Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi (P.R.S. Oberoi) was born in New Delhi on 3rd February, 1929.
P.R.S. 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”, P.R.S. Oberoi is the son of late Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi, the founder of The Oberoi Group.
P.R.S. Oberoi was educated in India, the United Kingdom and in Switzerland.
In addition to providing leadership for the management of luxury hotels in several countries, P.R.S. Oberoi has been instrumental in pioneering the development of Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. The “Oberoi” brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels.
P.R.S. Oberoi is credited with placing Oberoi hotels on the international luxury travellers’ map with the opening of several luxury hotels in important cities.
It is P.R.S. Oberoi’s firm belief that people are the most valuable asset of any organisation. Recognising the importance of quality in hospitality management, P.R.S. Oberoi established ‘The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development’ at New Delhi in 1967. The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development is considered amongst the best in Asia.
P.R.S. Oberoi has received numerous awards and accolades. Amongst the important awards are:
In January 2008, P.R.S. Oberoi was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, in recognition of his exceptional service to the country.
P.R.S. Oberoi was also conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) held in Cannes in December 2012. The award was bestowed on him as a global recognition of his exceptional leadership, vision and contribution to develop The Oberoi Group as one of the world’s leading luxury hotel chains.
P.R.S. Oberoi was presented with the ‘2010 Corporate Hotelier of the World’ award by HOTELS magazine in November 2010. This annual award is determined by votes cast by readers of the magazine in more than 150 countries. The cover story of the November edition of the magazine referred to P.R.S. Oberoi as ‘the founder father of modern luxury hospitality in India’ and credited him with growing the company ‘into one of the world’s most prestigious luxury hotel groups’.
In recognition of his exceptional leadership and vision, the 6th International Hotels Investment Forum in Berlin honoured P.R.S. Oberoi with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2003.
Forbes India Leadership Awards honoured P.R.S. Oberoi with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
In November 2012, P.R.S. Oberoi received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to the Indian Hospitality Industry by Economic Times, Awards for Corporate Excellence 2012.
P.R.S. Oberoi was also conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the CNBC TV 18 India Business Leader Awards 2007 for building a world-class hotel chain that caters to both luxury and business travellers and for shaping the hospitality industry of the country.
Business India magazine adjudged P.R.S. Oberoi the Businessman of the Year 2008. He received this award for building a world-class premium hospitality brand.
In November 2008, P.R.S. Oberoi was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards for redefining design standards in luxury hotels.
In October 2005, the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), which is the preeminent gathering of hotel investors, investment bankers and leading industry professionals in the region, honoured P.R.S. Oberoi with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Conference in Hong Kong. This award was given in recognition of his contribution to the hospitality industry and his pioneering leadership in making The Oberoi Group a global brand by taking the concept of luxury to a new paradigm.
In February 2013, P.R.S. Oberoi was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Management by The All India Management Association (AIMA).
In 2015, P.R.S. Oberoi was voted amongst CNBC TV18’s Top 15 Indian Business Icons.
Mr. PRS Oberoi decided to relinquish his position as Chairman effective 2nd May 2022.