New Delhi: Rich tributes have flowed in after the demise of Prithvi Raj Singh or P.R.S. Oberoi who passed away at 94 on Tuesday, November 14. A legend in the hospitality sector, he is remembered as the one who took the Oberoi group to heights in the business. The Oberoi Group runs Trident Hotels and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa told The Indian Express, “I have known him for two-and-a-half decades… when I was working as tourism secretary in the Government of Kerala… He was a perfectionist. By starting the Vilas chain – Amarvilas in Agra and Udaivilas in Udaipur – he created the best resort chain in India. He raised the profile of the Indian travel and hospitality sector.”P.R.S. Oberoi took over as the chairman of the flagship of the Oberoi Group nearly 21 years ago, in 2002, following the death of his father, also the founding chairman, Mohan Singh Oberoi. He was CEO till 2013, when he stepped down and was known as the ‘Chairman Emeritus’.The Indian Express cites Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, IHCL as saying, “(He was) a true pioneer and icon, he leaves behind a legacy of impeccable hospitality that will be cherished forever,”. “He will be remembered for transforming the industry landscape and elevating Indian hospitality on a global stage. The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development founded by him has groomed generations of fine hoteliers, and he is deeply revered and respected by the many lives he touched.”Born on February 3, 1929, PRS Oberoi studied in India, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.India Today notes that he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour, in January 2008. The Week writes that he “was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards at ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) and at 6th International Hotels Investment Forum in Berlin. He was also conferred with the ‘Corporate Hotelier of the World’ award by HOTELS magazine USA.”Today, we honour the legacy of Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi, Chairman Emeritus of The Oberoi Group. His passion and attention to detail shaped our commitment to warm, sincere, and intuitive hospitality. This continued quest for excellence will drive us forward.#PRSOberoi #TheOberoiGroup pic.twitter.com/II6yJxxCcs— Oberoi Hotels & Resorts (@OberoiHotels) November 14, 2023Obituaries noted he was called ‘Biki’. One termed him “a stickler for time throughout his life” and said that “the high point of Biki Oberoi’s tryst with the hospitality industry was the moment he convinced his father, Sardar Mohan Singh Oberoi (M.S. Oberoi), to assign architect and politician Piloo Mody to design Oberoi Intercontinental in the capital. That was the early 1960s, and many acclaimed architects of the country were keen to grab the lifetime opportunity to design the luxury hotel.”There are full-page newspaper advertisements marking his demise and noting his career as a pioneer in luxury hospitality.On November 26, 2008, as armed attackers terrorised Mumbai, the Oberoi group’s flagship hotel in Mumbai was also under siege and attack.‘Biki’, as per accounts of his life, note that he used to narrate the story of his childhood in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan). His father, MS Oberoi, and his mother, Ishran Devi, “had to flee their native village, Bhaun, in the early 1920s to safeguard their children from the outbreak of deadly plague. They moved to Muree (a hill station near Rawalpindi), where M.S. Oberoi lived for some time doing odd jobs before moving to Shimla to work.”PRS Oberoi is said to have been a devout and proud Sikh. He would often visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib for prayers.