RateGain Travel Technologies Limited (RateGain) has announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Royal Orchid Hotels, one of India's fastest-growing hotel chains. This collaboration now extends to include Royal Orchid's new luxury and lifestyle brand, ICONIQA Hotels and Resorts, marking a major step in enhancing guest experiences through advanced technology.

Key Highlights of the Partnership

• AI-Powered Platform: The collaboration centers on implementing RateGain's AI-powered Uno Suite, designed to boost direct bookings and revenue for hotel partners.
• Comprehensive Integration: This partnership represents one of the largest full-suite integrations for RateGain, signaling a shift towards AI-led, unified commercial platforms in the hospitality industry.
• Scalability Support: With Royal Orchid's plans to expand from 123 hotels to over 250 across its brand portfolio, RateGain's technology aims to support this rapid growth while maximizing revenue performance.

Technology Implementation

RateGain's Uno Suite integrates several key technologies:

Strategic Benefits

1. Unified Platform: The integration provides a single AI-powered platform to improve profitability and deliver seamless guest experiences at scale.
2. Direct Business Strengthening: Royal Orchid aims to enhance its direct booking channels, potentially reducing distribution costs.
3. Brand Consistency: The technology will help maintain consistent, high-quality guest experiences across both Royal Orchid and ICONIQA properties.

Industry Implications

This partnership underscores a growing trend in the hospitality sector towards adopting AI-driven, unified commercial platforms. It demonstrates how leading hotel brands are leveraging technology to simplify operations, reduce costs, and scale profitably in a competitive market.

Arjun Baljee, Founder of ICONIQA and President of Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd., emphasized the importance of this partnership in building a "future-ready commercial engine" for their entire group. Meanwhile, Anurag Jain, Executive Vice President, Revenue (APMEA) at RateGain, highlighted how this deployment showcases the potential for AI to help hotels "unlock revenue through smarter technology."

As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, partnerships like this between technology providers and hotel chains are likely to play a crucial role in shaping the future of guest experiences and operational efficiency in the sector.

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited , a leading travel and hospitality technology company, has received a favorable ruling from the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), marking a significant victory in a long-standing tax dispute.

Key Highlights

• CESTAT sets aside service tax demand of Rs 5,97,36,178 plus interest and penalties
• Demand related to alleged non-payment of service tax under reverse charge mechanism on certain foreign payments
• Company's appeal against Commissioner of Service Tax's demand order allowed
• No impact on financial, operational, or other activities of the company

Details of the Case

The case, which was previously disclosed as pending litigation during RateGain's Initial Public Offering (IPO), centered around a demand for service tax under the reverse charge mechanism. The Commissioner of Service Tax had initially passed an order demanding Rs 5.97 crore, along with interest and penalties, alleging non-payment of service tax on certain foreign payments made by the company.

Tribunal's Decision

CESTAT ruled in favor of RateGain Travel Technologies, effectively setting aside the demand order passed by the Commissioner of Service Tax. This decision brings closure to a significant legal and financial uncertainty that the company had been facing.

Impact on the Company

According to the company's disclosure to the stock exchanges, this development has no impact on its financial, operational, or other activities. The resolution of this case removes a potential financial liability of over Rs 5.97 crore, which could have affected the company's financial statements had the decision gone against it.

Regulatory Compliance

RateGain has promptly informed the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and BSE Limited about this development, in compliance with Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. This transparency ensures that all stakeholders are kept informed about significant legal and financial developments affecting the company.

Conclusion

This favorable ruling from CESTAT not only eliminates a substantial financial liability for RateGain Travel Technologies but also reinforces the company's stance on its tax compliance. As the travel and hospitality sector continues to recover and grow, this resolution allows RateGain to focus on its core business operations without the overhang of this tax dispute.