(July 23, 2025) In a world where legacies are often worn as titles, Divyraj Singh Karansar chose to wear his with a quiet confidence. The 17th-generation custodian of the royal family of Barli in Rajasthan, Divyraj isn’t just another scion of heritage. He’s a modern hotelier who unified his family’s heritage stays — including Fort Barli, Dera Rawatsar, Dileep Kothi, and Umaid Vilas — under Sawai Hospitality, a boutique hospitality collective rooted in legacy and personal connection. As a brand architect and storyteller, he’s shaping a new chapter that bridges tradition with thoughtful reinvention.
Born in Jaipur and raised amidst palatial courtyards, the echoes of legacy were always around him. “I grew up at Kishore Niwas, a haveli over 180 years old that overlooks the City Palace, Jaipur. It’s where my paternal family lived. My mother is from Fort Barli (three hours away from Jaipur), so I spent time between both homes, urban and rural, regal and rooted,” he tells Global Indian.
Despite these grand surroundings, the tone at home was never indulgent. “My mother kept us grounded,” he smiles. “When my twin brother (Devraj Singh Karansar) and I wanted iPods and Game Boys in school, she declined which left us upset. But looking back, it was one of our earliest lessons in value and humility.”
Divyraj Singh Karansae and his wife Nityasri Rathore
A Childhood of contrast and character
The family homes weren’t just physical spaces, but where the royal scion learned about life simply by watching and learning from members of his family. Divyraj fondly recalls spending time with his grandmother at Kishore Niwas and his maternal grandmother, the late rani saheba Sushila Kumari, at Fort Barli, both of whom left an indelible mark on his character. “My Nani sa was widowed young but never left the fort. She focused on service: schools, hospitals, women’s empowerment, long before CSR was fashionable. That was her way of carrying forward the crown.”
He was sent to Mayo College in Ajmer, popularly known as the ‘Eton of the East’, a rite of passage for many royals. “Both my grandfathers studied there and were classmates. My twin brother and I joined in Class 5. It was only an hour away from Barli, so I’d often return to spend weekends with my Nani sa. Those train rides home felt like little homecomings.”
From psychology to public life
After school, Divyraj’s journey veered toward psychology, first at Jai Hind College in Mumbai, then to the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Sciences, and later into the world of advertising and corporate India. “I worked with JWT Mumbai, Jindal Steel, and Aditya Birla Group for over four years. But hospitality was always calling,” he reflects. “I had grown up seeing guests walk in and out of our homes, treated like family. It was in my DNA, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it then.”
Divyraj Singh
His first brush with hospitality began not in a palace, but in a boardroom. “In Class 12, a career counsellor asked me what my parents did. I told them we were hoteliers because at that time, Fort Barli was already hosting guests. That moment stayed with me.”
However, when he expressed his desire to formally enter hospitality, reactions were mixed. “My father was thrilled. My mother? Not so much. She thought I was taking the easy way out. That stung. So, I joined corporate life instead and promised myself that if I ever returned to hospitality, I’d earn it.”
Bahrain and the baptism by fire
That turning point for the 33-year-old came in 2016. A global opportunity with Singapore’s Fraser Hospitality brought him to Bahrain, for a pre-opening hotel project that would shape his philosophy. “I joined as a marketing coordinator, the lowest rung. No one knew I came from a royal family. I kept it that way. I wanted to learn everything from the ground up.”
He did just that. From housekeeping and front office to guest relations and eventually regional marketing, his Bahrain stint lasted seven years. “I learned kitchen operations and did room inspections. Those years shaped my work ethic.” In fact, when his boss from France visited him in India, he was taken aback at his lineage all the more because his work ethic in Bahrain showed anything but a privileged background.
During the pandemic, while most hotels struggled, the young royal led his team to maintain the region’s highest occupancy and ADR (average daily rate). “We were agile, lean, and committed. I even won the Hotel Heroes Award. But more than recognition, it was validation. That I could now return to India not just as a royal, but as a professional.”
The return: Restoring heritage with a modern soul
In 2023, Divyraj moved back to Jaipur and immediately took charge of restoring Dileep Kothi, a city residence (in Jaipur) once used by his maternal grandmother. “It was a passion project. We didn’t hire interior designers. My mother and I worked every evening, over coffee and video calls, curating each corner ourselves.”
His sister, Mandvi, and brother, Devraj, were his support pillars during the time, and he jests that his father tagged him as an ‘expense department.’
Rejecting the cookie-cutter ‘heritage hotel’ template, Singh brought in bold colours, Middle Eastern accents, and modern minimalism without compromising the property’s soul. “Jaipur is saturated with ‘heritage-style’ stays. I didn’t want Dileep Kothi to be just another haveli with antique furniture. It had to be real, lived-in, and personal.”
Sawai Hospitality: Power of One
After successfully transforming Dileep Kothi, Singh noticed a gap. His family’s four properties (Fort Barli, Dera Rawatsar, Dileep Kothi, and Umaid Vilas in Jaipur) were functioning independently and in silos. “Each property had its own identity, but no common voice. That’s when I proposed the idea of Sawai Hospitality.”
The name, Sawai translating to ‘more’ or ‘beyond’ in Rajasthani captured the group’s essence. “We’re more than just rooms and meals. We’re 17 generations of hospitality, warmth, and personal connection. At our places, guests meet the family. They dine at our table. They hear our stories.”
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His pitch wasn’t an instant hit. “My father rolled his eyes and said I was spending too much again. It took two years to convince everyone. But this year, we officially launched Sawai Hospitality. We’re finally running like a collective with shared branding, systems, and guest experiences.”
The group is purely a family effort, with his brother-in-law (Anirudh Rathore) also quitting his corporate job to work alongside other members of the family, including his sister-in-law, Satkriti Singh.
Legacy, being grounded
Despite the grandeur of palaces and heritage properties, Singh’s most compelling quality remains his humility. He speaks of his early corporate mentors, his family cooks, and his boarding school with equal respect. “In Mumbai, I’d cook my own meals – bitter gourd, jackfruit, lal maas. Cooking still remains my stress buster.”
Even today, he retains that grounded discipline and work ethic. He switches off lights while leaving a room, pops into kitchens to see that the meals are being prepared on time, and is equally comfortable in a village with a weaver as he is in a palace chatting with diplomats.
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Considering that he stays at Barli along with his wife, Nityasri Rathore, most of the year, it speaks volumes of his commitment, as the village has no major sources of entertainment. Ask him about the challenges he face while running a heritage property, and he says, “Running properties in the countryside is a challenge, as is getting people to remote areas, but what helps us at Barli is our strategic location, as we are equidistant to Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur.”
Upholding a legacy
What does it mean to be a royal in 2025? There are no large retinues flanking him, nor does he lead a flamboyant lifestyle; what sets him apart is his dedication to ensuring that he celebrates festivals like Gangaur and Holi in the same manner as his ancestors or providing livelihood to the local families while ensuring that he secures his family’s legacy for the future.
His stress buster is painting, a habit inculcated in him by his art-lover wife, as well as spending time with family. His current plans include putting Barli on a global map owing to its confluence of rich architecture and legacy.
For Singh, legacy is both a purpose and privilege. “It’s an honour but also a responsibility. Yes, I come from a royal family, but I’ve worked hard to earn my place in the business world. My aim now is to build something that blends heritage with heart. That tells our story authentically, while also creating a sustainable future.”
And in that, he’s not just upholding a lineage. He’s redefining what it means to be a Global Indian rooted in legacy and rising with purpose.
- Follow Divyraj Singh Karansar on LinkedIn
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