New Delhi, February 14 – The iconic The Ashok hotel in Delhi, a landmark and a preferred luxury address in the government-run hospitality sector, has completed 70 years.
A grand anniversary celebration was held at The Ashok in Chanakyapuri on Friday night to mark the occasion and the diamond jubilee of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), which operates the hotel.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the event, which also featured participation from many key figures in the domestic hospitality industry, travel and tour operators, and others.
Shekhawat inaugurated a series of new initiatives at the event to mark the joint celebration.
In his address, the minister described ITDC as a "multi-dimensional growth engine for India's tourism and hospitality ecosystem," and emphasized the organization's strategy for the "digital and metaverse age," in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Developed India" by 2047.
Commissioned in 1956, The Ashok, New Delhi, the ITDC's flagship property and India's "only PSU-managed five-star luxury hotel," marks 70 years of distinguished service to the country, the tourism ministry said.
Established in 1966, the ITDC is a Schedule 'B' Mini-Ratna CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprise) under the tourism ministry.
"Over six decades, it has played a pioneering role in shaping India's tourism infrastructure, hospitality standards, and international outreach. As the ITDC celebrates its 60th anniversary, it continues to strengthen its market leadership through modernization, institutional reforms, and technology-enabled transformation," the ministry said in a statement.
The celebration featured the launch of a comprehensive range of physical, digital, intellectual, and institutional initiatives aimed at fostering growth across the tourism and hospitality sector.
These initiatives reflect the emphasis placed in the Union Budget 2026-27 on emerging technologies, including generative AI, immersive experiences, and smart digital infrastructure for commercial excellence, the statement said.
Speaking with PTI on the sidelines of the event, Mugdha Sinha, Managing Director of ITDC, said a series of initiatives are being unveiled to observe the double anniversary, catering to the "physical, digital, and cognitive domains".
The hotel's corridors were tastefully decorated for the celebration, while a dinner banquet was hosted for the invited guests.
In collaboration with the Department of Posts, a commemorative postage stamp sheet was released to honor The Ashok's 70-year legacy, the ministry said.
These officially valid stamps will serve as collectibles, branding tools, and heritage souvenirs.
ITDC unveiled a specially curated illustrated comic book, "A Day at the Hotel," in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, introducing school and college students, especially from tier 2, tier 3 cities and rural India, to career opportunities in hospitality, the ministry said.
This initiative aligns with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2026-27 regarding the proposed National Institute of Hospitality Management, it added.
A stylized commemorative postcard, embedded with a QR code, was launched, enabling users to access a film on The Ashok and relive the celebration digitally, blending memorabilia with immersive technology, the statement said.
A promotional film on the celebrated hotel's expansive grounds, micro-climate, architectural grandeur, and modern indulgence was also unveiled for year-round global promotions.
A coffee-table book – "The Ashok Recipe Book" – inspired by the vision of "Gyan Bharatam," documenting state banquet menus served at the Hyderabad House since 1975, was also released on the occasion.
"The book highlights gastronomy as an instrument of soft power and cultural diplomacy," the ministry said.
The Ashok, along with its sister property Hotel Samrat, located nearby, continues to redefine excellence in hospitality. The Ashok is a recipient of the National Tourism Award for Best Facilities for Differently-Abled Persons and Best Hotel-Based Meeting Venue, and remains central to India's diplomatic engagements, MICE tourism, and luxury-hospitality landscape, the ministry said.
To strengthen the "Wed in India" and "Meet in India" tourism segments, The Ashok has expanded its outdoor-event infrastructure with renovated facilities for exhibitions, fairs, conferences, and weddings, the statement said.
Also, teasers were launched for five state-of-the-art immersive sound-and-light shows at Leh, Purana Qila, Bundi, Sarkhej Roza, and Udayagiri and Khandagiri, using projection mapping, laser technology, and immersive storytelling to rejuvenate historic destinations, it added.
The ITDC also launched the Sound and Light Shows Manual 2026, making it the only government organization with a structured operational framework for heritage sound-and-light shows, integrating modern projection mapping, latest evaluation mechanisms, and standardized execution processes.
The corporation also launched its online-booking portal, a digital ecosystem for ministries, PSUs, defense, and paramilitary forces, enabling seamless booking of flights, hotels, transport, and conferences.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to train 1,500 tribal homestay operators nationwide through IHM, Ashok, in hospitality standards, financial literacy, and digital operations, supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism, the ministry said.
The joint celebration symbolizes the ITDC's transformation into a technology-enabled, governance-driven, experience-centric hospitality leader, integrating heritage with innovation, the ministry said.