New York Stock Exchange-listed Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, today said it expects to operate 50 hotels in India by the end of 2012 and the country is second only to China in its plans for future growth.

The ambitious expansion plan will result in the company's presence in the country doubling within the space of just two years.

As part of the strategy to grow its business in India, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced the opening of the Starwood India Customer Contact Centre (CCC) in Gurgaon. This would be Starwood's ninth global CCC and the fourth in the Asia-Pacific, it said in a statement.

"Starwood Hotels & Resorts continue to remain bullish on the long-term growth opportunities in the region. Already our fourth largest market, India is second only to China in terms of our future global growth. There is tremendous potential for us in both domestic and international travel," said Patricia Neo, Senior Director, Customer Contact Centres, Asia Pacific, for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.