Bridging the gap between demand and supply

Delhi Aerocity is envisaged as part of the overall development of Delhi's international airport. The Bird Group is promoting a hotel in the hospitality zone.

Delhi Aerocity was planned a few years ago on a 43-acre plot of land near the international airport complex in the national capital and more than a dozen luxury and business hotels were expected to operate from here.
The hospitality zone was promoted to help inbound and outbound business travellers and transit passengers in Delhi. Most Indian airports - including international ones - do not have hotels within the premises or in nearby places.

Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director
Delhi Aerocity has faced delays because of security concerns raised by the police. The security agencies insisted that the hotels facing the runway must have bullet-proof glass installed.
Some of the hotels have started operations. Others will soon be offering rooms to business travellers. One such property is Dusit D2, promoted by the Bird Group in a joint venture with Thailand-based hospitality chain, Dusit Thani Group.
Says Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird group: "The Aerocity was envisaged as part of the overall development of Delhi's international airport. It will ultimately include about 4,000-plus hotel rooms."
According to Bhatia, the national capital has just 30,000 branded hotel rooms, way below its requirements.
Other international cities including London, Dubai and Bangkok have a lot more hotel rooms. London, for instance, has 110,000 rooms and Bangkok has about 85,000. "The Aerocity was planned to bridge this gap," explains Bhatia. It will also have commercial buildings.
The Dusit D2 is targeted at young business travellers. "It is a lifestyle-oriented business hotel," he adds. "It will be modern, hip and have a large F&B offering." The hotel will also feature a high-end, single-screen theatre, a retail corridor, luxury boutiques and a ballroom.
The Group also launched a book, 'The Bathtub,' to coincide with the opening of the Dusit D2. A brainchild of Bhatia and artists Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, and penned by Arjun Puri, it captures the aspirations of six travellers from different countries.
Each story is accompanied by a work of art specially commissioned for the project and crafted by the well-known artists.
The hospitality vertical of the Bird Group joined hands with the Dusit Thani group to bring the Dusit brand to India. Its flagship property, the Dusit Devarana, a resort close to the airport, is targeted at travellers from the Middle East, including the UAE. "It is also a wedding and relaxation destination," explains Bhatia.
The Bird Group plans to have five hotels and resorts in India. It also plans to open two other resorts under the Dusit Devarana brand in Jaipur and Rishikesh and a Dusit Thani in Goa. All properties are under various stages of development.
The group also acquired the Royal Park Hotel in London and plans to expand its international footprint gradually.
Established in 1971, the Delhi-headquartered group has five verticals - travel technology, aviation services, hospitality, retail and education. It has offices in Colombo, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Dubai and London.
The group brought Amadeus, a global market leader in travel technology, to India in 1994. It has been representing some of the top international airlines in India for over 40 years.
As a travel group, it covers all the aviation aspects and looks at investing to ensure the best in Indian aviation on ground and in the air.
Globe Ground India is its licensed private third party ground handling company. BWFS is the third party ground handling company licensed by Delhi international airport. 
The group has also opened an all-year operational ice-skating rink in the national capital. Its retail vertical also includes a BMW dealership for north India.
It also represents Porsche Design and Bally, and has launched the Segway Personal Transporter in the country.
The group established its educational arm in 1998 to offer training programmes in aviation, travel, tourism, hospitality and retail. It has so far trained over 30,000 professionals across India.

• India