IloveIndia

Indian Heroes IloveIndia
Bikki Oberoi, the head honcho of The Oberoi Group, has splendidly built on his father's legacy of hotels. Know more about his profile, childhood, and life in this biography.

Biki Oberoi

Born On: 1929
Career: Hotelier

Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, better known to the world as Bikki Oberoi, is the son of late Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi, the founder of the Oberoi chain of hotels. Building up on his father's legacy, Bikki Oberoi steered the Oberoi chain of hotels to further heights, taking every opportunity that came his way and making 'Oberoi' a brand name to reckon with. Coming from an affluent family, Bikki Oberoi had an experience that very few people could boast of. Using this experience into his business, Bikki Oberoi has managed to come a long way, becoming one of the leading hoteliers in the world and making significant contribution in the hospitality industry. He is known for using novel strategies that have become a boon to the business of Oberois-making himself indispensable to the company and proving himself as a worthy heir of the great empire.

Early Life
Prithvi Raj Singh was born to Rai Bahadur M. S. Oberoi. Right from his childhood, Bikki showed keen interest in his father's business. By the time he was in his early twenties, his father had already established himself as an hotelier and had expanded his business to an extent that he could pamper his son with all the luxuries in the world. After completing his education, Bikki Singh left for a long trip, travelling around the world and experiencing new places and their best hotels.

Career
Born in an affluent family, Bikki stayed away from the helm of hotel business until the age of thirty-two. After being discreet about the events of his life during these thirty-two years, Bikki finally disclosed the secret in an interview. He revealed that after he finished his studies, he travelled to almost every major country in the world and stayed in their best hotels where he had the firsthand experience of sampling their best, from great food to awesome services. Squeezed from all these years of travel, he took back the rich experience of the world to his father's business and strived to boost it up than before. He took to his father's ability of a businessman and brought in with him higher goals for the Oberoi Group. Excellent in leadership and management skills, he started new chains of luxury hotels in many countries. Because of him, the Oberoi hotels are placed and rated among the international line-up of luxury hotels today. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer, Director and Member of Investors Grievances Committee at EIH Ltd. Apart from this, he is the President and Chairman of Investors Grievances Committee at EIH Associated Hotels Ltd., Chairman of the Board at Mercury Travels Limited, Chairman of the Board at Mumtaz Hotels Limited, and Chairman and Managing Director at Indus Hotel Corporation Ltd. and the Chairman of the Oberoi Group.

Personal Life
In 1959, he married Goodie and had two sons. This year (2011) he declared Vikram as the heir of the Oberoi Empire. His nephew Arjun Oberoi also helps him to manage his vast hotel business spread worldwide.

Contributions
Bikki Oberoi has made a huge contribution to the hospitality industry, which has made India one of the best in the hotel business in the world.

Awards and Accolades
Timeline

1929: Bikki Oberoi was born.
1959: Got married to Goodie, the daughter of an affluent Punjabi landlord.
2001: Received his first award from the King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
2003: Received lifetime achievement award.
2008: Received Padma Vibhushan.
2009: Received Hall of Fame Award.
2010: Received Corporate Hotelier of the World Award.
2011: Declared his son Vikram Oberoi as the heir of the Oberoi Group.