Marriott Joins Forces with CG Hospitality to Transform India's Midscale Hotel Market
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
In a landmark collaboration set to reshape the midscale hospitality landscape, CG Hospitality Global, the hospitality arm of CG Corp Global and majority stakeholder in Concept Hospitality Private Limited (CHPL), has joined forces with Marriott International to launch Series by Marriott™—a bold new brand aimed at midscale and upscale travelers.
The alliance is anchored by the integration of The Fern portfolio, a revered eco-sensitive hotel chain in India. "This strategic collaboration represents more than just a portfolio expansion—it's the alignment of two shared visions to redefine the mid-market hospitality landscape," said Rahul Chaudhary, Managing Director and CEO of CG Corp Global. "With this partnership, we're now setting our sights on taking The Fern to 500 hotels by 2030… This is a defining moment for The Fern and a bold new chapter for Indian hospitality."
CHPL currently operates over 120 hotels in 90 cities, with 40 more properties underway. This deal will add up to 84 Fern-branded hotels and around 6,000 rooms to Marriott's India portfolio—making it one of the largest multi-unit transactions in the country's hospitality sector. Additionally, Marriott will make a strategic equity investment in CHPL and enter a long-term co-branding agreement for The Fern, The Fern Residency, and The Fern Habitat brands.
The move is transformative for both organisations. The Fern will now benefit from Marriott's digital systems, global distribution platforms, and its renowned Marriott Bonvoy™ loyalty program, which boasts over 237 million members. Yet, the brand will retain its local spirit and operational independence.
"Series by Marriott furthers Marriott's commitment to delivering lodging offerings in the right place at the right price with basics done well," said Anthony Capuano, President and CEO of Marriott International. "We are thrilled to launch Series by Marriott through our founding deal with CHPL."
This collaboration reflects a shared dedication to sustainability, responsible growth, and serving emerging and culturally vibrant destinations. It also underscores CG Hospitality's expanding global presence, with a portfolio of 195 hotels across 12 countries. Recently, CG and Marriott announced the conversion of The Farm at San Benito in the Philippines into an Autograph Collection resort, furthering their shared vision.
Together, CG Hospitality and Marriott are not just growing their portfolios—they are setting a new benchmark for the future of hospitality in India and beyond.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
21 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Rescuers search for missing flash flood victims in remote Kashmir village
CHOSITI, India (AP) — Rescuers searched for missing people in a remote village in India-controlled Kashmir on Friday after flash floods caused by torrential rains a day earlier left at least 60 people dead, officials said. Teams of disaster management officials, police and soldiers helped by local villagers scoured the devastated Himalayan village of Chositi on Friday. Officials halted rescue operations overnight but rescued at least 300 people Thursday after a powerful cloudburst triggered floods and landslides. Officials said many missing people were believed to have been washed away. More rescue teams were headed to the area to strengthen relief operations. At least 50 seriously injured people were treated in local hospitals, many of them rescued from a stream filled with mud and debris. Disaster management official Mohammed Irshad said the number of missing people could increase. Weather officials forecast more heavy rains and floods in the area. Chositi is a remote Himalayan village in Kashmir's Kishtwar district and the last village accessible to motor vehicles on the route of an ongoing annual Hindu pilgrimage to a mountainous shrine at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,500 feet) and about an 8-kilometer (5-mile) trek from the village. Officials said the pilgrimage, which began July 25 and was scheduled to end on Sept. 5, was suspended. The devastating floods swept away the main community kitchen set up for the pilgrims, as well as dozens of vehicles and motorbikes. More than 200 pilgrims were in the kitchen at the time of the flood, which also damaged or washed away many of the homes clustered together in the foothills, officials said. Photos and videos on social media show extensive damage with household goods strewn next to damaged vehicles and homes in the village. Authorities made makeshift bridges Friday to help stranded pilgrims cross a muddy water channel. Sudden, intense downpours over small areas known as cloudbursts are increasingly common in India's Himalayan regions, which are prone to flash floods and landslides. Cloudbursts have the potential to wreak havoc by causing intense flooding and landslides, impacting thousands of people in the mountainous regions. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly because of climate change, while damage from the storms also has increased because of unplanned development in mountain regions. Kishtwar district is home to multiple hydroelectric power projects, which experts have long warned pose a threat to the region's fragile ecosystem.
Entrepreneur
2 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
Why Defense Tech is India's Next Billion-Dollar VC Opportunity
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India's defense technology sector is no longer a niche playground for government labs. Today, it has grown into a thriving frontier for venture capital. With geopolitical tensions reshaping global alliances, a $78.8 billion defense budget, and an aggressive push for self-reliance, India is scripting a new chapter in its strategic ambitions. For venture capitalists, this goes beyond patriotism, transcending into a rare trifecta of policy tailwinds, technological disruption, and market urgency. The numbers speak loudly: defense tech startups have attracted over $184 million in VC funding since 2020, with exits via IPOs and acquisitions already demonstrating billion dollar potential. There are several reasons why savvy investors are betting big on this sector. Market Growth Meets Strategic Necessity India's defense budget has increased by 9.5% for FY 2025-26, with $20.8 billion earmarked for modernization. This is no routine spending. In fact, it's a response to urgent security challenges. Border tensions, cyber warfare threats, and the need to replace aging Soviet-era equipment have forced India to prioritize cutting-edge solutions. The Indian aerospace and defense market, valued at $27.1 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $54.4 billion by 2033. What makes this growth unique is the government's mandate to allocate 75% of the capital acquisition budget for procurement from local sources. This policy shift has opened a significant window for startups developing everything from AI-driven surveillance systems to hypersonic missile tech. For context, India has historically imported 65-70% of its defense equipment – a figure that continues to drop as local startups fill gaps. Government Fuel For Private Innovation The Indian government isn't just writing checks; it's rewriting the rules to empower startups. The Innovations for De fence Excellence (iDEX) program has become a launchpad for over 600 startups, offering grants up to INR 1.50 crore (up to INR 10 crore in case of iDEX Prime) through its Defence India Startup Challenges. Recent winners include firms building anti-drone systems and AI-powered threat detection tools. Complementing this is the Technology Development Fund, which covers up to 90% of R&D costs for projects like quantum encryption and stealth materials. In 2024 alone, 79 projects worth INR 334 crore received approval. Policy reforms have further sweet ended the deal. 2025-26 has been declared the "Year of Reforms," with simplified procurement processes and faster testing cycles. Startups no longer need decades of defense pedigree to win contracts-just viable solutions to well-defined problems. High-Impact Investment Areas Venture capitalists are zeroing in on sectors where innovation meets immediate military needs. Unmanned systems dominate the conversation, with the Indian Army planning to induct 5,000+ drones by 2030 for border surveillance and logistics. Several startups are developing swarm drones that cost significantly lower than imports. Cybersecurity is another hot spot, with the cyber solutions market projected to grow at 18.33% annually to $12.9 billion by 2030. An increasing number of cybersecurity solution providers are building AI tools to safeguard critical infrastructure from state-sponsored attacks. Advanced materials startups are reimagining soldier safety-one firm created a bulletproof jacket lighter than a lap top. Meanwhile, AI and quantum tech are quietly transforming battlefield strategies, with projects underway for predictive maintenance of fighter jets and unhackable communication networks.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Modi Assails ‘Economic Selfishness' in Defiance of Trump Tariffs
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced tax cuts, pledged policy reform and urged the citizens to design and produce high quality goods at home, in a sweeping Independence Day speech that blasted rising 'economic selfishness' in the world. 'For a nation, the greatest criteria for self-dignity is its self-reliance,' Modi said in his address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. 'The more a country is dependent on others, the bigger is the question mark on its independence.'
