New Delhi: FMCG conglomerate Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group) announced the launch of a new hospitality project in partnership with Marriott International under the W Hotels brand on Wednesday. The 200-room luxury hotel located near the Indira Gandhi International Airport is scheduled to open in the second half of 2027, with an estimated investment of Rs 400 crore.Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman, DS Group said with the inclusion of the new project, the company’s investments in hospitality are going up to Rs 1500 crore from Rs 1000 crore earmarked previously. He said the company is considering greenfield opportunities as well as acquisitions for expansion and aims to double its hospitality revenues by 2028. Hospitality currently contributes about 3-4% of the overall revenues of DS Group. The company also plans to double its current room inventory by 2029. DS Group’s existing portfolio includes six operational properties across key markets, including Namah Nainital, Namah Jim Corbett, Radisson Blu Guwahati, Intercontinental Jaipur, Renaissance Bengaluru and Holiday Inn Express, Kolkata. The growth will be driven primarily in the luxury and mid-scale segments, across high-growth tier one and tier two cities. Kumar said the company is also open to getting more international F&B brands. Last month, the company announced an exclusive partnership with British brand Ben's Cookies for India. W Hotels has a presence in global cities such as London, New York, Dubai, and Singapore and DS Group's announcement marks the debut of the W Hotels brand in Delhi NCR. This will be the second W Hotels property in India after Goa.Kumar said there is a lot of room to grow in India’s hospitality sector as a result of a 'significant' demand-supply mismatch in the premium segment. “With approximately 0.27 hotel keys per 1,000 people compared to the global average of 2.2, India’s hotel penetration rate is roughly one-tenth of the global standard,” he added.Kumar said the hospitality portfolio has performed well for the group and room rates have doubled. The company is also looking at expanding in locations such as the Northeast. DS Group is also expanding its existing hospitality inventory. Around 85 rooms are being added to the Guwahati property and 65 have just been added in Kolkata. It is also adding 25 more rooms to the Corbett property. The company has also invested around Rs 80 crore in renovating its five-star Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel and will complete it by October this year. Nathan Andrews, business head for hospitality at DS Group, said the addition of the W Hotels is a 'significant' step for the DS Group as it expands its hospitality footprint with a target of 10–12 hotels by financial year 2029.“By bringing the W Hotels brand to Delhi NCR, we are setting a new benchmark for a design-led luxury project in one of India’s most competitive markets. The Aerocity area continues to demonstrate exceptional demand and RevPAR growth,” he added.Andrews said the strategy has been to look at operating brownfield assets so the chain is quick to market. “The main focus has been on quick to market and quick to balance sheet brownfield assets,” he added.