The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts becomes South Asia’s largest EDGE advanced certified hotel portfolio

Mumbai, 18th August 2025 - The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is proud to announce that five of its iconic Palace properties have been awarded the prestigious EDGE Advanced Certification by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. With a certified footprint of 2.41 million square feet, The Leela now holds the distinction of housing South Asia’s largest portfolio of EDGE Advanced certified hotels—a remarkable milestone in the evolution of sustainable luxury hospitality.

This achievement is a testament to The Leela’s sustainability ethos of ‘Mindful Luxury’, where Environmental Stewardship forms a core pillar. In this vision, responsible hospitality goes beyond compliance—it is a conscious expression of care woven into every aspect of design, construction, and operation. Rooted in timeless Indian tradition, the brand embraces climate-smart solutions that reduce environmental impact and build resilience to climate-related risks.

“Luxury today is defined by purpose, responsibility, and long-term value creation. At The Leela, we are committed to crafting experiences that are as environmentally conscious as they are luxurious and culturally rich. This recognition underscores our pursuit of delivering hospitality that is globally relevant, climate-aligned, and deeply rooted in the timeless elegance of Indian tradition. As we work towards our goal of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050, our palaces stand as benchmarks of both exceptional craftsmanship and sustainable leadership.”— Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Executive Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

Each of the five certified Palace properties—The Leela Palace Chennai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur, and Bangalore—has not only met but exceeded the EDGE Advanced benchmark of 40% energy savings. These iconic hotels have achieved over 41% reduction in energy consumption, 30% water savings, and a remarkable 59% to 70% reduction in embodied carbon from building materials. Collectively, these efforts have resulted in total carbon savings of 2,454.44 tCO₂e, underscoring The Leela’s commitment to climate-conscious luxury and long-term environmental value.

This performance reflects a seamless integration of engineering excellence and environmentally conscious design—hallmarks of The Leela’s approach to sustainable luxury. Energy efficiency is achieved through the use of advanced HVAC systems, variable speed drives, smart lighting, and sensor-based controls ensuring optimal performance without compromising guest comfort. Building envelopes features advanced insulation, solar-reflective materials, and energy-efficient glazing, to reduced heat gains and enhanced spatial aesthetics. Water conservation is embedded through low-flow fixtures and smart irrigation supporting resource efficiency while preserving landscaped beauty. This is complemented by a strategic transition to 50% renewable energy consumption across our palaces, reinforcing The Leela’s vision of Mindful Luxury through responsible operational excellence. 

This recognition further builds on The Leela’s longstanding leadership in responsible hospitality. 50% of the brand’s entire portfolio (owned and managed) is not only IGBC Platinum-rated for green existing buildings but also certified as Net Zero Waste to Landfill, reinforcing the brand’s dedication to circularity, resource efficiency, and zero-waste operations.

As The Leela continues to expand its portfolio and reimagine Indian luxury for a global audience, it remains deeply committed to building a future where excellence is measured not only in service and style, but in purpose and positive impact. This EDGE certification milestone is not the destination, but another step in The Leela’s journey to shape a more sustainable, responsible, and elegant world of hospitality.

About EDGE

EDGE® (“Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies”) is a renowned green building standard and certification system developed by IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank. EDGE was created to provide a measurable and credible solution that proves the business case for building green and unlocks financial investment. It is supported by free software that offers solutions to reduce energy, water, and embodied carbon in building materials by at least 20 percent. EDGE currently offers three levels of certification, EDGE Certified, EDGE Advanced, and EDGE Zero Carbon.

About The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is India’s only institutionally owned and managed pure-play luxury hospitality company. The Leela owns, operates, manages and develops luxury hotels and resorts under, “The Leela” brand which was ranked as #1 among the world’s best hospitality brands in 2020 and 2021, and among the world’s top three hospitality brands in 2023 and 2024, by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards Surveys. The company operates thirteen properties across key Indian business and leisure destinations, celebrating each hotel through its location, art, culture, and cuisine with bespoke services, celebratory rituals, and immersive experiences. Promoted by private equity funds managed and/or advised by affiliates of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd., The Leela is committed to providing guests luxury experiences with premier accommodation, exclusivity and personalized service, inspired by the ethos of Indian hospitality. 

For more information, please visit our website www.theleela.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media Contacts:
Zubair Kalsia 
+91 86579 73136
Zubair.Kalsia@TheLeela.com