New Delhi, March 10 -- BSE-listed Royal Orchid Hotels is pursuing measured expansion as India's hospitality boom gathers pace, blending asset-light growth with selective ownership bets.

The hotel operator, which runs brands such as Regenta Hotels and Iconiqa Hotels, is expanding primarily through management and franchise agreements while deploying capital cautiously. "We are evaluating acquisitions only where valuations and returns make sense, while navigating India's complex licensing landscape," Royal Orchid president Arjun Baljee told Mint.

India's hotel industry is entering a an expansion cycle which is fuelled by domestic travel and the increasing shift of independent hotels to branded operators. "Domestic travel will remain the ma...