Articles tagged “oyo”

Who has ever built a portfolio of half a million rooms in six years? Oyo, that’s who. And founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, who will be speaking at the first Skift Forum Asia on May 27, says his journey has just begun.

Oyo has had plenty of success in its home market of India going direct to consumers, but if it’s to continue its global expansion plans it needs more routes to market.

Japan is a destination that’s never, ever described as affordable. But Oyo, with its budget hotel concept, could be transformational for its tourism economy.

So it's finally confirmed. Airbnb is investing up to $200 million in India's budget hotel chain Oyo, a deal that India Oyo observers say has big upsides for both companies.

This year is shaping up to be the year when Airbnb gets all of its ducks in a row before the big IPO. Investing in adjacent businesses like Oyo is a major part of that strategy. But will any of this ultimately matter — or make a difference — once the company goes public?

Airbnb projects at least 40 percent of its business will be from emerging markets by 2030, with Asian markets such as China and India driving the growth. The homesharing giant is building the foundations and investing big-time in its Asian future.

India's Oyo should feel at home in Japan, home of its biggest financier SoftBank. But will this automatically translate to success for Oyo? This is why it is starting its expansion in Japan with a new long-stay model.

The business of budget hotels is obviously hard when you consider Oyo’s latest financial report. But the startup, now five years in operation and bankrolled by SoftBank, appears to have the stamina to reach the breakeven point in the next few years.

Oyo has a seductive model of renovating budget hotels, running them efficiently through technology, and marketing them directly to consumers. But the startup risks imperial overreach by entering markets like the U.S. that differ significantly from its core markets in India and China.

Surprising factors have delayed the coronation of MakeMyTrip Group as India's queen of domestic online travel. Paytm came out of nowhere to grab share, Oyo upended budget hotel distribution, Ixigo tried to make price comparison chic, and Booking.com outmaneuvered Expedia for premium hotel bookings. From this scrappy mix, online travel will find new lessons.