Suba Hotels Ltd has expanded its portfolio with the signing of two new properties under the Choice Hotels portfolio. The additions include a Comfort Inn in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and a sea-facing Clarion resort in Bekal, Kerala. According to a media release issued by the company, both contracts were signed by Mansur Mehta, Managing Director of Suba Hotels Ltd.

Commenting on the signings, Mansur Mehta said, "Our Choice Hotels portfolio has been gaining a lot of popularity and acceptance with both guests and owners. We are extremely happy with the response, and the entire team at Suba Hotels Ltd. will strive hard to ensure that the brands under the Suba umbrella receive more recognition and accolades from everyone."

Mubeen Mehta, CEO of Suba Hotels Ltd, said the company plans to open both properties in the last quarter of the current financial year. He noted that the hotels would cater to different market segments, with Comfort Inn targeting business travellers in Mumbai's BKC area and Clarion focusing primarily on leisure guests in Bekal. He congratulated the team on the achievement and added, "The company has been on an expansion spree following our successful IPO."

The upcoming Comfort Inn in BKC will have 46 rooms and is being developed by M/s. Triumph Developer Private Limited. Designed for business travellers, the property will feature modern facilities and amenities. Once operational, it will become Suba Hotels' sixth hotel in Mumbai.

The second property, under the Clarion brand, is being developed by M/s. Bekal Sea View Resort. The premium, sea-facing hotel in Bekal will have 48 rooms across different categories and cater to both business and leisure travellers. Planned facilities at the Clarion property include a spa, wellness centre, rooftop infinity pool and a well-equipped gymnasium, adding to its leisure and wellness offerings.

With these two signings, Suba Hotels Ltd continues to expand its presence across different hospitality segments, adding a business-focused hotel in Mumbai and a premium coastal resort in Kerala to its Choice Hotels portfolio.

Unify Foodworks, the exclusive pan-Indian master franchisee of Moe's Casa Mexicana and Carvel, has raised ₹5 crore in seed funding through compulsorily convertible debentures (CCDs). The funding will support the expansion of both American brands across the National Capital Region (NCR), where they made their India debut. The company has a long-term roadmap to establish more than 100 stores across India.

The funding round is backed by Atrium Ventures, Sail Thru Ventures, Arjun Vaidya and Abhishek Goyal. The investment will help Unify Foodworks strengthen its presence in NCR, build store density, improve consumer recall and refine its operating model before expanding into other markets.

Both Moe's Casa Mexicana and Carvel are owned by Roark Capital, whose portfolio also includes Subway, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin'. Moe's Casa Mexicana is the international evolution of the US fast-casual chain Moe's Southwest Grill, with India serving as its first international market. Unify Foodworks also holds the master franchise for Moe's Southwest Grill, the larger-format restaurant concept within the portfolio.

Moe's Casa Mexicana offers signature burritos, bowls and tacos alongside India-focused creations such as Habanero Paneer. Carvel, an American ice cream brand founded in 1934 and widely credited with inventing soft serve, entered the Indian market in 2025 with its outlet at Connaught Place.

The expansion comes as India's food services market evolves alongside changing urban lifestyles, greater exposure to global cuisines and demand for convenient, consistent dining experiences. Unify Foodworks aims to bring established international brands to Indian consumers while adapting menus and formats to local preferences without losing their original identity.

Alongside its store expansion, the company is developing its operational infrastructure. Its approach includes integrated supply chain and logistics systems, standardised processes and digital standard operating procedure (SOP)-led training for store teams. NCR will serve as a testing ground for store economics, menu localisation and operational discipline before the company takes its learnings to other markets.

Commenting on the funding and expansion plans, Sumer Sethi, Founder and CEO of Unify Foodworks, said, "Travel has rewired the Indian palate. Someone who has had a burrito in Atlanta or a soft serve in New York comes home expecting that exact experience, not a local approximation of it. For this consumer, consistency is the indulgence. Global brands are engineered to deliver it, but only when the operator gets the foundations right. This round gives us the runway to build those foundations store by store, so every new opening is a proven model repeated, not an experiment. Just as valuable are backers who understand consumer brands and share our long view. Our ambition is to make Unify Foodworks the go-to platform for international F&B brands entering India, scaling names that own their category without diluting what made them iconic,"

For Unify Foodworks, the NCR expansion is about more than opening new outlets. The company aims to develop a repeatable operating model that can be expanded across India while maintaining the quality and experience associated with both brands.

EkoStay has entered the second-home real estate segment with the launch of Eko Estates, a new vertical offering freehold villas in the Western Ghats, combining property ownership with professionally managed holiday rentals. Its first portfolio comprises six villas in Kawnai, Igatpuri, with prices ranging from ₹2.75 crore to ₹4.80 crore.

The launch introduces two ownership and management arrangements: an Assured Agreement for buyers seeking contracted rental income and a Private Use option for those who prioritise personal access to their holiday homes.

EkoStay, which operates more than 175 villas and has eight years of experience in the holiday-home rental market, will build and manage the properties on behalf of owners. The company says the new vertical draws on its existing operating experience and the performance of properties it already manages in Igatpuri.

Two Ownership Options: Rental Income or Private Use

Under the Assured Agreement, Eko Estates offers owners a contracted rental yield of up to 10% per annum of the purchase price, with payments credited by the 10th of every month for 48 months. According to the company, payments are due irrespective of whether the villa is occupied or vacant, placing the occupancy risk on the operating company during the agreement period.

The rental rate is fixed at the time of signing and calculated against the purchase price rather than the property's assessed value. Owners under this arrangement retain 24 weekday nights annually for personal use.

EkoStay says the rental payments will be made by Ekostay LLP, the operating entity behind its existing managed portfolio, rather than an entity established exclusively for the new project.

The second option, Private Use, is intended for buyers who want unrestricted access to their property. It comes without a fixed rental commitment or lock-in period, allowing owners to use their villas throughout the year. Eko Estates can host guests and generate rental revenue through a revenue-sharing arrangement when owners are away. Buyers can also move to the Assured Agreement at a later stage.

The company states that the property title remains the same under both arrangements, with each villa registered as a freehold property in the buyer's name, including the underlying land.

Six Villas in Kawnai, Igatpuri

The initial portfolio comprises six villas located in Kawnai, Igatpuri, at an elevation of approximately 600 metres above sea level. Two villas are ready for possession, while the remaining four are scheduled for handover between February and April 2027.

Each villa measures approximately 3,000–3,500 sq. ft. (confirm exact area if available) and comes with a private pool, staff quarters, water source and storage, power backup, covered parking, lawn, deck, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. The company says these features are included in the standard offering rather than being sold as optional upgrades.

Eko Estates states that the properties have clear freehold titles, with the 7/12 land records and non-agricultural (NA) orders available for inspection. It also says each project comprises fewer than eight units and falls within the exemption provisions cited under MahaRERA Order 25A/2023.

Igatpuri's Monsoon Appeal

EkoStay says its existing operations in Igatpuri influenced the choice of location for the first Eko Estates portfolio. The company points to the region's monsoon tourism demand, noting that August is among its peak booking months.

The villas have been planned around their natural surroundings, with design and construction considerations including drainage, waterproofing, ventilation and materials suited to the region's seasonal rainfall.

The location is approximately 150 kilometres from Mumbai, with a road journey of around three hours and 40 minutes via the Mumbai–Nashik highway and Kasara Ghat. Igatpuri railway station is around 20 minutes away, with the company arranging transfers for owners and guests.

The company also says non-resident Indians and Overseas Citizens of India can purchase the properties under the applicable general permissions for residential property, subject to eligibility and regulatory requirements.

Founders on the New Venture

Varun Arora, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the company's experience managing holiday homes had informed its approach to the new offering.

"Your capital is almost certainly earning less than you think. We've run other people's holiday homes for eight years and we know what they actually earn, and what a Mumbai apartment or a commercial unit earns next to them. A rental that's contracted and lands on the 10th of every month, full house or empty house, is a different thing from a projection in a brochure. That certainty is what someone is buying. The villa is the thing it comes attached to."

Husain Khatumdi, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the first villas in the portfolio had originally been developed for hospitality operations and had been hosting guests for more than a year.

"The first villas in this portfolio were built to be run, not to be sold, and they've been hosting EkoStay guests for over a year. Every house here starts from its plot: where the light falls, where the hills sit, how the rain moves across the land. The rooms open to the view and the pools face the valley. We're putting our name on the construction because we're the ones who'll be living with it, every weekend, for the next four years."

Sohail Mirchandani, COO and Co-Founder, EkoStay, highlighted documentation and property-title clarity as important considerations in the second-home market.

"Most of what goes wrong with a house in the Ghats is paperwork. Agricultural land sold as if it were buildable, a title that doesn't survive a bank's checklist, a return that was never more than a projection. We've removed all of it. Clear and marketable freehold title, the NA order in hand, the 7/12 extract on the table before anyone asks, and a rental paid by the same entity that runs 175 villas. If a buyer's lawyer wants a week with our documents, that's exactly what we'd want."

Zishan Khan, Co-Founder, EkoStay, said the two arrangements were developed to address different buyer priorities.

"Buyers at this level split cleanly into two groups, and forcing them into one product loses half of them. Some want income, some want weekends. So we run two options, and the second one still lets the house earn. You own the villa outright either way. The only thing that changes is who runs the house, and how it earns while you're not in it."

Site Visits and Further Information

Site visits to the Eko Estates portfolio in Igatpuri are now open. The company is arranging pickups from Igatpuri railway station for prospective buyers and guests.

Further details are available at www.ekoestates.com.

About Eko Estates

Eko Estates is the second-home development vertical of EkoStay, building freehold villas in Igatpuri, including Kawnai and Vihigaon, and managing them on behalf of owners. Its offerings include the Assured Agreement, with a contracted rental arrangement, and Private Use, which allows unrestricted personal access with revenue-sharing rentals when owners are away.

About EkoStay

EkoStay is an Indian homestay and villa rental brand with more than 175 villas under management and eight years of operating experience across weekend getaway destinations. The company was founded by Varun Arora, Husain Khatumdi, Sohail Mirchandani and Zishan Khan. More information is available at www.ekostay.com.