Rittika Kathpalia
Gurgaon
Summary
Seasoned hospitality and travel-tech professional with 20 years of experience, across strategic account management, business development and commercial growth. Proven track record of driving revenue growth, market expansion and strategic partnerships with leading hospitality brands. Currently an Associate Director managing strategic Domestic hotel-chain partnerships, commercial growth and teams. Strong expertise in commercial negotiations, data-led decision-making, stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership, with a consistent focus on delivering measurable business outcomes.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Associate Director – Strategic Accounts & Business Development
MAKEMYTRIP
03.2025 - Current
- Managing ~3.5 Cr/day GMV portfolio, contributing ~5% of organizational RPD, focused on revenue growth, commercial strategy, and strategic partnerships with leading domestic hotel chains.
- Driving 24% YoY growth in Room Nights and 29% YoY GMV growth through data-led account planning, commercial interventions and targeted growth initiatives.
- Leading senior-level commercial negotiations across commission structures, marketing investments, loyalty programs, distribution, visibility and pricing strategies, balancing partner objectives with business profitability.
- Develop and execute Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with strategic hotel-chain partners, identifying growth opportunities and translating them into measurable revenue and conversion outcomes.
- Oversaw 1 Cr/month in partner marketing investments, strategically allocating resources across visibility, campaigns, and growth initiatives to maximize partner ROI and drive incremental business.
- Portfolio: Domestic Chain
Sr. Manager – Zonal Manager – Hotel Supply - New Delhi, NCR & Haryana
MAKEMYTRIP
06.2021 - 02.2025
- Delivered 30% YoY growth in a highly penetrated and competitive market like Delhi NCR, while simultaneously driving supply expansion and revenue growth across the portfolio.
- Led team of 12 business development managers, enhancing portfolio performance and achieving business KPIs.
- Leveraged data-led market interventions to drive hotel acquisition, strengthen strategic market coverage and accelerate partner growth.
- Executed hyper-location-level interventions to address market-specific demand and supply gaps, introducing hourly room bookings in Delhi NCR and unlocking incremental customer and revenue opportunities.
- Spearheaded 'India Next' strategy for Tier 2/3 expansion and 'Discovery Club' partner capability initiatives; conducted 50+ partner connects/roadshows to penetrate Haryana market.
- Portfolio: Independent Hotels Delhi, NCR and Haryana
Manager – Training Lead
MAKEMYTRIP
03.2016 - 05.2021
- Developed and delivered capability programs, learning content, and on-field coaching for 400+ employees and 7,000+ hotel partners, improving overall training impact.
- Directed new-hire onboarding and e-learning initiatives, creating frameworks to assess and enhance training effectiveness.
- Led 50+ partner connects and roadshows across India, enhancing product adoption through targeted demonstrations and training.
- Managed functional training programs across various regions in India.
- Lead and mentor business development teams, partnering cross-functionally with product, revenue, marketing and operations.
- Evaluated hotel performance, market potential and ROI to optimize investment allocation and drive partner revenue and Room Night growth.
- Drove strategic hotel investment decisions, identifying high-potential properties and allocating advance investments to unlock incremental growth on the platform.
Business Development Manager – Hotel Supply - New Delhi
MAKEMYTRIP
02.2012 - 02.2016
- Scaled daily Room Nights from ~100 to ~1,700 for independent hotels in Delhi, delivering 17X growth through focused supply acquisition, partner development and market expansion.
- Built Mahipalpur & South Delhi hotel market, subsequently entrusted with entire Delhi independent-hotel portfolio due to strong business performance.
- Developed market and acquired hotels by identifying high-potential locations and onboarding properties to enhance supply and market coverage.
- Collaborated with team to enhance partner performance, availability, and revenue growth, significantly scaling up Delhi market.
- Portfolio: Independent Hotels Delhi
Reservations Manager
A4A HOSPITALITY
08.2006 - 01.2012
- Led a team of 8, overseeing day-to-day reservations operations, productivity and monthly business targets.
- Managed hotel contracting and rate negotiations, contributing to quarterly revenue strategy discussions with CEO.
- Oversaw client relationships, vendor payments and accounting to ensure seamless business operations.
- Earned recognition as Best Employee of the Year – 2011 for outstanding performance and contribution.
- Portfolio: Reservations Manager
Education
B.Com. -
University of Delhi
01-2009
Skills
- Business Development
- Revenue & GMV Growth
- Commercial Strategy & Negotiation
- Cross-functional Leadership
- Digital Marketing
- People Leadership
Awards & Achievements
- CBO's Ring of Honour 2025
- Values Ambassador 2025
- Star Zone 1 Award JFM 2025
- Star Zone 1 – AMJ 2024
- Dream Team – JAS – 2022
- Exemplary Achiever 2019
- Exemplary People Manager – 2019
- Best Trainer – 2017
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective People certification – 2017
- Best Employee of the Year, A4A – 2011
Timeline
Associate Director – Strategic Accounts & Business Development
MAKEMYTRIP
03.2025 - Current
Sr. Manager – Zonal Manager – Hotel Supply - New Delhi, NCR & Haryana
MAKEMYTRIP
06.2021 - 02.2025
Manager – Training Lead
MAKEMYTRIP
03.2016 - 05.2021
Business Development Manager – Hotel Supply - New Delhi
MAKEMYTRIP
02.2012 - 02.2016
Reservations Manager
A4A HOSPITALITY
08.2006 - 01.2012
B.Com. -
University of Delhi