale to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=flipkart&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Flipkart</a> for around $1 billion. Initially, <keyword id="1397792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kalaari-Capital">Kalaari Capital</keyword> was not convinced but now it has, reportedly, joined hands with <keyword id="163404" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Softbank">SoftBank</keyword> for the proposed sale. "After sustained discussions, they (Kalaari Capital) are now on board... There is an understanding that they will work with SoftBank down the line,” ET quotes of the sources as saying. SoftBank requires assent of two investors to push for sale of Jasper-owned Snapdeal. However, nothing has been confirmed by Snapdeal's founders <keyword id="219793" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kunal-Bahl">Kunal Bahl</keyword> and Rohit Bansal. If the sale goes through, SoftBank will become a significant shareholder by making a substantial investment, expected to range between $1billion and $1.5 billion. As reported by ET last week, Soft-Bank is also considering a sizeable investment in <keyword id="6357120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PayTM">Paytm</keyword> owner One97 Communications in a deal that could value the Noida-based company at over $7 billion. SoftBank, which has so far invested about $2 billion in Indian startups including ride-hailing app Ola, hotel room aggregator Oyo and hyperlocal commerce company Grofers, is aiming to shed some flab in its portfolio.

You Searched For "indian hotels sale" and got 11 results

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Indian weddings are big money and luxury resorts across Southeast Asia are competing to draw them in to make up for their Covid deficits

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You don’t have to pay service charge in any restaurant. It is optional now

BI India Bureau

Sunanda Pushkar death case: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says it is a "great relief" after a special court lets him off

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The Indian billionaire who tried to mortgage the Plaza Hotel to make bail is now selling London's Grosvernor House

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From home sales and jewellery to power consumption, these are all the sectors that are back to pre-pandemic levels

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Kalaari Capital joins hands with SoftBank, supports Snapdeal’s sale to Flipkart

BI India Bureau

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