The Khatau Business House was among the pioneers of the textile industry in India way back in 1874 and cement industry in 1920. Being the leader in the manufacturing of various varieties of saris, the famous voile sari was at one time synonymous with the name “Khatau”.

 

As the scion of the 4th generation of the powerful Khatau Business House, Mr. Dilip D. Khatau was instrumental in venturing overseas to East Africa and South East Asia in 1964. Eventually, in 1990s, the Dilip Khatau Group further diversified extensively in India into the production of footwear, cement, power cables, chemicals and shipping. Since 1994, the Group concentrated on shipping, tourism and wildlife conservation. An ardent wildlife lover since his childhood, Mr. Khatau’s passion took him to many wilderness areas such as Corbett National Park in India. During his 15 years of stay in Kenya, and later in South East Asia, his passion for wildlife hunting turned to serious wildlife protection and nature conservation. He later became an active member of the East African Wildlife Society. He was highly impressed by the way wildlife tourism had proliferated and gained popularity in Africa which had not taken off in India then. He dreamt of similar ventures in India where tourists can enjoy being in the wild, and at the same time, relax in the luxury and comfort of home. He is also a member of the National Board for Wildlife, India.

 

In 1991, he started the Group’s first wildlife resort, Infinity Corbett Wilderness (formerly known as Tiger Tops Corbett Lodge), located along the banks of Kosi River at the fringe of Corbett National Park. This eco-friendly tourism project was first of its kind, and in recognition of this, the Government of India appointed Mr. Khatau on the Board of Uttar Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. This property, tastefully designed and having one of the best locations for a wildlife resort in India, is the most sought after resort among the nature lovers in India and abroad.

 

With vast experience in both hospitality industry and wildlife conservation, the Group expanded its operations to the semi arid and unique landscape of Kutch, Gujarat. Thus, Infinity Rann of Kutch resort was established in 2008. The property with its elegant tented cottages is like an oasis in the desert! In October 2009, the group’s third resort, Infinity Bandhavgarh Wilderness, situated along the periphery of the famous Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, was opened. Infinity Bandhavgarh Wilderness is set amidst thick bamboo groves and natural vegetation. By the end of 2010, two more resorts will be added to the Group. They are located close to Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) and Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (Assam) and will be named as Infinity Kanha Wilderness and Infinity Kaziranga Wilderness, respectively. Conservation Corporation of India Pvt. Ltd. (CCIPL) was set up in 2009 as a holding company for the various resorts that the Group owns or will own in future.  

 

The Corbett Foundation (TCF), established in 1994, is a brain-child of Mr. Khatau. This Foundation is a testimony to his passion and heartfelt interest in the preservation of our natural heritage. With its mandate to preserve wildlife and nature with the involvement of the local communities, great work has been done at the grassroots-level work in and around Corbett and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves and also in Kutch. The Foundation’s programmes are mainly in the areas of wildlife conservation, environmental awareness, community outreach, veterinary services, watershed management and sustainable eco-development. Many of these programmes have been made possible due to the unstinted support from CCIPL and other donors such as WWF, US Fish & Wildlife Department, Mumbai Gaurakshak Trust, Millichope Foundation and many others. The Group plans to build and start a certified vocational training institute in Kanha for naturalists, local people and nature lovers. In addition, a hospital will be built in Mr Khatau’s ancestral village of Tera in Abdasa Taluka, Kutch, to cater to the medical needs of the locals. A Centre on Global Warming was inaugurated recently in Corbett to bring public awareness to the environmental issues related to global warming.

 

In conclusion, CCIPL and TCF are actually two sides of the same coin – the former complements and provides synergy to the latter. CCIPL strongly believes that conservation can only be achieved by involving the local stakeholders, providing them with employment opportunities and finally to lead a sustainable and harmonious lifestyle with nature.

 

That’s why we say – Conservation is our business!