Gen-Next

In royal company

Keshav Baljee, vice president (Corporate Affairs), Royal Orchid Hotels, is focused on making the Royal Orchid group of hotels a great hotel chain. By Dinkar Farwaha

With a degree in finance from Wharton School and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, Keshav Baljee is armed with a strong academic background, which he is effectively putting to use to take the Royal Orchid group of hotels to greater heights. A sharp mind, talent, passion for work and an ability to think out of the box are just an added bonus.

Until a few years ago, Baljee was working in the US as an investment banker in two of the most sought-after multinational companies - the Lehman Brothers and UBS. However, he always knew deep inside that ultimately he would carrying forward his father's dream of making his brainchild, the Royal Orchid group of hotels, a force to reckon with in the hospitality sector. Says Baljee, "When the Royal Orchid applied for an IPO, I felt that with my background in finance and corporate strategy, coupled with exposure in the market, I was ready to help the group in its development. I therefore came back to India with a single-minded goal of establishing a pan-India presence for the group by 2010."

Growing strong

His innovative finance and corporate strategies have been instrumental in the growth and development of the group. With properties signed in New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Jaipur, in addition to its existing stock of nine operational hotels, Baljee anticipates that the group will increase its room count from approximately 750 rooms to over 1,800 by 2010.

To achieve this, the group has started to invest in developing its own hotels through joint ventures or through internal funding. "This will allow us to have greater control over quality and costs, and help us define our product and our brand clearly," informs Baljee.

Meanwhile, Royal Orchid has also signed an agreement with the Wyndham Hotel group to develop 10 Ramada hotels in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan totaling at least 1,000 rooms. "We are on our way to achieving our stated goal of 10 Ramada hotels in five years, and expect two Ramada hotels (under management) to be operational in a year's time," adds Baljee.

The group is looking at an investment of Rs 500 crore for the above expansion. "We are investing our IPO proceeds and internal generations. However, if we are able to find suitable projects for investment, we will not hesitate to raise more funds," says Baljee.

Taking into account Baljee's strong background and talent, coupled with his father's visionary leadership, one gets a strong feeling that the Royal Orchid group of hotels is destined to become one of the biggest hotel groups in the country.

Outside of work life, Baljee is an avid golfer and enjoys a good game of squash. He also loves reading. "I read every imaginable magazine and newspaper," he says. As for the future, he is excited about the new chapter he started with his wife in December 2007.