SAMHI and GIC form Rs 22 billion hotel JV platform in India

24 Apr 2025 CW Team

SAMHI Hotels and global institutional investor GIC have announced a strategic joint venture to establish an Upscale+ hotel investment platform in India, with an equity investment plan of up to US$300 million. The venture will be launched with five seed assets valued at around Rs 22 billion, located in Bengaluru and Pune.

These include Hyatt Regency Pune (301 rooms, plus 22 upcoming apartments), Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott on Bengaluru’s Outer Ring Road (176 and 160 rooms respectively), and Trinity Hotel in Whitefield, Bengaluru (142 rooms), which will be repositioned under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio. An additional 220-room Westin Hotel under development will also be integrated with Trinity.

GIC will acquire a significant minority stake in the SPVs owning these assets. The funds will be deployed for capital expenditure, future acquisitions, and deleveraging.

SAMHI will continue to manage both operational and development assets.

Ashish Jakhanwala, CEO & Managing Director, SAMHI, said, “In addition to helping us strengthen our balance sheet, this partnership gives us tremendous firepower to grow our portfolio.”

Morgan Stanley advised SAMHI exclusively on the deal.

Technology

28 Oct 2025

Building Faster, Smarter, and Greener!

Backed by ULCCS’s century-old legacy, U-Sphere combines technology, modular design and sustainable practices to deliver faster and more efficient projects. In an interaction with CW, Rohit Prabhakar, Director - Business Development, shares how the company’s integrated model of ‘Speed-Build’, ‘Smart-Build’ and ‘Sustain-Build’ is redefining construction efficiency, quality and environmental responsibility in India.U-Sphere positions itself at the intersection of speed, sustainability and smart design. How does this translate into measurable efficiency on the ground?At U..

Smart Roads, Smarter India

India’s infrastructure boom is not only about laying more kilometres of highways – it’s about building them smarter, safer and more sustainably. From drones mapping fragile Himalayan slopes to 3D machine-controlled graders reducing human error, technology is steadily reshaping the way projects are planned and executed. Yet, the journey towards digitisation remains complex, demanding not just capital but also coordination, training and vision.Until recently, engineers largely depended on Survey of India toposheets and traditional survey methods like total stations or DGPS to prepare detai..

What Does DCPR 2034 Mean?

The Maharashtra government has eased approval norms for high-rise buildings under DCPR 2034, enabling the municipal commissioner to sanction projects up to 180 m on large plots. This change is expected to streamline approvals, reduce procedural delays and accelerate redevelopment, drawing reactions from developers, planners and industry experts about its implications for Mumbai’s vertical growth.Under the revised DCPR 2034 rules, buildings on plots of 2,000 sq m or more can now be approved up to 180 m by the municipal commissioner, provided structural and geotechnical reports are certified b..