IHG Expansion India 2026: CEO Targets 400 Hotels in 5 Years, 1,000 Long Term

India’s hospitality scene is about to look very different. As of Thursday, January 15, 2026, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has officially hit the “fast-forward” button on its India plans. Global CEO Elie Maalouf dropped a bit of a bombshell today: they’re targeting 400 hotels in the next five years.¹

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The thing is, they only have about 50 open right now.² Or nothing. Let’s be real, going from 50 to 400 is a massive leap. Those too. But with 80 already in the pipeline (taking them to 130), they’re basically saying the “last decade changed everything” for India.³

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The “India 1000” Log: Field Notes

It’s an ongoing situation where the CEO is comparing India’s hotel supply to Manhattan.⁴ And here’s the kicker—he says all of India currently has fewer internationally branded hotel rooms than that one single borough of New York.⁵

• The “China” Parallel: IHG is hitting 1,000 hotels in China by next year.⁶ The thing is, Maalouf thinks India has the same potential. With a middle class set to grow by 400 million in the next 15 years, the demand isn’t just coming—it’s already here.⁷

• New Brands Landing: You’re going to see more than just Holiday Inns.⁸ The thing is, they’re debuting the Vignette Collection in early 2026 for luxury seekers.⁹ Plus, their new mid-scale brand Garner is already popping up in places like Etawah and Kathua.¹⁰ It’s an ongoing situation where they’re moving into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, not just the big metros.

• Infrastructure is the Fuel: Why now? Maalouf pointed to the “record aircraft orders” and the massive push in roads and railways.¹¹ The thing is, you can’t have a hotel if people can’t get there. But now, they can.

• Job Machine: Each new hotel creates between 100 and 300 jobs. The thing is, their Gurugram “Center of Excellence” has already ballooned to 900 employees. It’s a massive employment story hiding inside a business expansion.

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IHG India Growth Tracker: Jan 2026

And Here’s the Kicker…

India is now one of IHG’s “Top 3” global markets. The thing is, they aren’t just looking at business travelers. They’re betting big on religious tourism and the “Great Indian Wedding” market.¹⁶

It’s an ongoing situation where the gap between supply and demand is so huge that IHG is willing to be “patient.”¹⁷ But with a new hotel signing nearly every week in 2025, that patience is clearly paying off.

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End…

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