India's Airlines Add to Passenger Care as Flight Time Rises
India 's airlines will have to take extra measures to ensure passenger comfort, adding to their costs, as flying time for westerly flights has increased after Pakistan closed its airspace for India-owned and operated airlines.
Airlines shall carry adequate meals, beverages 'emergency medical support,' on board and provide ground ambulance facilities at refueling stops, the Director General of Civil Aviation, India's regulator, said in an email communication to operators Saturday.
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Forbes
5 hours ago
- Forbes
India's Hotel Dream: Why Tech And Demand Are Driving The Story
Sanjay Ghare, Founder & CEO, Vervotech (A Constellation Inc. company), Investor in Travel startups. From my experience, having observed the global travel industry for decades, I can say that India's hospitality sector is not just experiencing growth—it is demonstrating an upward trajectory whose base was prepared by many stakeholders. This story has many heroes; I'll discuss each in greater detail. Before I move to that, the reality of the day is that India's accommodation industry is expected to reach an INR 1 trillion valuation ($11.7 billion) by the end of this financial year, with projections extending to INR 1.1 trillion ($13 billion) by 2026-27, supported by a CAGR of 10.5%. This trajectory is not accidental. It is a cumulative outcome of growing domestic demand, conscious effort from the government and an obvious tech ecosystem in the country that has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the industry. The Demand Story: A Multichannel Push What often remains under the radar in most external analyses is the significant impact of the "New Indian Traveler." Domestic tourism is no longer merely a contributor; it has become the primary contributor, accounting for a substantial 50% of incremental revenue in the hospitality sector. This internal demand base provides a strong resilience, protecting the industry from the volatility of global economic or geopolitical upheavals (wars, sanctions, pandemics, etc.). While international tourist arrivals have also shown a strong recovery, reaching 9.24 million in 2023 (per the latest government data available), the sheer scale of domestic engagement has been the key highlight. Also, the industry's thoughtful diversification into other high-value segments—meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), spiritual tourism, and medical travel—has also played a critical role. The MICE sector alone is projected to more than double from $49.4 billion in 2024 to $103.7 billion by 2030. Additionally, India's Medical Value Travel sector, valued at $7.69 billion in 2024, is also attracting millions of foreign patients, with projections indicating a market size of $16.21 billion by 2030. This multi-segment approach ensures the market remains attractive for investments and revenue channels remain fairly stable. 'Ease Of Doing Business' Dividend: The Sovereign Push As I mentioned earlier, the government has consciously tried to create favorable policies. From an investor's perspective, the Indian government's role is no longer just limited to regulation; the industry now sees it as a proactive strategic partner. Over the years, they have cultivated an environment conducive to investment and growth. 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The Next Phase: AI, LLMs And Depth The current growth trajectory is definitely impressive, but in my opinion, it is merely a warmup to the next phase, which will be bigger and better and will be defined by intelligent automation and a prominent shift toward conscious travel. While the adoption of advanced AI in the Indian hotel industry remains limited to foundational systems, its transformative potential is yet to emerge. Over the next five years, as I see it today, the industry is poised for a significant deepening of technological integration, with large language models (LLMs) at the center of everything. You can foresee LLM-powered concierge services that predict guest needs, customizing everything from room temperature to dining recommendations based on deeper analysis of past preferences and their real-time behavior. Generative AI will facilitate dynamic content creation at scale for marketing and guest communication, enabling highly customized, personalized guest interactions. 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Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Entrepreneur
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The funds will be used to expand operations, strengthen the team, and enhance customer experience. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. JSW Ventures, the venture capital arm of the JSW Group, has led an INR 40 crore investment round in villa rental platform StayVista, with participation from existing backers DSG Consumer Partners and Capri Global Family Office. The funds will be used to expand operations, strengthen the team, and enhance customer experience, according to the company's official statement. Founded in 2019 by Ankita Sheth, Amit Damani, and Pranav Maheshwari, StayVista offers a curated selection of luxury villa rentals, primarily comprising second homes owned by individuals. The company currently operates 1,000 properties across 85 locations, having served over 1 million customers to date. "StayVista is the largest player in the space and is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for alternative accommodations," said Sachin Tagra, Managing Partner, JSW Ventures. "It's a capital-efficient business with significant growth potential." Co-founder Pranav Maheshwari added, "We aspire to make StayVista not just India's largest villa hospitality brand, but also the go-to platform for alternative accommodations." StayVista's model provides a win-win for both homeowners and travelers, allowing property owners to monetise their second homes while offering unique stay experiences. The Indian vacation rental market, currently valued at USD 22.3 billion, is projected to grow at 9% annually, reaching USD 34.1 billion by 2029, driven by rising disposable incomes and flexible work trends. JSW Ventures focuses on early-stage investments in tech-led startups, with a portfolio spanning healthtech, agritech, fintech, and AI-powered enterprise solutions.
Skift
12 hours ago
- Skift
Travel is India's Biggest Global Spending Category: Here's How Much They Spent
India's monthly international travel spending is crossing $1 billion consistently. As Indian travelers prioritize experiences and loosen purse strings, destinations worldwide are racing to capture this high-value market. Indian travelers spent nearly $1.3 billion on international travel in April 2025. This is a 10% increase year-on-year and 13% higher than March, according to data from India's central bank Reserve Bank of India. Travel accounted for over 51% of the total international spending by Indians during April, while in March this was around 44%. The monthly international travel spending of Indians has consistently exceeded $1 billion, with it having reached $1.1 billion in February and $1.13 billion in March. In fiscal year 2024, Indians spent a record $31.7 billion abroad. International travel accounted for 54% of this spending amounting to $17 billion. In the 2025 fiscal year while total overseas spending dipped to $29.5 billion, travel spending remained steady at $16.9 billion, signaling a stabilized international travel spending pattern post-Covid. Notably, in August 2024, Indians spent over $2 billion on international travel, accounting for nearly 63% of that month's $3.2 billion in foreign spending. Who's Driving This Surge? India is becoming a fast-growing source of outbound tourism, according to a McKinsey report released last year. 'They are developing fast-growing pools of first-time tourists,' the report said. According to travel spending among Indians is expected to go up from $150 billion in 2019 to $410 billion by 2030. It added that while outbound trips accounted for 1% of the total trips in 2023, these trips contributed to 25% of the total expenditure. The online travel company expects this to increase to 35% by the end of the decade. 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Tourism Australia credits a simplified visa process for this growth. 'The Australia visa these days is the easiest and simplest thing,' said Nishant Kashikar, country manager for India and the Gulf. 'No biometrics, no personal interviews, no physical document submission, including your passport. The entire process is digital.' Japan has also seen record-high Indian arrivals this year, supported by improved air connectivity. Across Southeast Asia, Indian tourism is booming as countries ease visa restrictions. According to travel platform Agoda, countries like Malaysia, Palau, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka — where visa processes have been simplified — have seen a clear uptick in interest. Agoda noted this trend by comparing accommodation searches between July–December 2024 for travel in January–May 2025 with the same period the previous year.
