Udaipur, September 2020.

Further to the Government of India’s announcement, JEE-Main exams commenced on September 01, 2020. In the coming weeks, NEET 2020 and other state-level examinations are also scheduled to be held pan India.  Extending its support towards the Ministry of Education and local government authorities, OYO, the world’s leading hospitality chain has rolled out discounts on its app and website for students appearing for these national entrance as well as state exams. To further support parents, guardians, and students with the convenience of booking safe and quality accommodation, OYO has also set up an email helpline students_stay@oyorooms.com.

This initiative is a part of OYO’s ongoing efforts to serve the larger community dealing with various uncertainties and challenges due to COVID-19. In the past couple of months, the hospitality chain has facilitated accommodation support to international tourists, repatriated Indians as part of ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, engaged with multiple foreign embassies and diplomatic missions in India.

As India moves forward with precautions to help the economy bounce back amid the pandemic, nearly 24 lakh aspiring students are set to appear for JEE-Main and NEET 2020 exams, with many hailing from smaller towns and cities. To support these students in their endeavors, the Union Minister of Education, Government of India, Shri. Ramesh Pokhiyal 'Nishank' appealed to local government authorities to support these aspirants. Keeping in mind the welfare of the students as well as their parents and guardians in the present situation, OYO has promised to support India’s aspiring young students with accommodation requirements across 300 cities, including important examination centres like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, among many others.

Coaching institutes like NEET Advisor have partnered with OYO to ensure that their stay is looked after while the students can focus completely on preparing for the exam. OYO asset owners across the country are also ensuring that they provide a comfortable environment for the students so that they avoid stepping out of the hotel as far as possible.

Students or their parents can easily book an OYO hotel with the Sanitised Stays tag near their examination center by redeeming the coupon code ‘OYO4Students’ across OYO’s booking platforms including the app, website and email helpline.

Speaking about OYO’s contribution to support aspiring students across India, Rohit Kapoor, CEO - OYO India & South Asia said, “Every year, several aspiring young students prepare for years and apply for these entrance exams. This year has been particularly challenging for everyone, especially these ambitious students who are ready to take a leap of faith and build a stronger, more resilient India for tomorrow. Many students across the country travel far and wide, even from smaller towns and cities to their respective Examination Centres spread across the country. Given the current circumstances with an active pandemic at play, we, at OYO, wanted to make this journey a tad bit easier for all students and their families by supporting them with quality, standardized, and safe accommodation at affordable prices. This is our effort in ensuring that India’s aspiring young talent can focus on their academics rather than other contributing stresses during the pandemic. We would like to thank our asset partners for their continued support in helping us serve the community at large.”

He adds, “Through our app, website, or email helpline, students and their parents can book an OYO hotel close to their examination center at a reasonable price and we’ll take care of the rest. Even during times like this, we salute the spirit of these 2.4 million students who are geared up to take their first step towards a better future and a brighter India.”

OYO rolled out several initiatives to ensure the health and safety of its guests with the introduction of Sanitised Stays, thereby implementing minimal touch policies for check-ins, check-outs as well as enabling digital payments. OYO also joined forces with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to further enhance its sanitisation efforts across OYO’s properties. Unilever’s R&D team is also working with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of its products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. This global partnership began in India and is scheduled to go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM, and Europe.