Hyatt reshuffles leadership as Sunjae Sharma moves to Asia Pacific role, Vikas Chawla named India president

GURUGRAM: Hyatt Hotels Corporation has reshuffled its leadership deck in Asia Pacific, elevating Sunjae Sharma to a broader regional role and appointing Vikas Chawla as president for India and Southwest Asia. The move underscores the company’s push to strengthen its leadership bench as it accelerates expansion in one of its most promising markets.

Sharma, currently managing director for India and Southwest Asia, will relocate to Hong Kong to take on expanded responsibilities across the Asia Pacific region. The transition marks the next step in a career closely tied to Hyatt’s growth in India.

In an internal communication, David Udell, group president – Asia Pacific, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, said Sharma’s appointment reflects Hyatt’s ambitions to scale its operations across Asia Pacific. Udell credited Sharma with helping shape the brand’s India story since joining the company in 2002 at Grand Hyatt Delhi.

Over the past two decades, Sharma has played a central role in expanding Hyatt’s footprint in the country, strengthening operational capabilities and nurturing hospitality talent across the market.

Taking over the India and Southwest Asia reins is Vikas Chawla, who will assume the role of president from April 1. Based in India, Chawla will oversee Hyatt’s strategy, performance and expansion in the region and report directly to Udell.

Chawla arrives with nearly three decades of experience spanning food services, beverages and consulting. He most recently served as managing director and chief executive of Compass Group India, part of Compass Group Plc. Earlier in his career, he founded beverage brand Raskik and held senior leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company across India and Southeast Europe.

India has emerged as a cornerstone of Hyatt’s global growth strategy. The company currently has 51 operational hotels across India, riding a wave of demand driven by domestic leisure travel, a rebound in business travel and rising appetite for experience-led luxury hospitality.

Hyatt has previously outlined plans to expand its footprint further, targeting 100 hotels in India by 2030.

Chawla said his focus will be on deepening owner partnerships and accelerating brand-led expansion. The goal, he added, is to position Hyatt as the hospitality brand of choice for discerning travellers across the country.

With India’s travel boom gathering pace and Hyatt betting big on the market, the leadership shuffle signals one thing clearly: the race for India’s luxury traveller is only just heating up.

A Hyatt spokesperson said, “We can confirm there has been a leadership update for Hyatt in India & Southwest Asia to reinforce our long-term strategic ambitions in the region. A formal external announcement with additional details will be shared in due course.”