Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited has launched Zone Connect by The Park Visakhapatnam, marking its second hotel presence in the city. Strategically located on Beach Road, the new property aims to strengthen the company's footprint in Andhra Pradesh's coastal hospitality market.

The 52-key hotel introduces contemporary design and social spaces to the destination. It offers proximity to key infrastructure hubs, positioning itself for both business and leisure travelers.

Strategic location and amenities

The property is situated along Visakhapatnam's iconic Beach Road, providing easy access to major transport and commercial centers. Key distances from the hotel include:

The hotel features Café C, an all-day dining restaurant, and an open-air coffee shop overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Additional facilities include a terrace swimming pool with sea views and indoor banquet spaces accommodating up to 300 guests. A dedicated space named Grey Zone caters to intimate meetings and smaller corporate events.

Leadership commentary

Mr Botcha Suresh Kumar, Managing Director, and Mr Veda Vyas Botcha, Director of M/s Hema Abodes Private Limited, highlighted the partnership's potential to create local employment and enhance the regional hospitality ecosystem.

Mr Vikas Ahluwalia, AVP and National Head of Zone by The Park, stated that Visakhapatnam's mix of business and leisure appeal makes it a natural fit for the Zone Connect brand. He noted that the launch reinforces the company's commitment to Andhra Pradesh as a high-potential market.

Company portfolio expansion

This launch adds to ASPHL's existing portfolio of 42 hotels operating under five brands: THE PARK, THE PARK Collection, Zone by The Park, Zone Connect by The Park, and Stop by Zone. The company also maintains a diverse presence in food and beverage through its retail brand Flurys.

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels held its 38th Annual General Meeting on September 26, 2026, via video conferencing. The meeting focused on adopting financial statements for FY26, declaring dividends, and re-appointing directors. All four proposed resolutions were approved with requisite majority.

Meeting proceedings and attendance

The meeting commenced at 11:00 am (IST) with a quorum present. Ms. Priya Paul, Whole-Time Director and Chairperson, welcomed members. Key directors in attendance included Mr. Vijay Dewan, Managing Director; Mr. Karan Paul, Non-Executive Director; Mr. Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda, Independent Director; and Mr. Raveesh Kumar Bhatia, Independent Director. Ms. Ragini Chopra, Independent Director, was absent due to preoccupation, with Mr. Pachnanda authorized to represent the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

The Company Secretary, Ms. Shalini Keshan, confirmed that statutory registers were available for electronic inspection. Members participated through remote e-voting and live e-voting during the session, facilitated by MUFG Intime India Private Limited. A total of 50,415 shareholders were on record as of September 19, 2026.

Resolutions put to vote

The following ordinary and special business items were presented for approval:

The Chairperson delivered an address, followed by an operational performance update from Managing Director Vijay Dewan. The Notice convening the AGM, Board Report, and Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2026, were taken as read. The Auditors' Report on standalone and consolidated financial statements, as well as the Secretarial Audit Report, contained no qualifications, observations, adverse remarks, or disclaimers.

Voting results analysis

Mr. Harish Chawla of CL & Associates served as the Scrutinizer. The detailed voting outcomes reveal strong promoter support across all items, while public institutional investors showed varying degrees of dissent.

The dividend declaration received unanimous support from all categories, including public institutions and non-institutions. However, the remuneration approval for Mr. Karan Paul faced notable opposition. Public institutions voted against this special resolution at a rate of 42.34%, casting 8,005,364 votes against compared to 10,903,357 in favour. Public non-institutions also recorded a dissent rate of 16.95% on this item.

What the numbers show

The voting data highlights a divergence between routine corporate approvals and executive compensation matters. While the adoption of financials and dividend declaration saw minimal dissent (under 2%), the remuneration resolution attracted significant pushback from institutional investors. Specifically, 42.34% of votes polled by public institutions were cast against Mr. Karan Paul's remuneration, contrasting sharply with the 11.62% dissent seen on the re-appointment resolution for the same director. This suggests that while institutions accepted his continued role on the board, they had specific concerns regarding the quantum or structure of his compensation package.

Conclusion

The meeting concluded at 12:33 pm (IST). Pursuant to Regulation 44 of the SEBI Listing Regulations, voting results have been communicated to stock exchanges upon receipt of the Scrutinizer's Report dated September 29, 2026.