Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its group company, SOTC Travel, have expanded their international holiday portfolio by launching premium rail experiences across South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Egypt. Announced on July 29, 2026, the initiative targets Indian travellers seeking luxury, slow travel, and immersive destination experiences where the journey itself is a key part of the holiday. Premium packages start from ₹4.5 lakh per person, depending on the itinerary and travel period. This move capitalizes on growing demand for experiential holidays that combine premium accommodation, gourmet dining, and curated off-train excursions with iconic rail journeys.

The companies disclosed the launch under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. To ensure availability on these highly sought-after journeys, Thomas Cook India and SOTC have procured seats and cabins on premium trains. The expanded portfolio builds on long-standing partnerships with Swiss-Euro Rail and Spain's Renfe, adding some of the world's most celebrated rail experiences to their offerings.

Key Premium Train Journeys

The new portfolio features five distinct itineraries combining rail travel with land holidays:

Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Limited, stated that Indian travellers are increasingly gravitating towards premium holidays that offer richer, more meaningful ways to explore destinations. He noted that building on expertise in rail holidays, including partnerships with Switzerland's iconic rail network, the company has expanded its portfolio to include world-renowned train routes. SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head – Holidays & Corporate Tours at SOTC Travel, added that rail travel offers an authentic, local perspective and a more environmentally conscious way to explore. He emphasized that these holidays allow customers to experience the best of both the rail journey and the destination in one seamless itinerary.

What the Numbers Show

The pricing structure indicates a focus on the high-end leisure segment. With packages starting at ₹4.5 lakh per person, the offering is positioned for affluent travellers willing to pay a premium for exclusivity and comfort. The procurement of seats and cabins suggests a strategic inventory management approach to mitigate availability risks on limited-capacity luxury trains. The inclusion of diverse geographies—from the Canadian Rockies to the Australian Outback—demonstrates an effort to capture varied traveller preferences within the premium rail niche. This expansion complements Thomas Cook India's existing strengths in foreign exchange, corporate travel, and MICE services, broadening its leisure revenue streams.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited is promoted by Fairbridge Capital (Mauritius) Limited, a subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, which holds 63.83% of the paid-up capital. CRISIL has reaffirmed the rating on debt programs and bank facilities of TCIL at 'CRISIL AA/Stable' for long-term bank facilities and 'CRISIL A1+' for short-term bank facilities and short-term debt, the highest rating for a travel and tourism company in India.

Thomas Cook (India) Limited has issued a communication to shareholders detailing the Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) requirements for its proposed dividend of Re. 0.50 per equity share for the financial year ended March 31, 2026. Under the new Income Tax Act, 2025, effective from April 1, 2026, dividends are taxable in the hands of shareholders, requiring the company to withhold tax at prescribed rates unless specific exemptions are claimed. Shareholders must submit relevant documentation by August 27, 2026, to ensure the correct tax rate is applied before the dividend is paid following approval at the 49th Annual General Meeting scheduled for September 10, 2026.

The Board of Directors recommended the dividend at its meeting held on May 12, 2026. The payment will be subject to TDS as per Section 393 and other relevant sections of the Income Tax Act, 2025. For resident individuals with a valid Permanent Account Number (PAN), the standard TDS rate is 10%. However, if a shareholder fails to provide a valid PAN or is classified as a specified person, the rate jumps to 20% under Section 397(2). Additionally, failure to link PAN with Aadhaar renders the PAN invalid, also triggering the higher 20% deduction rate.

Resident individuals may avoid TDS if their total dividend income for the tax year 2026-27 does not exceed ₹10,000, or if they submit Form 121 meeting all eligibility conditions. Resident non-individuals, including insurance companies, mutual funds, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), and New Pension System (NPS) trusts, can claim exemption by providing self-declarations and registration certificates as per Annexure 2 of the communication.

For non-resident shareholders, the default withholding tax rate is 20%, plus applicable surcharge and cess, under domestic law. However, shareholders residing in countries with which India has a Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) may avail of beneficial treaty rates. To do so, they must submit a Tax Residency Certificate, a self-declaration of beneficial ownership, and file Form 41 online. Foreign Institutional Investors must also provide their SEBI registration certificate. The company reserves the right to reject incomplete submissions at its sole discretion.

Key Dates and Submission Details

Shareholders must act before the cutoff to avoid higher tax deductions. Documents submitted after August 27, 2026, will be accepted only at the company's discretion. The following table outlines the submission channels:

The company emphasized that it is not obligated to apply DTAA rates without satisfactory review of submitted documents. Shareholders who have tax deducted at a higher rate due to missing documents can file an income tax return to claim a refund if eligible. Tax credits will be available via Form 168 on the TRACES portal. Shareholders are also advised to update their bank account details in demat accounts or physical folios to facilitate timely dividend credit.