Twenty years after launching as a journey startup, Agoda is now eyeing India like a seasoned chess participant considering their subsequent successful transfer. With over 5 million properties in its international arsenal and India rising as its fastest-growing battlefield for brand spanking new listings, CEO Omri Morgenshtern is not simply betting on the subcontinent—he is going all-in. Because the journey reserving large celebrates 20 years of disrupting wanderlust worldwide, Morgenshtern’s daring prediction that India will rocket into Agoda’s prime three markets inside 5 years sounds much less like company optimism and extra like a journey business prophecy ready to unfold.The journey reserving large, which has remodeled from “a journey firm that does tech to a tech firm that does journey” over the previous decade, sees India not simply as a market however as a development engine that would propel it to new heights. With India rising because the fastest-growing marketplace for property onboarding, Agoda’s dedication to the subcontinent runs deep—extending from important hiring initiatives to localized product improvement.
In an unique dialog with ETTravelWorld, Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda, painted an formidable image of India’s trajectory within the international journey ecosystem, positioning the nation because the cornerstone of the platform’s future development technique.
India’s Meteoric Rise in Agoda’s Portfolio
When requested about India’s contribution to Agoda’s international enterprise, Morgenshtern was unequivocal in his optimism. “India is one among our strongest markets, seemingly within the prime 5 when it comes to development, and I will be amazed if it isn’t prime two or three within the subsequent three to 5 years, given the momentum of journey in India,” he acknowledged emphatically.
This confidence stems from elementary financial drivers that set India aside. “Only a few nations within the planet are rising GDP the identical means India is. GDP is at 7%, journey is at 11%, however when you begin logging on cell, you are taking a look at 30-40%,” Morgenshtern defined, highlighting the multiplicative impact of digitization on journey development.
The numbers paint a compelling image. India has constantly been the market with the very best variety of onboarded properties for Agoda over the previous couple of years, a development that continues unabated. “It is nonetheless the quickest rising, and possibly might be there within the subsequent two or three years,” Morgenshtern confirmed, underlining the sustained nature of this development trajectory.
Agoda’s dedication to India extends past market penetration to substantial human capital funding.The corporate has grown quickly from initially onshoring buyer help to recruiting and investing closely in tech expertise.
In a singular advertising strategy that underscores its localization technique, Agoda created modern branding campaigns that includes Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana. This celeb endorsement technique displays Agoda’s understanding of cultural nuances and its willingness to spend money on model constructing inside the Indian market.
The Infrastructure Flywheel Impact
Morgenshtern’s evaluation of India’s development potential facilities on what he phrases a “flywheel impact”—a self-reinforcing cycle of infrastructure funding and journey demand. “You are investing, everyone else is noticing that, in order that they’re making an attempt to do issues to draw Indian prospects. However then they’re additionally studying about India, in order that they’re coming to India, and also you begin getting this ecosystem that’s exceptional,” he defined.
Authorities investments in transportation infrastructure, mixed with airline growth and digital cost methods, have created an atmosphere conducive to exponential journey development. This infrastructure improvement, coupled with India’s entrepreneurial spirit and digital adoption, creates what Morgenshtern describes as “distinctive alternatives all over the place you go.”
Navigating the Complexity of the Indian Market
Regardless of the alternatives, Morgenshtern acknowledges the distinctive challenges of working in India. “How is it to do enterprise in India? It is chaotic. It is India. It is massive. It is not one factor,” he candidly admitted. “India isn’t a rustic, it is a number of nations, a number of cultures, a number of locations.”
This complexity requires agility and strategic partnerships. “It’s good to be agile as a result of India is agile. The tempo that issues evolve is exceptional,” Morgenshtern famous, emphasizing Agoda’s partnership-first strategy. “We acknowledge that the quickest approach to be taught is partnerships, and likewise to show. So there are win-wins.”
AI and Personalization: The Way forward for Journey Reserving
Trying forward, Morgenshtern envisions a journey expertise remodeled by synthetic intelligence. Agoda’s current launch of an AI Journey Planner, showcased by way of customized video messages from Ayushmann Khurrana, represents only the start of this transformation.
“The imaginative and prescient is that this tremendous customized concierge that is aware of you very effectively,” Morgenshtern defined, evaluating it to superior AI assistants from science fiction. “You are searching for any person that might be very proactive. It may well say, ‘Hey, I see that you simply’re staying there, and I do know that you simply’re together with your child that loves pizza, and there is a nice pizza place, new pizza place with nice evaluations, simply subsequent to your resort. You need me to guide it for you?'”
This proactive strategy represents a elementary shift from reactive reserving platforms to anticipatory service suppliers. “This does not exist at present. The tech exists—we will try this technically talking. The expertise would not exist. That is the place it is going,” Morgenshtern predicted, timeline-wise anticipating this revolution inside two to a few years.
Emerging Travel Trends: Live performance Economic system and Expertise-Pushed Journey
Agoda’s information reveals fascinating insights into evolving journey patterns amongst Indian shoppers. The “live performance financial system” has emerged as a big driver, with occasions like Coldplay live shows producing 4-5x spikes in search volumes. “When these occasions are taking place outdoors of India, say Thailand, we see the reserving sample. Quite a lot of the those who attend the live performance might be Indians which can be flying over,” Morgenshtern noticed.
This development displays a broader shift towards experience-driven journey. Agoda’s related journey characteristic, which integrates flights, lodges, and experiences, has seen speedy adoption. “The share of what we name related journeys—travellers that can guide multiple element from us—that quantity is growing quickly,” Morgenshtern reported.
Vacation spot Developments: Vietnam’s Meteoric Rise and Japan’s Cultural Enchantment
Indian travellers’ vacation spot preferences are evolving in surprising methods. Vietnam has emerged as a standout success story, leaping from eighth to 3rd place in search rankings for Indian travellers. “They did the identical factor that India hopefully does and can do extra—easing visas, making it utterly frictionless, and heavy funding in infrastructure,” Morgenshtern defined.
Japan represents one other important development, with searches rising 60% year-over-year in Q1 2025. Whereas historically Indians favored Southeast Asia or Center East locations, Japan is breaking the North Asia barrier. “Nearly each different nation, Japan might be primary or quantity two vacation spot. Indians have began to find Japan,” Morgenshtern famous, including that the favorable yen trade charge makes it an opportune time for Indian travellers.
Agoda’s information on repeat buyer conduct supplies invaluable insights into vacation spot satisfaction. When the corporate final carried out its survey in August 2024, Japan emerged as the highest repeat go to vacation spot globally. For Indian travellers particularly, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia ranked within the prime three for repeat visits, indicating excessive satisfaction ranges and powerful vacation spot loyalty.
Future Roadmap: Deeper Localization and Related Journey
Trying towards the long run, Morgenshtern outlined Agoda’s strategic priorities for India. “I wish to see our product in India be so localized that you simply would not be capable to perceive that it is developed by an organization that isn’t an Indian firm,” he acknowledged, emphasizing the significance of cultural integration.
The related journey idea will develop past conventional flights and lodges to incorporate buses and trains—transportation modes essential for sure segments in India. “Doing the related journey in India isn’t the identical as doing the related journey elsewhere. Buses and rails are crucial for sure segments in India,” Morgenshtern defined.
Because the journey business navigates an more and more advanced international panorama, Agoda’s India-first technique gives a compelling blueprint for sustainable development in rising markets—one constructed on technological innovation, cultural sensitivity, and strategic endurance.
Morgenshtern’s closing ideas seize this symbiotic relationship: “I feel outbound is rising very quick. I feel inbound can also be rising, and can naturally get numerous development from the truth that outbound is so profitable. It is going to be great if we will transfer numerous that additionally for home development, which could be very fascinating as we grow to be increasingly more Indian.”
