The Radisson Hotel Group and the MBD Group have entered a long-term master franchise partnership to expand the hotel chain across India, with plans to open 50 co-branded properties under Radisson Collection and Radisson Red over the next 10 years predominantly through an asset-light model. The planned developments will target strategic locations including Lake Pichola in Udaipur, the newly operational Navi Mumbai airport, Bengaluru and Ranthambore. KB Kachru, chairman emeritus and principal advisor for Radisson Hotels Group South Asia, said the move responds to a youthful population profile and rising aspiration among customers under the age of 35.

The partners indicated the portfolio will follow an approximate mix of 80 per cent managed and franchised hotels and 20 per cent owned properties, reflecting a shared emphasis on scalable, asset-light growth. The expansion will be led predominantly by the lifestyle brand Radisson Red, with a smaller portion under the Radisson Collection luxury brand. MBD Group leaders described the alliance as a long-term strategic effort to accelerate branded hospitality supply across tier one and emerging leisure destinations.

MBD Group executives estimated the combined valuation of the 50 assets under management at around Rs 100 billion (Rs 100 bn) and suggested the new hotels could be trading at upwards of Rs 40 billion (Rs 40 bn) in 10 years based on current average daily rates. They projected gross operating profit in the range of Rs 17 billion to Rs 18 billion (Rs 17-18 bn). The partners expect roughly 80 per cent of the new openings to be Radisson Red properties, aligning with demand for lifestyle offerings.

The Radisson Hotel Group currently operates 139 properties in India and has more than 80 hotels in the pipeline as the Brussels-headquartered chain seeks to reach 500 properties in the country by 2030. MBD Group said around 80 per cent of the planned openings will be managed or franchised to maintain an asset-light profile while enabling rapid scale. Executives described the partnership as positioning both organisations to capture growth in domestic and inbound travel markets.