Taj Hotels' first foray into North-East India
The Indian Hotels Company Ltd today announced its plans to launch a new hotel in North-east India with the announcement of Vivanta by Taj - Guwahati, Assam. The foundation stone for the property was unveiled by Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam in the presence of a host of dignitaries including Mr Ratan Tata , Chairman Tata Sons , Mr R.K.Krishna Kumar , Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Limited , Mr Rockybul Hussain , Minister of Forest and Environment, Tourism, Government of Assam, Mr H.S.Das , IAS, Principal Secretary Finance & Tourism , Government of Assam. Corporate Honchos Venugopal Dhoot, MD - Videocon Group, Naina Lal Kidwai, HSBC - India Country Head and M S Banga of Unilever also attended the ceremony in Guwahati.
The property will be located on a 4.5 acre site at G S Road in Guwahati.It will be the city’s first 5-star hotel for a target clientele of business and leisure travellers. The company has been allotted the land on a long term lease for development of a 150-room premium property as part of the State’s overall development agenda. The proposed site is strategically located and is in close proximity to key business districts, the Government Secretariat and the airport.
Unveiling the foundation stone, Shri Tarun Gogoi, CM, Assam said “This is a clear indication that the Tata Group is committed to the development of Assam in north east as a whole. This hotel will provide tourism to a great extent. We are very happy to have our first 5 star hotel because without a 5 star hotel, one cannot bring in development”
Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons spoke of the business and tourism opportunities in the State and said “It is a great privilege and honour to be here today on this occasion when Taj is registering its commitment to the state of Assam in laying the foundation stone of Vivanta by Taj. I hope this hotel will, as the Minister stated, be a destination for not only business visitors but also tourists, who may visit Assam. In the morning we have had discussions on what we could, as business people, do in Assam and we were always struck by the tremendous change in the state, the level of activity, the enhancement of quality of life and I believe we are all committed to the vision of the Chief Minister to advance the rural environment in Assam, to raise the quality of life in rural areas, to provide jobs and skills. I hope this hotel, that we are all at today, will in its own way contribute to this goal.
Mr Tata further acknowledged the state governments visions for Assam “I applaud the Chief Minister in what he has been able to do, his cabinet and his team and I wish the state every success in achieving what it has set out to do. And I hope that all of us who have the pleasure of being here today, can play our small role in helping making this happen”
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Mr. R K Krishna Kumar, Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Ltd, gave further details about the inception of the project. “A couple of years ago, when Shri Tarun Gogoi shared with us his vision about a new Assam, thereafter, the Taj group did a lot of market assessment and decided to come up with Vivanta by Taj in Assam, an excellent location. The hotel will have 150 rooms in the first phase and not only that, it will have a convention facility and since connectivity is pretty good here, we hope that we can bring in new visitors to this beautiful state. This, we believe, will be the first of our ventures here and we have already set up Ginger, a smart basics hotel and hopefully with this beginning we should be able to look at more opportunities in Assam. Vivanta by Taj will be commissioned in 2 years at an investment of Rs 95 crores. This is a new beginning for the Tata Group in Assam. Assam is richly endowed with natural resources and wildlife and is a great candidate for representing in Taj Safaris. This is a strong commitment from Taj to the state of Assam”.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Veer Vijay Singh , Chief Operating Officer , Premium Hotels , Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces said, “Guwahati is increasingly emerging as a commercial and tourism hub for the state and for North-eastern India. We see immense potential for business and leisure tourism in Guwahati and are proud to introduce a Taj brand to this region. We will endeavour to create job opportunities for the local people of North East and Assam. We look forward to a continued association with the state of Assam.”
The Vivanta by Taj – Guwahati, Assam will consist of 150 rooms and suites and will be built with a design theme inspired from local architecture. The hotel will have an all day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a bar. Recreation facilities like an expansive spa and fitness centre will add to its charm. 6000 sq ft of meeting & banqueting facilities, associated meeting and conferencing areas will complete the experience.
This is a significant development for Taj Hotels as Guwahati is the Gateway to the North East and is a critical administrative, political and financial centre for the state. A key commercial and business hub, Guwahati has many zonal offices of PSUs and corporate offices located in the city. Guwahati is also the vortex for tourism for North East India with world renowned wildlife natural parks located in the state, and hill stations such as Shillong & Cherrapunji close by. The most popular tourist circuit of Guwahati-Kaziranga-Shillong-Cherrapunji-Guwahati ensure the steady flow of tourists to the city in season. Guwahati forms an important axis for bringing together sports and cultural activities for the North Eastern region of the country.
About Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia's largest and finest group of hotels, comprising 67 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 16 international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Grand Palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, completed the centenary of its landmark hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India's premier business house.