DS Group in expansion mode
The Tribune Chandigarh,
January 14th 2010

Noida-based Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group is fast diversifying from its core premium tobacco business to hospitality and infrastructure, besides expanding its food and beverage business across the country.
They are planning to invest Rs 2,000 crore in the next few years in its hospitality and infrastructure business. 
The group, which ventured into hospitality business a decade ago with a hotel in Nainital, is coming up with two hotels in Kolkata (a five-star and a budget hotel), five star hotels in Guwahati and Jaipur, besides a boutique hotel in Jim Corbett National Park.
The group is also looking at setting up hotels in Udaipur and Ranthambore, and has already acquired land for the purpose. Bhavna Sood, vice-president, DS Group, said the company had earmarked Rs 600 crore for the hotels at Kolkata, Guwahati and Jaipur.
“We are planning to expand our hospitality business in a phased manner. Only when the properties at Kolkata, Guwahati, Jaipur and Jim Corbett are ready, will we go ahead with the remaining hotels,” she said.
She said the group had earmarked around Rs 1,500 crore for its infrastructure business. “We will be setting up a steel plant at Agartala with a capacity of 1.50 tonnes per annum, at an estimated cost of Rs 250 crore. A cement plant, with a capacity of one million tonnes per annum, will also come up at Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya. We have also signed an MoU with the Government of Meghalaya for setting up a 240 MW thermal power plant in Meghalaya,” she said.