The record: HAI releases the Prime Minister's message
The Hotel Association of India has released Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to its 2026 Hoteliers' Conclave. The conclave was held on 18 September 2026 in New Delhi under the theme "Re-Engineering Hospitality".
The Economic Times carried the association's account on 18 September 2026. Hospitality Biz India carried the message text on 29 September 2026.
The association's reading of the message
Per the association, the Prime Minister congratulated HAI on the conclave and stated that HAI has an important role in India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. The association reports that he said the tourism potential of every region must contribute to the prosperity of the people, and that he hoped the deliberations would contribute to the future of the industry and the nation.
The association also reports the Prime Minister describing Indian hospitality as rooted in the philosophy of Atithi Devo Bhava, crediting the hotel industry with carrying that legacy forward for domestic and global travellers, and noting that technology is helping travellers discover new destinations and enjoy more immersive experiences. It records the line that "the warmth of human emotions will always be at the heart of hospitality".
A second rendering of the message
The Economic Times report, credited to ANI, renders the middle passage through travel demand. It records the Prime Minister pointing to better connectivity and infrastructure opening up new destinations, to religious and spiritual circuits, adventure, wellness and wedding tourism creating new opportunities for businesses and employment, and to investment in the skills of young people and other stakeholders.
The asks, in the association's words
The conclave produced three requests. HAI renewed its call for infrastructure status for the hospitality sector. It asked for incentives to encourage hotel development in emerging destinations. It pressed for ease of doing business measures.
KB Kachru, president of HAI and chairman for South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group, framed the next step as execution. He said the priority is to move from policy intent to measurable execution by strengthening infrastructure, connectivity and destination-level delivery, and to make India more competitive for global tourism, MICE and weddings.
The figures and their owner
Kachru put the national room count at around 225,000 hotel rooms, and used it to argue for the sector's potential to create jobs, attract investment, generate foreign exchange and drive growth. The figure is the association's own, and the Economic Times account carries it.
Union tourism and culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who inaugurated the conclave, cited more than 400 crore domestic tourist visits in 2024.
MP Bezbaruah, secretary general of HAI, said the sector's growing global appeal needs expanded capacity and an environment that encourages long-term investment.