Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Softbank-backed <keyword id="19901637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO" source="keywords">OYO</keyword> is set to refile its much-awaited <keyword id="19898327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO" source="keywords">IPO</keyword> as the global travel tech player is close to finalising its refinancing plans to raise up to USD 450 million via sale of dollar bonds, sources said. JP Morgan is the likely lead banker for the refinancing through the sale of dollar bonds at an estimated interest rate of 9 to 10 per cent per annum, a source said. In preparation for the refinancing, OYO has already moved its application with markets regulator <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword> to withdraw its current draft red herring prospectus (<keyword id="19914966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DRHP" source="keywords">DRHP</keyword>). The company intends to refile an updated version of the DRHP, after the bond issuance. Oravel Stays Ltd, OYO's parent company, had in November prepaid a significant chunk of its debt amounting to Rs 1,620 crore through a buyback process. The buyback involved repurchasing 30 per cent of its outstanding Term Loan B of USD 660 million. The move brought down its outstanding loan amount to around USD 450 million. A source closely involved in the company's IPO plans told PTI, "The refinancing will result in material changes to OYO's financial statements. Hence as per existing regulations, it will need to revise its filings with the regulator". "Since the decision for refinancing is at an advanced stage, it doesn't make sense to continue pursuing IPO approval with the current financials. So it's prudent to withdraw the current application," he added. The refinancing will extend the repayment timeline to five years -- versus the repayment of the remaining TLB due in 2026 -- the source said. The bond issuance would significantly lower the current effective interest rate of 14 per cent on its existing USD 450 million Term Loan B (TLB) facility. "The refinancing is expected to result in annual interest savings of USD 8-10 million (Rs 66.4-83 crore) in the first year, after accounting for the costs associated with the bond issuance. The company anticipates annual savings of USD 15-17 million (Rs 124.5 -141.1 crore) thereafter, almost all of which would get added to its net profits. Post the debt refinancing, the company is open to contemplating an equity round, to reaffirm investor confidence before a public listing to fortify its financial strength," the source said. In September 2021, OYO had filed preliminary documents with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for a Rs 8,430 crore IPO. The launching of the IPO was delayed due to the then volatile market conditions making the company prepare to settle for a lower valuation at around USD 4-6 billion instead of the USD 11 billion it was targeting initially. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/motorola-edge-50-fusion-vs-oneplus-nord-ce-4-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/110197390.cms" target="_blank">Motorola Edge 50 Fusion vs OnePlus Nord CE 4 – price, specs and features compared</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/iqoo-z9x-5g-with-120hz-display-6000mah-launched-starting-at-12999/slidelist/110176453.cms" target="_blank">iQOO Z9x 5G with 120Hz display, 6000mAh launched starting at ₹12,999</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/woman-loses-54-lakh-in-work-from-home-scam-heres-what-it-is-and-how-to-protect-yourself/articleshow/110166963.cms" target="_blank">Woman loses ₹54 lakh in work-from-home scam! Here's what it is and how to protect yourself</a>

OYO withdraws DRHP, to refile IPO post refinancing: Sources

Hospitality and travel-tech firm <keyword id="2808667" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="oyo" source="Orion">OYO</keyword> on Monday said it will onboard and add 300 hill station hotels to its portfolio by August 2023 to cash in on the summer vacation rush. In north India, the new hotels will be in places such as Manali, <keyword id="193753" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mussoorie" source="Orion">Mussoorie</keyword>, <keyword id="76016" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nainital" source="Orion">Nainital</keyword>, Srinagar, Shimla, Dalhousie, and Haridwar while in the South, it will be Ooty, Munnar, and Kodaikanal, the company said in a statement. Gangtok, Darjeeling, and <keyword id="57704" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shillong" source="Orion">Shillong</keyword> in the East; and <keyword id="6378734" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lonavala" source="Orion">Lonavala</keyword> and Mahabaleshwar in the West will also see new OYO hotels, it added. The company is witnessing a surge in demand for hill stations and the trend will continue throughout the next three months, an OYO spokesperson said. "With our expansion across key hill stations in India, we aim to provide a wide range of options for travellers, while also contributing to the growth of domestic tourism," the spokesperson added. In addition to expansion across hill destinations, OYO is also aiming to add 1,800 new hotels to its portfolio in 2023 as part of its ongoing bid for premiumisation. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mumbai-flat-sizes-have-shrunk-20-in-past-five-years-but-other-metros-show-improvement/articleshow/100932947.cms">Mumbai flat sizes have shrunk 20% in past five years but other metros show improvement</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/kili-and-neema-paul-the-tanzanian-tiktok-siblings-winning-indian-hearts/slidelist/100932281.cms">Meet Kili and Neema Paul, the Tanzanian Tiktok siblings winning Indian hearts</a>

OYO to bring on board 300 hill station hotels by August

<ul><li>It has been a dull year for initial public offerings (IPOs) this year because of several concerns including the Russia-Ukraine war, rising inflation, higher interest rates and a strong US dollar.</li><li>However, the last few months of 2022 saw a pick up in IPOs.</li><li>The number of IPOs launched and the funds raised through them so far in 2022 have halved from last year.</li><li>Analysts believe the <keyword id="402627" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipo-market" source="Orion">IPO market</keyword> could witness recovery in the coming months thanks to a strong pipeline and the recent successes of IPOs.</li><li>Popular garments and furnishings retailer Fabindia, Sachin Bansal-founded Navi Technologies and Biba Fashion are among companies that may list next year.</li><li>Currently, there are 61 companies looking to collectively raise ₹92,403 crore via public listing.</li></ul>The primary markets have turned optimistic since September, compensating for a lull in initial public offerings (IPOs) for a greater part of this year. Most of the 15 companies that listed on the bourses in the last quarter of 2022 have rewarded investors. Several concerns – the Russia-Ukraine war, rising inflation, higher interest rates and a strong dollar – led to a halving in the number of IPOs launched and the funds raised through them so far in 2022 compared to last year. So far this year, ₹55,101 crore has been raised through 32 IPOs (as of December 6), down from ₹1.18 lakh crore raised through 64 IPOs in 2021, shows data from Prime Database. In fact, nearly 40% of the amount raised this year has been through one IPO – that of insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), which garnered over ₹21,000 crore from the public. “Between last year and this year there has been a slowdown in the IPO market. The difference is even more noticeable if you remove LIC, which contributed to a lion’s share of the amount this year. Primary market always follows the secondary market, albeit with a lag. Last year, markets were extremely bullish with a lot of liquidity floating around, which resulted in a huge number of IPOs,” Pranav Haldea, managing director of Prime Database told Business Insider India. The last few months, however, have seen an increase in the number of companies taking the IPO route. Issuances seen across sectors, except new-age tech A report by EY on IPO trends highlights that the end of Q3 (July-September) has seen an uptick in IPOs, after a slowdown post Q2. Technology, banking, capital markets, media and entertainment were the most active sectors in the IPO market in Q3, says the report “Issuances are happening across sectors, except for new-age tech companies. Now, companies have also been asked for additional disclosures, so it may be a while till we see a new-age tech company launch its IPO,” added Haldea. New-age tech companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/new-age-tech-companies-rake-in-business-but-are-still-making-losses/articleshow/95837559.cms">Zomato, Paytm and Nykaa that listed last year and Delhivery, which listed this year</a>, have sharply corrected, making investors wary. Moreso, the stock of LIC, which was India’s largest IPO, too corrected since listing in May this year. Analysts, however, believe the IPO market could witness recovery in the coming months thanks to a strong pipeline and the success of IPOs over the last few months. <keyword id="8964554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upcoming-ipos" source="Orion">Upcoming IPOs</keyword> for 2023 Currently, there are 61 companies looking to collectively raise ₹92,403 crore via public listing. These are companies that have already received approval from market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) but have refrained from opening their IPOs due to weak market sentiment, which could also impact valuations. “IPO happens when there is agreement on valuation between issuer and investors. Companies that have not yet launched their IPO even after SEBI approval are probably waiting for better valuations and perhaps do not have any fresh capital requirement or pressure from PE/VC investors to exit,” added Haldea. With the reemergence of the IPO wave, these companies could launch their IPOs next year, say experts. Popular garments and furnishings retailer Fabindia, Sachin Bansal-founded Navi Technologies, and Biba Fashion are among companies that may list next year. Top ten largest IPOs among 61 that have received SEBI approval <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Issue size </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Aadhar Housing Finance </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹7,300 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">API Holdings </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹6,250 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TVS Supply Chain Solutions </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Macleods Pharmaceuticals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bharat FIH </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Emcure Pharmaceuticals </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fabindia </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Navi Technologies </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹3,350 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TBO Tek </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,100 crore </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Prime Database Apart from these, 32 companies are in line to collectively raise ₹53,115 crore after SEBI approves their draft prospectus. Hotel chain OYO, Snapdeal and condom manufacturer Mankind Pharma are among companies awaiting the regulator’s nod. This strong pipeline augurs well for the IPO market in 2023, despite predictions of volatile global markets and other external pressures, analysts say. “While volatility in the overall global markets and other macro factors will continue to affect investor sentiments, the pipeline of IPOs and momentum created by successful IPOs towards the end of Q3 2022 could lead to a recovery in the market,” said Adarsh Ranka, financial accounting advisory services leader, partner with an Indian member firm of EY Global. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/i-am-glad-i-fd-up-so-much-in-life-that-it-is-content-now-says-ankur-warikoo/articleshow/96282722.cms">I am glad I F**%*D up so much in life that it is content now says Ankur Warikoo</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/upcoming-web-series-on-amazon-prime-netflix-hotstar-sonyliv-in-2023-in-india/slidelist/96217782.cms">Made in Heaven, Paatal Lok &amp; all the web series in between hitting the screens in 2023</a>

IPOs pick up steam in last three months of 2022 – Strong pipeline likely to propel listings in 2023

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="424838" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jack-Ma">Jack Ma</keyword> is resigning from <keyword id="163404" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Softbank">SoftBank</keyword>'s board of directors effective June 25.</li><li>Ma has been a director at SoftBank for 13 years.</li><li>News of his departure came just as SoftBank posted a $13 billion loss, while Softbank's flagship vision fund suffered a $17.7 billion loss. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Alibaba founder and China's richest man Jack Ma has left SoftBank's board of directors. The news comes just as the company announced it has suffered a record financial loss of $13 billion.Ma served on SoftBank's board for the past 13 years, and will officially resign on June 25 per a document from SoftBank.No official reason has been given for Ma's resignation, but the billionaire also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-steps-down-from-460-billion-empire-2019-9">stepped down as chairman of Alibaba</a>, the Chinese tech giant he founded, in September last year. SoftBank was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Business Insider.News of Ma's departure came just as SoftBank posted an annual operating loss of $13 billion. Meanwhile, Softbank's vision fund <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-18/softbank-vision-fund-books-17-7-billion-loss-on-wework-uber">posted a record $17.7 billion loss</a> on Monday on the back of investments including <keyword id="2918346" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="WeWork">WeWork</keyword>, <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, and <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="OYO">Oyo</keyword>.Bloomberg reports Uber is responsible for roughly $5.2 billion of the SoftBank Vision Fund's losses over the last fiscal year, while WeWork totalled $4.6 billion and the rest of its portfolio made up $7.5 billion.SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund, spearheaded by CEO Masayoshi Son, has had a rough year for its portfolio. WeWork's valuation has tumbled 90% from its peak following its botched IPO, and members of WeWork's board are now <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-group-sues-softbank-for-failing-to-complete-stock-purchase-2020-4">suing SoftBank for backing out of an agreement to buy $3 billion of WeWork shares</a> as part of its bailout for the company.With the onset of the coronavirus, many of SoftBank's investments are in fresh peril — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-announces-layoffs-3700-job-cuts-14-percent-employees-coronavirus-2020-5">Uber cut 14% of its worksforce earlier this month</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-layoffs-another-round-of-thousands-cut-on-monday-source-2020-5">Business Insider's Julie Bort reports</a> it expects to cut thousands more jobs on Monday as the pandemic recession bites.Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-steps-down-softbank-17-billion-loss-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Jack Ma is stepping down from the board just as Softbank announced a record $13 billion loss

<ul><li><keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> announced the appointment of <keyword id="8358499" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="betsy-atkins">Betsy Atkins</keyword> on its board as an independent director. </li><li>Atkins as the CEO of <keyword id="8358498" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="baja-corporation">Baja corporation</keyword> which invested in companies like <keyword id="6363100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="yahoo">Yahoo</keyword> and <keyword id="6357395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="eBay">eBay</keyword>. </li><li>Her expertise lies in scaling companies leading them to successful IPO and acquisitions. </li></ul>OYO announced the appointment of Betsy Atkins as independent director into its board. Atkins is the CEO of Baja corporation, where she has built three early stage funds, and invested in companies like Yahoo and eBay. Interestingly, Atkins’ expertise lies in scaling companies and leading them to successful IPOs and acquisitions. Her entry could all but confirm the many rumours that OYO might soon be heading for an IPO. “She is an expert at scaling companies through the hyper-growth stage and leading them to successful access to the public markets and acquisitions, which makes her a great addition to OYO, as the company moves towards its next phase of growth,” said Oyo in a press release. Having established itself in the Indian and Chinese markets, OYO is now investing heavily in the US market. Atkins joins Oyo’s board which has eminent people like Mark Schwartz, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs and Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asia Pacific; Munish Varma of SoftBank Vision Fund; Bejul Somaia ofLightspeed India Partners Advisors; and Mohit Bhatnagar of Sequoia Capital India Advisor on the board of OYO. ‘’OYO, with its unique asset-light business model and strong data capabilities, is creating something entirely new for the more than 3 billion middle-income travellers and city dwellers who need accommodations that meet their standards and also their budgets,” Atkins said.

Yahoo and eBay investor Betsy Atkins joining OYO’s board is a sign of the company’s IPO plans

<ul><li>With COVID-19 impacting the hospitality industry, bringing revenues down to almost zero, to now the steady recovery of the industry, there’s a lot that has happened through the course of the year. </li><li>Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide, however, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country.</li><li>As OYO launches its annual Travelopedia, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, <keyword id="7036155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO-Hotels-Homes">OYO Hotels &amp; Homes</keyword>, India &amp; South Asia tells us about India's favourite tourist hotspots, COVID-19 impact on OYO, <keyword id="10519936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-sentiment">travel sentiment</keyword> this year and some trends he expects to see in 2021. </li></ul>2020 has been a unique year that pushed every brand and industry to transform itself. While it started on a good note for the hospitality industry, with January 2020 (pre-covid) being the most travelled month, April 2020 witnessed most cancellations across the country owing to the government’s precautionary lockdown. Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide. The grinding halt on travel and tourism impacted home-grown hospitality brand OYO by bringing its revenue down to zero levels during the lockdown. However, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country while Delhi clocked in the most bookings across the world in 2020. Consumer confidence was at its highest during December 2020 as OYO saw the highest number of bookings since India unlocked. Today, Ritesh Agarwal’s OYO has reached ~45% of pre-COVID occupancy levels and its used room nights have grown steadily 40% m-o-m since bottoming out in May. Some of the brands are performing much better with <keyword id="4100346" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oyo-Townhouse">OYO Townhouse</keyword> operating at 85% of pre-COVID occupancy levels. An OYO Hotel in Shahjahanpur and another in Chennai witnessed an average occupancy of 100% since lockdown. Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020. We caught up with Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO - India &amp; South Asia to discuss some of the key trends that came out in its third annual report - OYO Travelopedia 2020. <div type="Video" msid="80040904" hostid="261" title="Rohit Kapoor of OYO hotels and homes on India’s favourite travel hotspots and trends to be expected in 2021" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=80040904"></div> Lockdown’s impact A month down into the nation-wide lockdown, OYO realised that the macro factors cannot be controlled. As the hospitality industry came to a complete halt till the end of June, OYO decided to focus on improving its consumers and stakeholders’ pain points. It also wanted to use its space smartly by giving back to the society. It offered a helping hand to various hospitals and their doctors across the country. “After a few consumers started showing interest in travel, we launched an extensive campaign across the country to get in touch with our partners and stay in very close touch with our consumers. We tried to identify what consumers were thinking, some problems they were facing and what we could do to solve them. We worked with 24+ state ministries, 50+ government and private hospitals and hosted about a 250,000+ hospital staff and asymptomatic patients during the lockdown. 200+ sailors were safely quarantined at OYOs across India. 1,50,000 litres of disinfectant and 70,000 litres of sanitisers were used since April to welcome our guests,” shared Kapoor. OYO also on-boarded Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador, who emerged as a knight in shining armour and has been applauded for his humanitarian work to send thousands of stranded migrants back home during the lockdown. It launched a nation-wide campaign with Sood to woo its consumers. <div type="Youtube" id="ijSg92O1d30" title="OYO Sanitised Before Your Eyes" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ijSg92O1d30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> When Vande Bharat started, approximately 73,000 repatriated Indians completed their institutional quarantine at OYOs across India. Amongst these, most bookings were made by guests travelling from the Middle East, primarily UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Insights from OYO’s Travelopedia According to Kapoor’s predictions based on travelopedia’s insights, leisure travel is making a steady comeback - with tourist hotspots of Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Tirupati, Goa, Mussoorie recovering faster than other destinations. The data also revealed that Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranked as the most popular cities among business travellers while Jaipur, Goa, Kochi were travellers’ favourite domestic leisure hotspots. <div type="image" title="Oyo travelopedia" msid="80040415" hostid="261"></div> Speaking on one of the most important trends this year for OYO, Kapoor said, “One of the most humbling things we found out that has stayed with me is that a guest has stayed with us 128 times this year, something that tells us that we are on the right path and that our customers have immense faith in us even in tough times. While 2021 will be a new learning in itself, we’re hopeful that the changes we have brought in 2020 will set new precedents in the travel and hospitality sector and we are completely motivated to work towards providing safe stays to all our customers.” We're at that time of the year when people normally are in the mood to travel. Across India, without any surprise, the tourist hotspot of Goa emerged as the most booked beach destination, followed by Kochi, Vizag and Pondicherry. To target these beach-lovers, OYO also launched a campaign earlier this month titled ‘Chalo Beach Chalein.’ <div type="Youtube" id="6W_9U2C7G30" title="OYO | Chal Beach Chalein" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6W_9U2C7G30/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Interestingly, OYO has also seen a resurgence in religious tourism. Puri emerged as India’s top pilgrimage destination, followed by Vrindavan, Tirupati, Shirdi, and Varanasi. In December 2020, over 17 lakh people checked-in over the weekends. December 12, 2020 saw the most number of bookings (so far). The next estimated date is December 31, 2020 (bookings still coming in) Telling us how December turned out for OYO, Kapoor said, “This month, people are traveling to places they wouldn’t have thought of visiting earlier. For example, many of our users have shown interest in Mukteshwar, Ramgad or Bhimtal. Plus, one big change for everyone is that during this part of the year, people travel to international locations -- that’s not happening this year. That demand is getting funnelled to domestic markets and that is a trend I foresee continuing for at least 12 more months.” Kapoor has been traveling himself to locations he wouldn’t have been to otherwise. He has been to Jaipur and Udaipur with his family, then he went to Ramgad and worked from there for 15 days. He has also been on a road trip to Lucknow, Allahabad and Kolkata. From his many road trips to different parts of our country and from OYO’s in-depth research study, Kapoor noticed how people aren’t staying with their relatives anymore. They preferred living in a hotel, which is a cultural shift in our country. Walking us through Travelpedian further, Kapoor said, “If you look at the patterns emerge, the first unlock started with the big cities and we wondered what is it that these big cities offered: one type of cohort was those who wanted to just leave their homes and work from somewhere else. Secondly, people were worried about going and staying in someone else’s home, which is pretty common in India. I was in Allahabad in September and was trying to book an OYO, it was fully sold out. It was because of an exam which was going on and it was booked by parents whose kids were appearing for that exam. Third thing we saw is seasonality disappearing because work from home is allowed. The classic pattern of people travelling during peak seasons and vacations is phasing out. People are going away for staycations, working for 8-10 hours and using the rest of time for leisure. Lastly, they are also up for impromptu plans because they want to be reasonably sure that they are ready to travel.” OYO’s goals for 2021 The focus areas in 2021 would be more or less the same at OYO. Kapoor said that one thing that COVID-19 has taught us is that the future is unpredictable and the team is prepared for uncertain 2-3 quarters. “We have learnt the power of building product-led solutions for partners and that we will continue to invest in that. We want to open OYO-products and solutions to a much wider set of customers. We have all kinds of customers today but I think we have the opportunity to present OYO as the best option for anybody who is seeking good-quality experience. OYO has been recognised as the best start-up to work with and my focus would be to continue being the best place to work with for our target not just in India, but globally as well.”

Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020: Rohit Kapoor

New Delhi, Dec 2 () Hospitality firm OYO on Monday said it has elevated Aditya Ghosh, currently chief executive officer (India &amp; South Asia) for the hotels and homes business, as a member of its board of directors.
 Rohit Kapoor, currently CEO of the new real estate businesses of the company, has been appointed as CEO (India &amp; South Asia) for OYO Hotels &amp; Homes, it added.
 Ghosh will join OYO Hotels &amp; Homes founder &amp; Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal, Baja Corporation founder &amp; CEO Betsy Atkins and other industry experts like Munish Varma, Bejul Somaia and Mohit Bhatnagar, among others, on the company's board, OYO Hotels &amp; Homes said in a statement.
 In his role on the board, Ghosh will focus on five key areas namely, safety and security, customer experience, corporate governance, revenue management and stakeholder communications, the statement said.
 "Ghosh's strong business acumen, problem-solving capabilities, passion for building an organisation with strong corporate governance and a high-performing work culture that thrives on principles of diversity and inclusion, make him the perfect choice for this larger and more strategic role, at a global level," OYO Hotels &amp; Homes founder &amp; Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal said.
 The decision will help OYO achieve its goals globally, he added.
 On the appointment, Ghosh said, "I am thankful to the board for inviting me into the august group to further build OYO as a global brand to reckon with, by not just growing fast, but growing right."
 Ghosh and Kapoor will "work closely through the coming month to enable a smooth and seamless transition", the statement said.
 Rohit's remit will now also span the operations of over 18,000 hotels across over 500 cities in India and South Asia, it added. AKT HRS

You Searched For "Oyo Board" and got 7 results

OYO withdraws DRHP, to refile IPO post refinancing: Sources

PTI

OYO to bring on board 300 hill station hotels by August

PTI

IPOs pick up steam in last three months of 2022 – Strong pipeline likely to propel listings in 2023

Bhakti Makwana

Jack Ma is stepping down from the board just as Softbank announced a record $13 billion loss

Isobel Asher Hamilton

Yahoo and eBay investor Betsy Atkins joining OYO’s board is a sign of the company’s IPO plans

Sanchita Dash

Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020: Rohit Kapoor

Karuna Sharma

OYO elevates India & South Asia CEO Aditya Ghosh to board of directors

PTI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides