Taj takes another U-turn on branding; CEO eyes 25% profit in 5 years

Indian Hotels CEO Puneet Chhatwal says, 'Multi-brand strategy launched 13-14 years ago was the right way forward'

Within about 100 days of joining as the managing director and chief executive officer of Indian Hotels, Puneet Chhatwal got an “almost unanimous” decision in a meeting to go back to a multi-brand approach. 

The development comes within a year of another strategic decision taken by the company's former MD and CEO Rakesh Sarna to have all its hotels under a single brand — Taj Hotels Palaces Resorts Safaris.

Sarna’s decision overturned the multi-brand strategy unfolded in 2008 — under the then MD and CEO Raymond Bickson — that could not last even a decade. 

“We evolved this strategy in