Transforming Uttar Pradesh’s Hospitality and Tourism Landscape

Transforming Uttar Pradesh’s Hospitality and Tourism Landscape

By Nithyakala Neelakandan

Published on April 22, 2024

Uttar Pradesh, India's cultural heartland, is poised for a monumental transformation in its hospitality and tourism sector. With a projected annual tourist footfall of 850 million by 2028, the state government is embarking on an ambitious journey to attract investments totaling INR 32,000 crore into this burgeoning industry.

Focusing on iconic destinations like Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Agra, Uttar Pradesh aims to bolster its hospitality offerings significantly. The plan includes adding approximately 80,000 new accommodation units through the development of hotels, resorts, and homestays, catering to the diverse needs of travelers.

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One of the key strategies involves leveraging the state's rich heritage by offering historical properties such as forts and palaces to the private sector for development. Incentives are being provided to transform these gems into heritage hotels, enriching the tourism experience while preserving cultural legacy.

Moreover, Uttar Pradesh is championing rural tourism, emphasizing authentic farm stays that showcase local culture, cuisine, and folklore. An agreement with rural homestay providers underscores the government's commitment to grassroots tourism initiatives, fostering economic growth in rural areas.

Minister Jaiveer Singh highlighted the state's support for setting up unique countryside farm stays, offering subsidies under the Tourism Policy 2022. Selected villages are being transformed into rural tourism hubs, creating avenues for cultural exchange and economic empowerment.

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Furthermore, the state is diversifying its tourism portfolio to include wellness centers and adventure tourism activities. With over 500 tourism and infrastructure projects underway, Uttar Pradesh anticipates generating over 250,000 new job opportunities, providing a significant boost to employment.

Religious tourism, particularly in Ayodhya following the consecration of the Lord Ram temple, has gained significant momentum. The state government projects an annual tourism revenue of Rs 55,000 crore in the initial years, reflecting the immense potential of Uttar Pradesh as a premier destination for travelers.

As Uttar Pradesh charts a course towards becoming a hub of hospitality and tourism excellence, these initiatives underscore a commitment to sustainable growth and the preservation of cultural heritage, promising an enriching experience for visitors from around the globe.


Spalba Eyes ₹100 Cr Turnover by FY26, Expands into 6 Asian Markets

Spalba Eyes ₹100 Cr Turnover by FY26, Expands into 6 Asian Markets

By Nishang Narayan

Published on May 30, 2025

Spalba, a SaaS-enabled B2B venue marketplace, has set its sights on a ₹100 crore turnover by FY 2026. The company recently closed FY 2025 with a consolidated turnover of ₹60 crore, marking an impressive 3000% year-on-year growth since its inception just five years ago. What makes this journey even more remarkable? Spalba remains fully bootstrapped and profitable, a rarity in today’s startup ecosystem.

Driven by innovation, Spalba is expanding rapidly across Asia. The platform has entered six new markets—Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Nepal—taking its VenueTech vision global. Back home, the company plans to grow its venue inventory from 11,000 to 13,000 and expand property listings from 2,067 to 4,500 by FY26, effectively doubling its offering and increasing its presence in over 80 Indian cities.

“Our journey from a bootstrapped startup to a ₹60 crore revenue run-rate has been driven by continuous innovation and an unwavering commitment to customer success,” said Vishal Puri, Co-Founder of Spalba. “With our tech-first approach—combining AR-powered Virtual Property Tours, an Event Mockup Builder, AI-driven sales tools, and more—we expect to cross ₹100 crore by FY 2026 and continue modernizing India’s ₹200 billion events industry.”

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Over 250 marquee properties including The Leela, Radisson Hotel Group, Accor, and The Oberoi have partnered with Spalba to streamline venue sales and boost cross-selling opportunities. The platform not only simplifies the venue booking process with immersive digital walkthroughs but also reduces the need for paperwork and physical site visits—supporting both revenue growth and sustainability for its clients.

Founded in 2020, Spalba is redefining event planning by making venue discovery and booking faster, smarter, and more collaborative. Its roadmap to ₹100 crore highlights a focus on scalable innovation, customer-centric solutions, and long-term value creation—all without raising external funding.


Starbucks India Faces 65% Surge in Losses in FY25 Despite Modest Sales Growth

Starbucks India Faces 65% Surge in Losses in FY25 Despite Modest Sales Growth

By Nishang Narayan

Published on May 27, 2025

Starbucks India posted a 5% rise in revenue to ₹1,277 crore in FY25, but the good news ended there. Losses widened significantly by 65% to ₹135.7 crore, up from ₹82 crore in the previous year, reflecting the growing strain on profitability amid soft demand in the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment.

Operating under a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Consumer Products as Tata Starbucks Pvt Ltd, the company noted that almost half of the losses—₹67.6 crore—were borne by Tata Consumer. According to the brand’s annual report, demand across the QSR space remained muted through most of the year, though a rebound was noted in the latter half. Still, profitability remained under pressure.

Despite the headwinds, Starbucks continued to expand, opening 58 new outlets and entering 19 new cities, including several in tier-2 markets. However, this was a notable slowdown compared to the 95 new outlets launched in the previous year. As of now, Starbucks operates 479 stores across 80 Indian cities.

The company remains optimistic about long-term growth in India. “We remain committed to increasing our store base in India and get to 1,000 outlets by FY28, despite a more moderate number of store openings in the short term,” Starbucks said in a statement.

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Tata Consumer Products Chairman N Chandrasekaran addressed the broader economic landscape, noting that India remains a stronghold of economic growth amid global uncertainty. “India’s long-term growth is underpinned by strong demographic and economic fundamentals and ongoing structural reforms,” he told shareholders.

However, rising competition from both international and domestic brands continues to challenge Starbucks’ market share. Rivals like Tim Hortons and Pret A Manger have entered the Indian market with aggressive expansion plans, while homegrown brands like Third Wave Coffee and Blue Tokai already operate more than 250 outlets combined.

A senior QSR official highlighted a key operational challenge: “Starbucks’ revenue per square foot is about 35% lower compared to metros. Also, city stores seem to be cannibalising heavily after it opened stores at a record pace in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi.”

While a strong takeaway culture offers a margin boost, uneven store performance continues to drag the bottom line. Some stores thrive, but others suffer from low footfalls and declining revenue per square foot, affecting overall profitability.

With the coffee wars heating up and Indian consumers spoilt for choice, Starbucks will need more than just store count to brew up sustained success in the coming years.


OYO Adds 3500 Corporate Clients in FY25, Sees 20% YoY Growth

OYO Adds 3500 Corporate Clients in FY25, Sees 20% YoY Growth

By Nishang Narayan

Published on May 18, 2025

OYO is riding high on its corporate wave. The global hospitality tech brand has added over 3500 new corporate clients in FY25 through its business accelerator division, marking a 20% year-on-year growth in this segment. With this, OYO’s corporate network now exceeds 6500 clients, ranging from large enterprises to traditional business houses and startups.

Mumbai emerged as the top-performing city, onboarding over 700 clients, followed by Hyderabad (400) and Pune (350). Other metros such as Chennai and Bangalore also contributed significantly to the growth.

Some of the key additions to OYO’s client roster include SBI Life, Cult Fit, and Sun TV Direct, further strengthening its footprint among large, pan-India brands.

The growth momentum picked up following the launch of Oravel Travel Solutions in October 2024—a dedicated vertical to meet the end-to-end needs of corporate travellers. From smooth check-ins at over 1100 serviced hotels across 300+ cities, curated meal options and conference support, to tailor-made event and holiday packages, OYO has positioned itself as a comprehensive solution for business travel.

Manish Kashyap, Head of OYO Business Accelerator, noted:

“The growth has been driven not just by large corporations but also by a diverse mix of SMEs, traditional business houses, startups, travel management companies, and even film production houses. These clients are increasingly leveraging OYO’s expansive network, flexible bookings, and tech-enabled tools to meet their evolving travel needs.”

OYO also witnessed a rise in long-term and event-based stays, signaling a shift in how businesses engage with hospitality solutions.

With a strong pipeline ahead, OYO aims to double down on its premium brand offerings like SUNDAY, Palette, Clubhouse Townhouse, Townhouse O, and Collection O.

According to the Global Business Travel Association, India has become the 4th largest business travel market in Asia-Pacific, with rising SME activity playing a major role. These trends have set the stage for OYO to scale faster and meet the evolving demands of modern corporate travel.

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