Zubin Saxena has been appointed by Hilton to the position of Senior Vice President and Country Head for India. Saxena comes to Hilton from the Radisson Hotel Group, where he spent more than eight years in various roles, most recently as the Area Senior Vice President and Managing Director for South Asia. In January 2024, he will assume leadership and work from the Hilton corporate office located in Gurgaon.
Over the course of her 24-year career in the hotel industry, Saxena has held senior consulting positions at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels in India and HVS in New York, in addition to a 4-year tenure at IHG as Director of Development for South Asia. With an MBA from Glasgow’s Adam Smith School of Business, Saxena is an experienced team leader with a keen eye for development.
He was included in India’s esteemed “Economic Times 40 Under Forty list of Business Leaders” in 2019. He has also won other accolades over the years, such as the Indian Hospitality Council’s “Inspirational Hospitality Leader of the Year.”
In addition to managing Hilton’s twenty-five under development properties in South Asia, Saxena will take charge of the company’s twenty-five trading hotels in India. He succeeds Navjit Ahluwalia, who leaves Hilton after six years in the role.
“Given the enormous opportunity that India represents and the strong momentum we are seeing, we are excited to welcome Zubin to the Hilton family, whose energy, expertise and leadership will be pivotal, as we supercharge our growth on the Indian subcontinent. We also thank Navjit for his many years of dedication in building our presence and culture in India”, said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific at Hilton.
“I look forward to hitting the ground running at Hilton in January, getting to know the team and working for this iconic brand in this fast-developing region, which holds so much promise for the company. Hilton is at a very pivotal moment in India, with its portfolio of market leading brands and ambitious growth plans. I am excited by the size and scope of the role and look forward to leading and delivering on our ambitious goals in this incredibly dynamic market,” Zubin Saxena said.
Hilton intends to increase its estate in the upcoming years, resulting in 75 trade and pipeline properties in India. As a result, the business will continue to introduce new brands, including the Waldorf Astoria Jaipur, which is scheduled to open in 2027, and expand the footprint of its current core Hilton brand, along with Conrad, Hampton by Hilton, Double Tree by Hilton, and Hilton Garden Inn.
