IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the signing of its third Garner hotel in India, further accelerating its expansion in the country’s high-growth midscale segment. The newly signed Garner Kutch in Gujarat is set to open in early 2026, following closely on the heels of earlier signings in Etawah and Kathua. This latest agreement, signed with Royal Buildspace LLP, underscores the brand’s growing appeal in emerging Indian markets.

Garner, IHG’s midscale conversion brand launched recently in the IMEA region, is tailored for today’s value-conscious travellers seeking consistent, high-quality stays. The brand focuses on comfort, convenience, and relaxed service, paired with flexible spaces and a sense of local charm. This makes it a perfect fit for India’s evolving hospitality landscape, where rising demand is reshaping expectations, particularly in secondary and tertiary markets.

The upcoming property in Kutch will be operated by Rosastays, a preferred third-party operator for IHG’s Garner brand in India. Rosastays is also set to operate the other two Garner properties in Etawah and Kathua, further cementing its collaborative role in scaling the brand across India. Garner Kutch will offer 40 well-designed rooms and a host of amenities including an all-day dining restaurant, swimming pool, spa, fitness centre, and event spaces. Located in one of Gujarat’s fastest-developing districts, the hotel is poised to attract both business and leisure travellers.

Sudeep Jain, Managing Director for South West Asia at IHG, noted that the rapid pace of Garner’s growth reflects strong trust from owners in IHG’s conversion strategy. He highlighted Kutch’s promising economic trajectory as a fitting location for a brand like Garner, which offers high returns through an asset-light model. Jain emphasized that with partners like Rosastays and Royal Buildspace LLP, IHG is successfully unlocking the potential of underrepresented hospitality markets in India.

Deepika Arora, Director at Rosastays, shared that their focus remains on providing experience-driven stays that resonate with modern guests. She described Garner Kutch as an attractive option for travellers looking for reliable, comfortable, and locally inspired hospitality. With this third partnership under the Garner brand, Rosastays continues to reinforce its shared mission with IHG to elevate midscale hospitality in India’s leisure destinations.

Echoing this optimism, Deepak Chandnani, Partner at Royal Buildspace LLP, called Garner a brand that offers both strong character and operational support. He expressed confidence that the hotel will deliver a dependable and distinct stay experience, ideally suited for Kutch’s growing tourism and industrial landscape.

With a population of over two million, Kutch is fast emerging as a hotspot for tourism and industry in Gujarat. Events like the Rann Utsav and developments such as the upcoming DP World Special Economic Zone, located just 6 km from the hotel site, are expected to drive a steady rise in travel demand. Garner Kutch is strategically timed to meet this increasing need for quality accommodations.

With this latest signing, IHG continues to strengthen its foothold in India. The group currently operates 50 hotels across six brands and has a robust pipeline of 63 new properties expected to open in the next few years. The arrival of Garner Kutch signals a new chapter in IHG’s commitment to delivering trusted midscale hospitality experiences in India’s rising regions.

Blinkit, the quick commerce arm of Zomato’s parent company Eternal, is poised for significant profitability gains as it transitions to an inventory-led model. Analysts suggest that this strategic shift is already showing signs of operational efficiency and could lead to Ebitda breakeven by March 2026. While the change is expected to tie up working capital for about 18 days, experts believe the move will streamline processes and improve margins over the coming quarters.

In the June quarter, Blinkit’s inventory-led model accounted for 3 per cent of its net order value (NOV), and its CEO Albinder Dhindsa indicated that near-term margins have stabilised. Analysts at Jefferies estimate the return on cash employed could exceed 40 per cent, thanks to better control over operations and order fulfillment. Brokerage firm Nuvama projected that Blinkit could gain as much as a 1 per cent margin expansion in the next two to three quarters as a result of this model.

The move to an inventory-led model mirrors the structure of traditional retailers like DMart and represents a shift from Blinkit’s earlier marketplace approach. Although this may affect the revenue reporting of B2C arm Hyperpure, which had served as Blinkit’s backend—the overall impact is viewed as a positive for Blinkit’s long-term health. According to Kotak Institutional Equities, the model change, along with a reduction in the proportion of new stores, should help drive profitability and balance costs.

Blinkit also continues to scale aggressively, adding 243 dark stores in the June quarter. It plans to open 2,000 stores by the end of 2025 and targets 3,000 by 2026. While analysts have trimmed projections for Zomato’s core food delivery segment due to a dip in consumer demand, they have upgraded Blinkit’s profitability outlook, recognizing it as a key growth engine for Eternal.

In the April-June quarter, Blinkit reported a 140 per cent year-on-year increase in gross order value to ₹11,821 crore, bringing its annualised run rate to approximately $5.5 billion. Net order value also surged by 127 per cent year-on-year and 25 per cent quarter-on-quarter to ₹9,203 crore. For the same period, Blinkit posted an adjusted operating loss of ₹162 crore, highlighting ongoing investments, but the growth in orders and revenue trajectory suggests a promising road to breakeven.

With this strategic model shift, Blinkit has not only emerged as a standout performer for Eternal’s Q1 results but also signaled a confident leap toward sustained profitability in India’s fast-evolving quick commerce sector.

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality firm, has announced the signing of a new hotel in Pune under its Gateway brand. The upcoming hotel will be developed as part of a greenfield mixed-use project in Bibvewadi, one of Pune’s rapidly emerging localities.

Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development at IHCL, noted that Pune plays a key role in Maharashtra’s economic fabric, driven by IT, pharma, and automotive industries. She highlighted Bibvewadi as a growing micro-market, benefitting from expanding infrastructure, new commercial developments, and proximity to educational and residential zones. The decision to establish a hotel here aligns with IHCL’s ongoing strategy to tap into high-growth urban clusters across the country.

The 180-key Gateway Bibvewadi Pune is set to be a modern and vibrant destination located close to the city centre. Guests can expect a well-rounded experience with an all-day dining venue, a specialty restaurant, and a bar, offering diverse culinary offerings. Recreational amenities will include a fully equipped gym and a swimming pool, while business and social gatherings will be well-supported with over 4,000 sq. ft. of banqueting space, in addition to smaller meeting rooms and pre-function areas.

Known as the ‘Oxford of the East’ due to its esteemed educational institutions, Pune continues to evolve as a major cultural, academic, and business hub. With this new signing, IHCL further reinforces its footprint in Maharashtra’s thriving hospitality landscape.