HICSA 2026 kicks off in Mumbai; marks Hotelivate - Savills integration

Hosted at the Grand Hyatt Hotel & Residences Mumbai, from April 8 – 9, this year’s edition is being positioned as the largest in the conference’s history, even as organisers navigated participation challenges from certain regions amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

The 21st edition of the Hotel Investment Conference – South Asia (HICSA) opened on a high-energy note in Mumbai, bringing together industry leaders, investors and stakeholders, featuring two days of networking, knowledge exchange and strategic dialogue. 

Scales up amid global headwinds

HICSA 2026 is being called as its biggest edition yet, reflecting strong industry momentum and continued global interest in South Asia’s hospitality sector. Despite geopolitical complexities impacting participation from certain regions, the conference has managed to draw a diverse international audience.

Manav Thadani, Founder Chairman, Hotelivate, acknowledged the encouraging turnout. “A big shout out to my friends from Dubai who made it. Many of you are here, from Singapore and the U.S., which is very encouraging.” he said. He reiterated that the platform remains sharply focused on key decision-makers. “Whether it’s this country or other global countries, our focus is always on the two groups of people, which is owners and co-owners, because they’re the ones who pay the bills.”

Role of Leadership in a World on Fire

Anchored around the theme “Leadership in a World on Fire,” the agenda this time underscores the need for bold, resilient and visionary leadership in a time of global transformation. From climate concerns and shifting consumer expectations to geopolitical disruption, the agenda reflects the urgency for leaders and discussions, who can navigate uncertainty while staying grounded in purpose.

The event aims to bring together thought leaders and industry pioneers to exchange insights, build partnerships and shape the future direction of hospitality investment in the region.
 

Hotelivate joins hands with Savills

A major announcement at this year’s conference was Hotelivate’s integration with Savills, marking a significant step in expanding its global footprint. The firm will now operate as Hotelivate-Savills, retaining its existing teams, advisory approach and client relationships, while benefiting from enhanced scale and capabilities.

Anurag Mathur, CEO, Savills India, described the move as a strategic milestone. “It’s an important step in the journey of both the organisations. In India, we’ve been here for about seven years, so we are still a fairly young organisation and growing,” he said.

He highlighted hospitality as a key opportunity area. “One of the areas that we felt was a very interesting and nice opportunity was the hospitality space. And therein lies the whole reason for this association or the acquisition.”

Mathur emphasised the complementary strengths of the partnership. “What we bring to the table is a very strong global platform with services which are complementary to what Hotelivate does, like real estate services in brokerage, valuations and building advisory,” he explained. At the same time, he underlined that Hotelivate will continue to operate with autonomy. “They will continue to work as subject matter experts with a significant amount of autonomy, because they know the market and the industry.”

India as a key growth market for Savills

Martin Fidden, CEO, Asia Pacific, Savills, positioned India at the centre of the company’s regional growth strategy. “India is obviously a key growth market for Savills. So, this investment further demonstrates our commitment to building scale and capability on the ground,” he said.

He noted that the integration with Hotelivate enhances Savills’ hospitality platform across Asia Pacific while opening new expansion opportunities. “With Hotelivate, it strengthens our existing hospitality and hotels platform across the region, but also their exposure to multi-markets supports our regional expansion as well,” he said.

Fidden also pointed to increasing investment activity in the sector. “The biggest growth story for us and the most excitement is in the potential transaction space. India is beginning to see a lot more institutional capital coming in.”