India one of the strongest global hotel markets: JLL Apac head

India's hospitality sector is witnessing one of its strongest growth cycles.

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Xander Nijnens, senior managing director at JLL Hotels and Hospitality and head of advisory and asset management, Asia Pacific (Apac), and Gaurav Sharma, managing director, hotels, India, and senior director hotels capital markets, Asia, JLL, tell Roshni Shekhar in an interview in Mumbai that the growing investor confidence in the country's hospitality industry across institutional investors and family offices was leading to record levels of signings and transactions, pushing up industry metrics. Edited excerpts:

How has India evolved as a market for global investors in terms of investments in the hospitality industry?

Nijnens: Investment volumes are slower due to global capital-market volatility and longer decisionmaking cycles in the Asia-Pacific market this year. India's domestic market is far stronger and more resilient than many international markets. Global investors are starting to get excited about the domestic demanddriven hospitality story in India, and finally, an increasing number of credible entry points for foreign capital, with a route into hospitality in India through an indirect route.