Lalit Suri

Lalit Suri (15 April 1947 – 10 October 2006) was an Indian hotelier and a member of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of India's Parliament).

Born on 15 April 1947 in Rawalpindi (Pakistan), Lalit Suri was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent from Uttar Pradesh in 2002.

He joined the family-run Delhi Automobile Ltd in 1971, and in 1982 became joint managing director of the hospitality business into which the company diversified.

Suri commissioned his first hotel in the capital in 1988 and went on to become one of the prominent hoteliers in the country, having a network of hotels across the country including the flagship of InterContinental and The LaLiT hotels in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Udaipur, Srinagar and Khajuraho, Kerala.

Suri was also the owner of the Midday newspaper in Delhi. An alumnus of St. Columba's School and Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, Suri also won a number of prestigious awards and has been responsible for pushing a number of policy recommendations on the tourism sector.

Late Lalit Suri, having pioneered in hospitality industry, received yet another accolade - GMR Express Travel World Awards 2010-2011 for Lifetime Achievement for his vision and commitment to the industry. He was responsible for pushing a number of policy recommendations in the Indian hospitality sector; it was his commitment and innovative practices that took the travel industry forward.

He attended a reception in London on Monday, 9 October 2006, hosted by the Indian community in honor of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Lalit Suri complained of chest pains and was taken to London University Hospital, where he died the following day, aged 59.

He is survived by his wife Jyotsna and their four children.