Indian investor describes PH as ‘best investment’ destination

AN INDIAN investor has described the Philippines as the “best investment” destination for their business portfolio, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Raj Uttamchandani, director of The Farm at San Benito in Batangas, joined meetings with investors in India attended by Tour-ism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. Uttamchandani affirmed the high returns of tourism investments in the Philippines.

“As an investor in the Philippine tourism industry, I think the Philippine tourism industry is the best place to invest in today,” Ut-tamchandani said.

“We’ve invested there in the last five years. It was our best investment in our portfolio globally,” he said.

Uttamchandani cited government funding for tourism-related projects at subsidized rates below 5 percent as a key factor. “We have 10 times our investment in the last five years,” he said.

“If you ask me the one place for investing in today, it’s just about the beginning, the tourism industry in the Philippines for the next 10 years will be the best investment that you’ll make today,” Uttamchandani said during the meeting with Indian travel and tourism executives.

Meanwhile, the DOT pledged its support to fast-track IndiGo Airlines’ plan to expand operations in the Philippines by 2026.

Frasco, who is also the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) vice chair, met with IndiGo Senior Vice President Vinay Malhotra on August 6, 2025, during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to India.

She urged the establishment of direct flights between India and the Philippines, citing the Marcos administration’s reforms to improve the climate for travel.

“No less than our President has communicated the government’s desire to expand connectivity to the Philippines,” Frasco said.

Malhotra confirmed that nonstop flights to Manila and Cebu are “definitely on their radar,” with long-haul aircraft deploy-ments planned as part of the airline’s growth.

IndiGo, India’s largest passenger carrier, operates more than 400 aircraft and flies 2,300 daily flights to over 130 destinations. The airline carried 118 million passengers in 2024 and has over 1,000 more aircraft on order.

“We are looking at the Philippines very, very positively,” Malhotra said, naming the country alongside Seychelles, Mauritius and Bali in its expansion plans.

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