Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), the hospitality arm of the Tata Group and parent of Taj Hotels, has signed an agreement with the Kolkata-based Ambuja Neotia Group to jointly develop 15 new hotels. The expansion aims to strengthen their presence in East and Northeast India, with projects planned across West Bengal, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh.
Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman of the Ambuja Neotia Group, stated that the group will invest around ?2,500 crore into these developments. The funding will come primarily through internal accruals, debt, and potentially future fundraises. The new hotels will be a mix of greenfield, brownfield, and conversion projects and are expected to be completed over the next three to seven years.
This capital-light partnership will increase the number of jointly developed hotels by the two companies to over 40 properties. Currently, they operate 24 hotels together, including the Taj Ganga Kutir Resort & Spa in Raichak. Three new Tree of Life properties—in Sirmaur, Naldehra, and Shivpuri—are expected to open within a year.
Among the upcoming 15 hotels are a Taj resort in Sundarbans, Darjeeling, Shimla, and Rabong; SeleQtions hotels in Kolkata and Siliguri; and a Tree of Life in Lataguri. Four of these are already under construction and will be completed within the next three years.
This collaboration builds on IHCL’s acquisition of a majority stake in Rajscape Hotels, the hospitality arm of the Ambuja Neotia Group that operates the Tree of Life brand. The latest agreement reflects a continued commitment to expanding quality hospitality offerings in underserved regions.
