Patanjali G Keswani graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 1981 and completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from IIM Calcutta in 1983. He began his career with the Tata Administrative Service (TAS) and spent 17 years with the Tata Group, including as Senior Vice President of the Taj Group of Hotels. He later worked with A.T. Kearney Inc. as Associate Consultant and Director before founding Lemon Tree Hotels in 2002, anticipating the enormous potential in India’s mid-market hospitality segment.
Today, Lemon Tree Hotels owns and operates 120+ hotels with 110+ in the pipeline, and is listed on the NSE and BSE. A strong advocate for inclusive employment, about 18% of Lemon Tree’s workforce comprises individuals from disadvantaged segments, earning multiple National Awards from the President of India for its work in employing persons with disabilities and creating barrier-free environments.
Keswani has also contributed to industry growth as a member of the Sector Skills Council for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism (NSDC), former Chairman of the Skills Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD), and member of the UGC and Board of Governors of IIT Delhi.
Legacy for the Next Generation
“Build brands that are resilient and business models that are designed to withstand seasonality, economic downturns, evolving supply side dynamics and as we saw a few years ago an unprecedented global health event. This requires you as a hospitality leader to be agile, experiment and innovate and always have a pulse on the consumer’s buying behaviour.”
Future of Indian Hospitality
“It is poised to take off fuelled by a combination of factors but primarily by the rising non-discretionary spending, increased airport and airline capacity as well as the expansion of the highway network.”
Leadership Mantra
“Listen to your heart and never fear failure. There are many ways to skin a cat. No matter what the problem, a solution always exists, so one should never give up and always continue to work towards finding the right solution.”
A visionary leader with a heart for inclusion and innovation, Patu Keswani continues to inspire a generation of hoteliers to build businesses with purpose, resilience, and empathy.
