Tata Group hospitality arm Indian Hotel Company (IHCL), which owns the Taj brand, will invest up to ₹7,500 crore over the next five years, chairman N Chandrasekaran told shareholders at the company’s 125th annual general meeting on June 30.

“We are still in the final stages of finalising design for the upcoming Taj Bandstand but expenditure on the property, which will have over 500 rooms, will be around ₹2,000 crore. Over the next five years, the company will spend between ₹6,000-7,500 crore in capex,” Chandrasekaran said.

This investment will be funded through internal accruals. IHCL recorded a net cash flow of ₹4,294 crore in FY26. For FY27, the company has earmarked ₹1,200 crore for capital expenditure.

Acknowledging macroeconomic headwinds, the company’s chairman said hospitality remains a compelling market.

“The sector in India is benefitting from a number of structural drivers and advantages – rising disposable incomes, expanding air connectivity, sustained investments in infrastructure, and growing aspirations of people – all of which are supporting the hospitality sector,” he added.

Niti bats for easier visa

Despite progress through mechanisms such as E-Visa, India’s visa regime has not yet evolved to match the accessibility, scale, and user experience offered by leading tourism economies in facilitating repeat and high-value travel, according to a NITI Aayog report unveiled on Tuesday.

Scaling visa facilitation in line with global benchmarks will be critical to enhancing India’s international accessibility and competitiveness, it emphasized.