OYO appoints Aditya Ghosh as CEO, India and South Asia

In a recent development, OYO Hotels & Homes has appointed Aditya Ghosh as chief executive officer, India and South Asia effective December 1, 2018.

Ghosh is a proven professional with over 21 years of experience and is entrusted with the responsibility to oversee and grow OYO Hotels business in South Asia, which will include, India, Nepal, and the other upcoming markets in the region. He will focus on continuing to drive growth while delivering high-quality customer experience and sustained yields for asset owners. He will be a thought partner to every OYOpreneur, by enabling a work culture that rewards performance and celebrates diversity and inclusion, a key focus area for the company. His appointment is critical in the company’s journey into becoming not just the largest but also the most preferred chain of hotels, homes and living spaces in India and around the world. He will be reporting to Ritesh Agarwal, founder and group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes.

Commenting on the appointment, Agarwal, says in a press release, ‘’In the last five years, OYO Hotels and Homes expanded its global footprints to over 500+ cities in seven countries, from Indonesia to the UK, with China and India as home markets. Today we host guests from around the world in over 12,000 franchised and leased hotels and over 330,000 rooms. Of this, we have over 5500 leased and franchised hotels and over 143,000 rooms in India. This year, we also saw a 3x growth in revenue. We also have a robust, resilient and diversified group of leaders, that have stood by the organisation and personified distributed leadership, the key to our fast-paced growth and success. As we grow our business, we feel it is essential to continue to invest in building one of the most influential leadership teams and bringing in professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset and from diverse backgrounds, that can help lead the next wave of growth at OYO Hotels.”

He adds, “With Aditya taking on this mantle for one of our home markets, India and the broader South Asia region, we are confident that he will be able to help OYO Hotels set new benchmarks in the hospitality industry, and nurture a high performing workforce. His business acumen, his problem-solving capabilities, and his customer-centric approach to innovation that helped him build an influential brand that is loved by all, makes him an excellent choice for OYO Hotels. Above all his ability to deliver growth with large-scale impact whether it is to develop an inclusive culture or in giving back to the society, makes him a great addition to the leadership team. We are pleased to welcome Aditya, and look forward to his valuable leadership.”

Ghosh joins OYO Hotels & Homes following an outstanding stint at IndiGo as the president and wholetime director of IndiGo, where he was instrumental in turning airline into the largest and most profitable airline in India, and also into one of the fastest growing low-cost carriers in the world. He was also a member of the apex executive committee of InterGlobe Enterprises at the group level and sat on the board of the hotels and technology businesses as well as the flight simulator training facilities. Under Ghosh’s leadership, IndiGo launched its international operations and took to it where it contributed to about 20 per cent of the airline's operations. He was instrumental to IndiGo airlines pioneering the ‘before-time departure’ concept in the airline industry, which soon became the golden standard in customer experience and a benchmark hard for any other airline to meet.

Commenting on his appointment, Ghosh, says in a press release, “OYO Hotels is one of the most exciting, innovative, and mission-driven companies, run by an exceptional group of people. The brand has a strong customer connect, with almost 90 per cent organic reach and has built long-term relationships with thousands of asset partners by delivering sustained returns. I have witnessed its growth journey from being the startup of the year to one of best places to work for, to its recent entry into the unicorn club, and understand what it takes to achieve all this. Having built a company grounds up, and driven its growth and expansion, I know that very few organisations have managed a global reach – seven countries, 500+ cities, 12,000+ franchised and leased hotels, and 330,000 rooms in such a short span, and the brand loyalty that OYO Hotels enjoys. Even fewer can build strong operational capabilities backed by technology that help sustain this growth momentum, and that’s what made OYO Hotels an attractive opportunity for me.”

He adds, “It is amazing to see seasoned talent with a high-pedigree and professional achievements, as well as young achievers, choose OYO as the place where they want to create impact and satiate their hunger for entrepreneurship. I’m thrilled to join OYO’s mission of creating quality living spaces, and partner with Ritesh in shaping the company’s future in South Asia - a critical growth market for the company.”

During his stint at IndiGo, Ghosh was also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, which is currently credited to have the maximum number of women pilots and a workforce comprising of 43 per cent women. He has also been part of several CSR programmes like IndiGoReach focusing on women empowerment, children and education, and the environment. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Nani Palkhivala Arbitration Centre, which aims to transform the delivery of justice, especially in the area of commercial disputes. He is a Senior Advisor to the Tata Trusts and helps lead the Cancer Care Initiative of the Trusts.

Aditya adds, “What excites me the most about OYO Hotels is the company’s single-minded focus to deliver value to customers and asset owners. To achieve that we need to continue to foster a culture that attracts the best and brightest minds, and I am very proud to have been given a chance to partner in this effort.”

Ghosh never went to business school and is a lawyer by training. Before his business role, he practiced law at the prestigious corporate law firm, J. Sagar Associates and then as the General Counsel at InterGlobe Enterprises. Aditya specialized in corporate commercial law with a focus on acquisitions, joint ventures, and cross-border transactions.

Ghosh is also considered to be one of the fittest business leaders in India. He also has other interests such as the arts, sports, traveling, camping and hiking, and is always keen to explore and try out new things.