Mumbai, India: JLL, India’s leading real estate professional services firm, today announced the appointment of Gaurav Sharma as Head of Hotels & Hospitality Group for India and Senior Director Hotel Capital Markets, Asia. In this strategic role, Gaurav will lead the company’s hospitality practice across the Indian market, leveraging his extensive experience to capitalize on emerging opportunities in India’s rapidly evolving hotel and hospitality sector.
Gaurav will be based out of Delhi and will report to Nihat Ercan, CEO, JLL’s Hotel & Hospitality Group, Asia Pacific. Gaurav’s appointment marks his return to JLL India, where he previously led capital markets for North India from 2006 to 2012, and comes at a pivotal time as India’s hospitality sector demonstrates exceptional growth momentum. In his wider Hotel Capital Markets role Gaurav will lean into strategic transactions in Asia, leveraging his considerable M&A and platform experience.
According to JLL analysis, the hotel sector in India has delivered outstanding performance with Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) surging 10.5% year-over-year as of YTD September 2025, building on 2024’s record-breaking achievements that included over 42,071 new keys and approximately 25 significant investment transactions. This robust trajectory is evidenced by unprecedented development activity, with 182 hotel signings totaling 22,469 keys in the first half 2025, a jump of 16% from the same time last year, reinforcing the sector’s strategic expansion beyond traditional urban centers as more than 70% of new signings concentrate in Tier 2 and 3 cities.
The diverse investor ecosystem that emerged in 2024—led by high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and private hotel owners contributing 51% of transaction volume, followed by listed hotel companies at 34% continues to drive sustained confidence across the market. Given the positive momentum in investment activity, total transaction volume in 2025 is forecast at USD 450 million and JLL is projecting hotel transactions activity to reach USD 1 billion by 2028.
“Gaurav’s appointment reinforces JLL’s commitment to strengthening our hospitality expertise in India, and it’s particularly meaningful to have him return to the JLL family,” said Ercan. “His deep understanding of both domestic and international hospitality markets, coupled with his exceptional transaction experience, positions him perfectly to guide our clients through India’s hospitality sector. His return also signifies JLL’s continued investment in India’s booming hotel industry, as we build on our presence with dedicated hospitality expertise across our three key offices in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore.”
