50 years of The Park Hotels - a memoir!

The early association

The first time, I heard about the Park hotels was in 1997, final year of my Hotel Management course at IHM Mumbai. I didn’t appear for the off campus selection as it was being held in Calcutta (in 1997 the city wasn’t named Kolkata officially). I didn’t want to travel that far, in fact a few classmates did go for the interview at The Park Calcutta. Since, I had already decided that I’d join the Taj group, it didn’t make sense to travel that far.

Inauguration of AIH, 5 April 2007

Unveiling of the plaque by Mrs. Paul

Fast forward to 2007, The Park Navi Mumbai opened in February and The Park Hotel School was all set to mark it’s beginning. I heard about the hotel school and did like the concept. Moreover, for a young mother workplace being close to home was a blessing. The mother in me was more excited than the professional side of mine; but natural that my son was only 8 months old then.  I met the Principal Mr. Bhuvan, Mr. Shirish Bokde who had by then joined as an HOD, was also there for the meeting. I was asked to go for an interview to Chennai as the entire management team was going to be there.  That very week I was booked on an early morning flight to Chennai. There was another person accompanying me, who was also shortlisted for the position of HOD, Food Production. The flight was on time, the hotel car picked us and we were led to The Park Chennai.  As we approached the hotel saw steel doors instead of the regular glass ones that give a grand view of the hotel’s plush lobby. The moment the door opened it gave a glimpse of some cameras and lights; the reception counter was designed like a boat whereas the floor looked like the sea. I was amazed at the design of the hotel and also the uniforms of the staff.  I didn’t know much about boutique hotels though I did an idea, having read somewhere.  I also didn’t know that The Park group was the pioneer in bringing the concept of Boutique hotels in India.

We went to our respective rooms for wash and change and got ready for the interview. We were then asked to go to the business centre close to the hotel where the Financial Review Meet was in progress. All the General Managers of the hotels, Finance heads, MD, and Chairperson Ms. Priya Paul were there. Until this time I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to join the new organization that was so very different. Remember I came from a very conventional hospitality college that had army kind of rules. Equally strict with the norms and dos and don’ts was the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai where I had worked. We waited for Managing Director Mr. Vijay Dewan and Mr. Lemuel Herbert, who was then the general manager of The Park Bangalore with an additional responsibility of setting up the hotel school.  They interviewed us during their tea break. That was the first time I saw Ms. Paul who was surrounded by the unit heads and she stood in the centre with so much grace, power and a magnetic sense of authority, she was charismatic and had a magical aura about her. I wanted to work with her and be a part of the organization; wanted to make sure that I did well in the interview. The interview was quick and I was selected as an Associate Professor and Head of Department for the Hotel school. I am not calling the institute by it's name as it didn’t have one then. I was asked to join as soon as it was possible. Since I had a few commitments at the place of work, I joined from 15th April 2007.  But the first day of work in reality was 5th April 2007, the day Apeejay Institute of Hospitality was inaugurated. I had the privilege of being the master of ceremonies for the event and also host the first program offered from the portals of AIH the Supervisory Development Program. Have fond memories of the ground work that we did for the institute right from finalizing the name, logo, vision and mission statements to formulating rules and regulations. We have brought up the institute to the level of being one of the finest in the country with 8 batches already graduating from it’s portals and successfully completing one decade of quality education and training.

Inaugural program and first PDP

AIH Team with Participants of the first PDP

AIH now

Today AIH offers 3 years Bachelor’s Degree programme in Hospitality Studies (BSc-HS) affiliated to the University of Mumbai, the group’s Management Training programme, Professional Development Programmes, Executive Training Programmes and consultancy projects for the hospitality industry are some of its additional core activities.

Management Training Programme

The MT Programme of The Park Hotels has been conducted since 1992 at different locations such as The Park New Delhi and The Park Kolkata. AIH became the centre for the programme since 2007 and it has been evolving over the years. Today AIH has its role right from recruiting the management trainees from selected campuses across India, the on-boarding as well as off the job training at its campus to monitoring the program over the two years. The responsibility concludes with the graduation of the management trainees both for The Park and Zone by The Park Hotels. It is one of the most sought after MT programs in the country.

The modules covered include The Park culture code and ABO moments, Communication, Corporate and management skills, Core hospitality content, grooming, wellness and lifestyle, customer sensitization and industrial visits. Some of these have been differentiators and are considered benchmark practices.  It does follow and inculcate the group’s philosophy, ‘Work hard and party harder!’ 

BSc HS Students Graduation Day

The Park Management Training batch 2017-19

BSc Hospitality Studies

The institute offers a 3 years Bachelor’s Degree programme in hospitality and IATA Foundation Diploma in Travel and Tourism from IATA, Canada.  At AIH, we believe the most effective way of imparting knowledge is to induce a coherent partnership between its two chief facets - learning and application. This is achieved by virtue of the institute sharing its premises with The Park Navi Mumbai. This becomes the biggest advantage, as it gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience during their course of study, in terms of training facilities of the hotel for front office, housekeeping, Food and Beverage service and production, and back of house support functions.

We are committed to the all-round development and training of every student who walks through the portals of this institution. Our aim of providing the industry the best ensures that we give our students the best as well. This is evident in our much respected faculty, our cutting-edge resources, and our drive to stay up-to-date with the latest in the world of hospitality. We are focused on developing talent in a dynamic learning environment, based on our expertise in hospitality, to enable students to lead the industry into the future.

10 years of AIH, 5 April 2017

The team

The faculty members are multi faceted. They are empowered to take up various roles right from being counselors, to professors handling the BSc program; they double up as trainers for The Park Hotels as well as manage the MT program. The Park Navi Mumbai doesn’t have a training manager as this role is fulfilled by a faculty member supplemented by the entire team. This makes AIH the learning centre in the true sense. Every faculty has a blog that has its own fan following.  Some are extremely popular; they write on different domains. They are approached as consultants by renowned organizations and also get invited as resource persons for various events and programs of repute. This is taken as an opportunity to learn and explore. This learning helps adding value to the training programs offered by the institute. Our professors have created benchmarks that are replicated by many. They also contribute greatly towards important matters of the University of Mumbai. The admin staffs also handle various roles in their capacity in managing institute’s operations effortlessly, lending great support to the faculty team.

 Best practices

AIH has over the years experimented on many new practices that have come to a level of near perfection now. Some of them are 

• Professional Development Programmes that bridge the gap between university curriculum and industry. 
• Experiential workshops that inform and engage students who wish to join the industry in taking one of the most important decisions of their lives.
• Remedial coaching for students who didn’t fulfill the required attendance norms to not only achieve the same but utilize the time to update their knowledge or skills.
• Staff engagement through wellness has been one of the success stories towards health and wellness. Yoga class is conducted every Friday for team members. Some of them have gone ahead to enroll in certificate programs and have become certified instructors themselves.
• Many success stories of students who graduated from AIH. Students who lacked either recourses or focus.  AIH has coached and counseled the students as well as necessary resources made available to them so that they were able to not only do well in the course but also make great careers for themselves.
• The graduation day, one of the events where we invite not only parents and industry stalwarts but also the media has been appreciated by all who attend. It’s been a showcase event for AIH that we have been able to perfect and benchmark.
• The whole campus is Wifi enabled with 20 Mbps optical backbone. All staff as well as students get AIH email ids that use the Google backend for seamless communication and access to learning resources. Thus we promote paperless communication, our eco initiative. We also promote the use of smart phones on campus for conducting online tests and exams. These not only save resources such as use of paper but are also are highly efficient.

Felicitation of team members completing 10 years

An ABO experience

My entire experience at AIH and The Park Hotels, has been Anything But Ordinary in the true sense. It started with my own on boarding. How many of us can take pride in being the founder team members of an educational institute that is affiliated to one of the oldest universities in the country? A university from where the father of the nation graduated. AIH has been like a baby to me and I take pride in it’s every little achievement. Can say that, we have come a long way and have miles to go!

We had the honour and privilege to have Mr. Jit Paul, inaugurating the institute along with the entire Paul family. I would be failing if I didn’t speak about the empowerment I have felt at every stage. Being able to do what we are good at and being encouraged to do so. Even when I thought of doing something else; to contribute towards my individual social responsibility.  The chairperson having heard all that, said that the organization wouldn’t want to lose me!  I feel that’s the highest level of appreciation one can get. Who’d want to leave an organization that values you not just as a team member but as an individual with unique skill sets, needs or aspirations?

The organization has always supported us in bringing about changes or innovations true to the vision of the company, Leadership through differentiation. I have had ABO moments in almost all hotels that I have visited, as a trainer or as a guest using the hospitality plan. In 10 years,  have been to all our hotels and it gives me immense pride to be associated with this esteemed organization, being solid since 107 years and the hospitality division completing golden jubilee this year. As a trainer I have been conducting induction programmes for the new joinees right from General Managers downwards and with every induction I learn something new. Gain another insight into the philosophy of the company.

The Park Hotels Legacy

When I joined the company in 2007, I did my homework and found out all that was available from the information point of view. Over the years I did a bit of research on boutique hotels and I have written a blog on the subject not well known. Every new joinee specially the ones for Sales and Marketing as well as front office are asked to go through the write up and get a better understanding of the brand that’s a pioneer in luxury boutique hotels in India. Ms. Paul is given the rightful credit for the same. She is one of the most respected as well as decorated hotelier. She was awarded the Padmashri by the Government of India in 2012 and The French Government conferred on her the rank of Knight of National Order of Merit of France in 2014. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her contribution to the hotel industry and the concept of design as well as out of the box ideas.

The Park Hotels is introduced to the world as a collection of contemporary luxury five-star boutique hotels in India belonging to the Apeejay Surrendra Group, headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. The hotel business was started by Mr. Surrendra Paul in 1967, with the opening of the Group's first hotel, The Park, a 150-room hotel on the fashionable Park Street in Kolkata, on 1 November; the hotel at Visakhapatnam was added in 1968, while The Park New Delhi commenced operations in 1987.

The company’s vision is Leadership through differentiation, with a brand promise of Anything but Ordinary experiences across our hotels. The hotels are located in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi, Visakhapatnam and Goa.

The Park Kolkata was awarded the National Tourism Award (2003–04) for outstanding performance as the Best Boutique Hotel in the country by the Department of Tourism, Government of India. This is in addition to the numerous national and international awards won by the hotels.

 Flurys was awarded the most stylish place by Lycra MTV in 2006 and it has been bestowed with the lifetime achievement award by Times Now in 2010. That year it also won the award for excellence, as the best cafe in the city and also CNN IBN - the most loved breakfast place.

More recently, The Park Hotels has been recognized with the Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award 2017 under the category of Best Companies to work for. The event was held at the Le Meridien Singapore on August 1, 2017, hosted by Employer Branding Institute and World HRD Congress.

I have a dream to dedicate a book one day, having lived the philosophy of the organization and experienced the culture. In fact I have every script, right from inauguration of the institute to all the functions that I hosted as a master of ceremonies. Be it the first year BSc programme, The Park Management Training Programme, the graduation day or the valedictory function. Everything is there on my computer! I also have the profiles of all dignitaries who visited AIH, that were used for their introductions, as well as some of the speeches that were kept ready as a reference for the dignitaries addressing our students. These are some priceless memoirs that I possess. I love the minuscule role of a decade contributing towards the larger history of The Park Hotel’s glorious five decades! Wishing the organization more power, to move from strength to strength; from Gold to Diamond to a Centenary and more!

#50YearsOfThePark #AnythingButOrdinary #GoldenJubilee #Anniversary#FabulousAt50 #TheParkHotels  #proudtobeatThePark #Fabat50

International Chefs Day - 2017

International Chefs Day falls every year on October 20. This international observance is considered to be a professional day of all chefs around the world. The holiday was established under initiative of World Association of Chef's Societies in 2004.

Celebration of International Chefs Day usually includes culinary contests that are organized in many big cities. The chefs of leading restaurants come to the contest and show their skills through live cooking sessions.

The chefs associations may organize special activities and events that involve children and young people. Chefs visit orphanages or kindergartens, where they teach children cooking and also explain the importance of healthy food. Young people get to learn more about the profession and valuable lessons at the workshops, organized by prominent chefs.

Every chefs association tries to organize eventful programs, that elevate the image of this profession, popularize professional culinary art among people. Also raise public awareness of the importance of healthy and balanced food, as well as issues pertaining to it’s wastage.

We at the Apeejay Institute Hospitality organized a Walkathon for Chefs this year. Joining them were the other colleagues, and students or chefs in the making. They had a great time amidst the beauty of nature. It was aimed at promoting health and wellness among the fraternity. On reaching back, they had a sumptuous breakfast at the institute and then attended a workshop on Food safety and nutrition.

I had the privilege to be the master of ceremonies, the workshop started with an address by the principal Mr. Bhuvan G M. He emphasized on the expanding role of professional chefs and how it was important to be updated and be relevant in the fast changing times.

Chef Kapil Kumar and Chef Amrita Prabhudesai took the participants through the evolving culinary trends. They also spoke about the evolution of the profession from its humble beginnings; to now it being a very skilled and respected trade.

The guest speaker at the event was Ms. Vanitha Sridhar, a Hygienist by profession.  She holds a Masters in Food Technology and in Quality Management from BITS Pilani and is a certified ISO 22000 and CIEH Level 3. She conducts training programs for students and hospitality industry professionals in Hygiene and Quality Assurance.

The session was very informative and well received by all present. The information provided was useful not only for the young chefs but everyone in the audience as it was connected with every consumer’s life.

The programme concluded with a video prepared by the third year students Jay Tamakuwala and Vikrant Gawade. The celebrations and discussions continued through lunch as it was the Chef’s Day, good food had to be a part of it!

A recipe has no soul, you as the cook must bring soul to the recipe.

May the chefs keep bringing soul to the recipes and keep the gourmet enticing for the rest of us to keep enjoying delectable food. To chefs cooking is not a passion, it is their life. I know many of them; friends, colleagues and my own Chef Professors and trainers. I also know the kind of passion that they exude. It’s not just picking up a knife and entering the kitchen. A great chef carries his heart and soul up his sleeve and into the kitchen, generally called his den. Are they any lesser than the wild cats? If you have been inside a hotel kitchen, you’ll know where I come from. The working brigade is as enticing as the food itself! 

World Tourism Day 2017

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
― Marcel Proust

According to UNWTO, the United Nations General Assembly announced the adoption of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Tourism can contribute to all the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.  It can fulfill each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set up by UN. Not only does the tourism sector spearhead growth, it also improves the quality of people’s lives. It can bolster environmental protection, champion diverse cultural heritage, and strengthen peace in the world.

World Tourism Day 2017, being celebrated on 27^th September, presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness on the contribution of sustainable tourism towards development among public and private sector decision-makers and the international community.  At the same time;  mobilizing all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change.

The UNWTO Secretary-General annually sends out a message to the general public to mark the occasion. Many tourism enterprises and organizations, as well as government agencies with a special interest in tourism, celebrate the event with various special events and festivities. This year the message is to celebrate World Tourism Day by taking the pledge to Travel, Enjoy and Respect the Environment.

Different types of competitions, such as photo competitions promoting tourism, as well as tourism award presentations in areas such as ecotourism, are held on World Tourism Day. Other activities include free entries, discounts or special offers for the general public to any site of tourism interest. Government and community leaders, as tourism business representatives, make public announcements or offer special tours or fares to promote both their region and World Tourism Day on or around September 27.

We at the Apeejay institute of Hospitality have been celebrating the World Tourism Day as a day of Community Lunch. The students get dishes from their regions whereas the hostlers make their traditional food at the institute kitchen.  The delicacies are then served to their fellow students, the institute staff as well as the hotel HODs. The celebration is ‘quite a spread’ of the rich cuisines from across India. Everyone not only relishes the sumptuous meal but also learns about the different cuisines of India. Recipes are exchanged between the attending members, people sharing the ‘mother’s secret recipe’ which generally remains within the family. One gets to see and sample dishes such as avial, neer dosa, poran poli, Sindhi kadi, dal pakwan, dal bati churma, gatte ki sabzi, salli murg, biryani, thepla, chhole puri, Goan fish curry, masale bhaat, chokha and sattu to name a few. This activity of community lunch not only creates a bonding between the diners but also people get inspired to learn more about the different regions and their cultures, often prompting them to travel. The main idea of tourism is to create harmony and understanding, isn’t it? It is said that wherever one goes the place becomes a part of him or her somehow. Travel brings power and love back into your life.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

~Mark Twain

This year, we organized an elaborate program in addition to the community lunch, wanted to use it as a platform to understand sustainable development and drive the message home to our students, staff and guests to travel more, enjoy the destination, it’s culture and food. And respect the environment while doing so. We decided to add elements and events that’d do exactly the same. Mr. Pramod Dalvi, Vice president, Public Relations, Kesari Tours, was invited to be the chief guest for the event and address the students. Mr. Dalvi brings with him four decades of rich experience in the Travel and Tourism sector. He delivered a very powerful and enriching speech, which was accepted very well by one and all present. Am sure everyone is motivated to travel more hence forth. Mr. Ravi Rawat, General Manager of The Park Navi Mumbai, also addressed the audience. He emphasized on the importance and impact of tourism on the hotel industry. This was followed by the Vice Principal of the Institute Mr. Shirish Bokde, who spoke about what tourism meant to him and what he wanted people to start doing from their end. The Cultural program put up by the students was next in the list of events. The finale was the poster designing competition where we received many entries from the students. 

A day well spent amidst good food, enlightening talks and entertainment. 

PS Some pictures are taken from Google, with due credits

Hunar Se Rozgar Tak - creating employable skills

A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.

~Larry Bird 

I was associated with the 'Capacity Building' initiative of the Government of India way back, in the early 2000 when I worked as a lecturer at the Institute of Hotel Management, catering Technology and Applied Nutrition, Mumbai. The Government wanted people working in the Tourism sector to get some hands on training in handling tourists and tourist operations. People who had no formal training in handling such activities had to be covered. People working in canteens handling preparation and service of food, the taxi drivers, porters at the railway stations and similar other services had to be covered under the scheme. I was to take classes on soft skills covering the basic understanding of  body language of the tourist, anticipating his needs and use of some polite sentences to start a conversation with him. As these people in the service sector were the first point of interaction for a tourist and they thus became the 'Moment of Truth' carrying the image of the country and forming the first impressions.

I did training programmes over the weekends, we covered the porters from the Dadar railway station, one of the biggest in Mumbai. Every session had about 15- 20 participants. They were given a certificate at the end of the programme and also were paid stipend  for the day as they'd have missed the opportunity to earn that day's wage. These were some of the best training sessions that I have conducted.

Hunar se Rozgar tak is on the same lines as Capacity Building program but more streamlined and focused. This is meant for the youth who do not have the means to get formal training that can make them employable in the Tourism and Hospitality sector. The program is very close to my heart and my colleagues share the same sentiment. We'd certainly want the information to reach the most deserving candidates and we train them and make them employable with the right skills set for the hospitality sector.

 Hunar Se Rozgar Tak - The Program Details

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality (AIH), an initiative of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. is empanelled to offer ‘Hunar Se Rozgar Tak’ programme at Navi Mumbai by India Tourism Development Corporation, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

 The Government of India, Ministry of Tourism launched a special training initiative titled ‘Hunar Se Rozgar Tak’ in the year 2009-10 for creation of employable skills amongst youth belonging to the economically weaker strata of the society.

In December 2013, AIH received approval from MoT to conduct full time training programs in trades of Food and Beverage Service (06 weeks), Housekeeping (06 weeks) and Food Production (08 weeks). Each course will also have a built-in emphasis to help improve the behavior and attitudes of the trainees, in order to enhance their market acceptability. There will be no application or course fee chargeable to the applicant / trainee. 

A trainee with a minimum attendance of 90% will be paid a lump sum stipend of Rs.1,500/- for the 6 weeks course and Rs.2,000/- for the 8 weeks course. The stipend will be paid at the conclusion of the course. Besides stipend, uniforms and lunch shall be provided free of cost to all the enrolled trainees.

The training programs will be open to 8th standard pass youth in the age group of 18 to 28 years. Admission for the HSRT courses will be on first come first served basis. The trainees with minimum attendance of 90 % will be required to appear in an end-of-the-course test and those who pass it successfully will be awarded a certificate jointly by Apeejay Institute of Hospitality, Navi Mumbai and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

AIH will make conscious effort to facilitate employment of the pass-out students from this program.

Ministry of Tourism and Apeejay Institute of Hospitality invite candidates to hop onboard and give wings to their career!

For further details connect with AIH at www.aih.edu.in

or write to

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality
No.1, Sector-10, C.B.D. Belapur, Navi Mumbai – 400 614, India 

Ph. 022 2758 9050
Email : connect@aih.edu.in

Foundation course in Travel & Tourism (IATA approved)

AIH Teams up with IATA to offer the foundation course in Travel & Tourism

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality (AIH), an initiative of the Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Ltd. becomes the IATA authorized training centre in Navi Mumbai. It has been a vision of the top management to one day be able to offer this program as they see it carrying great value for the students who are seeking a career in the travel and tourism industry. This is the right time for them to prepare themselves to enter into the globally rewarding career.

The programme was launched in an inaugural ceremony at the institute campus on 6^th January 2014. Classes commenced from 7^th January 2014. We believe that this course will benefit the hospitality students in a big way.

The institute offers the IATA Foundation Course in Travel and Tourism. It’s a six months program and the learning hours at the institute are 6 hours per week. The batches are both weekdays as well as weekends so that students from other discipline and professionals can also take up the course. The eligibility for the programme is 10 + 2 / Under graduate / Graduate in any discipline. On successful completion of the programme, the candidates will be awarded the International Certification from IATA, Canada.

AIH will offer excellent placements through campus interviews in international and domestic airlines, airport operations, travel agencies, tourism organizations, travel portals, airline back offices, hospitality and many more.

The travel and tourism industry employs more than 200 million individuals worldwide, (source: IATA) in such diverse areas as travel sales, ticketing, hotel guest services and administration, nature reserve guides, cruise ship marketing, group sales, tour operations, packaging, niche as well as specialty travel sales and attraction management among others. Responsible travel and tourism aims to bridge cultural differences, fostering an environment which enriches our lives through the bringing together of people for leisure, family get togethers, business and educational purposes.

On successful completion of the program, the candidates will acquire the knowledge and skill to work in an ever growing industry that contributes to making the world a global village. The international Travel and Tourism industry is expected to grow more than double in size in next decade.

The IATA Foundation course in Travel and Tourism is a comprehensive course to begin a career in travel and tourism industry. It is a global qualification that certifies that the candidate has achieved a certain level of professional competence.  Learn industry terms and codes, products, services, international air fare pricing and e- ticketing. Facilities include air-conditioned class rooms, Audio Visual aids, access to library, internet lab and well equipped computer lab for GDS. The institute has full time IATA qualified and experienced faculty.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm 

~Ralph Waldo Emerson 
To the first batch of the IATA program, we wish you the very best, have enthusiasm, have  fun and learn about the vast possibilities that await you!

IATA and AIH invite candidates to hop onboard and give wings to their career!

For further details connect with AIH at www.aih.edu.in

or write to

Apeejay Institute of Hospitality
No.1, Sector-10, C.B.D. Belapur, Navi Mumbai – 400 614, India 

Ph. 022 2758 9050
Email : connect@aih.edu.in

Graduation day - An academic regalia

Graduation day is probably the most important day in the academic life of an individual. A momentous occasion for every college student, it also is the most memorable one. It is an achievement that comes from within that signifies maturity, the ability to cross multitudes of obstacles and reach a goal of unprecedented possibilities. They learn many new skills, gain knowledge and uncover new passions that they'd apply in the walks of their lives. 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 Ceremony for the event. I always take it as an honour. It is certainly a big day in the life of the graduating batch as well as for us at the institute. To me it is particularly very emotional. It is the time to bid farewell to a  batch of students who we have seen for 3 years, seen them as young girls and boys when they join us to 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 teachers we are their mentors, guides, facilitators of knowledge and we somewhere become their inspiration and role models. Oh my God!.... isn't that some responsibility we carry on our shoulders?

The event requires a lot of planning. It starts months in advance right from deciding on the venue, the invitees, the menu and a few rehearsals of the parade of the graduating batch in their robes. It makes such a spectacular sight, ... and an emotional one too.

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  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

The 4^th batch graduated from the portals of the AIH on the 16^th of March 2013 in a spectacular ceremony held at the Park Navi Mumbai. The Chief Guest for the function was Ms. Priya Paul,Chairperson, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels. Also present was Mr. Lemuel Herbert, Associate Vice President and Area General manager, The Park Hotels. The invitees were parents of final year students, AIH alumni, Principals of Hotel Management colleges in Navi Mumbai and Mumbai, media, Hotel General Managers  and recruiters.

The function that started at 12 noon went a little over an hour.The Master of Ceremony welcomed all the guests and thanked everyone for joining AIH on their special day in celebrating the graduates. She also expressed her appreciation to all those who had supported them – parents, grandparents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

Principal Mr. GM Bhuvan presented the annual report; the juniors presented a cultural programme, a melody of classic graduation dances. Then Ms. Priya Paul, chief guest of the function addressed the audience. Apart from the inspiring address to the graduating students she gave an insight into the hospitality industry’s current standing and spoke about the measures that’ll have to be taken in the future. Final year representative Mr. Rajdeep Tokhi, shared his experiences of the journey at AIH with the audience and it was received with cheer and applause.

Chief Guest Ms. Paul distributed the course completion certificates to the graduating batch. This was followed by conferring the Jit Paul and Surrendra Paul Gold medals. The medals carry great value for the student as it is a recognition of his or her achievement over the 3 years at the institute, it carries material value as well as each medal is 15 grams, 24 carat gold. 

Jit Paul Gold medal 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. Pratiksha Palkar.  Mr. Holsten D’Souza was the winner of the The Surrendra Paul Gold medal awarded to the student for academic excellence.

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 programme concluded with the national anthem sung by everyone present. The faculty and students then joined the guests for lunch. Parents were happy seeing their children graduate, it is said that they come to the ceremony as parents but go back home as contemporaries.Certainly a day cherished by all! 

 

We wish for you, a joy filled transition

From the shelter of AIH to the world so wide....

We wish for you new friendships,
While you cherish the old ones.
May you have a smooth journey,
Towards your chosen destination.
Congratulations!
May the world embrace you, excite you, delight you
And strengthen you in everything that you do!
May you make wise decisions, 
And have great success!

"It's not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree. It's what you do with your life that counts". ~Millard Fuller

PS

I'll keep with my promise of writing about Abhilash Tomy in my posts till he is back from his historic voyage.

(Abhilash Tomy is attempting to be the first Indian on a solo non stop unassisted circumnavigation of the globe).

He is homeward bound now, crossing the equator for the second time in this voyage. Of course a few days from now and this officer will graduate to be a part of the elite group of men and women - the sailors who have lived their passion and have circumnavigated the globe, solo and unassisted. He also became a Cape Horner, - joining yet another elite group during this voyage.

There has never been an achievement that did not begin with a dream. It must be a great sense of achievement for Tomy that he would be the person that he dreamt of, doing what he wanted to do. Ofcourse he had the courage and the belief in his potential and held on to that dream. What a remarkable examble of strength of character and enormous courage. Fighting all odds and being the survivor. He is on the last leg and an absolute last phase of his voyage. He shall be home soon but ....he has miles to go.... before the nation welcomes him.

This facebook update of Mhadei caught my attention:

"If you are between 13 and 18 years of age, write to me about how sailing protects the environment in less than 50 words and win a chance to sail with me soon. 

Do this before March 26! Happy writing!"

If any of my readers are in this age group, I guess they must try to be the 'One' that he chooses to sail with. Give it a short, who knows you may be sailing with the first Indian solo circumnavigator!... phew!

To know more about Lt. Cdr Tomy and his boat the Mhadei, follow the link below.

Check: www.sagarparikrama2.blogspot.com

            www.Facebook.com/www.mhadei.co.in