Guwahati: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) has announced the signing of a new Gateway-branded hotel in Dirang, signalling a strategic push into emerging tourism destinations in Arunachal Pradesh.
The upcoming Gateway Dirang will be a 70-key greenfield project, further strengthening IHCL’s footprint in the Northeast, where it now has 21 hotels, including 12 under development.
Gateway Hotels & Resorts, part of IHCL, is a reimagined upscale, full-service hospitality brand positioned between Taj and Ginger. Designed for Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities as well as leisure destinations, the brand focuses on modern, contemporary stays while offering immersive, local, experience-driven hospitality, making it a natural fit for destinations like Dirang that are seeing rising tourist interest.
IHCL’s Executive Vice President for Real Estate and Development, Suma Venkatesh, said Dirang’s growing popularity among leisure and adventure travellers, coupled with improving accessibility, has made it a key stopover on the route to Tawang.
“This signing reflects our strategy of expanding into emerging destinations with strong tourism potential,” she said.
The project is being developed in partnership with Phurpa Tsering, a prominent local developer. He said the collaboration would help bring global hospitality standards to the region while supporting sustainable tourism and local economic growth.
Located in West Kameng district, Dirang is known for its scenic setting of apple orchards, terraced farms, and pine forests, along with natural hot springs that draw travellers heading deeper into the eastern Himalayas.
The hotel will feature multiple dining options, banquet and meeting spaces, and recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, fitness centre, and spa, reflecting a broader shift towards premium hospitality infrastructure in Arunachal’s growing tourism circuit.
IHCL, part of the Tata Group, continues to expand into lesser-explored regions, betting on rising domestic travel demand and improved connectivity across India’s Northeast.