Nandini Taneja, CEO, Bhumika Enterprises

Bhumika Group has been steadily strengthening its presence in the retail and hospitality space, through its dedicated strategic arm- Bhumika Enterprises, backed by a clear vision to build high-quality, experience-led developments. Bhumika Enterprises, is now entering a phase of accelerated growth, with ambitious expansion plans. The clear focus is on scaling a strong portfolio of retail-led mix-use projects that cater to evolving consumer lifestyles, while creating vibrant destinations that seamlessly integrate shopping, leisure and hospitality.

In this interview with Torbit Realty, Nandini Taneja, CEO, Bhumika Enterprises, talks about fast evolving retail and hospitality landscape, with changing preferences of consumers, company’s strategic approach to design and technology to create experiential, future-led spaces, prospects of retail and hospitality sector in general and growth plans of Bhumika Enterprises in particular. Excerpts.

What’s your vision behind Bhumika Group’s retail and hospitality portfolio? What’s the focus area, and what differentiates your developments?

Our vision is to create spaces that go beyond transactions- places where experiences, lifestyle, and community converge. In retail, we focus on curated destinations that blend shopping, dining, and entertainment. In hospitality, we prioritize quality, consistency, and operational excellence, whether it is hotels, service apartments, or branded residences. What differentiates us is the integrated approach where design, technology, and service come together seamlessly to deliver value for consumers, tenants, and investors.

Architecture and design play an important role in creating successful retail and hospitality developments. How’re you leveraging it from the point of view of green, sustainable and experiential developments?

Design is central to our ethos. We adopt green and sustainable practices, not just because it’s responsible, but because it creates healthier, more efficient spaces. From energy-efficient systems and optimized natural light to water recycling and green roofs, sustainability is embedded in every project. Equally, experiential design guides how consumers interact with spaces, whether through curated public zones, immersive retail layouts, or hotel lobbies that create memorable first impressions. This combination of sustainability and experience ensures our developments are future-ready, operationally efficient, and emotionally engaging for visitors.

Land, approvals and financing are major challenges in developing large retail & hospitality projects. What’s your strategy to meet these challenges? Are you adopting an asset-light strategy for hospitality projects?

Large-scale retail and hospitality development comes with complexity. Land acquisition, approvals, and financing are often bottlenecks. Our strategy combines early stakeholder engagement, meticulous project planning, and selective partnerships to mitigate risk. For hospitality, we are exploring an asset-light model in select projects, collaborating with operators to reduce upfront capital while ensuring quality standards. This approach allows us to scale responsibly, maintain operational excellence, and optimize returns, without over-leveraging our balance sheet. Strong governance, phased execution, and strategic alliances remain key pillars of how we navigate these structural challenges.

How do you see retail and hospitality growth in Delhi-NCR and North India vis-à-vis other parts of India? What’s your company’s geographical focus?

Delhi-NCR remains one of India’s most dynamic retail and hospitality markets, driven by strong urbanisation, rising disposable incomes, and a clear consumer shift towards experiences. Recent data from Cushman & wakefield reflects this momentum, with retail leasing in the region reaching around 2.25 million sq ft in 2025, an 83% year-on-year growth, the highest since 2019. This growth is being complemented by a strong upswing in the hospitality sector as well. As India’s hotel is industry projected to grow at 10–12% in FY26, supported by rising domestic travel, business demand, and large-scale events, this will further reinforce the region’s appeal as a consumption and experience hub. North India is increasingly aligning with metro consumption patterns, making it a natural focus for us. While emerging tier-2 markets like Udaipur are showing strong traction, our strategy is to deepen our presence across Delhi-NCR and key North Indian cities, supported by infrastructure growth and improving connectivity.

Mixed-use developments are the hottest property these days, with retail, entertainment, hotel, and service apartments being part of the mix. What’s your strategic approach?

Mixed-use developments are the future of real estate, where retail, hospitality, and entertainment complement each other to create vibrant ecosystems. Our approach is to thoughtfully integrate components, ensuring retail drives footfall, hospitality benefits from location synergies, and service apartments cater to evolving lifestyle needs. Every element is designed to reinforce the others, enhancing overall asset performance and long-term value. Success lies in operational coherence, curated tenant selection, and experiential design, ensuring the development functions as a cohesive destination rather than isolated verticals.

Going forward, how do you see the role of technology, AI and data analytics in shaping the future of retail and hospitality?

Technology is increasingly becoming the backbone of both retail and hospitality, fundamentally reshaping how decisions are made and experiences are delivered. AI and data analytics are enabling far more precise demand forecasting, deeper personalisation, and leaner, more efficient operations. Whether it is dynamic pricing in hotels or predictive footfall, intution is steadily giving way to data-led strategy. More importantly, these tools are allowing us to build stronger, more meaningful consumer engagement.

By leveraging data insights, we can better understand customer preferences, optimise tenant mixes, curate targeted experiences and design more effective loyalty programmes that drive repeat visits and long-time retention. This shift is not just about efficiency- it’s about creating a more responsive, intutive ecosystem where every interaction feels relevant and thoughtfully designed.

How is the entry of global brands impacting design, scale and overall retail and hospitality landscape?

The entry of global brands is steadily raising the bar across the retail and hospitality sectors. Their presence is influencing not just tenant mix, but also design standards, project scale and overall asset positioning Today, developers compelled to align with global benchmarks, whether in facade articulation, circulation efficiency, or backend infrastructure. This shift is pushing the ecosystem towards greater sophistication and long-term thinking. At the same time, global brands bring a sense of consistency, trust and operational value, which helps attract a more discerning consumer base and enhances the overall positioning and performance of the development within its micro-market.

How large is your current retail and hospitality footprint? What are your expansion plans, and where’s your retail and hospitality portfolio headed in 2030?

Today, our retail and hospitality portfolio spans 2.5 million Sq ft, including hotels, malls, and branded residences across Delhi-NCR and select North Indian cities. By 2030, we aim to expand strategically, focusing on high-potential urban hubs and emerging tier-2 markets, with a mix of owned and asset-light models. Our goal is to create integrated destinations that combine shopping, entertainment, and hospitality while embracing technology, sustainability, and experiential design. Growth will be measured not just in size, but in relevance, quality of experience, and long-term value for consumers and investors.

How do you look at the prospects and challenges in the retail and hospitality sector?

The outlook for retail and hospitality remains structurally strong, underpinned by rising consumption, rapid urbanization, and a consumer base that increasingly values experiences over transactions. However, the real challenge lies in execution discipline- choosing the right location, curating a balanced tenant mix, and building a resilient operational model. Capital, today is far more selective, favouring assets that are thoughtfully designed and future-ready. At the same time, consumer expectations are evolving quickly, requiring continuous innovation in both offerings and engagement strategies. In this environment, the long-term success will depend less on scale alone and more on relevance, adaptability, and consistent delivery.