Why is one Leela palace worth ~70 managed hotels? CEO Anuraag Bhatnagar on Indian luxury, pricing power, zero Covid layoffs & India’s luxury gap. In Episode 21 of Innside Scoop, Anant Kumar (co-founder, Brij Hotels) sits down with Anuraag Bhatnagar, Whole-time Director & CEO of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts — ranked the world’s No. 2 hotel brand in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2026. They discuss what “true Indian luxury” means, why a luxury brand should not grow too fast, how a parking lot became a ballroom and a dumping ground became a speakeasy, why The Leela laid off no one and kept hiring through Covid, what Brookfield’s ownership changed, the pipeline from Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah to Agra, Ayodhya, Srinagar and Coorg, and why India’s luxury hotel supply is far behind demand. Plus: 10 years at Oberoi, lessons from PRS Oberoi, Starwood, Marriott, and advice for anyone starting a hospitality career. Note: operating and market figures are as stated by the guest at the time of recording and are not company guidance. CHAPTERS00:00 Inside The Leela with CEO Anuraag Bhatnagar01:51 True Indian luxury05:12 28% growth, NPS 86 & pricing power09:25 Parking lot to ballroom, dump to speakeasy11:56 The pipeline: Dubai, Mumbai BKC, Agra & more15:37 Why a luxury brand must not grow fast (1 palace = 70 hotels)17:23 Branded residences & ARQ19:49 Aujasya wellness23:07 “My biggest nightmare is a Sunday”28:02 10 years at Oberoi & PRS Oberoi31:10 Starwood, Marriott & career lessons36:02 Joining The Leela before Covid39:30 Covid: zero layoffs, 1,300 hires & six-room rule41:02 Culture, green power & 5-year plan45:12 India’s luxury gap: under 30,000 luxury rooms47:28 Books & the meeting that changed his life51:56 Favourite Leela: Coorg & quiet luxury53:51 Hospitality’s blind spots57:24 Advice for starting a hospitality career59:31 Inbound vs outbound: India’s missed tourism opportunity ABOUT THE GUESTAnuraag Bhatnagar is Whole-time Director & CEO of Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts Ltd (NSE: THELEELA), India’s listed pure-play luxury hospitality company, backed by Brookfield. An alumnus of IHM Pusa, he spent about a decade with The Oberoi Group, followed by senior roles with Starwood and Marriott International, including leading the St. Regis Mumbai. He joined The Leela in January 2020. FOLLOW ANURAAG BHATNAGARInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/anuraag.bhatnagar/X: https://x.com/anuraag999LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuraag-bhatnagar/ THE LEELAYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LeelaHotelsOfficialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleela/Website: https://www.theleela.com/ WATCH NEXTEP 17: Amruda Nair on selling The Leela: https://youtu.be/ANZYCQGOkCkPrevious episode, EP 20: https://youtu.be/llJxW3uYap8 GUEST SUGGESTIONSinnsidescooppodcast@gmail.com FOLLOW INNSIDE SCOOPYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCjEI8Hl3bFNm9_ZBFtxx_nwInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/innsidescoop_podcast LINKEDINhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anant-apurv-kumar/https://www.linkedin.com/company/brij-hotels/https://www.linkedin.com/company/theclarkshotelsresorts/ YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@brijhotels672https://www.youtube.com/@theclarkshotelsandresorts INSTAGRAM@brijhotelshttps://www.instagram.com/brijhotels/https://www.instagram.com/theclarkshotelsandresorts/ WEBSITEShttps://www.brijhotels.com/https://www.theclarkshotels.com/ ABOUT INNSIDE SCOOPInnside Scoop is the ULTIMATE podcast for hospitality enthusiasts, aspiring hoteliers, and industry professionals. Hosted by Anant Kumar, co-founder of Brij Hotels, the podcast provides deep insights and expert advice for people entering or already working in hospitality. #InnsideScoop #TheLeela #AnuraagBhatnagar #LuxuryHospitality #HospitalityIndia
