KB Kachru Elected as HAI President for 2-year Term, IHCL’s Rohit Khosla Takes Charge as Vice President

The Hotel Association of India (HAI) elected Mr. KB Kachru, Chairman South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group as President for a two year term at the Association’s milestone 100^th EC meeting held after HAI’s 27^th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at The Park, New Delhi on the 18th of March 2024. Mr. Kachru takes charge from outgoing President, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IHCL. The Executive Committee (EC) also elected Mr. Rohit Khosla, Executive Vice President – Operations, IHCL as Vice President of the Association for a concurrent term.

Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex body of the Indian hospitality sector also unanimously elected. Dr. JK Mohanty, Managing Director Swosti Premium Limited as Honorary Secretary and Mr. Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director & CEO, Chalet Hotels Limited as Honorary Treasurer of the Association for a term of two years.

Welcoming the new members and congratulating the team, HAI Secretary-General, MP Bezbaruah thanked the outgoing committee members while adding that the relationship with them is enduring and continuous.

Thanking the outgoing president, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal for laying a strong foundation for the industry body and creating a unified voice for the sector as it faced its worst crisis in recent times, Mr. KB Kachru, said, “During Covid-19 HAI collaborated with other Industry bodies, followed an aggressive advocacy plan that included launching a magazine, a newsletter and engaged actively with the media for a wider outreach.”

“Over the last two years, HAI has achieved new heights under the stellar leadership of Mr. Chhatwal. As we embark on a new journey under the leadership of Mr. Kachru, we look forward to taking the legacy forward and contribute further to take the Association to the next level and create newer benchmarks for HAI. The industry has great hopes for HAI to be the driving force in achieving its goals. I am sure the new management team under Mr. Kachru will make all strides in ensuring the industry gets its due recognition in the times to come,” Mr. Khosla said.

In addition to adopting and approving the financial results for the year 2022-2023 and appointing auditors for the financial year of 2023-2024, the AGM’s agenda included elections of the Association’s Executive Committee. The Association also elected two new member to the Executive Committee – Mr. Shashank Bhagat, Managing Partner Radisson Blu Marina Hotel and Ms Sonali Chauhan, General Manager, IHCL Seleqtions – who replaced Mr. Surinder Singh, Area Director – Haryana & Dwarka and General Manager – Taj City Centre Gurugram & Mr. Samir MC, Managing Director, Fortune Hotels on completion of their respective term. While Mr. Bhagat is the nominee for HAI’s member hotels in the category of 4 star and 3 star, the hotels classified in the ministry’s classification categories of Heritage 1 and 2 star would be represented by Ms Chauhan.

The present 16-member Executive Committee includes:

• Mr. KB Kachru, President, HAI and Chairman South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group

• Mr. Rohit Khosla, Vice President, HAI and Executive Vice President – Operations, The Indian Hotels Company Limited

• Dr. JK Mohanty, Member & Hony. Secretary, HAI and Managing Director Swosti Premium Limited

• Mr. Sanjay Sethi, Fellow Member & Hony. Treasurer, HAI and Managing Director & CEO, Chalet Hotels Ltd.

• Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Corporate Member (Immediate Past President) Hotel Association of India and Managing Director & CEO, The Indian Hotels Company Limited

• Mr. Vikram Oberoi, Managing Director & CEO, EIH Limited

• Ms. Priya Paul, Chairperson Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited

• Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & MD Bharat Hotels Limited

• Mr. Patu Keswani, Chairman and MD Lemon Tree Hotels Ltd.

• Mr. Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive-Hotels ITC Ltd.

• Mr. Ajay K. Bakaya, Managing Director Sarovar Hotels Pvt. Ltd.

• Mr. R. Shankar, President – Corporate & Legal Affairs EIH Ltd.

• Mr. Rupak Gupta, Managing Director U.P. Hotels Ltd.

• Mr. Shashank Bhagat, Managing Partner Radisson Blu Marina Hotel

• Ms. Sonali Chauhan, General Manager – IHCL Seleqtions

• Mr. M.P. Bezbaruah, Secretary General, Hotel Association of India.

HAI looks forward to the active involvement of the committee members to lead the Association into the phase of the Industry’s thrival after it survived the pandemic years and revived to the pre-COVID levels.

About HAI

Established in 1996, Hotel Association of India (HAI) has evolved as an integrated hospitality industry platform to keep pace with the growing buoyancy ushered in by the liberalization of the Indian economy in the mid-90s. With its membership extending from major hotel groups; boutique, heritage and small hotels, HAI represents the entire spectrum of the industry. Its Executive Committee is a potent combination of the commitment of hotel owners on one hand and hard-core professionalism of hotel managers on the other. As the apex Industry Body, HAI works in the areas of Promotion of Regional Cooperation and Hospitality Research & Education in addition to taking Industry centric initiatives. By launching Unprecedented ‘Social Inclusion’ initiatives, HAI also projects the ‘Social Face’ of the Indian hospitality industry.