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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has awarded the first project under its new Special License Property (SLP) initiative to Fleur Hotels, a subsidiary of Lemon Tree Hotels, officials said on Saturday. The project is expected to generate approximately Rs 10,000 crore over a 55-year period. "DDA had invited bids through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on May 2, 2025, for a 2-acre land parcel in Nehru Place earmarked for a five-star hotel. The bidding process, conducted on August 13, saw Fleur Hotels secure the project with an annual license fee offer of Rs 27.19 crore, about 50 per cent higher than the reserve price of Rs 18 crore," DDA said in a statement. This marks a major shift in DDA's land disposal policy. Moving away from the traditional freehold and perpetual lease models, the SLP initiative allows long-term development on an annual license basis. Reforms set into motion last year by Lt Governor VK Saxena, have yielded spectacular results in terms of revenue generation
The tourism sector has the potential to resolve 50 per cent of the country's employment challenges with the right government support, Lemon Tree Hotels Chairman and Managing Director Patanjali Govind Keswani said on Saturday. Delivering his address at the first National Conclave on India 2047, organised by IIM Calcutta, he said India's tourism sector is on the verge of hitting the inflexion point. Keswani pointed out that several countries have seen that the tourism sector contributes as much as 15-20 per cent to their GDP and account for 25 per cent of employment. Expressing disappointment over the government's approach towards the tourism sector, he said, "In India, tourism contributes only 6.5 per cent to GDP and a similar share in employment. This sector holds enormous potential for creating jobs." "If the government can leverage this opportunity effectively, it could address up to 50 per cent of our employment challenges," he said. Discussing India's current economic landscap