Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has announced that K.B. Kachru has been appointed Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, South Asia, effective July 1, 2016.
Kachru has been instrumental in building the business in India since 1998. Most recently, he was chairman and a mentor to Raj Rana, chief executive officer, South Asia, of the Group, since 2013. Prior to that, Kachru served as executive vice president, responsible for the overall strategy, hotel development, management and functional support of key markets within South Asia, overseeing Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s joint venture companies in India.
In his new capacity, Kachru will continue to be on the board of the Group’s South Asia business entities, serve as an outstanding ambassador and represent the company at industry forums and governmental affairs, while enabling strategic growth opportunities.
“K.B. has made outstanding contributions in building and growing Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s South Asia business from strength to strength in the past 20 years. India is our fortress market in Asia Pacific and we remain not only committed, but accelerated and invested in this market. I wish him great success in his new role as we continue to leverage his industry standing, strong owner relationships and goodwill to reinforce our lead position in the country,” said Thorsten Kirschke, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
An industry veteran, Kachru is an active member of various Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Committees at the state and national level. He has been on the board of directors for the Tourism Corporation of various state governments and on the board of governors of the Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi. Kachru has also served as an executive member of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) India Chapter, the American Society of Travel Agents of India, Hotel Association of India (HAI), Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) and India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB).
Nominated co-chairman of the Travel and Civil Aviation Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and executive member of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Kachru has been a trailblazer for positive change in the hospitality industry. He spearheaded the formation of the Institute for International Management and Technology in collaboration with Oxford Brookes University, UK, and was also responsible for the introduction of arrival passenger duty free shopping at India’s international airports.
During his tenure, Kachru received many accolades, including the company’s highest honor when he garnered the “Carlson Fellowship Award” in 2005. Other notable awards include the “Hall of Fame” award presented by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association at ITB Berlin, one of the world’s leading travel trade shows. From 2004 to 2006, he received the “Global Hotelier Award” at WTM London and “Galileo – Express Travel & Tourism Award”. He was also recognized by South Asia Travel & Tourism Expo (SATTE) as the leading hotelier of the country in 2010.
“It has been an honor and privilege to have paved the way and contributed to Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s success story in South Asia. Fifteen years ago, we were one of the first international hospitality groups to enter the Indian market. Today, we are proud to be the leading international group in the sub-continent and within the Group, South Asia holds the second most important and strongest representation. I am excited that with the strong and capable leadership of Raj Rana and his team, we continue to consolidate and strategically align our growth,” said K.B. Kachru, Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, South Asia.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has 117 operating and under development hotels in India, across 60 Indian cities, including 16 state capitals. The group’s brand portfolio in the country spans the mid-scale to luxury segments, and besides the Country Inns & Suites By Carlson brand, also includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza and Park Inn by Radisson.
