Smaller cities drove India's greenfield hotel projects in H1 CY25

Newer hotels may take up larger share of signings in the year, led by global brands expanding operations

India’s hospitality industry is seeing a fresh cycle of structural growth, driven by a surge in greenfield hotel developments across Tier-II, -III, and -IV cities. Developers are increasingly focusing on expanding the branded hotel footprint beyond India’s top metros.

 

“The share of greenfield signings has risen steadily from 39 per cent of total keys signed (12,433 rooms) in 2020 to 59 per cent (26,897 keys) in the first half of 2025, while brownfield projects declined from 40 per cent to 29 per cent during the same period,” said Mandeep S Lamba, president and chief executive officer (South Asia), HVS Anarock.