Bharat Hotels Ltd. plans revival of listing strategy amid sector-wide bullishness

 

 

Bharat Hotels Limited, operated under the Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, is one of India’s prominent luxury hospitality chains. It owns and operates hotels under the brand name The LaLiT, with a portfolio comprising:

a) Luxury city hotels

b) Resort destinations

c) Mid-scale properties

 

Led by Jyotsna Suri, the Chairperson and Managing Director, the group has positioned itself in the high-end hospitality segment, offering a blend of Indian heritage and contemporary luxury.

 

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In 2019, Bharat Hotels had filed a Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with SEBI to raise ₹1,200 crore via IPO. However, the plan was eventually shelved due to:

a) Turbulent market conditions

b) The Covid-19 pandemic that hit the hospitality and travel sectors hard

c) Internal assessment of timing and valuations

 

Despite its operational scale, the company is entirely promoter-owned, limiting earlier institutional participation and possibly delaying public interest.

 

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To manage capital requirements, the company took the private placement route:

In FY23, it raised ₹1,100 crore via non-convertible debentures (NCDs), as per its 2024 annual report.

 

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Speaking to Business Standard, Jyotsna Suri confirmed that the group is actively considering an IPO after 2026. She stated:

 

“We want to leverage what we’ve created as the company is entirely owned by the group.”

 

While the exact quantum of fundraising is yet to be disclosed, market experts estimate a potential raise of over ₹1,500 crore, based on the asset class.

 

This aligns with a broader trend of Indian hospitality brands entering the public markets to fuel growth and deleverage their balance sheets.

 

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The timing seems strategic, given multiple recent IPOs in the sector:

a) Brookfield-backed Leela Hotels raised ₹3,500 crore via IPO this week.

b) Prestige Group’s hospitality arm filed DRHP for ₹2,700 crore.

c) Brigade Group is also planning to list its hospitality venture.

 

Clearly, capital markets are becoming a preferred route for expansion and brand monetization in the hospitality sector.

 

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Lalit Suri Hospitality Group is a well-established name in Indian luxury hospitality. The company’s clean promoter-led structure, premium asset base, and long operational history make it a strong candidate for institutional and retail investor interest once listed.

 

Investors in the unlisted market should keep an eye on:

a) Potential pre-IPO placement opportunities post-2025

b) Developments in the hospitality sector IPO space

c) Asset monetization and management contract expansions by the Group

 

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📌 Stay tuned with UnlistedZone for more insights into India’s growing unlisted hospitality giants.