In a significant move for the hospitality sector, Ranju Alex stepped into her new role as Chief Executive Officer for Accor in South Asia today. She assumes responsibility for steering the group's business and growth strategy across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This new structure, chaired by Accor executive and Ennismore co-CEO Gaurav Bhushan, is designed to unify the group's strategy, replacing a complex setup that had multiple entities handling different functions. The simplified platform is poised to aggressively pursue a massive growth target: 300 hotels across the country by 2030.
This goal represents a significant leap from Accor's current footprint of 72 operational hotels and approximately 40 in the development pipeline. Achieving it would position the venture as the third-largest hotel operator in India.
Alex is a highly accomplished hospitality professional with a three-decade career that began with The Oberoi Group. Her extensive leadership experience and industry acclaim, including the prestigious Bharat Gaurav award, position her to navigate the complex market dynamics.
A key part of the expansion strategy she will oversee is a groundbreaking partnership with the budget hotel chain Treebo. This alliance designates Treebo as the master licensee for Accor’s Ibis and Mercure brands in a move to rapidly penetrate emerging tier-two and tier-three cities. The joint venture will also take an equity stake in Treebo, securing an exclusive brand licensing agreement and a potential future buyout option.
Beyond this partnership, the venture retains the flexibility to develop larger-format Ibis or Mercure hotels directly. It is squarely focussed on tapping into demand beyond metros, driven by weddings, social events, and economic growth in state capitals and smaller cities.
Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for Accor, following the recent announcement of a new joint venture with InterGlobe Enterprises. This proposed entity, which consolidates all of its hospitality businesses into a single platform, is poised to become a dominant force in the region, pending regulatory approvals. |
