TBO emerges stronger

TBO Group seems to have come out stronger as Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) acquires Naspers’ stake in TBO Group. The company is also considering a few companies for acquisition.

Kanchan Nath

TBO Group have come out stronger as Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) acquires Naspers’ stake in TBO Group. SCPE now owns 49 per cent of the stake vis-a-vis Naspers that earlier owned 51 per cent with both co-founders currently owning 51 per cent stake.

Ankush Nijhawan, Co-founder, TBO Group, says, “SCPE now believes in our business model that we have built over the last 12 years; I think the game has just begun. The market is in our favour, we are in the fastest growing travel economy in India as well as other emerging countries where we are present. Most are emerging economies and growing rapidly in the travel business.”

Nijhawan adds, “More than profits, it’s the dream that we chase. We may go in for some serious acquisitions as we are currently looking at a few companies. What TBO did in the past six years, we will try to accomplish in the next three years.”

We may go in for some serious acquisitions as we are currently looking at a few companies. What TBO did in the past six years, we will try to accomplish in the next three years

On SCPE’s plans for TBO, Nijhawan said, “SCPE is very bullish on our business plans, they believe in us and they are going to be the growth drivers for us in the global market as well as India. They will back us in whatever we think is great for the company.”

He further said that Naspers got a very healthy return on their investment for the last six years. “It has been a great partnership and we are very proud of creating wealth for Naspers, Nijhawan added.”

In his message to travel agents, Nijhawan said, “TBO Academy is something we just built and started, and we have also recently launched the Roamer App. We will also bring cruises online by the end of the year. We value our partners and try to provide them with quick service, deals and the finest cutting-edge technology in the B2B space.”

On the company’s growth, he concluded, “Growth drivers will be in different geographies, we are by far the leaders in India and strong players in the Middle East and Africa, and emerging in Southern Africa, Latin America, Asia Pacific, China and Australia. To protect and facilitate the offline travel partners world, TBO plays a very important role and we will continue to serve our travel agents and partners. The main challenge today is to fight the mobile technology and we now have a seamless App to counter that.”

Partners First

• TBO Academy is something TBO Group recently built and started. It has also launched the Roamer App
•  The company will also bring cruises online by the end of the year. It tries to provide its partners with quick deals and the finest cutting-edge technology in the B2B space