Ravi Ghai has long been a known name in India's luxury hospitality and food industry, but right now it's not a new hotel opening or a business deal that's got people talking. His granddaughter, Saaniya Chandok, has just got engaged to Arjun Tendulkar, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The private engagement, held on August 13, 2025, has brought two high-profile Mumbai families together - one known for cricketing glory, the other for five-star hospitality and ice cream empires.
Who Is Ravi Ghai?
As chairman of the Graviss Group, Ghai's portfolio reads like a list of hospitality heavyweights.
He owns the InterContinental Hotel on Mumbai's Marine Drive, a landmark property he transformed from the old Natraj Hotel into a beacon of luxury. His reach goes well beyond hotels - he has steered brands like Kwality and Brooklyn Creamery and brought Baskin-Robbins to India and the SAARC region back in 1993, making global flavours a familiar treat here.
Global Training, Local Impact
A graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, Ghai has blended international know-how with Indian business instincts for decades. In 1967, he returned to Mumbai and took over the business legacy.
Under his leadership, Graviss Food Solutions Private Limited reported revenues of Rs 624 crore for FY23-24, marking a 20% year-on-year jump. The group's net worth is estimated between Rs 800-1,000 crore, with business interests that straddle both luxury hospitality and mass-market food.
Creating New Brands
Ghai's journey has been shaped by both continuity and reinvention.
He carried forward his father's legacy with Kwality Ice Cream, expanded the reach of the Gaylord restaurant chain, and launched The Brooklyn Creamery to capture a younger, health-conscious market.
He has also maintained a strong global outlook, building collaborations that introduced high-end service standards and international brands to Indian consumers.
However, all the headlines aren't all sweet. Around a month ago, Ghai faced personal turbulence, most publicly in a dispute with his son Gaurav, whom he accused of taking control of the Graviss Group during his cancer treatment.
He accused him of forging his signature, committing fraud, and taking control of the company while ending his monthly allowances during his cancer treatment.
The matter, treated as a family dispute by police, has gone to arbitration.
An Ever Lasting Legacy In Hospitality
Despite these challenges, Ghai's influence on India's hospitality sector is hard to overstate.
Since joining the family business in the 1960s, he has been a pioneer in luxury service, a dealmaker for international tie-ups, and a custodian of heritage brands. Whether it's a hotel suite overlooking the Arabian Sea or a tub of ice cream in a corner shop, his work has touched multiple layers of Indian life.
Now, with his granddaughter's engagement to Arjun Tendulkar, Ravi Ghai finds himself at the intersection of business news, society pages, and cricket chatter.