The Mumbai-based company, which is the second biggest in India by the number of properties, is keen to add more hotels to the lists of hotels it already owns in key markets such the United States and United Kingdom. The firm has held talks with the management of The Drake, a 535-room hotel currently operated by Hilton Worldwide. 

The move for overseas expansion is driven partly with the idea of tapping into the growing market of Indians travelling abroad. An estimated 10 million Indians travel for leisure and official visits every year.

As per a report in Business Standard by Swaraj Baggonkar, the Tata-owned hotel group has held talks with the management's of The Drake in Chicago, a 535-room hotel constructed in 1920 and currently operated by Hilton Worldwide.

It has also held discussions with the 324-room Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans, USA formerly owned by Orient Express Hotels before it was returned to its earlier owners. Reports suggest that IHCL had meetings with the new owners of The Watergate hotel in Washington, DC also.

The company hopes to have a total balance of 50:50 in terms of revenues owned from domestic and overseas operations. About 30 per cent of its revenues currently come from international properties.