PRS Oberoi, patriarch of Oberoi Hotels, passes away

PRS Oberoi, chairman emeritus of the Oberoi Group, passed away on Tuesday morning, a spokeswoman of the Oberoi Group said. PRS Oberoi was known for changing the face of the hotel business in India. He was 94.

Born in New Delhi in 1929, Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi or PRS Oberoi was the executive chairman of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group. He was also the chairman of Oberoi Hotels Private Limited, the major shareholder of EIH Limited. Popularly known as “Biki”, PRS Oberoi was the son of late Rai Bahadur MS Oberoi, the founder of The Oberoi Group.

PRS Oberoi studied in India, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. In addition to providing leadership for the management of luxury hotels in several countries, PRS Oberoi was instrumental in pioneering the development of Oberoi hotels and resorts, according to EIH Limited website.

The “Oberoi” brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels.

PRS Oberoi was credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travellers’ map with the opening of several luxury hotels in important cities.