Serve with elan

Ekta Nayyar

With an impressively projected growth rate, the hospitality industry is all set to soar. With this, a host of new opportunities are waiting for youngsters wanting to chart their career in this field

Promotional initiatives by the government to promote India as a major tourist destination on a global platform have resulted in a surge of tourists from all over the world. Domestic tourism has also increased manifold. As a result the hotel industry in India has witnessed immense growth in the past decade or so. A boom in the hotel and tourism sectors has seen the hospitality industry grow by leaps and bounds. The demand for manpower in this industry offers career choices in various areas. A qualified graduate in this field definitely has an edge over normal graduate when it comes to job security, exposure and polished skills. Impressive communication skills coupled with a penchant for adventure can help one succeed in the hotel industry. In initial phase, only course available in India for hospitality was Diploma in Hotel Management, but now with emerging opportunities students are pursuing graduation, post graduation as well as Doctorate (P.hd) in Hotel Management and Tourism. There are many new job avenues in the hospitality sector not only in private/ corporate sector but in the government sector as well.

The skill set

Equipping yourself with the right amount of knowledge before entering this domain is very crucial. The industry looks for people with a high degree of competence. Freshers who wish to join this industry should be willing to work hard and flex their work timings.  

 Once in this industry it is imperative to hone your communication skills as it involves extensive customer interaction. One should have smart and pleasant personality and excellent communication skills. One should also be willing to meet and network with a wide range of people. With adequate experience one can scale greater heights in this profession. Remuneration also depends on the qualification and number of years put in. It is a myth that all you need to do to succeed in the hospitality industry is to smile and greet customers from behind a desk. Like all professions, this one too has its rigors and demands. As a result one should be willing to work very hard. A hospitality employee may be required to work for minimum 10 to 12 hrs a shift and even during festivals. So, if you have the right people skills and appropriate qualification the hotel industry might just be the springboard that your aspirations needed.

Course content

The course content touches on important areas of the hospitality industry. There are four major subjects in the curriculum i.e. food production, food and beverage services, accommodation operations and front office. Apart from these there are ancillary subjects as well i.e. business communication, human resource management, strategic management, computers, research methodology and hotel law. The full-time courses equip students with the required skills to efficiently discharge managerial responsibilities. The programme also involves in depth practical work for the students to acquire required knowledge and skill standards in the operational areas of food production, food and beverage services, front office and housekeeping. 

How affiliation works

National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tourism. The council centrally regulates academics for BSc Hospitality and Hotel Administration and 11 other structured courses that are imparted at the existing 21 Central Institutes of Hotel Management, 14 state government institutes of hotel management and 15 private institutes affiliated with NCHMCT. Five food craft institutes located in different parts of the country offer diploma programmes in specific operational areas.   

—  The writer is Assistant Lecturer Dr.Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management, Chandigarh

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Top Institutes

Government

Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Chennai, 

Tamil Nadu

Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition Chandigarh 

Institute of Hotel Management, Ahemdabad, Gujarat

Institute of Hotel management and 

Catering Technology, Kerala

Private

Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Karnataka

Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development, Delhi

Christ College, Banglaore

Rizvi College of Hotel Management, Mumbai Region’s best

Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Sector-42, Chandigarh

Institute of Hotel Management, Gurdaspur 

University Institute of Hotel Management, Panjab University Campus, Chandigarh

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering And Nutrition, Panipat

GHRDC 2014 (Global Human Resource Development Centre)