Ritesh Agarwal invites people to give new name for OYO parent firm, announces ₹3 lakh for the winner

OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal has launched a campaign to rename the company's parent firm, Oravel Stays. The move comes as part of a broader strategy to launch an initial public offering (IPO) and expand into more premium segments.

Contest seeking new name for OYO

Agarwal has called for name suggestions that would help create a "new identity" for his hospitality chain business.

Entries for suggesting names for Oravel Stays have begun and will close soon, the founder shared on Instagram, announcing the winner will receive ₹3 lakh. This comes amid the global travel tech startup’s preparation to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO).

The OYO boss mentioned that the ideal name should be bold, one-word, with a global appeal, and not rooted in any single culture or language.

The name should feel tech-forward, sharp, yet human and memorable, broad enough to evolve beyond hospitality, and ideally, the .com domain should be available. 

The winner will get an opportunity to meet the OYO founder along with the ₹3 lakh prize money.

"We're renaming the corporate brand behind it all. Not the hotel chain, not a consumer product — but the parent company powering a global ecosystem of urban innovation and modern living. We believe it's time the world had a new kind of global brand — born in India, but built for the world," Ritesh had said.

Agarwal said, "We're renaming the corporate brand behind it all. Not the hotel chain, not a consumer product, but the parent company powering a global ecosystem of urban innovation and modern living."

He added that they believe it's time for a new kind of global brand—"born in India, but built for the world."

Agarwal’s company has already lined up five investment banks for a crucial presentation to its key shareholder, SoftBank, in June, which could determine its path toward public listing. OYO plans to launch the IPO in Q4 of the current fiscal year.

“There is a high possibility that the name chosen through the exercise may end up being the name of the premium hotels app that OYO has been working to launch in the near future,” PTI quoted the people familiar with the development as saying.

A week back, the OYO founder disclosed on social media, “How often does a global company ask the world to name it? That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

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