Kolkata: Ambuja Neotia Group on Saturday announced an investment commitment of around Rs 3,000 crore to strengthen Bengal’s hospitality sector, marking one of the group’s most significant expansions in the state.Chairman Harshavardhan Neotia, during the opening of AltAir House–IHCL SeleQtions in Kolkata and Siliguri, developed in partnership with Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL), said he recently met CM Suvendu Adhikari and expressed the group’s vision of investing about Rs 15,000 crore in hospitality, healthcare and real estate in Bengal over the next 5 to 7 years.“When you have a govt in close coordination with Centre, focus would come on infrastructure, better coordination on various incentives and welfare schemes, and unlocking the potential. It can lead to a lot of possibilities. So, there is a lot of optimism and enthusiasm,” he said.Neotia said Bengal’s tourism strength was in its diversity, from metropolitan Kolkata and riverfront destinations to forests, tea gardens and the Himalayan foothills. The group’s investment plan reflected confidence in the state’s long-term hospitality potential and its ambition to create destinations that travellers would want to experience and revisit, he added.The investment will be spread across key tourism and business destinations, including Kolkata, Raichak, Digha, Siliguri, Lataguri, Kalimpong and Darjeeling, covering IHCL’s wider brand portfolio. It includes the two newly launched AltAir House properties as well as a Rs 100 crore expansion of Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa, Darjeeling, which will add 28 keys and 15,000 sq ft of banqueting facilities.AltAir House–IHCL SeleQtions, Kolkata, located at Ecospace Business Park in New Town, offers 42 individually designed rooms and suites inspired by Bengal’s cultural heritage.The Siliguri property, located at Uttorayon Township, features 60 rooms and suites influenced by the region’s cultural character, positioning the hotel as a gateway to north Bengal and the eastern Himalayas.IHCL managing director and CEO Puneet Chhatwal said the launch of AltAir House under the SeleQtions brand added a new chapter to the company’s long-standing partnership with Ambuja Neotia, with both partners focused on advancing tourism and expanding distinctive hospitality experiences across the region. The collaboration already spans more than 80 properties across India, including 55 Tree of Life resorts.
