PRS Oberoi, doyen of Indian hospitality, passes away

PRS Oberoi

Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, the doyen of Indian hospitality and Chairman Emeritus of the Oberoi Group, passed away on November 14 morning, leaving behind a legacy of impeccable hospitality.

The former executive chairman of EIH Limited, The Oberoi Group flagship, is known as the man who changed the face of the hotels business in India. "In addition to providing leadership for the management of luxury hotels in several countries, Oberoi has been instrumental in pioneering the development of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. The Oberoi brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels," reads the Oberoi Group website.

"PRS Oberoi is credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travellers map with the opening of several luxury hotels in important cities."

Oberoi was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honour, in January 2008. The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) conferred him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in December 2012 as a global recognition of his exceptional leadership, vision and contribution to develop The Oberoi Group as one of the world's leading luxury hotel chains.

The HOTELS magazine recognised PRS Oberoi as the '2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World' through votes cast by its readers across more than 150 countries. The cover story of the November edition of the magazine referred to him as "the founder father of modern luxury hospitality in India" and credited him with growing the company "into one of the world's most prestigious luxury hotel groups".

Among the host of organisations that have awarded PRS Oberoi for his lifetime achievements, features the CNBC TV-18 India Business Leader Awards 2007 for building a world-class hotel chain that caters to both luxury and business travellers and for shaping the hospitality industry of the country. In 2015, he was voted among CNBC TV-18's Top 15 Indian Business Icons.

PRS Oberoi decided to relinquish his position as chairman and director of EIH Limited from May 3, 2022.

This is a developing story. Please stay tuned for more updates.