New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) Delhi’s iconic The Ashok hotel, a veritable landmark and a preferred luxury address in the government-run hospitality segment, has completed 70 years.
A grand double-anniversary celebration was hosted at The Ashok at Chanakyapuri here on Friday night to mark the occasion and the diamond jubilee of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which runs the hotel.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the ceremony, which also saw participation from many captains of the domestic hospitality industry, travel and tour operators, among others.
Shekhawat inaugurated a series of high-impact initiatives at the event to mark the joint celebration.
In his address, the minister described the ITDC as a “multi-dimensional growth engine for India’s tourism-and-hospitality ecosystem”, and underscored the organisation’s re-imagination strategy for the “digital and metaverse age”, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Commissioned in 1956, The Ashok, New Delhi, the ITDC’s flagship property and India’s “only PSU-managed five-star luxury hotel”, marks 70 years of distinguished service to the country, the tourism ministry said.
Set up in 1966, the ITDC is a Schedule ‘B’ Mini-Ratna CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprise) under the tourism ministry.
“Over six decades, it has played a pioneering role in shaping India’s tourism infrastructure, hospitality standards, and international outreach. As the ITDC celebrates its 60 years, it continues to strengthen market leadership through modernisation, institutional reforms and technology-enabled transformation,” the ministry said in a statement.
The celebration witnessed the launch of a comprehensive bouquet of physical, digital, intellectual and institutional initiatives aimed at catalysing growth across the tourism-and-hospitality sector.
These initiatives reflect the emphasis laid in the Union Budget 2026-27 on emerging technologies, including generative AI, immersive experiences and smart digital infrastructure for commercial excellence, the statement said.
Interacting with PTI on the sidelines of the event, Mugdha Sinha, Managing Director, ITDC, said a slew of initiatives is being unveiled to observe the double anniversary, catering to the “physical, digital and cognitive domains”.
The corridors of the hotel were tastefully decked up for the celebration, while a dinner banquet was hosted for the invited guests.
In collaboration with the Department of Posts, a customised commemorative postage stamp sheet was released to honour The Ashok’s 70-year legacy, the ministry said.
These officially valid stamps will serve as collectibles, branding tools and heritage souvenirs.
The ITDC unveiled a specially-curated illustrated comic book, “A Day at the Hotel”, in a partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, introducing school and college students — especially from tier 2, tier 3 cities and rural India — to career opportunities in hospitality, the ministry said.
The initiative aligns with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2026-27 regarding the proposed National Institute of Hospitality Management, it added.
A stylised commemorative postcard, embedded with a QR code, was launched, enabling users to access a film on The Ashok and relive the celebration digitally, blending memorabilia with immersive technology, the statement said.
A promotional film on the celebrated hotel’s expansive greens, micro-climate, architectural grandeur and modern indulgence was also unveiled for year-round global promotions.
A coffee-table book — “The Ashok Recipe Book” — inspired by the vision of “Gyan Bharatam”, documenting state banquet menus served at the Hyderabad House since 1975, was also released on the occasion.
“The book highlights gastronomy as an instrument of soft power and cultural diplomacy,” the ministry said.
The Ashok, along with its sister property Hotel Samrat, located nearby, continues to redefine excellence in hospitality. The Ashok is a recipient of the National Tourism Award for Best Facilities for Differently-Abled Persons and Best Hotel-Based Meeting Venue, and remains central to India’s diplomatic engagements, MICE tourism and luxury-hospitality landscape, the ministry said.
To strengthen the “Wed in India” and “Meet in India” tourism segments, The Ashok has expanded its outdoor-event infrastructure with renovated facilities for exhibitions, fairs, conferences and weddings, the statement said.
Also, teasers were launched for five state-of-the-art immersive sound-and-light shows at Leh, Purana Qila, Bundi, Sarkhej Roza and Udayagiri and Khandagiri, using projection mapping, laser technology and immersive storytelling to rejuvenate historic destinations, it added.
The ITDC also launched the Sound and Light Shows Manual 2026, making it the only government organisation with a structured operational framework for heritage sound-and-light shows, integrating modern projection mapping, latest evaluation mechanisms and standardised execution processes.
The corporation also launched its online-booking portal, a digital ecosystem for ministries, PSUs, defence and paramilitary forces, enabling seamless booking of flights, hotels, transport and conferences.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to train 1,500 tribal homestay operators nationwide through IHM, Ashok, in hospitality standards, financial literacy and digital operations, supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism.
The joint celebration symbolises the ITDC’s transformation into a technology-enabled, governance-driven, experience-centric hospitality leader, integrating heritage with innovation, the ministry said. PTI KND RC RC
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