What started as an idea and vision of Mr. GMJ Thampy in 1980 is now one of the leading enterprise in the travel industry. Riya Group Enterprise started off with its overseas manpower wing in the 1980 and today has built an empire with more than 5 business verticals, which continue to expand. Building an enterprise so vast is no easy feat, but Mr. Thampy with his experience and able leadership skills have managed to grow the company beyond anyone’s imagination over the last 3 decades and he believes the journey has only just begun.

His hegemony is participative and encouraging. He strongly believes and values taking everyone along in the journey and his respect remains the same for everyone, from the junior most to senior staffs. This makes everyone respect him all the more. One of the most remarkable things about Mr. Thampy is that he has never compromised on work ethics or sought favours from any political outfit. The company has been successful purely because of the perseverance he has shown over the years.

Riya takes pride in offering its customers responsive, competent and excellent services. Mr. Thampy understands the constant requirement to evolve and hence, Riya Group Enterprise has diversified into different businesses over the last few years and has been successful too.

Mr. Thampy’s vision is far from fulfilled and we’ve only scraped the surface. He keeps inspiring everyone by constantly raising the bar to unleash their true potential. It is his constant support, motivation and foresightedness that has managed to get Riya Group Enterprise so far and will continue to do so.

He has over 28 years of experience in sales, marketing, business strategy and general management. He was associated with Riya Business Travel as an Independent Consultant and essayed a pivotal role in leading the business transformation through strategic planning and execution. His diverse portfolio defines Vinod's strong foundation in the travel industry. He has led multinationals, viz., Jet Airways Limited, BCD Travel and Lufthansa German Airlines in varied commercial roles, with a strategic and result oriented approach. His passion, professionalism, integrity, strategic thinking and analytical skills have enabled to drive change and build formidable businesses.

Academically, he holds a Masters in Marketing Management degree from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. He has also completed the 'Senior Management Program' certification from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.

His valuable knowledge on the business travel industry, foresightedness, client-oriented focus and recognised success is set to drive Riya Business Travel to higher benchmarks

Mr. Nitin John is a business graduate with exceptional organisational skills, is passionate about global events and has great enthusiasm to try new things. His college training, a decade of experience & knowledge, and remarkable personal skills has allowed the Riya Group Enterprise to secure several international corporate accounts and organise global corporate retreats and incentive tours.

He has played a lead role in setting up Riya Holidays and organising the MICE division. He has travelled across the world developing vendor relations and contracting with the service providers for the holiday division. He holds a Master’s Degree in Finance and has been part of the organisation for over a decade.

He possesses a great skill of forecasting the industry trends and has always been proactive in his approach. He has a knack for technology and keen interest in all things related to automobiles. His knowledge and understanding for international destinations has made Riya Holidays a big success.

He also enjoys watching world racing events, loves travelling around the world and like evaluating options for the next event for his clients.

With a career spanning over 3 decades, Mr Manoj Samuel is the CEO & Director of Riya Group. He spearheads the B2B travel trade vertical of the company in India. Passionate about innovation and technology advancements, his long-standing experience with GDS, airlines, and the B2B travel industry has fostered technological transformation and set new standards of delivering excellence.

Having pioneered a hybrid module, he is the driving force behind introducing the tech-driven platform Riya Connect which has digitally transformed the present offline module. He also oversees the Marketing and Human Resources departments for Riya Group and his contribution to the company continues to transcend the traditional travel & tech trajectory today.

With the amount of knowledge and experience Mr. Thomas Mathai possesses, he is bound to be everyone’s go-to person for a quick reference in matters of the moment and others alike. Mr. Mathai is an academic by choice and a people’s person by nature. He has spent about two decades with Riya Group Enterprise and has experience in the aviation and travel industry for about three decades.

Mr. Mathai has, from inception, taken a keen interest in development of people’s skills, both academically and socially. Moreover, setting up Riya Education (vertical that supports Indian students pursuing education abroad) and Riya Institute of Hospitality and Training Facility (vertical that prepares students for the travel industry) are few of the many initiatives he has undertaken in past years.

With more than 25 distinctions and academic degrees and certificates to his credit, he enjoys continuous education and likes to keep himself updated with industry standards and procedures. He is an avid reader and is passionate about exploring different places of ancient history in education and cultural interests.

He is also a guest orator, and enjoys sharing his knowledge and skills to develop young talents as future leaders within the organisation. Mr. Mathai has earned several awards and recognition for his continuous hard work.

Mr. Ajay is a seasoned finance leader with over two decades of expertise in managing complex financial operations, driving sustainable growth, and shaping high-impact strategies for dynamic business environments. As Chief Financial Officer of Riya Group, he leads the financial stewardship of the organization with a sharp focus on governance, scalability, and long-term value creation.

Known for his strategic thinking and operational precision, Mr. Ajay has successfully designed and executed frameworks that enhance financial discipline, improve compliance, and streamline processes across multi-layered business functions. His core competencies include budgeting and forecasting, taxation, decision support, ERP implementation, and enterprise-wide risk management.

Throughout his career, he has consistently built and mentored high-performing finance teams, fostering a culture of accountability, agility, and innovation. At Riya Group, his leadership strengthens our financial foundation and supports our continued growth across regions and business verticals.

Mr. Ajay’s collaborative approach, deep domain expertise, and results-driven mindset make him a key pillar in Riya’s mission to scale new heights with integrity and excellence.

Progressive transformational leader that brings with him proven experience in customer satisfaction, developing quality service, and achieving profit-goals. He joins us with a vast experience of over 25 years within the Travel Industry.

He was previously associated with ATB Yatra Pvt. Ltd., as VP - Operations where he spearheaded their operations for the corporate travel division. Prior to this he was associated with Uniglobe ATB as VP - Operations and with FCM Travel Solutions as General Manager – Operations.

He leverages advanced innovations and strategic implementation to drive the organisation’s goal and to surpass objectives with financial advantages. As a participative management professional, he is focused on outstanding service delivery through lean operating methods that are motivated by rewards and recognition for team achievement.