Inauguration ceremony of the first year BSc. HS 2015-18

The Apeejay Institute  of  Hospitality , Navi Mumbai welcomed their ninth batch this year. The inauguration of the new batch, B Sc. HS 2015- 18 was on the 15^th of July 2015 at a grand function held at The Park hotel. The programme commenced with an invocation song and lighting of the lamp. Students attended the programme with their parents. Principal Mr. Bhuvan welcomed the guests and students. This was followed by the chief guest Mr. Ravi Rawat, Director Operations, The Park Navi Mumbai addressing the audience. The hotel departmental heads and the faculty team introduced themselves to the new students and gave them their valuable advice on the industry dynamics. The students then came up on the stage for their introductions. Some even shared why they were pursuing hospitality education. There was an open house before lunch was served to all.

The  Apeejay  Institute  of  Hospitality  located at CBD Belapur  shares its premises  with  The  Park  Navi  Mumbai. It is an initiative of the Apeejay  Surrendra  Park  Hotels  that  operates its collection of  Luxury  Boutique hotels in India. The  institute  offers  a 3 years   Bachelor’s  Degree programme in Hospitality Studies (BSc-HS)affiliated to the University of Mumbai . AIH is also the center of learning for  Apeejay Surrendra  The Park Hotels. The group's Managment Training Programme, Professional Development Programmes as well as consultancy projects for  the hospitality industry are some of its  additional core activities. The highly accomplished faculty team is drawn from academics, supplemented by visiting faculty from reputed institutions, experts from The Park Hotels and professionals from the Hospitality and Services sector. The institute boasts of a world class curriculum augmented by state of the art facilities on campus with separate hostel facility for Girls and Boys.

Not only academics  but  extracurricular activities are also given equal impetus.  Students have the advantage of getting hands-on operational training at The Park, Navi Mumbai, doing their industrial

training from any of the Park properties  or associated organizations and take up careers with the Park Hotels. 

A stitch in time saves nine

I would like to share with you all my column in the Navi Mumbai City Line, 30th May 2015.

College admissions are on and a lot of students walk in shopping for courses and colleges. Yes the word is shopping! There is certainly some clarity with the courses one can take up after the results are declared. Some have a clear eligibility and cut off marks. Probably some of you are not really happy with your result but when you can’t change that at this stage what you can certainly do is find the best option for you. Things were different when we were growing up, completing 12^th standard 21 years ago is a long time indeed and a lot has changed since then.

Things have certainly changed for the good; I believe in, “we change with changing seasons and times”. Here, not referring to the basic value system, morals and ethics but changing lifestyle. The earlier generations didn’t have so much of competition in the board exams now the toppers manage scores as high as 99 point some percentage. But the good news is that there are so many streams of study and professional courses on offer. The information is available just at the click of a button on the computer. Isn’t this fantastic?

But what I have experienced when counseling students is that when there is so much to choose from they get confused and sometimes don’t make good decisions. For example they might choose a course in Mass media or a branch of engineering as they meet the eligibility criteria and the courses are considered to be very much “In” or “Happening” among their peer group. Once they are in the programme they realize that it isn’t what they wanted or are able to cope with. Sometimes they get ATKTs.  A student who has been good all through school faring badly in college affects their confidence and self esteem. Then they look out for some other professional courses that they think they can do well in. This leads to loss of a year, some finance and also their self confidence. Some find it difficult to bounce back.

To avoid this situation, parents and students can do some research. In fact it’s a good trend that students these days meet education counselors, consult their teachers and also attend education fairs and career guidance seminars. These things help them choose what they believe is their calling. With so many colleges and seats available, it’s not very difficult to get into a professional course. Hence it’s extremely important to make a decision that’s practical, to one liking and based on good research.

The conventional streams, B Sc, B Com and BA are offered by most universities. There are professional courses such as Medicine, Engineering, Hotel Management, Hospitality Studies, BMS, Journalism, Fashion Designing, Aviation, Travel and Tourism, Shipping, Animation and  Film making to name a few. A student who has completed his 12^th standard can find out more about the course of his choice and then select a good college to join that offers the programme.

One’s success is more based on making good decisions than just being brilliant and doing things without thought!

Beating the gender stereotypes!

I did talk about my column right? after sharing the maiden post here is the second one.

In my second write up, I wish to deliberate on the same topic as the last one, the hospitality industry and the careers that it offers. As this is the time of the year when the high school graduates are thinking of getting into different streams of studies and dreaming of building successful careers ahead. I thought of sharing with my readers a very important concern that comes up during my counselling sessions- gender stereotypes! Not that I am a feminist who shouts from the rooftop, but when it comes to dealing with concerned parents of youngsters who are thinking of venturing into a career in the hospitality industry I get asked often how the industry was for the girls.

I am a girl, of course a lady now! Have been in the industry, for almost 18 years. Studied in a hospitality college where the boys to girls ratio was 7:1 (most professional courses show this kind of ratio), a hosteller while there, done my intern ship of 6 months in the second year of college. I have worked in the hotel operations for the first 4 years of my career before getting into academics and after 6 years of that, I am back having one foot in the operations and the other in teaching, learning and development. I haven’t experienced any bias anywhere and the industry is very safe to work in. In fact hotels take great care of their women team members. Within the hotel, which is a 24 hours operation it’s absolute as safe as one’s own home. Women also need to work in shifts but shifts are followed in such a manner that they change at convenient hours such as the afternoon shift getting over at 9 pm. If a shift gets over after 10 pm then the ladies are given a home drop in the hotel car.

In today’s’ day and time most professions work round the clock so employees need to adapt to the  shifts concept, be it a hospital, a hyper mall or a petrol pump. These places are also safe for women to work.

The opportunities that the hotel industry offers are one of the best. Initially they may not be the best paying but in the due course they are also equally challenging and rewarding. In fact the merits are many such as working anywhere in the world, experiencing the product and holiday plans with family being some of them.

Hospitality comes naturally to women, so making a career in the industry can be utilizing their strengths to the core. They also make great managers just like men. In my own experience I have felt the privilege of being a woman at my work place. There is respect, caring and the challenge of walking shoulder to shoulder with the men.

Gender equity is the concept to follow and not gender bias! So hop on and get to know more about the hospitality industry and the career it offers, it’s your passport to the world.

With the idea of attracting the people with the right attitude and make informed decision about studying Hospitality Management or taking up careers in the industry, The Apeejay Institute of Hospitality has organized a free experiential workshop at its campus every Wednesday. Students can enroll in this work shop and experience a feel of the industry as well as get counseling from the experts.

The readers are welcome to send in their queries at connect@aih.edu.in , we’ll try our best to address each one of them. Work shop Contact No. 9987178045

Will have my columns posted here on my blog too! What do you think of it?

Careers in the Hospitality Industry

A local newspaper approached me to write a column in their supplement. Now this was an offer that I couldn't resist simply for the love of sharing my thoughts with  people. The thoughts of hospitality as a career as I still feel people in India, in this city need to know it better. This is the first column that I wrote for the supplement.

The Hospitality and Tourism industry offers careers that are dynamic, challenging, thrilling and vibrant in 

nature. The industry offers many opportunities to the people with the right skills set. A recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council shows that the hospitality industry is the largest employer worldwide hiring 1 in 12 workers, and this number is set to grow with the continued expansion and growth of the sector.

Welcome to this column, where we will be sharing some insights of the industry and also discuss careers. The industry is not really understood well by the masses. Most of them associate it with glamour but there’s a lot of hard work, discipline and the love to serve others that goes hand in hand. Hospitality is all about doing things that come from the heart, manage events and create memorable experiences for the guests. 

Being in the industry for almost two decades and counselling parents and students over the years, I have felt that it is extremely important for the students to know how the hotels operate and what career paths will be available to them. 

Most of the students who want to join the industry have seen a celebrity chef and think that’s what their life would be. There are so many career options apart from being a Chef. The hotel’s core departments are Front office, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage Service and Food Production and Patisserie. A hotel management graduate can work in any of these departments or choose to make a career in Sales and Marketing or Learning and Development after getting some experience in the operational departments. One can go on to become the General Manager or even MD or CEO of a Hospitality company. The ones who are inclined towards teaching can go for higher studies after their graduation and can even earn a PhD. If one dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur, then he or she can start a business be it a restaurant or a facilities company.

With the idea of attracting the people with the right attitude and make informed decision about studying Hospitality Management or taking up careers in the industry, The Apeejay Institute of Hospitality has organized a free experiential workshop at its campus every Wednesday. Students can enroll in this work shop and experience a feel of the industry as well as get counselling from the experts.

The readers are welcome to send in their queries at connect@aih.edu.in , we’ll try our best to address each one of them.

Laxmi Todiwan,

Associate Professor, HOD

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality, Navi Mumbai 

No 1, Sector 10 CBD Belapur,  Navi Mumbai  400 614 

T +91 22  2758 9050    6758 9050   Work shop Contact No. 9987178045

Anything first is always very special. This article will remain special to me.

Class of 2014

The graduation day is always a special occasion. It is special not only for the graduates whose success this ceremony celebrates but it is also special for all those who contributed to this success - parents, professors, administrators and friends. This ceremony is also a great thank you to all of them. Family, friends, colleagues and well wishers celebrate the big day and pay tribute to the hard work and efforts of the graduates.

As a professor at the institute, it is a part of my portfolio to be the Master of the Ceremony and host the event. Its an honour to be there and lead the big day in the life of the graduating batch as well as for us at the institute. The day is high on energy and for me its definitely high on emotions. It is the time to say goodbye  to a  batch of students  who were welcomed  as young girls and boys when they join the institute and then turn into young ladies and gentlemen. The parents see the change and somewhere they give us the credit, but its always a team effort, as their professors we are their mentors, guides, facilitators of knowledge. That's certainly a lot of responsibility that every faculty member carries with him or her.

The event requires a lot of planning. It starts at least a month in advance; activities involve deciding on the venue, the invitees, the menu and a couple of rehearsals of the parade of the graduating batch in their robes. Its a sight to behold!

Institute profile

The  Apeejay  Institute  of  Hospitality  located at CBD Belapur  shares its premises  with  The  Park  Navi  Mumbai. It is an initiative of the Apeejay Surrendra  Park  Hotels Ltd. that  operates its collection of  Luxury  Boutique hotels in India. The  institute  offers  a 3 years   Bachelor’s  Degree programme in Hospitality Studies (BSc-HS)affiliated to the University of Mumbai & YCMO University and  is recognized by the  University Grants Commission.AIH is also the center for learning of  Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels.The group's Management Training Programme, Professional Development programmes as well as consultancy projects for  the hospitality industry are some of its  additional core activities. Not  only  academics  but  extra curricular activities are also given equal impetus. Students have the  advantage  of  getting  hands-on operational training at The Park, Navi Mumbai, doing their industrial

training from any of the Park properties  or associated organizations and take up careers with the Park Hotels as well as other hotels.

The Ceremony

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can't get there by bus, only by hard work and risk ,and by not quite knowing what you're doing, but what you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.

~Alan Alda

The 5^th batch graduated from the portals of the AIH on 30^th of March 2014 in a spectacular ceremony held at the Park Navi Mumbai. Mrs. Shirin Paul, Chairperson Emeritus, Apeejay Surrendra group was the Guest Of Honour and the Chief Guest for the function was Ms. Priya Paul, Chairperson,  Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. Also present was Mr. Swarup Datta, GM The Park, Navi Mumbai and Mr. Lotlikar from the Apeejay House. The invitees were parents of final year students, AIH alumni, principals of Hotel Management colleges in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, media, Hotel General Managers of hotels and recruiters.

The function that started at 12 noon went on for a little over an hour. It began with the graduation march lead by Mrs. and Ms. Paul in full academic regalia. Laxmi Todiwan, was the Master of Ceremony. She welcomed all the guests and thanked everyone present for joining AIH on its special day in celebrating the graduates. She also expressed her appreciation to all those who had supported them – professors, administrators, parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

Principal Mr. GM Bhuvan presented the annual report; 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Final year student representative Ms. Aishwarya Sathe, shared her experiences of the journey at AIH and it was received with cheer and applause. Then Ms. Priya Paul, chief guest of the function addressed the audience. Apart from the inspiring speech to the graduating students she shared her own ambition of studying hospitality at a premium university in the US, she ended by studying economics but later was invited to the same university to be the keynote speaker. She also spoke about the Park Management Training Programme being contemporary and trying to do something different and out of the box. It tries to expose young minds to various aspects of lifestyle elements, be it lifestyle products, destinations, music etc. into the curriculum, moving on from the hospitality of the 90s and giving the guests something different to experience.

Guest of honour for the function Mrs. Shirin Paul, then addressed the audience. She was very happy to be a part of this momentous occasion and expressed her appreciation of the institute and the graduating batch. She then conferred the Gold medals to the winner.

Jit Paul Gold medal which is instituted in fond memory of Mr. Jit Paul, is awarded to the passing out student who is an all rounder with the best attitude and values. The winner of this award was Ms. Kriti Srikanth. She  was also  the winner of the The Surrendra Paul Gold medal, instituted in the memory of our founder, awarded to the student for academic excellence.

Mrs. Paul then distributed the course completion certificates to the graduating batch. The passing out batch took the oath lead by the Master of Ceremony; this was in full academic regalia, students wearing their graduation robes and hats, holding the candles lit by their faculty members signifying the transference of knowledge.

The message to the graduating batch

As it is said that if one can dream it , he can do it. Take the time to dream big, as dreams help you to do great things. Continue to learn, be curious, be open to others whose interests differ from yours. Read and learn something new every day.  Be resilient, learn from your mistakes and celebrate your accomplishments.
As you sit together, as a class for the very last time, I encourage you to focus on what you have learned and accomplished in and outside of AIH.  And then use this experience and learnings to your advantage!

Gratitude opens the door to a great, fulfilling and enriching life. Finally today, more than any other day, remember to be grateful.  Express your gratitude to everyone who contributed to bring you here on this threshold today, your parents, professors and fellow students.

Wishing you the very best.

May you make wise decisions and have great success.

The programme concluded with the national anthem sung by all present. The faculty and students then joined the guests for some sumptuous lunch, the Park Hotel kitchen team laid an elaborate buffet.

The function will certainly go as a red letter day in the history of the institute and will be cherished by the graduating batch.