Ranjit Batra

The developer as a hotelier is a very rare concept in India. Ranjit Batra is a rare man in the industry. He began his career at The Oberoi Group of Hotels in India and then trained in Monteux and Zurich, Switzerland. He went on to graduate from the Institute Hotelier, Cesar Ritz, Switzerland, and then the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD) in New Delhi.

Batra is involved in almost every aspect of the hospitality business — from F&B to engineering to rooms division. Among his other responsibilities are asset management, strategic planning, risk management, acquisitions, hotel design and fit-outs, financial planning and control processes. Panchshil Realty has helped change the hospitality market in Pune and laid the ground for the entrance of luxury hotels in the city. The group has developed some of the most luxurious properties in Pune — JW Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Suites, Oakwood Residences, DoubleTree by Hilton, and the swankiest of them all, Ritz Carlton, which is under construction. With 198 well-appointed rooms, The Ritz-Carlton, Pune will be easily accessible from the airport. The hotel will house an Indian and Japanese restaurant and an all-day diner, as well as a lounge.

Nearly 85% of the business in the Pune market comprises of the corporate segment, while the remaining 15% is contributed by MICE and other smaller segments, which have remained constant year over year. “With some of the biggest global names under our belt we are striving for the acquisition of more assets and turning them into successes,” Batra said. He believes that success is a result of being a hands-on partner and an active owner. He takes a bottom-up approach to hospitality.