The Tata Group's hospitality firm Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL), which runs the Taj brand of hotels, announced on Tuesday the launch of its new brand, Vivanta, a portfolio of 19 properties across the country in the ''upper upscale'' segment.

Raymond N Bickson, managing director and chief executive officer, IHCL, while unveiling the new brand in Bangalore, said the second phase of the company's ''rethinking and rebranding exercise'' was aimed at ''rapid expansion of capacity in the key segment.''

Bickson said the creation of the brand follows a similar exercise followed by the company while creating The Taj Gateway portfolio of hotels in the ''upscale'' segment two years ago. ''We have added a new hotel every six weeks in the last seven years and we plan to add 60,000-70,000 rooms in the next seven years,'' Bickson said.

Explaining the rationale for the rebranding exercise, Bickson said, ''Our strategy of ensuring domestic dominance could not have been with just the Taj brand.''

He said the segmented nature of the market meant that the company addressed demand in ''every niche of the business''. The Ginger Hotels at the lowest level, and the Taj Gateway at the upper end, ensure that the company addressed demand at every level of the hospitality business, he said.

Referring to demand, Bickson said, ''The market is robust, with occupancy rates currently at 62-70 per cent.''

He said IHCL had received Rs180 crore as ''part-compensation'' from its insurers for losses suffered during the terrorist attack on the Taj Palace in 2008. ''We expect to close discussion with our insurers in the next few weeks,'' he added.

Bickson said 14 more properties would be added to the Vivanta by Taj portfolio in 12-14 months, and four more in 14-18 months. Among the new properties being developed are those in Yeshvantpur (Bangalore), Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and three in Delhi (Dwarka, Gurgaon and Shahdara). In the same period, three Vivanta by Taj resorts will also open in Coorg, Bekal in north Kerala and Srinagar in Kashmir.

The company is looking at a larger presence in the mid-priced segment through its Vivanta (upper upscale) and Gateway (upscale) brands, while a fifth brand between Gateway and Ginger (budget brand) is also on the drawing board, besides the Taj luxury brand. Furthermore, it is aiming at offering multiple brand properties at various price points in the same city.

''We have been tracking the evolution in the market and brands, and certainly feel that if we want to maintain our dominance in the country then we cannot do it with an omnipresent brand. Today, we are in the process of restructuring our entire portfolio and come with new brands to compete at every price points in the market,'' said Ajoy Misra, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.

''We also see potential in the mid-scale full service economy segment between Gateway and Ginger. However, we do not have a brand as of now,'' he added.