MAM
Agoda honours over 200 Indian hotels with Gold Circle Awards
Platform celebrates top performers as international searches for India surge.
MUMBAI: When it comes to rolling out the red carpet for hotels, Agoda clearly knows how to make the awards feel golden especially when over 200 Indian properties are shining bright this year. Agoda has awarded more than 200 hotels across India in the 17th edition of its Gold Circle Awards, placing the country fourth globally in the number of awardees. The annual honours recognise properties that deliver consistently high guest standards, strong digital engagement and operational adaptability. This year’s winners were heavily concentrated in India’s top business-and-leisure hubs such as Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.
Interest in travel to India has grown significantly among international travellers, with accommodation searches experiencing a 24-fold year-on-year increase. Searches from the United Arab Emirates rose 81 per cent compared with the previous year, while travellers from Malaysia, the United States and Singapore recorded 40 per cent growth.
This momentum coincides with the Government of India’s announcement at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exhibition to double airport capacity, a move expected to strengthen international connectivity and unlock further hotel and tour demand as infrastructure scales up to meet tourism growth that is currently outpacing supply.
Agoda country director for the Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands Gaurav Malik said the rising interest is a win for both the market and hoteliers. “It’s encouraging to see how quickly the ecosystem and its partners are rising to meet that demand. As connectivity improves and airport capacity expands, India is well positioned to welcome even more travellers and to showcase the incredible depth and variety of experiences the country has to offer,” he noted.
2025 Gold Circle Awards ranking by market (number of winners):
Globally, the 17th edition of Agoda’s Gold Circle Awards recognised over 3,000 hotel partners for excellence in operational performance and guest experience. Insights from Agoda’s “Tailored to Win” report further highlight that nearly 98 per cent of Indian hotels using advanced localisation strategies reported a positive impact on revenue, underscoring the importance of tailored content, payments and guest touchpoints in capturing both international and domestic demand.
In the race for travellers’ attention, it seems Indian hotels are not just keeping pace, they’re earning gold medals while doing so.
Brands
IndiGo names William Walsh CEO
Former IATA chief to take charge in August after Elbers exit, Bhatia steers interim
India’s biggest airline has moved fast and gone global. InterGlobe Aviation, which operates IndiGo, has tapped aviation heavyweight William Walsh as chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approvals, marking a sharp pivot as the carrier eyes its next burst of expansion.
Walsh, currently director general at the International Air Transport Association, will step down on July 31, 2026, and is expected to take charge by August 3. The appointment comes barely three weeks after Pieter Elbers exited the corner office, with Rahul Bhatia holding the fort in the interim.
The choice signals intent. Walsh brings decades of cockpit-to-boardroom experience, having led British Airways and later International Airlines Group, the parent of Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling. His tenure across carriers has been defined by hard resets, restructurings and cross-border consolidation—skills IndiGo may need as competition intensifies and scale becomes decisive.
Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman and non-executive independent director of IndiGo, said Walsh’s experience in managing large-scale airline operations and navigating complex market dynamics makes him well-suited to lead IndiGo in an increasingly competitive global aviation environment, adding that the appointment marks a new chapter as the airline scales in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
Rahul Bhatia said Walsh’s global perspective, operational expertise and customer-focused approach would be critical as IndiGo enters its next phase of expansion.
Walsh, widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential figures, will oversee overall management and strategic direction, with a mandate spanning operational performance, network expansion, commercial strategy and customer experience. He is expected to work closely with the board and leadership team to sharpen IndiGo’s growth trajectory.
Walsh said IndiGo has a strong foundation and is well-positioned to capitalise on the evolving aviation landscape, adding that he looks forward to fostering a culture of excellence, innovation and sustainable value creation across the organisation.
A new captain, a bigger runway—and a market that rewards scale. IndiGo is lining up for its next take-off.
