Marriott sees India becoming its second-largest market in 3-4 years

New Delhi: India could leapfrog Mexico and China to emerge as Marriott International's second-largest market globally in the next three to four years, president and CEO Anthony Capuano told ET. The world's largest hotel chain is expanding aggressively beyond India's biggest cities, aiming to nearly double its room inventory by tapping a growing domestic appetite for business and leisure travel.

The US is Marriott's largest market currently, followed by China, Mexico, and India. "I would guess that in probably the next three or four years, India will be our second-largest market, and we have no intention of slowing down," said Capuano.

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Marriott signed more than 60 deals in India-the highest in its Asia Pacific Excluding China (APEC) region-in the first half of this year. It has more than 200 hotels in its India pipeline, covering more than 30,000 additional rooms, which will almost double its nationwide footprint over the next few years.

Marriott currently operates about 230 hotels spanning more than 35,000 rooms in India and expects to enter its 100th city in the country next year, coinciding with its centennial.

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Capuano said the company believes 'deeply' in the future of the Indian market, and those aren't 'hollow words.' "Just in the last year or two, think about how we have demonstrated our belief in India," he said. "We chose Ranthambore to announce the launch of our 10,000th hotel globally. We established our tech accelerator in Hyderabad." "We are pleased with our pace of growth, but we'd like to grow faster," he said, adding Marriott was also looking for stronger growth in revenue per available room and average room rates.

India is also emerging as a testing ground for Marriott International. The company has 19 brands in the country and is preparing to launch its 20th, City Express, a transient mid-scale brand acquired through a Latin American deal. The technology accelerator in Hyderabad is aimed at developing and testing initiatives that could eventually be used across its global operations.

The diversity of Indian consumers and the range of price points make the country a "terrific laboratory" for testing brands and new products, said Capuano. The chain's India expansion is now increasingly moving beyond luxury and premium hotels. A significant portion of Marriott's pipeline is in select-service and mid-scale brands, as the company enters secondary and tertiary markets.