Zo World has announced a leadership transition as Aviral Gupta is elevated to Chief Executive Officer. Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, co-founder of Zostel and a key figure in shaping the company’s identity, will take on the role of Chairman of the Zo World Group.
The change comes as Zo World expands across India and Southeast Asia, scales its verticals, and builds a technology-led platform for travellers, creators, and communities. Aviral’s elevation follows a succession plan mapped over three years. His journey through various roles across product, community, technology, and finance has contributed to strengthening Zo World’s unit economics and accelerating its newer business lines.
Under his leadership, the company is targeting 10,000 beds across 100+ Zostels by 2026. Zo Trips is building end-to-end travel experiences with an annual GMV goal of ₹1,500 crore. Zo Villas is expanding in the premium rental space with over 300 properties in the pipeline, while Zo Houses introduces co-living hubs for founders and creatives. At the center of these verticals is Zo Digital—an AI-powered platform for monetisation, personalisation, and long-term engagement.
Dharamveer will now focus on long-term growth, global expansion, and aligning partners to the company’s broader philosophy. His role as Chairman is aimed at strengthening the founder network and scaling Zo World’s presence while retaining the community-first ethos.
Zo World refers to this phase as “Zostel 2.0” — moving from a travel-first brand to a wider lifestyle platform. With an in-house AI team, the company is building personalised and gamified features across products. Zo Digital, its latest vertical, offers memberships, digital perks, and community tools aimed at monetising user engagement.
Aviral Gupta, CEO, Zo World,“Zo World has never just been about places—it’s about people, philosophy, and finding meaning in movement. I’ve had the privilege of shaping this journey from day one, and I’m honored to now lead it into its next evolution. We’re entering a phase of hyperscale and deep impact, where we’re not just growing vertically, but redefining what travel, community, and ownership can look like in the modern world.”
Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Chairman, Zo World Group, “After revolutionising how young Indians travel for more than a decade, I think it is time for me to zoom-out and focus on the larger picture. Aviral has been the invisible engine behind Zo for years, and I couldn’t be more confident in his capabilities to take this vision forward. I’m excited to focus on shaping the larger vision, expanding our community across borders, and ensuring that the essence of Zo World remains intact as we scale.”
