IGBC Convene India’s Leading Hospitality, Sustainability and Infrastructure Leaders at the IGBC Green Hospitality Summit 2026 in Kolkata

The Green Hospitality Summit addressed and strategized on the evolving landscape of hospitality towards green and ultimately paved way towards decarbonizing the sector. The summit brought together leaders from hospitality, real estate, design and policy to shape the next phase of sustainable growth for the sector. Focused on enabling Net Zero, resilient and experiential hospitality infrastructure for India’s rapidly growing tourism economy, IGBC registered over 310 projects amounting to a green building footprint of 92.86 million sq. ft. out of which 120 are certified. Whereas in West Bengal we have over 15 registered projects amounting to a green building footprint of 5.44 million sq. ft, enabling Net Zero, resilient and experiential hospitality infrastructure for India’s rapidly growing tourism economy.   

Kolkata, 29th May 2026: The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), convened the IGBC Green Hospitality Summit 2026 on 29 May 2026 at Taj City Centre, Newtown, Kolkata, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, architects, hotel developers, sustainability experts and technology providers to chart the future of green hospitality infrastructure in India. Held under the theme “Sustainable Hospitality: Enabling Net Zero, Resilient & Experiential Infrastructure,” the summit deliberated on critical priorities shaping the future of the hospitality sector, including net zero buildings, water-energy nexus, sustainable design and operations, green technologies, ESG-led development and experiential infrastructure.   

Chief guest Mr. Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group graced the inaugural, along with Mr Vijay Dewan, Co-Chairman, CII National Committee Tourism & Hospitality and Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited; Ar. Shakuntala Ghosh, Past Chairperson, IGBC Kolkata, Partner & Principal, Ghosh Bose & Associates; Mr Sushil Mohta, Immediate Past Chairman, IGBC Kolkata, Chairman, Merlin Group; Ar. Vivek Singh Rathore, Chairman, IGBC Kolkata Chapter, Founder and Principal, The Salient; Mr. Sidhesh Kumar Mishra, Deputy Director, CII-IGBC and the secretariat team.

Mr. Harshvardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group and Chairman, CII Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence for Leadership, unveiled IGBC Technical Frameworks on Green Hospitality. During the exclusive candid chat, he shared his leadership insights and wisdom. Key excerpts from his address mentioning, “Climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing our generation is facing, and the hospitality sector has a significant responsibility in shaping a more sustainable future. Sustainability must become an integral part of how we design, build and operate hospitality assets. We need to place the planet first, followed by people and performance, while recognising that profits are a natural outcome of responsible business practices. By intelligently leveraging technology, embracing renewable energy sources, creating nature-integrated spaces, promoting biodiversity, adopting eco-friendly materials, and strengthening collaboration across stakeholders through platforms like IGBC Green Hospitality Summit, the hospitality industry can redefine guest experiences while reducing its environmental footprint. Resorts and hotels have immense potential to become living examples of sustainable development through green landscapes, organic cultivation, microclimate enhancement, and resource-efficient operations. If we focus on doing our duty towards the environment and society, the results will follow. Meaningful transformation will require collective commitment and sustained efforts from all stakeholders to lead the hospitality sector towards a greener and more resilient future.”

Addressing the Developmental Shift in Hospitality, Mr Sushil Mohta, Immediate Past Chairman, IGBC Kolkata, Chairman, Merlin Group, said, “The hospitality industry has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last decade. Hotels today are no longer standalone assets; they are becoming experience anchors that shape how cities and regions are perceived by travellers. As consumer expectations evolve, the sector is increasingly being defined by authenticity, cultural relevance, design excellence and sustainability. Sustainability has moved beyond compliance and is now an integral component of operational efficiency, asset resilience and long-term value creation. The growing integration of sustainability credentials such as IGBC Green Hotels Certification into digital travel ecosystems is an important development for the sector. When sustainability becomes visible during the booking journey, it directly influences traveller choices and creates stronger market preference for responsible hospitality. The future of hospitality will be shaped by how effectively the industry combines operational efficiency, guest experience and sustainability into a single value proposition.”

Setting the theme for the summit, Ar. Vivek Singh Rathore, Chairman, IGBC Kolkata Chapter and Founder & Principal, The Salient, said, “India’s hospitality sector is witnessing unprecedented growth, supported by expanding tourism, improving connectivity and strong investor confidence. However, this growth must be accompanied by greater focus on resource efficiency, operational performance and climate resilience. Hospitality infrastructure is among the most resource-intensive building typologies, making sustainability central to its long-term success. IGBC has played a transformative role in advancing India’s green building movement, and the hospitality sector has emerged as one of its strongest contributors. The IGBC Green Hotels Rating System provides a comprehensive framework that addresses the entire lifecycle of hospitality projects—from planning and design to construction and operations. A fundamental principle of this framework is that sustainability and guest experience must work together, ensuring that environmental responsibility enhances, rather than compromises, comfort, wellness and satisfaction.”    

The summit featured a series of high-impact panel discussions and technical sessions that explored the intersection of sustainability, operational efficiency and guest experience in the hospitality sector. A key panel discussion titled “The Future of Hospitality: Design, Experience & Sustainability Converge” brought together leading voices from hospitality, real estate and architecture to deliberate on how the next generation of hotels and hospitality spaces must integrate sustainability with experiential and culturally responsive design. Industry experts discussed evolving guest expectations, environmentally responsible design philosophies and the role of innovation in creating future-ready hospitality infrastructure.

Another significant panel discussion focused on “The Water-Energy Nexus: Overcoming Operational Challenges in Crucial Services (HVAC, Kitchens & Laundry)”, highlighting how hotels can optimize resource consumption across some of their most energy and water-intensive operations. Experts from leading hospitality and engineering organizations shared practical insights on intelligent building operations, integrated engineering systems, efficient HVAC technologies and sustainable operational practices that can significantly improve efficiency while maintaining service excellence and guest comfort.

The technical sessions at the summit provided a deep dive into scalable solutions and implementation strategies for enabling low-carbon hospitality infrastructure. The session titled “Towards Net Zero Future – Decarbonizing the Indian Hotels’ Value Chain” focused on pathways for hotels to transition toward net zero operations through sustainable master planning, energy-efficient systems, smart automation, renewable energy integration and water efficiency solutions. The discussions showcased case studies, best practices and technological interventions aimed at reducing emissions and strengthening ESG performance across hospitality assets.

The summit also hosted a dedicated solutions-oriented technical session on “Enabling Green Hospitality Solutions through Sustainable Materials, Technologies & Latest Trends,” which featured presentations from sectoral solution providers such as Carrier India, Kohler, Saint Gobain Glass, Jaquar, Tap Panels, Smar Joules and Pune Gas on sustainable materials, smart technologies and innovative systems for green hospitality projects. The session highlighted how sustainability-focused technologies across energy, water and building systems are increasingly enabling hospitality developers and operators to achieve measurable environmental and operational outcomes at scale.

As part of the awards evening, IGBC recognised leading hospitality projects and industry leaders through the “Walking the Talks” Awards for their exemplary commitment towards sustainability and green building practices. A total of 13 hotels were felicitated for adopting IGBC’s green building concepts, setting new benchmarks for environmentally responsible hospitality in India. Some of the prominent hotels recognized during the session included Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited, The Leela Palaces, Taj Puri Resort, Hotels and Resorts, InterGlobe Hotels Pvt Ltd./ IBIS Portfolio, Kolkata Hotels Ltd. – Holiday Inn Express Kolkata Airport, Pravat Hospitality Pvt Ltd., and more. The recognition celebrated organisations that are actively reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing guest experience through sustainable operations and green infrastructure. 

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About CII-Indian Green Building Council –

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) was established by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2001 to actively promote the Green Building movement in India. The Council, with 32 Chapters across India, is represented by all stakeholders of the construction industry, comprising corporate, government, and nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers, institutions, and more. The Council also works with governments, the World Green Building Council, and bilateral and multilateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in India.

With a registered Green Building footprint of over 15.7490 billion sq. ft, and with 19,00330+ projects adopting IGBC’s 33 Green and Net Zero rating systems, the Green Building movement in India has been advancing at a rapid pace and transforming India into one of the global leaders in green built environment. IGBC is a market leader with about 90% of India’s green building projects adopting IGBC Green and Net Zero Rating Systems.

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