Sabre ropes in Rajiv Bhatia to lead Asia Pacific operations

US-based travel technology company Sabre Corporation said on Wednesday that industry veteran Rajiv Bhatia is joining the group to advance its growth strategy in Asia Pacific. In India, the company has a Global Capability Center (GCC) in Bengaluru with over 1500 employees working on cutting-edge technologies.

Bhatia, formerly of Bird Group, joins as the executive director of APAC market expansion and will be instrumental in expanding Sabre’s footprint in key growth markets, including India, one of the world’s fastest-growing travel marketplaces.

With extensive experience in the travel space, Rajiv brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of success to Sabre’s dynamic, customer-centric team. He began his career working for Gulf Air and Thai Airways International, and most recently served as the chief commercial officer of Bird Group’s India GDS business for 16 years.

“With over 40 years of experience in the travel industry, we’re confident Rajiv will help us accelerate growth in India and other key markets across the wider APAC region,” said Sabre’s Vice President of Agency Sales & Airline Distribution, Asia Pacific, Brett Thorstad. 

“We are focused on fostering strategic partnerships and delivering exceptional value to our customers, and Rajiv shares this vision. Our partners will benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience," he added.

“This is a great time to be joining Sabre’s enthusiastic team as they look to drive further growth across APAC,” said Rajiv Bhatia. “Sabre’s commitment to innovation and a strong focus on customer success is something I admire. At this point in my career, I’m excited to be shifting my focus to advising on broader, strategic initiatives and helping build key customer relationships across India and other growth markets.”

Sam Machado, Managing Director, India, and South Asia, added, “He has significant experience in building customer relationships and a stellar reputation in the marketplace. Sabre is building momentum in India and South Asia, and I look forward to leveraging his experience and customer focus as we continue our rapid growth in these markets.”

Sabre's technology platform manages more than $260B worth of global travel spend annually. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, Sabre serves customers in more than 160 countries around the world.

In January, the travel tech company appointed Machado as managing director to oversee Sabre’s agency business across India and South Asia. Machado is returning to Sabre, having previously joined Sabre Hospitality Solutions in 2011 as head of account management in India. Most recently, he was senior VP of business development, travel & hospitality (APAC), at Teleperformance.

In October, Air India signed an enhanced distribution deal with Sabre that builds upon their partnership announced in April 2023. Under the augmented agreement, travel agencies in India will have access to Air India's expansive domestic content through the Sabre Global Distribution System (GDS) from 1 January 2024, offering Indian travel buyers an expanded portfolio of fares and seats to better serve their customers. 

Air India also has the added ability to distribute New Distribution Capability (NDC) content globally through Sabre's travel marketplace in the future.