Ideas and idlis: Oyo's Ritesh Agarwal loves southern food, the front desk

Oyo CEO Ritesh Agarwal tells Ajay Modi how he digs south Indian food and why he still stands behind the reception desk of OYO properties to check in guests

There could not have been a better time for a lunch with Ritesh Agarwal, founder and group chief executive officer for budget hospitality start-up OYO. Agarwal, one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the country, turned 25 last month. The SoftBank-funded company emerged a unicorn, valued at $5 billion, just two months before Agarwal celebrated his 25th birthday. Around the time of his birthday, OYO announced the hiring of former Indigo Airlines president Aditya Ghosh as chief executive for India and South Asia.

Agarwal, a vegetarian, is fond of south Indian cuisine and had suggested Dakshin, a restaurant in Sheraton, New