Zo World, a travel community platform and the parent company of Zostel, has announced the appointment of Aviral Gupta as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Zostel’s co-founder, Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, will now serve as Chairman of the Zo World Group.
Aviral was the company’s first employee and has been with the organisation for over a decade. Aviral’s elevation is the culmination of a planned succession mapped over three years.
His journey with Zostel spans every critical function, from hostel launches and product design to community operations, technology, and financial strategy.
In recent years, he has played a central role in strengthening the company’s unit economics, unlocking new revenue streams, and accelerating the scale-up of Zo World’s newer business verticals, demonstrating his ability to blend execution depth with long-term strategic thinking.
Aviral Gupta, CEO, Zo World, said, “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, said, “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.”
This move comes as it scales its presence across India and Southeast Asia, expands into new verticals, and builds a technology-driven platform to serve the next generation of travellers, creators, and communities.
Zo World is targeting 10,000 beds across 100+ Zostels by 2026. Zo Trips, the fastest-scaling vertical, is building immersive, end-to-end travel experiences with a ₹1,500 crore annual GMV ambition. Zo Villas is capturing high-margin demand in the premium vacation rental segment, with over 300 properties in the pipeline. Zo Houses introduces tech-enabled co-living hubs designed for founders, artists, and global nomads. At the heart of this interconnected network is Zo Digital, an AI-powered platform that drives community monetisation, personalised experiences, and long-term user engagement across the Zo universe.
Zo Digital, the group’s newest vertical, unlocks monetization opportunities through memberships, perks, and digital community tools, bringing together the power of tech and tribe.
