Air India partners with HBA for lounge luxury upgrade at key airports

06 Dec 2023 CW Team

Air India announced the selection of Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), a renowned hospitality interior design firm, to revamp its lounges at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, and Terminal 4 at JFK Airport in New York.

In a statement, the airline emphasised that this decision is a significant milestone in Air India's ongoing transformation plan, aiming to elevate the overall customer experience throughout their journey.

The refurbishment project is scheduled to commence soon, with the promise of delivering an enhanced and more luxurious lounge experience for passengers.

HBA, the chosen partner for this endeavour, boasts a distinguished portfolio, having worked with global institutions such as the Taj group, Marriott, InterContinental, Hilton, and Singapore Airlines.

Rajesh Dogra, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Air India, expressed the airline's commitment to providing the highest standards of service. He stated that the collaboration with HBA is instrumental in offering a warm and welcoming lounge experience that aligns with Air India's dedication to excellence.

Highlighting the airline's recent initiatives to improve customer experience across various touchpoints, including digital channels, airport and inflight services, and the contact centre, Dogra emphasised that the redesigned lounges will further strengthen Air India's customer proposition.

In addition to the immediate focus on the two lounges, Air India is concurrently working on expanding its lounge network to other major airports both in India and abroad.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..