Rishi Deepak Budhadev Takes Charge as PTAHA’s First National President

The Professional Travel Agents and Hotels Association, better known in India’s travel trade as PTAHA, has named Rishi Deepak Budhadev as its National President, the association announced this month, positioning him to lead its expansion just weeks after the organisation’s launch.

Budhadev’s appointment comes as PTAHA reports crossing 100 members within 27 days of starting operations, a growth pace the association’s leadership has pointed to as evidence of demand for a dedicated professional platform serving travel agents, tour operators, hotels, resorts and destination management companies. Membership figures of this kind are self-reported by the association and have not been independently audited, a caveat that applies broadly to newly launched trade bodies rather than to PTAHA specifically.

A Mandate to Build Regional Structure

Under Budhadev, PTAHA says it intends to establish and strengthen regional chapters across India, aiming to give the association a presence beyond its initial national base. The organisation has described this as a priority for its “next phase of expansion,” though it has not published a specific chapter rollout timeline or target state list.

Budhadev is also expected to lead PTAHA’s efforts to build relationships with tourism boards, destinations, hotel groups, travel companies and trade-fair organisers — the kind of institutional partnerships that established travel-trade bodies in India have typically taken years to build. Whether a newly formed association can secure comparable access in a shorter window remains to be seen.

A Section 8 Structure

PTAHA operates as a Section 8 not-for-profit company under Indian law, a structure typically used by organisations pursuing charitable, professional or trade-promotion objectives rather than profit distribution to members. The designation requires the association’s membership platform to reinvest surplus funds into its stated objectives rather than distribute them as dividends.

What Members Get

Budhadev’s leadership platform emphasizes tangible member benefits: participation and branding opportunities at tourism trade fairs, webinars, educational and FAM trips, WhatsApp-based marketing initiatives, and direct engagement with tourism boards and industry stakeholders, according to PTAHA. The association has framed these as central to its “Grow Together, Strengthen Together” positioning.

In a statement, Budhadev thanked PTAHA’s members and industry supporters, describing the 100-member milestone as “a reflection of the trust placed in PTAHA,” and said the achievement marked the start of a larger organisational journey rather than an end point.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is PTAHA’s National President?

Rishi Deepak Budhadev was appointed National President of the Professional Travel Agents and Hotels Association in August 2026, shortly after its launch.

What is PTAHA’s Section 8 status?

PTAHA is registered as a Section 8 not-for-profit company in India, a legal structure used by organisations pursuing professional or trade-promotion objectives rather than commercial profit.

Visit- www.ptaha.org.in