Education
Patu Keswani completed his education at Saint Columba’s School, New Delhi.
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Patu Keswani
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He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and subsequently his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta. Keswani joined the TATA Administrative Service (TAS) in 1983 and worked with the TATA Group for over 15 years. His last assignment was as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Taj Group of Hotels.
In mid 2000, he joined management consulting firm, A.T. Kearney Incorporated. as director in their New Delhi office.
Two years later, in 2002, Keswani promoted Lemon Tree Hotels. Keswani is the chairman and managing director/Chief Executive Officer of Lemon Tree Hotels, which owns and operates 26 hotels with over 3,000 rooms across 15 cities pan India, with 3,200 direct employees and a Netto worth of over Rs.
2000 Cr (United States$350 Mn). Another 8 hotels, aggregating over 1200 rooms are under development.
Investors in Lemon Tree Hotels include APG, Warburg Pincus, Kotak and Shinsei Bank of Japan. Keswani is particularly interested in offering opportunities to physically disabled Indians and has ensured that around 10% of group employees (~300 people) are from this disadvantaged segment of the population.
A supporter of the non-governmental organization People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, Lemon Tree Hotels is also the largest corporate adopter of stray dogs in India. Keswani has been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by his two Alma Maters - IIT Delhi in 2011 and Indian Institutes of Management Calcutta in 2012.
Keswani was inducted into the FHRAI (The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India) Hall of Fame in 2010 and into the ‘Hotelier India’ Hall of Fame in 2012.
Keswani"s father was an Indian Railway Service officer and his mother a doctor in the Indian Army. He lives in New Delhi. Patu was married to Sharanita a management consultant who works in the branding and marketing space.
Sharanita was associated with Lemontree till 2011 after which the couple separated.
They have a daughter.
Achievements
Membership
A "thought" leader in the Indian Hotel Industry, Keswani is the chairman for the Sector Skills Committee for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism for the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), and is a member of the Sector Mentor Council for the Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Industry in the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Keswani is a member of the University Grants Commission, (University Grants Commission, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India), on the board of directors of Education Consultants India Limited (EdCIL) and on the Council for Industry and Higher Education Collaboration (CIHEC), both of which are initiatives of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Keswani is also a member of the board of governors of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi.
