Analiza Pathak
Born in Guwahati, raised in Mussoorie and Delhi, She grew up reading magazines more than textbooks. She is an experienced writer/editor and has shifted focus to various aspects of communication. Her a ... Read More
New Delhi: Prithviraj Raj Singh Oberoi, the former Executive Chairman of The Oberoi Group, which runs a chain of luxury hotels, The Trident hotels and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, passed away on Tuesday morning. Affectionately called ‘Biki’, Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi or PRS Oberoi was born in New Delhi in 1929. He was credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travellers’ map with the opening of several luxury hotels in important cities.
“In addition to providing leadership for the management of luxury hotels in several countries, Oberoi has been instrumental in pioneering the development of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. The Oberoi brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels,” reads the Oberoi Group website.
Popularly known as “Biki”, in 2002 he took over as the Chairman of EIH Limited with the death of Mohan Singh Oberoi, his father and the founding chairman of The Oberoi group, and remained CEO of EIH Ltd until 2013.
In may 2022, Oberoi stepped down from his position as executive chairman of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group, and as chairman of Oberoi Hotels Private Limited, the major shareholder of EIH Limited, took over the reins from his father the founder-promoter of the company when he was in his fifties.
Oberoi was educated at St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling, and later the United Kingdom and Switzerland. He has served as a Director of Jet Airways (India) Limited since March 29, 2004. He has a son, Vikram, CEO and Managing Director of EIH, and two daughters.
Oberoi is a graduate in Hotel management from Lausanne, Switzerland.In 2010, he was recognised as the “Corporate Hotelier of the World” by Hotels magazine.
Several firsts that Oberoi kicked off included shopping corridors within hotels, pairing two assets together within the same premises –– one more premium and one slightly cheaper worked out (Oberoi and Trident).
In 2016, he threw his weight to renovate The Oberoi, New Delhi, and hired Adam Tihany, a New York-based designer and architect known for work on the Four Seasons in Dubai and the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas. The hotel is now open features décor that is contemporary, while retaining its classic vibe and featuring artwork by Edwin Lutyens.
In June 2022, Oberoi was recognized by the International Hospitality Institute on the Global 100 in Hospitality as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality.
In 2008, the Government of India awarded PRS Oberoi with the Padma Vibushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his exceptional service to the country.
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