OYO has made a remarkable comeback under your leadership, turning the tide from steep losses to strong profitability. What were the key factors that drove this transformation?

OYO has evolved from being a single brand to a multi-brand company. From our perspective, the single biggest reason for turning the ship around after emerging from COVID has been an unwavering focus on our customers and franchise partners—ensuring their success became our mission. On the other end are our incredible team members—whom we proudly call Oyopreneurs—whose relentless hard work and unshakable belief proved that a company which once lost Rs 700 crore could rise to make Rs 700 crore in profit. This is the true story of our past five years. We’ve believed that if you keep your head down, execute with purpose, and continue digging—even when the path seems dark—there is light at the end of the tunnel.

You’ve mentioned in an interview that ʻsome hotels offer a stay, others offer a storyʼ. Tell us about OYOʼs expansion and what sets it apart.

In India, the economy brand is called OYO; in the mid-market segment, it is OYO Townhouse; and our luxury and upmarket brand is called Sunday. In Europe, the brands are Belvilla and Dance Centre, while in the US, we recently acquired Motel 6. It is critical to ensure that all our brands adhere to a unified set of values. Each is consumer-oriented, fostering a deep relationship with the customer—where we manage everything from reservation, stay, and check-in to checkout. Our second major strength lies in being value-oriented: we are committed to ensuring our customers receive value for money. At the heart of it all, it’s not just about technology—humans are deeply embedded in every part of the experience. Whether in Europe or Asia, we have a dedicated group of general managers and service-oriented teams working closely to deliver exceptional guest experiences. These strengths uniquely position OYO and its brands as closest to our customers.

With your portfolio expansion, how do you maintain brand coherence?

It is important for us to recognise that consistency and predictability are fundamental parts of the promise we started with. When you check into an OYO, we want the experience to feel familiar. Your Instagram interactions should echo that same consistency. The ability to deliver a uniform experience across various touchpoints—from pre-check-in, check-in, stay, breakfast, to checkout—is something we strive to replicate as closely as possible. To that extent, our commitment rests on three key pillars. First, we ensure adherence to singular brand standards across all properties—standards that are thoughtful and purposeful, not arbitrary.

Second, we leverage technology—so if a customer prefers not to stay near an elevator, the system ensures they aren’t auto-allocated a room nearby but placed further away instead. We rely on data to drive many decisions, allowing machines to handle repetitive tasks rather than depending on human memory. And last but not least, we rely on great humans. Our exceptional team members, who are deeply consumer-focused, are a key reason we continue to unlock new opportunities and deliver outstanding guest experiences.

OYO has introduced multiple innovations and initiatives in recent years. Which one are you most proud of?

I have to try and prioritise some of them. First and foremost, we are focused on premiumising our locations in India, as Indian customers themselves are moving toward more premium preferences. Whether it’s our Townhouse brand, Sunday brand, or the Dance Centre brand—which we recently brought to India—scaling these, along with our other brands, remains a major priority. Secondly, we are evolving our customer service by offering better choices. We recently introduced the Splash and Dash Kit in our hotels—our new version of toiletries and in-room experiences—something I am particularly excited about. Thirdly, we are making significant investments not just in large-scale marketing campaigns, but also in enhancing our consumer apps with improved features and versions. This ensures we drive more direct demand while delivering a high-quality experience for our hotel owners.

How do you view the relationship between innovation and operational efficiency?

Innovation and operational efficiency are two sides of the same coin. The drive for operational efficiency often proves to be the catalyst for innovation. Take, for example, the challenge of managing the revenue of tens of thousands of hotels with a lean team—it pushed us to rethink how we approach revenue management across direct channels, brands, online platforms, GDSs, and others. We began leveraging machines to make many routine decisions, allowing our people to focus on hypothesising new ideas and implementing them effectively. For us, innovation continues to emerge as a natural outcome of the relentless pursuit of operational excellence.

Has spiritual tourism shaped the growth of OYO and boosted its revenue?

Spiritual tourism is one-fifth of our business and one of our big investments. One in five guests in India stays at one of our spiritual destinations. And we are committed to opening 500 hotels this year at spiritual destinations. We just came out of the Kumbh Mela, where we hosted close to half a million guests. I am excited to see more of it in times to come. It helps that I am myself a spiritual traveller.

Given the growth in spiritual tourism in India, how will you contribute to this movement?

There are two key ways we can contribute. First, we aim to bring high-quality infrastructure and service to some locations. For example, in Ujjain—a rapidly growing destination—finding clean, comfortable branded hotels that offer a consistent experience can be a challenge. To address this, we’ve moved beyond franchising to actively pursue management contracts, allowing us to oversee several locations and ensure the right level of service. Our goal is to provide world-class experiences. On the demand side, we are making substantial investments in marketing to ensure people understand that the majority of customers in spiritual destinations are young travellers—just out of university, in their early careers, newly married, or starting families. We are committed to listening to our customers, learning from their feedback, and working with our ownership groups to deliver the best experience.

As a brand, we are heavily data-driven, with primary and secondary research forming the backbone of our decision-making. If that means evolving our brand standards, we are prepared to do so. We believe technology is a powerful force for good and are using it to enhance the customer experience and the profitability of our ownership groups.

Is there a hospitality trend that people are currently underestimating?

Many are focusing their investments on religious and spiritual destinations, but they often overlook the fact that consumer interest is not just concentrated in the top five cities. The demand in these emerging locations is set to be extraordinary over the next 50 years and beyond, with some destinations attracting 100,000 visitors every day. I strongly encourage our ownership groups and partners to invest in these areas, as the demand is unprecedented and the supply is still very limited.

Do you see a shift in investor sentiment towards hospitality in the competitive market?

Yes, there is tremendous interest in the hospitality sector because, despite the many transformations in the industry—whether through AI or other innovations—peopleʼs need for a place to stay remains unchanged. Industries like food and shelter are inherently stable and long-term. Moreover, Indian consumers are increasingly spending more on experiences than on goods. This makes hospitality an excellent opportunity for growth.

Where is the industry headed in a few years?

I always say that our purpose is to ensure great stays for our customers, strong profits for our owners, and positive outcomes for our stakeholders. These are the core reasons we exist, and they will continue to drive us in the next three to five years. The past five years have seen a steady, positive momentum for hospitality in India, and I believe the next five years will bring even more growth and transformation. I hope we can play a significant role in 
that journey.