Hotel Ashok having 550 rooms -116 of them being executive suites, a 90,000 sq ft curated garden and 16000 sq ft pillar-less convention hall – just stone’s throw away from Rashtrapati Bhawan and just across American Embassy in New Delhi – is indeed the flagship property of Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC). It is also the largest and oldest hotel, the national capital can boast of.
But, ITDC is much more than just Hotel Ashok, says Ms Mugdha Sinha, Managing Director of the corporation in an interview with Indian Masterminds. She is the 199-batch IAS officer belonging to the Rajasthan cadre.
Please watch the full interview by clicking on the link….
Under her leadership ITDC has blossomed into a complete travel, tourism and hospitality hub – a one stop solution for all needs of a traveller – from ticketing to stay, travel and fine dining. It has developed eight verticals that include event management, PR management and hospitality consultancy among others. These units are supported by 18-sub-units, she says.
ITDC is preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary and Hotel Ashok will celebrate its 70th anniversary at a commemorative function on February 13, 2026. The hotel was built in 1956 by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on 25 acres of parkland donated to the government by the Prince Regent of Jammu and Kashmir, Karan Singh. In 1956 it opened up and hosted world leaders for the ninth UNESCO conference held in New Delhi.
It has hosted several royals and heads of state, including British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Aga Khan, Yugoslavian President Joseph Braz Tito, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, American President Bill Clinton, legendary Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevara, and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The presidential suite was used for three years as the official residence of the Saudi Arabian ambassador.
ITDC which was formed on October 1, 1966 through merger of three corporations looking after travel, tourism and hospitality businesses independently, however, has expanded its operations of late and emerged as a global player. As Ms Sinha puts it : “ITDC strives to provide authentic Indian experience with international standard.”
