Topping the market

A landmark company for India influencing all sectors of the economy including the hospitality industry, Tata's IHCL is now a name to reckon with not just in India, but the world over. Express Hospitality traces at its growth path

It all started when in 1903 the first Taj property - Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai started out to make its mark on the Indian hospitality scene. Today it has gone beyond the national boundaries with over 75 properties worldwide. Starting with the first property in London - St James Court Hotel - in 1982 to the recent tie up with the Abu Dhabi-based ALDAR Properties for a 500-room Taj Palace on the Yas islands, Tata's IHCL is on a growth path which is not showing any signs of slowing down.

Within the last one year, there have been major inroads made by the company not just in the field of new properties but also in terms of the variety of services provided and the many accolades it has won for the same. Beginning with the take over of the 110-room property, Campton Place in San Francisco, they then tied up with Okura Hotels & Resorts for a marketing alliance. As part of the alliance, both groups will jointly participate in trade shows, sales events, marketing programmes and culinary promotions. In addition, the staff of the two hotels will go through sensitisation programmes, while expertise in the areas of F&B, front office and sales and marketing will also be shared within the two companies.

Earlier this year they also tied up with Saraya Islands, Emirate of Ras Al Khaimeh to manage a 180-room Taj Exotica Resort & Spa set to open in 2011. This is the fourth property that the Taj will be managing in the Middle East region, the others being in Doha and the Palm Islands. Taj also saw the launch of the Bhutan property, Taj Tashi Thimpu.

Back on home ground, IHCL has decided to set up part of the Taj Business Hotels with a 150-room hotel under a management contract with Paranjape Schemes Construction in Pune. In Kolkata, they are planning to set up the second property in the same business hotel category with a 200-room property under a management contract with Jalan Intercontinental Hotels. There are also plans to increase the leisure portfolio with properties expected in Bekal and Pondicherry while there are also few wildlife resorts expected to come up in Madhya Pradesh.

The group has always been on the forefront of innovations, may it be the Chef's Studio which saw Anjelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as its first guests or the recent addition of Masala Klub to the Taj West End in Bangalore and to the recent launch of Wasabi by Morimoto in Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi.