Hospitality Experience
Strategic Partnership Advisory for IHCL’s Expansion
August 2025
HTL has advised on a major transaction involving Indian Hotels Company and other market players. In alignment with its Accelerate 2030 strategy, an ambitious roadmap targeting portfolio doubling, revenue growth, and expansion across India’s hospitality landscape IHCL sought to significantly deepen its footprint in the mid‑scale and boutique leisure segments.
Project Scope
In alignment with its Accelerate 2030 strategy – an ambitious roadmap targeting portfolio doubling, revenue growth, and expansion across India’s hospitality landscape – IHCL sought to significantly deepen its footprint in the mid‑scale and boutique leisure segments. The goal: to capture the growing demand from aspirational travellers and reinforce its brandscape with flexible, capital‑light structures.
IHCL aimed to:
- Double its mid‑scale presence to over 240 hotels, supporting broader market coverage.
- Integrate ANK Hotels Pvt Ltd and Pride Hospitality Pvt Ltd into its portfolio via controlling stakes, and align with Brij Hospitality Pvt Ltd through a distribution partnership.
- Ensure strategic alignment with its brand vision and financial discipline, all while preserving the essence of the legacy hotels’ heritage and operations.
Acting as the exclusive transaction advisor, Horwath HTL – led by veteran hospitality expert Vijay Thacker – devised a multi‑pronged advisory framework.
Mr. Vijay Thacker, whose career spans nearly four decades in hospitality consulting since 1986, brought a blend of strategic insight and executional. His deep sectoral expertise – across valuations, transactions, risk management, and strategic advisory is key to orchestrating complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders.
IHCL’s portfolio has now expanded to over 550 hotels, with its mid‑scale presence doubling to 240+ hotels as a direct result of the strategic acquisition and partnership structure. The partnership with ANK and Pride brought proven hotel operators under IHCL’s control, while the distribution agreement with Brij enabled immediate access to boutique, experiential leisure offerings, all within a capital-efficient framework.
This strategic initiative marks a pivotal moment in IHCL’s expansion journey, and Horwath HTL’s advisory leadership, guided by Mr. Vijay Thacker, played a key role. The outcome reinforces Horwath HTL’s reputation as the premier strategic advisor in hospitality and leisure consulting.
For more information see IHCL’s press release about the deal.
Project Location
Countrywide, India
