Meet the women who are making Rajasthan move

Rajasthan has always been a land of stories—of queens and warriors, forts and palaces, colourful traditions and timeless hospitality. But today, some of its most compelling stories are being written by women who are quietly, confidently and courageously reshaping the state’s travel and hospitality landscape.

As Safari Plus joins Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM) 2026 in Jaipur and the first Marwar Travel Mart (MTM) in Jodhpur as Media Partner, we decided to look beyond the conventional narrative of destinations, hotels and tourism numbers. Instead, we turn the spotlight on remarkable women whose work, leadership and determination are influencing the way Rajasthan is experienced, promoted and celebrated.

These are women who are building businesses, creating experiences, championing destinations, preserving heritage, encouraging responsible tourism and opening new possibilities for the next generation. Some lead from the forefront; others work behind the scenes. But each is contributing to a Rajasthan that is more contemporary, inclusive, experiential and ambitious—without losing the soul that makes the state extraordinary.

01 | RATNA KUMARI

Rooted in Rajasthan, Ready for What’s Next

With hands-on hospitality experience across diverse destinations, Ratna Kumari brings a fresh perspective to Rajasthan’s evolving tourism landscape.

For Ratna Kumari, hospitality is not simply about running properties—it is about understanding places, people and the experiences that make a traveller want to return.

With a strong grounding in Rajasthan’s hospitality sector and a natural appreciation for the state’s culture and heritage, Ratna represents a new generation of industry professionals bringing fresh energy to an established business environment.

Her experience spans two hotels in Jaipur and Shahpura and two resorts in Sariska and Abhaneri, giving her exposure to very different hospitality formats and destination profiles. From city-based stays to resorts surrounded by wildlife, nature and heritage, this diversity has helped her develop a wider understanding of the opportunities and challenges within Rajasthan tourism.

Her involvement is not limited to a strategic or ownership role. She has been closely engaged with the day-to-day functioning of the properties, gaining practical insight into operations, guest experience, people management and service delivery. This hands-on exposure has shaped her understanding of what it takes to create hospitality experiences that are both distinctive and relevant to today’s traveller.

Understanding the New Traveller

Ratna’s connection with Rajasthan’s traditions gives her a strong appreciation of what makes the state unique. At the same time, she recognises that travellers today are looking for more than a beautiful property or a well-known monument. This is where Ratna sees considerable potential for Rajasthan—with its heritage, wildlife, landscapes, cuisine and living traditions—to develop richer, more immersive tourism experiences. Her exposure to Sariska and Abhaneri, in particular, offers a perspective on how nature, heritage and local culture can come together to create compelling destination experiences.

She also believes the industry must keep pace with changing expectations, with sustainability, technology, service standards and responsible tourism becoming increasingly important to the future of hospitality.

02 | SHAMBHAVI JODHA

The Legacy Keeper with a Modern Compass (She inherited a tourism legacy. Now, she is giving it a new direction.)

Young, confident and driven by an evident appetite to learn, Shambhavi represents a new generation of Rajasthan’s tourism leadership—one that respects the foundations laid by the previous generation while embracing technology, sustainability and new-age destination thinking.

As the second generation at Rajasthan Routes Trails Pvt. Ltd., she is co-leading the travel and destination management company alongside her father, Rajendra Singh Jodha. But her journey into the family business was never about simply stepping into an established role. She first immersed herself in operations, learning the business from the ground up—from the first enquiry and itinerary planning to costing, bookings, execution and client servicing.

That hands-on grounding, combined with professional experience outside the family enterprise, has shaped a perspective that is both practical and progressive. Today, Shambhavi is bringing that perspective to the business—and to the larger Rajasthan tourism ecosystem.

Her story is not just about carrying forward a family name. It is about understanding where the industry has been, recognising where it is headed, and having the confidence to help shape what comes next.

03 | POOJA BANSAL

From Designing Spaces to Shaping Experiences (Architect. Hotelier. Marketer. Industry catalyst. Pooja Bansal brings together heritage, hospitality and new-age thinking.)

Pooja Bansal began by designing buildings. Over the years, she discovered that the more interesting architecture was happening beyond the walls— in the way people travel, experience a destination and connect with a place.

An architect by training and a hotelier by evolution, Pooja has spent two decades at the intersection of architecture, heritage and hospitality. Today, as Director – Marketing & Sales at Arya Niwas Hospitality, she is not only involved in shaping the group’s hospitality proposition but is increasingly emerging as an active voice within Rajasthan’s travel industry.

Her architectural background continues to influence the way she looks at hospitality. Across the group’s properties, she has explored different expressions of Rajasthan—from heritage and traditional building crafts to contemporary aesthetics and new-generation accommodation. But for Pooja, heritage is not about recreating the past. It is about making the values, materials, stories and skills of the past relevant to today’s traveller.

Her transition into hotel operations gave that philosophy a deeper dimension. Leading the operations of Om Niwas Suite Hotel taught her something architecture alone could not: human psychology. Conversations with guests helped her understand the difference between what hospitality businesses assume travellers want and what they actually value.

Taking the Conversation Beyond the Hotel

In recent years, Pooja’s influence has expanded beyond her own properties. Through travel fairs, sales interactions and meetings with travel professionals, she has developed a wider understanding of how the travel trade is changing. 

She conceived OpenScapes, a series of industry conclaves designed to bring travel professionals together to discuss emerging trends, technology, AI and digital marketing. Rather than treating technology as a threat to traditional hospitality, Pooja sees it as a tool that can help the industry understand travellers better—provided the human element remains at the centre.

Her first book, Busting 5 Myths About Indian Travel, further reflects her instinct to question established assumptions and encourage fresh thinking about how India is presented to travellers. She is also passionate about positioning Rajasthan as more than a collection of monuments and hotels. For her, the destination comes alive through its people, crafts, culture, food and stories.

04 | AARUSHI ARORA

Taking Indian Hospitality to New Markets

From digital visibility and travel-trade partnerships to destination weddings, Aarushi Arora is helping Trulyy India Hotels & Resorts expand its reach and relevance.

For Aarushi Arora, hospitality is about constantly looking ahead—to the next market, the next traveller and the next opportunity to showcase India differently.

As Executive Director – Trulyy India Hotels & Resorts, Aarushi represents a young generation of hospitality professionals combining the strength of traditional travel-trade relationships with the possibilities of digital platforms and new market segments.

Associated with Trulyy India since 2019, her journey has taken her across sales, marketing, business development, OTAs, MICE, destination weddings and B2B travel trade engagement. This cross-functional exposure has given her a comprehensive understanding of how a homegrown hospitality brand needs to evolve in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

Trulyy India’s growing portfolio stretches across distinctive destinations including Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jawai, Sasan Gir, Velavadar and Ujjain, encompassing hotels, resorts, camps and safari experiences. For Aarushi, the opportunity lies in showcasing the individual character of these destinations while maintaining the warmth and personalisation associated with Indian hospitality.

Digital Thinking, Wider Reach

One of Aarushi’s key focus areas has been strengthening the company’s OTA and digital presence.

She has been closely involved in developing the OTA vertical and improving the brand’s digital recognition—an area she considers increasingly important as travellers change the way they discover, compare and book hotels.

Yet, she does not see digital growth as a replacement for conventional relationships. Her active engagement with travel agents, tour operators, corporates, wedding planners and international partners reflects her belief that successful hospitality brands need both—technology-led visibility and strong human connections.

Making Celebrations Travel

Destination weddings are another area where Aarushi sees significant opportunity.

With Rajasthan already occupying a coveted position on India’s wedding tourism map, she is working towards connecting Trulyy India with more international couples and wedding planners, showcasing properties where celebrations can be combined with India’s heritage, landscapes, culture and hospitality.

Her involvement in MICE, corporate and leisure business, roadshows and industry networking further gives her direct exposure to changing market expectations and emerging opportunities.

Creating Her Own Path

Being part of Trulyy India is also deeply personal. Aarushi is proud of the foundation created by her father, but she is equally focused on bringing her own ideas and commercial vision to the company.

Her ambition is clear: take Trulyy India into more markets, connect with travellers globally and strengthen its positioning around authentic Indian hospitality, experiential stays and memorable celebrations.

For Aarushi, that journey is still unfolding—and that is precisely what excites her about hospitality. There is always another market to explore, another relationship to build and another experience waiting to be created.

05 | CA CHITRANGADA SHEKHAWAT

The Woman Behind the Numbers

From taxation and project finance to regulatory approvals for more than 50 hotels, CA Chitrangada Shekhawat represents the less-visible but vital side of Rajasthan’s hospitality growth.

Behind every hotel that welcomes a guest is another world the traveller rarely sees—a world of finance, taxation, audits, approvals, licences and regulations. CA Chitrangada Shekhawat has made this complex space her professional territory.

A third-generation Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Chitrangada has over a decade of professional experience spanning taxation, accounting and auditing, project financing, project management and regulatory advisory. What makes her particularly relevant to Rajasthan’s tourism story is her specialised involvement with tourism and hospitality projects.

Before joining her father’s Chartered Accountancy practice in Jaipur, Chitrangada worked with Ernst & Young (EY), Gurugram, in its Corporate Taxation Department. Her performance earned her the EY Exccelerator Award, recognising her dedication and contribution.

Today, her work places her firmly behind the business of hospitality.

Supporting More Than 50 Hotels

Chitrangada currently handles various aspects of direct and indirect taxation, audits, government approvals, statutory licences and regulatory matters for more than 50 hotels across Rajasthan.

Working so closely with hospitality businesses has given her an unusual vantage point. She understands tourism not only through rooms, experiences and visitor numbers, but through the financial and regulatory structures that determine whether hospitality projects can remain viable, compliant and prepared for growth.

As Rajasthan continues to attract hospitality development, this behind-the-scenes expertise becomes increasingly important. New projects need financing and approvals; existing hotels must navigate taxation and compliance; and growing businesses require sound financial structures.

Professionals such as Chitrangada therefore form an important, though often unseen, part of the tourism ecosystem.

Making Space for More Women

Her perspective also extends to the people powering the industry.

Through her professional exposure to hotels across Rajasthan, Chitrangada has observed the role an empowered female workforce can play in strengthening hospitality. She advocates for greater representation of women in leadership, along with equal opportunities, fair compensation and meaningful avenues for career advancement.

She is also the only female member of the Economic Forum of Shri Kshatra Purusharth Foundation, giving her an opportunity to participate in wider conversations around economics and industry.

For Chitrangada, contributing to tourism does not necessarily mean standing at a hotel reception, designing an itinerary or marketing a destination. Sometimes, it means making sure the businesses behind those experiences have the financial and regulatory foundation to succeed.

And that makes her inclusion in this series particularly significant.