Indian Hotels to invest Rs 100 crore in Gujarat
Financial Express, Mumbai
20 December 2007

The fiasco with the US-based Orient Hotels withstanding, the Tatas are bullish on expanding their footprint in the hospitality sector in India.

The group's Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) is planning to invest Rs100 crore in Gujarat through a fully-owned subsidiary, Roots Corporation Ltd, that manages the Group's mid-segment hotel brand 'Ginger'.

Prabhat Pani, CEO and director, Roots Corporation Limited, told FE that branhes of Ginger will be set up all across the state very soon.  The Vadodara branch has commenced operations and by March 08 more branches would begin operations," he said.

In view of Gujarat's rapid development, Pani said that the company envisaged many good opportunities. "We are planning to start the branches of Ginger in cities like Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bharuch, Ambaji and Gandhinagar and we have earmarked Rs 100 crore for the purpose," he said. He also indicated that the company was considering the possibilities of setting up the hotels in other states also.  He also said that the company would float business partnerships with Tata Motors. "Generally companies accommodate their employees at their guest houses. But with a business partnership with us they would be able to accommodate their employees into our hotels," he added.