The Hotel Association of India (HAI) elected KB Kachru, Chairman South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group as President for a two year term at the Association’s milestone 100th EC meeting held after HAI’s 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at The Park, New Delhi on the 18th of March 2024.
Kachru takes charge from outgoing President, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, IHCL. The Executive Committee (EC) also elected Rohit Khosla, Executive Vice President – Operations, IHCL as Vice President of the Association for a concurrent term.
Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex body of the Indian hospitality sector also unanimously elected. Dr. JK Mohanty, Managing Director Swosti Premium Limited as Honorary Secretary and Sanjay Sethi, Managing Director & CEO, Chalet Hotels Limited as Honorary Treasurer of the Association for a term of two years.
Welcoming the new members and congratulating the team, HAI Secretary-General, MP Bezbaruah thanked the outgoing committee members while adding that the relationship with them is enduring and continuous.
Thanking the outgoing president, Puneet Chhatwal for laying a strong foundation for the industry body and creating a unified voice for the sector as it faced its worst crisis in recent times, KB Kachru, said, “During Covid-19 HAI collaborated with other Industry bodies, followed an aggressive advocacy plan that included launching a magazine, a newsletter and engaged actively with the media for a wider outreach.”
“Over the last two years, HAI has achieved new heights under the stellar leadership of Mr. Chhatwal. As we embark on a new journey under the leadership of Mr. Kachru, we look forward to taking the legacy forward and contribute further to take the Association to the next level and create newer benchmarks for HAI. The industry has great hopes for HAI to be the driving force in achieving its goals. I am sure the new management team under Mr. Kachru will make all strides in ensuring the industry gets its due recognition in the times to come,” Khosla said.
In addition to adopting and approving the financial results for the year 2022-2023 and appointing auditors for the financial year of 2023-2024, the AGM’s agenda included elections of the Association’s Executive Committee. The Association also elected two new member to the Executive Committee – Shashank Bhagat, Managing Partner Radisson Blu Marina Hotel and Sonali Chauhan, General Manager, IHCL Seleqtions – who replaced Surinder Singh, Area Director – Haryana & Dwarka and General Manager – Taj City Centre Gurugram & Samir MC, Managing Director, Fortune Hotels on completion of their respective term. While Bhagat is the nominee for HAI’s member hotels in the category of 4 star and 3 star, the hotels classified in the ministry’s classification categories of Heritage 1 and 2 star would be represented by Chauhan.
