In an eye-catching protest, activists from Mercy For Animals India staged a dramatic demonstration outside the Chandigarh Marriott hotel, calling out Marriott International for failing to deliver on their global cage-free egg commitment.
Dressed in bathrobes, with a volunteer costumed as a hen and surrounded Dressed in bathrobes and accompanied by a volunteer in a hen costume surrounded by blood-stained egg crates, the demonstrators highlighted Marriott’s unfulfilled pledge to eliminate cage eggs from the company’s supply chain by the end of 2025. Despite their global commitment made back in 2018, Marriott has not disclosed any progress for their Indian operations.
A Broken Promise in Plain Sight
The protest exposed how Marriott’s lack of transparency and progress in India is condemning hens to lives in cages. In India, an estimated 40 crore hens are confined in cruel “battery” cages—tiny wire enclosures that deny them many of the most basic natural behaviours, like spreading their wings.While Marriott pledged in December 2018 to transition to a 100% cage-free egg supply chain across 9,100 properties in 142 countries by the end of 2025, the company has failed to publish a roadmap or update on their progress in India. This silence raises major concerns about accountability and corporate responsibility.
Marriott’s Expansion Plans Versus Animal Welfare
Marriott has ambitious plans to make India their third-largest market globally, after the U.S. and China. The chain already operates 158 hotels in India, with another 112 properties in the pipeline. Yet despite their vast resources and rapid expansion, Marriott continues sourcing eggs from cruel, archaic battery cage systems that cause hens extreme suffering.
The protest in Chandigarh exposed this contradiction, reminding the public and policymakers that expansion cannot come at the cost of animal welfare and ethical responsibility.
Global Pressure Mounts
Mercy For Animals has joined organisations worldwide to ramp up the pressure on Marriott ahead of the 2025 deadline. This growing global movement aims not just to hold Marriott accountable but to set an example for other hotel and food industry giants that have made similar cage-free commitments.
With time running out, Marriott’s failure to act in India sends a troubling message about the company’s seriousness on animal welfare, especially as more companies worldwide are transitioning to cage-free systems.
Take Action: Help End Cruelty
Marriott has had years to act, but hens are still trapped in cages. Your voice matters.
Sign the petition today demanding that Marriott keep their cage-free promise in India. Together, we can push one of the world’s biggest hotel chains to do better for animals.
