(Our Bureau, June 6) Bird Group’s Executive Director Ankur Bhatia passed away on Friday following a cardiac arrest. He was 48. A pioneer in the travel and hospitality space, Bhatia is credited with bringing travel technology provider Amadeus to the Indian sub-continent in 1994. He expanded the family-owned Bird Group into luxury stays by launching Roseate Hotels & Resorts — which presently owns six properties in India and the UK — and the electric vehicles space through Bird Electric. An alumnus of New Delhi’s Modern School and London’s King’s College, Bhatia also served as Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Liberia in India. Earlier this year he had emerged as a bidder for Air India in partnership with Spicejet chairman Ajay Singh. Bhatia is survived by his architect wife Smriti and two children: Arnav and Saina.
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