IHCL’s sizzling Q3: Puneet Chhatwal targets 700 hotels by 2030 after 29% profit surge

Hospitality major Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has reported 29% growth in its consolidated net profit for the October-December 2024 quarter at ₹582 crore, while consolidated profit for the fiscal year so far (M9 FY25) stood at ₹1,385 crore, an increase of 65%.

India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalisation saw its EBITDA for the said quarter surge 32% to ₹1,020 crore, while it was ₹2,081 crore for the fiscal year so far, the company said in a statement issued today. The consolidated revenue in Q3 FY25 and M9 FY25 came in at ₹2,592 crore, up 29% YoY, and ₹6,078 crore, up 22% YoY.

Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL, said, “Q3 marks eleven consecutive quarters of record performance with the hotel segment reporting a strong revenue growth of 16% resulting in EBITDA margin of 40.9%."

According to Chhatwal, IHCL's revenue performance was driven by a 40% increase in new businesses, not like-for-like growth and double-digit growth in same-store hotels led by 20% growth in the U.S. portfolio.

With the consolidation of IHCL's air and institutional catering business, the company's revenue and PAT grew 29% at ₹2,592 crore and ₹582 crore, respectively.

Chhatwal pointed out that in Q4 and the subsequent quarters of the next financial year, the sector will continue to witness demand buoyancy on account of large-scale regional events, weddings and sustained transient travel. “In line with Accelerate 2030, IHCL sets a new growth benchmark with 55 signings and 20 openings to date this fiscal and 85% of these signings are capital light. With a portfolio of 360 hotels and an industry-leading pipeline of 123 hotels, IHCL at this pace of growth is well poised to reach 700 hotels by 2030,” said Chhatwal.

IHCL also said that its domestic same-store hotels delivered a 13% consolidated RevPAR growth, with a premium of 78% vs industry at enterprise level. The company's international consolidated portfolio reported an occupancy of 78%, up 400 basis points, resulting in a RevPAR growth of 9% led by 25% RevPAR growth in The Pierre, New York. The company's management fee income grew by 32% to ₹177 crore on the back of not-like-for-like growth.

Ankur Dalwani, Executive Vice President and CFO, IHCL pointed out that with continued demand buoyancy in the domestic market, IHCL standalone reported a revenue of ₹1,517 crore, an increase of 15% over the previous year, EBITDA margin of 47.8%, an expansion of 240 basis points and a 23% growth in PAT at ₹469 crore. “The company in January has acquired 55% shareholding in Rajscape Hotels, the brand holding company of Tree of Life and will form a part of IHCL Consolidated from Q4,” added Dalwani.

The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) and its subsidiaries include Taj, SeleQtions, Tree of Life, Vivanta, Gateway, and Ginger. IHCL has a portfolio of 360 hotels, including 123 under development globally.