MUMBAI: Tata Group’s flagship hospitality arm, The Indian Hotels Company, (IHCL) is set to acquire a controlling stake in midscale chain Clarks, strengthening its play in the country where tourism and business travel are rapidly growing. IHCL, known for the Taj chain, will buy 51% each in ANK Hotels and Pride Hospitality for a total of Rs 204 crore, adding 135 properties to its portfolio. Additionally, it has formed a distribution and marketing agreement with Brij Hospitality, which operates 19 hotels under the Brij brand in the country. The moves will allow IHCL to better serve India’s heterogeneous market with a deeper penetration in the midscale sector while continuing with its asset-light growth strategy. The deals follow announcements from IHCL’s sister companies, Tata Motors and Titan, on their acquisitions of international brands like Iveco and Damas. ANK, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Lucknow, has a portfolio of 111 hotels (67 in operational and balance in pipeline) under Clarks Inn, Clarks Inn Suites and Clarks Inn Premier brands in India and Sri Lanka. Pride, established in 2005 and based in Jaipur, has 24 hotels (13 operational and rest in pipeline) under Clarks Safari, Clarks Collection and Clarks Resorts brands in the country. IHCL, established by the Tata Group in 1899, and opening its first hotel, Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai four years later, currently has 392 hotels (249 in operation and the remainder in pipeline) in India and abroad. It generates more than half of its revenue from domestic hotels, followed by international hotels and air catering businesses. In addition to the Taj brand, it has nine other brands including Claridges, Seleqtions, Gateway, Vivanta, Ginger, Tree of Life, and Ama Stays & Trails. While the country’s hospitality sector experienced booking cancellations due to India’s military actions in Pakistan and geopolitical conflicts in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, it anticipates strong business for remainder of the year driven by weddings, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), and diplomatic visits by heads of states.
