Serving as the managing director and CEO of Nepal’s illustrious CG Hospitality, the hospitality arm of the multinational Chaudhary Group, Rahul Chaudhary represents the fourth generation of a 140-year-old family enterprise. Founded by his father, Binod Chaudhary — Nepal’s first billionaire — it is a global portfolio of more than 100 hotels and resorts across multiple countries, in partnership with international brands such as Taj, Radisson, and Vivanta. Recognised as one of the most influential hoteliers in India, Rahul is steering CG Hospitality towards ambitious expansion by 2030, blending global scale with regional identity, while building on his father’s reputation as a formidable deal-maker. Robb Report India talks to the hospitality scion about scaling a legacy business across continents, the art of the deal, and what the future of luxury hospitality looks like in a rapidly evolving world.
Rahul Chaudhary (RC): We operate in 12 countries, including Nepal, and luxury in hospitality has evolved significantly. It’s no longer about marble and chandeliers. True luxury today is simplicity that endures bespoke, memory-making moments that stay with guests long after they leave.
At one of our resorts, Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari in Nepal, a guest once told us their most vivid memory was sipping morning tea from a clay matka as the sun rose over the jungle. That humility — the local touch, the ritual, the sincerity of service, the quiet attention to detail — stitches the product into something regenerative and timeless. We’re not selling a bed; we’re selling experiences. For us, luxury is also intergenerational, something you design and steward so future generations of guests and staff inherit it whole.
RC: Leadership philosophies naturally evolve. My father, Dr Binod Chaudhary, belonged to a different era — one defined by instinct and bold risk-taking. He didn’t have armies of analysts or consultants. He learned businesses firsthand, experienced their realities, and made decisions based on judgment and hard-earned knowledge.
Today, we are fortunate to have access to deeper resources and seasoned professionals. That hasn’t reduced our appetite for risk — we remain risk-takers — but it has broadened how we evaluate and shape opportunity. We’re focussed on building CG (Chaudhary Group) as a global brand and CG Hospitality as a platform that brings the world to Nepal and showcases Nepal to the world.
Being a Nepali brand is both a strength and a challenge. Our origin gives us authenticity and a unique voice, even if domestic conditions haven’t always supported our ambitions. Still, we’ve expanded internationally and widened our footprint. We think generationally: Building a company that endures, modernises with care, and respects legacy. Succession is not a handover; it’s a long conversation about values, stewardship, and measured ambition.
RC: It’s both. Nepal’s assets — from the highest peaks and the birthplace of the Buddha to rivers, forests, and wildlife — are inseparable from living cultures. Our diverse communities, crafts, languages, and rituals carry meaning that must be sustained.
Hospitality requires operational discipline, but also responsibilities of preserving heritage, supporting local artisans, protecting ecosystems, and creating meaningful engagement between guests and the place. When business and efficient management reinforce each other, we safeguard culture while offering a deeper, more responsible way to travel.
RC: Design is a dialogue between comfort, craft, and context. Across 12 countries and a rapidly growing portfolio, we push innovation in the fundamentals of comfort — sleep systems, lighting, space, materials, service choreography — while grounding the soul of each property in local culture.
Our Taj properties in Bhutan are a good example: Global standards of comfort, but materials, patterns, and craftsmanship that are unmistakably Bhutanese. Guests don’t travel to experience generic aesthetics — they travel to be transported into another cultural world. Every touchpoint, from arrival to dining rituals, is part of that design story.
RC: Design integrity, operational stewardship, and Nepal’s cultural narrative are all non-negotiable. The work is to ensure partnerships are collaborative, not competitive — combining global expertise with local insight. The best outcomes come from co-creation, not control.
RC: Quiet luxury aligns naturally with Nepal’s temperament. The challenge is execution: It requires trained teams, strong systems, and a shift toward valuing nuance over spectacle. The opportunity lies in investing in talent, local craft, and place-based experiences.
RC: Competing on price erodes value. We’re shifting towards quality over volume: Better brands, better training, better design, smarter revenue management, and more differentiated
experiences. The goal is balance — premium products that reset perceptions, alongside a healthy mid-market.
RC: Not just comfort, but memory — human warmth, cultural immersion, stories, and a sense of connection to place. Guests should leave feeling they were welcomed into a living culture, not merely accommodated.