Life comes full circle!

My association with Bianca goes back to more than 24 years, we have been batch mates at IHM Mumbai and then Batch mates at the Taj Management Training Program, we worked as colleagues there for over 3 years. Then we got the offer from our alma mater to join onboard as faculty, we both deliberated over that, she decided to move to Australia for higher studies and then ultimately settle there and I chose to take the offer and get into teaching, learning and development. We moved organizations and job profiles but have been in touch all through. What I have seen about Bianca is her affable nature and very pleasant personality.

She connects with all at equal levels, making friends and associations wherever she goes. She is a role model to many, a thorough professional, a doting wife and a loving mother to her two children. She is a great leader who motivates her teams to give their very best- Always! She works with many nationalities but manages her work and teams very well. She is a training school in herself, her extremely supporting husband Andre and two children complete her world. I thought it would be great to hear her inspiring story and she obliged. Here’s Bianca’s story.

Having grown up in Dahanu, India , as a little girl I was always fascinated by hotels whenever we visited Bombay and I think I was 10 or 11 when mum and dad took us to Gateway of India. That’s when I saw the Taj Mahal Hotel and said to myself “one day I could work here.”

Back then it was only a dream....

Read The Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/life-comes-full-circle-ms-bianca-desouza/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

Odette Mascarenhas- The Goan at heart!

A graduate from the Dadar Catering College Ms. Odette Mascarenhas joined the Taj as a management trainee. She grew with the organization spending 18 years with them and then branched out on her own as a Management Consultant. She has made valuable contributions to the hospitality Industry and continues her journey in the hospitality sector, food being the centre of her focus- as a TV host, Columnist, Food critic and Author. This is her story.

The Early Life

Ms. Odette Mascarenhas did her schooling from the Convent of Jesus and Mary Byculla, Mumbai. She was a 'good' student, sports was what really 'excited' her...but those were the days when 'Engineers' and 'doctors' were considered to be the milestones for every family. Her parents being 'old schooled,  were very happy that she was selected for the Science stream, and she as happy for their sake (being the eldest in the family). Her creative way of writing was not appreciated as her parents put it- journalism was not 'paying'. Unfortunately her heart was not in it and she did not make the grade to get into medicine. She was disillusioned and her parents only comment was 'Join the Catering College, learn to cook and find a husband'. We are talking about the 70's here!

So she joined the Dadar Catering College and was accepted by Taj. Her parents believed as many did during that time that working in a hotel was not a 'clean' job for a girl. But they accepted it. With her dad getting her picked up if she had a late shift. Perhaps their dream did come through because she met her husband at the Taj!

The Hospitality Career

Selected by the Taj Mahal Bombay in 1979, she opted for Food & Beverage Service despite being warned that it was not a place for young women during that time. Within a span of 3 years she worked her way to taking charge of the Banquet Office of the prestigious Taj. Her work singled her out as she had taken all duties assigned (even night duty) at the different outlets, Shamiana, Golden Dragon, Tanjore and the Rendezvous which was the hotel’s unique supper Club and the employees posted there had to be selected after careful evaluation.

Her next assignment which she earned because of her experiences was to take over the Food & Beverage Department at the Taj Fisherman’s Cove (Mahaballipuram- Madras) in 1984. It was one of her greatest challenges. The hotel was 40 kms away from the city, governments were not very stable during that period, getting trained staff was a major issue due to the distance and procurement of fresh produce from the city (except seafood) took a lot of planning. With the help of her team (who she personally trained), the hotel hosted all the big conferences in Madras, with outdoor conferences of over 1000 people becoming a norm. Her team catered to the likes of Mohammed Ali, Jacqueline Onassis, Adnan Khashogi and even the foreign cricket teams who would spend their ‘rest day’ in the hotel. She set up the beach side restaurant called Bay View Point which even today draws in crowds from the city.

After a tenure of six years with Fisherman’s Cove, she with her husband was transferred to the Taj Goa in 1990. With both husband and wife working in hotel operations and having a 6 year old child, they had to plan their logistics on the home front. It was not possible to give quality time to the child with the couple spending long hours at work so she took a transfer into the administrative department, she was appointed as the The Group Training Manager for Goa. It was the first training department outside the corporate in Mumbai (Bombay then) and she was entrusted to set it up from scratch. She initiated the Assessment centre, the HMT and HOT training center where young college graduates were trained for various skills before being transferred to different Taj hotels in India.
In 1997, after having completed 18 fruitful and empowering years with the Taj she decided to call it a day. But branched out into opening her own Management Consultancy with Training as it’s core focus. OnM Creative Consultants was the first company in Goa which offered development of skill sets to all operating departments in Hotels. From North to the South of Goa all hotels including some boutique hotels availed her expertise and services. As the organization began to grow, she used her skills to offer workshops on Behavioral Skills Applications. With this she moved to the Manufacturing Units too with a client base of over 40 multinationals all over India.

Ms. Mascarenhas is the curator for Food as ‘Art’ for the Serendipity Arts festival held every year in Goa. She is also the Food critic for the Times of India in Goa till date and is the author of the Times food guide since 2012.  She has hosted her own local TV ‘food’ series on Goa 365 and also International TV shows with celebrity Chefs Vikas Khanna, David Rocco, and Ranbeer Brar to promote Goan cuisine internationally.
Besides writing book - 8 so far of different genres, she is the co founder of the Goan Culinary Club, which preserves the authenticity of Goan cuisine researching long lost recipes. Her work with food has made her interaction with hospitality centers her core focus and she has been awarded many times for the work done in this field.

Awards and Accolades

In 2003 on seeing the film made by the Taj Mahal Hotel on the first Indian Executive Chef Miguel Arcanjo Mascarenhas, she decided to write a case study on his life. That story impacted her to such an extent that at the end of her research it was finally made into a book. Rejected by many publishers, she took on the mantle of self publishing it with her husband Joe Mascarenhas (son of the famed chef). The book Masci  The Man behind the Legend won the ‘Special Jury award 2008’ at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris, the very same award that was won by Julia Childs (of the Julie and Julia movie fame) in the year 1993.
Not ready to rest on her laurels she penned more food books with The Culinary Heritage of Goa winning the Gourmand Award in Yangtai China (2015) for historical recipes competing globally with 205 countries for the Best in the World for Historical recipes.
Her other awards besides the gourmand include

• National ‘Unsung Young Entrepreneur’ initiative of CNBC TV 18 and Lufthansa.
• Certificate of Appreciation for commendable literary work by Goa Chamber of Commerce.
• Goa Woman of the Decade (Achievers award) - Woman’s Economic forum
• Orchid Award 2017 for Women Achievers in the field of Art and Culture
• The Goan Foodie for best Critic
• Trinity Medallion for outstanding contribution towards Goan cuisine presented by the Chief Minister of Goa

IWH in conversation with Ms. Mascarenhas

What have been the high points of your career? 
It was when my work was appreciated and a challenge put before me. I was Banquet Manager (Office) at Taj Mahal Bombay when I got a call from Mr. Kerkars Office in 1983. During my 'one on one' meeting with him he shared the fact that he and Mrs. Kerkar were unhappy about the fact the Fisherman's Cove (Madras) was not doing well and might be sold. He wanted my husband and me to do something about it and hence we were being transferred there. Leaving a set life in Bombay should have been 'frightening'. I had a six months old baby but the 'challenge' proved irresistible. It took us five years to turn the place around with hard work and determination. But it was worth it when we heard Mr. Kerkar say...you both have done a super job where would you like to move to next.
I guess I have always risen to a challenge and that was what gave me a 'high'. Like setting up the Training department, despite skepticism (idea was new) or a rejection from a publisher. If they can do why can’t I (self publishing). It was the 'achievement' that were my 'high points'

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the industry?
Working in Food & Beverage in the 80's did not really gain acceptance in the male dominated scenario. It was easier at The Taj overall, but in restaurants during operations there were paradigm shifts in mindsets that had to be managed. For example a girl was normally expected to handle the entrance, seating guests etc. We really had to make our colleagues aware that we could manage other areas too. Or the fact that duty charts were normally expected to be done by the Asst Manager of the restaurant at that time, mostly male (1979). They could not believe that we were capable of handling it or disciplining the wash up area staff. 'You should have brought it to our notice' I would be told. We were in a 'hands down' area of operation not administrative; we had to show our worth. I was told by the Asst Manager that he was asked to look after me when I did a fortnight of night duty at the Shamiana, the coffee shop; as I wanted to learn about the operations. It was nice and caring, but a way of life then!
Years later when I started my Management Consultancy and moved into the Manufacturing hub, I was constantly reminded that this was a job for men; “you don’t know the type of workmen we have” I would be told. But as I said 'challenges' always stimulated me, even this was taken heads on.

What do you think of IWH? 
I think that it is a great platform to share, stimulate and get people to understand their own latent dreams and work towards achieving them.

Your advice to the young professionals and students:
It's in you to make things happen. Accept all challenges; you will feel the exhilaration of achievement. And in this competitive world, do not wait for things to come your way, use your skills....the first few steps might be tough but in the end you win.

Read The Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/ms-odette-mascarenhas/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

The Uncommon People!

They say to grow one needs support and bandwidth, Benaifer has been that in the journey of the IWH, Indian Women in hospitality. She brings in a lot of positivity, enthusiasm and energy on the board. The lady who has worked her way and contributed immensely to the growth of the organizations that she has been a part of.  She heads sales and marketing in her current role, travelling is a passion for her. I can say that a lot of her wisdom comes from that passion. IWH in conversation with Ms. Benaifer Kapadia.

IWH:  Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc
They say “learning is not a spectator sport”. I am a learner till date. I believe “Experience” is the most brutal of all teachers. But you learn & that’s how you grow as a better individual. I have always been an above average student (academically). Coming from an all girls convent alma mater, where rolling your socks down was considered offensive, to the much forward thinking college phase, where bunking was my mandatory right (I did not exercise that much though!) to the hustle and bustle of corporate life... it has been a semi circle! Each phase is and was a learning curve. And it is here where I quote my favourite learning which is “To Be Old and Wise, You must be Young & Stupid!”... I trust I am over being stupid (it’s a habit hard to break for most individuals) and continue being Young!! Old and Wise is yet to come!


IWH:  What made you select Hospitality as a career? Was it easy making that decision?
My inclination to be a part of the hospitality industry started from college. By education I am a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors in Travel & Tourism Management. To be honest, I wanted to avoid a subject that is dear to most of us - “taxation”! Enrolling for travel and tourism was not all hunky dory! Like any other subject I had to prove my eligibility for it. I was always intrigued to educate myself on & about Indian tourism, world socio-economics in hospitality, diverse cultures, languages, maps, people engagement and food and beverage. It is inspiring to note that inspite of the vast disparity in economy, tourism sector contributes 4.6% to the GDP growth of India and successfully continues to grow in near future.

Read the Full Interview: http://www.theiwh.com/the-uncommon-people-ms-benaifer-kapadia/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

The Chocolatier Zeba Kohli

When I joined IHM Mumbai, (Dadar Catering College) in 1994, that’s the time I used to see the Fantasie Fine Chocolates hoardings near the institute and that’s also when I heard about her. I am a chocoholic and you can imagine the adulation I had for the brand and Ms. Zeba Kohli. It's indeed my honour and a privilege to be able to share her story to the masses not just the hospitality and Page 3, on this portal meant for the women who have shaped the hospitality industry and whose contributions are truly note worthy. One such lady is Ms. Kohli, Chocolatier & Entrepreneur who has had a stellar career spanning over three decades. She has been handling Fantasie Fine Chocolates, her maternal grandfather’s venture.When it comes to chocolate brands in the Indian market, Fantasie Fine Chocolates is one name that stands out.

Being a third generation chocolatier, Fantasie Fine Chocolate was started in 1946 by her maternal grandfather. She has reinvented and revamped her brand. Her designer chocolates have captured many hearts making it the most loved Indian Designer Chocolate Brand. She has created not only a huge spectrum of flavours but also chocolate body paints and chocolate fashion accessories.

She not only is passionate about making world class chocolates but also conducts workshops for adults and children. Under her brand she also organizes Chocolate Theme Parties and amazing Chocolate Buffets.

She is the Managing Director of Good Housekeeping and was featured as an Inspirational Woman by Zerbanoo Gifford in her book ‘Confessions to a Serial Womaniser: Secrets of the World’s Inspirational Women’ in London, U.K., in September 2007. She was also featured by Dominique Hoeltgen, Journalist/ Author, Paris – Mumbai, in her book ‘Inde, la revolution par les femmes’.

The Early Life

She comes from an affluent business family of Mumbai. She did her schooling from the Queen Mary School, Mumbai and her graduation from Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics, attaining her Bachelor of Commerce from University of Mumbai. She was a meritorious student, a recipient of merit offer for Government Scholarship in the academic year 1988 for additional studies. She is fluent in many languages such as Hindi, Marathi, English, German and French. As a child her interest was Science but when she reaIised that she was the grandchild, chosen to helm their family business she moved to commerce and Accounts. It washer love for Science that helped her develop logistics and gave her the required knowledge and skill sets; as chocolates are temperature sensitive, they are fragile making it extremely important to maintain the optimum temperature.
Every day is a high point in her career as she loves to learn as well as teach. She is able to activate both on a daily basis with extreme ease.

She says, “While growing up, I always felt in business meetings that members of the opposite sex would look at me with humor in their eyes trying to analyse if I was serious at work & would I walk the talk.Today at the fabulous and fearless age of 52, I still do believe that we have miles to go before women are treated equally in all stratas of the society and in all categories of jobs.”
She took over the family business including Banquet Halls and the family Educational Trust at an early age.With several awards acknowledging her credibility as a Chocolatier and for her contribution in social work by providing exemplary services, Ms. Zeba Kohli is an eminent name amongst confectioners in the country. She has also created amazingArtand theme events including the international brand TUMI.
Ms. Kohli has been on the jury of the World Chocolate Masters India and was an ambassador of the Belgian brand Callebaut. She received certificates for training in Chocolate making from several places around the world.

Recently, she has created a new line of Brownies called “Fancy That’’ which will Soon be available Online.

She has also participated in and contributed to several women empowerment conferences, urging women across the country to rise as entrepreneurs, being an inspiration to many. She is a Voluntary Cancer Counsellor and runs an educational Trust. She also mentors young entrepreneurs in colleges and has created a platform called PROJECT 7 to promote budding entrepreneurs & she Counsels Cancer patients on nutrition.

She says that every moment is her best moment at work. She focuses on it completely and passionately. Probably Iyengar yoga in the evenings completely relaxes her. The time spent with her family (husband Mr. Rajesh Kohli and their two lovely daughters) and laughter are her staples of happiness. She loves South India &south Indian filter coffee!
This woman of substance has appeared in several television shows, to name just a few:

• ‘Manasi’ on Women Entrepreneurs,
• Appeared on Breaking Bread with for NDTV Good Times with Aditya Bahl.
• Appeared on Do IT Sweet for NDTV Good Times with Natasha.
• Appeared on show “Pressure Cooker” for NDTV Good Times with atasha.
• Organising the Chocolate Task for Kingfisher Calendar Model Hunt for 2011.
• Invited at the Times Now Foodie Awards, 2011 on February 13th to give away an award.

Some of her Interviews

• The ‘India  Business  Report’ T.V Show,
• The Food Show, Starplus, CNN,
• By Shekhar Suman on Sabe TV in “Carry on Shekhar”.
• By Pooja Bedi on Zoom TV in “Not just page 3”
• WithVikram Kaushik – Tata Sky on Times Now.
• WithYukti Anand of UTV World Movies for the show CEO's pick 2.
• Indira Award – 8th Indira Marketing Excellence Award “ Brand Leadership Award”
• Rotary Awards for service.

She has graced the cover of the Upper Crust Magazine in 2014, Food Magazineand the Prestigious SAVVY Cookbook. Ms. Kohli also appeared in the much loved FeminaWomen’s Magazine. Her articles and recipes were published in many newspapers and magazines. She has also been interviewed by several maganizes and dailies such as the BBC Good Homes, The Upper Crust, Verve, Society, Taj City Guide, Elle, Food Talk Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, The Times of India, Business world etc. just to name a few.


Awards and Accolades

 Zeba Kohli launched LINDT Chocolates of Switzerland in India over 25 years ago. She was on the panel of judges at the 2012-13 and 2013-14 Mumbai edition of the World Chocolate Master hosted by Callebaut. She has also been appointed an Indian honorary ambassador by Barry Callebaut.
Some of her awards are:
Best Chocolatier - Times Food Awards2013   - Mumbai
Best Confectionery - Times Food Awards 2013 - Pune
Best Desserts and Bakes - Zomato.com,  2013
Judge at World Chocolate Master -   Callebaut2012
Best Chocolatier - Times Food Awards 2012 - Mumbai
Best Confectionery -Times Food Awards2012   - Pune
Best Desserts and Bakes (Pune) - Zomato.com and Citi Bank, 2012
Best Chocolatier -  Times Food & Nightlife Awards2011 - Mumbai
Best Confectionery - Times Food Awards2011  - Pune
Best Chocolatier -  Times Food Awards2010 – Mumbai

Her advice to the students, young professionals and entrepreneurs
“Staying Relevant and staying in tune to the fast changing trends in the Hospitality Industry. Learning constantly by attending workshops,reading up on the latest innovations has helped me improve constantly & I believe everyone must learn and apply their learnings on a regular basis.”

The Chocolate Queen of India’s thoughts on the IWH:
“I think IWH is a great platform for women in the Hospitality Industry to share experiences and offer tips to the budding future women in this Industry.”

Read the Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/ms-zeba-kohli/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

Never Give Up!

I met Ms.  Alka Patta in 2017, at an international summit in Mumbai, she was then the Rooms Division Manager at Radisson Blu. It was really nice knowing more about this dynamic lady, in fact I had heard of her from some students who had interned under her. They said that he was a role model, they learnt so much under her.  Role model she has been for sure, mentoring her staff and being a voice for them. She is a people’s person, quite focused on her job and having strong leadership skills. She talks about her 25 years journey into the industry, IWH in conversation with Ms. Patta.

IWH: Tell us something about you, your growing up years, life through school, college etc.
Born in Agra, Uttar Pradesh and brought up in many cities as my father was is Railways and always on the move. I was brought up like a son in times when a girl was considered as a second gender. I remember my parents boasting that their daughter learnt to ride a bicycle in just one day. Climbing up the trees was one of the activities which would make mother go panic and would run after me to stop it. There are so many memories of my bold ways of handling situations. In class 7, I drove a Bajaj Chetak Scooter flawlessly way back in 1980’s it was very uncommon for the so called, second gender (a girl)

Read Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/never-give-up-is-the-attitude-alka-patta/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

My remarkable journey- by Priyanka

You meet a few people who are self motivated and self driven, Priyanka is one such young professional. My association with her is very recent, in fact we connected through the IWH, she also showed keen interest in all activities and was forever ready to chip in wherever required. I found that she is a person with the right mindset,  attitude and the drive. When I approached her to share her story for the Rear View Mirror, she was very forthcoming. As a founder of the IWH, its a pleasure to share with you Priyanka's story of grit and focus.

My remarkable journey from being regarded just a pretty face to someone who speaks serious business.
Coming from a Middle class family with our own financial struggles, difficult situation or criticism was always taught to me, to be taken as an opportunity to achieve higher.

From the very beginning as a child I was always motivated and encouraged to take up what I believed in – and hospitality was my childhood love affair. Having  lived  in Goa, Pune and Mumbai, exposure to various cultures only boosted my passion to explore, and hospitality was undoubtedly the best platform to achieve that. I have earned my bachelor’s degree in 2014 - International Marketing under Business Studies from South Indian Education Society, Nerul as one of the best institutions in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Followed by the very first break with one of the biggest hotel brands in the world – the Marriott group!

Read the Full Story Here: http://www.theiwh.com/my-remarkable-journey-priyanka-teli/

Website: http://www.theiwh.com/

The first lady of bartending! - Shatbhi Basu

I was interviewing the Management trainees for our hotels; The Park Hotels. We have various Management Training programs such as the General (GMT), Kitchen (KMT), Housekeeping (HKMT) and Hotel Operations (HOET). Something unique to our hotels is the Bar Executive Training Program (BET). We get good number of applications for this one too, over the years even girls have started applying for the BET program. I remember a few of them, extremely good profiles; on asking them their reasons to choose bars over the GMT program, most of them say that Ms. Shatbhi Basu is their inspiration. I have heard this so many times over the years. I know Ms. Basu and the kind of work that she has done, she is simply anything but ordinary woman!  Coming back to the BET program and the girls who apply for it, do they know the real Shatbhi Basu? The glamour of the bar and the high spirited environment cannot define the first lady of Mixology, rightly hailed as the bar guru of India. A lady who is a living example of the saying, ‘There is nothing a woman can’t achieve if she puts her mind to it’.  Ms. Basu is a legend and has been a force to reckon with in the male-dominated industry.

Finally I got an opportunity to speak to her over the phone; I wanted ‘her story’ for our website, Indian Women in Hospitality. She is such a warm person, I didn’t feel as if this was the first time I was having a conversation with her. She has a great voice, with that kind of voice behind the bar, who wouldn’t order an extra drink? I am a fan of ‘good voices’ and she is one of my favorites now.

When she started her career 38 years ago, she aspired to be a chef but that dream fell flat, as hotel kitchens were not really ready to accept a woman in their domain. She then had to look for a role in the restaurant operations. The experience she says turned out to be an eye opener for her, she realised that knowing a recipe was quite different from actually making a drink! Being the only woman in the field, was a challenge in itself. In her initial days learning the ropes of the trade were tough and support from the industry was scarce. In 1980, when she wanted to learn bartending there was no mixology school and the established bartenders were not really happy about sharing information or passing on the skills; these circumstances made it difficult for her to learn the craft. But she didn’t let these challenges be a downer for her, instead she set out on a mission to learn on her own and in the best way that she could. In fact she learned the skills of a bartender after she was already a manager!  She is self taught- learnt things she needed to know with the help of a bartending manuals and inputs from friends and family. At that time the access to international products was limited, she had to find suitable substitutes and work with them. It inspired her to make great stuff with ‘whatever’ was available. In due course of time she learnt to creatively use the local ingredients to make up for the lack of traditional ones.  For instance, she rustled her first dry martini without ‘dry vermouth’, made her first Pina Colada without ‘Malibu’ or coconut cream and she put together a Black Russian with home brewed coffee liqueur. 

Bartending back then was looked at, as a career for ‘men only’. Undeterred by this stereotype, she embarked on a journey with a mixer and glasses as her weapons; there has been no looking back ever since. All credit goes to her for changing mindsets, breaking the shackles, and ruffling perceptions. She had the strength, conviction and knowledge to combat the biases and she continues to raise the bar; all along creating new benchmarks for herself and for the others to follow. Soon the male bartenders as well as the customers began believing in her and trusting her skills behind the bar. Perseverance did pay off and she was appreciated for her creativity and innovation. She is full of ideas and possesses the skills and attitude of a great bartender; understanding the customer’s needs by carefully observing them. She keeps her guests happy and curious and believes in evolving new drinks as well as flavours; taking great care in food and beverage pairing ; and a heady conversation to complement it.

If you see no path make one; holds true for her. Having experienced the lack of right guidance at the beginning of her career, she went on to set up an institution to mentor new professionals in taking the crucial ‘first steps’ in mixology. She was convinced that bartending as a career was indeed the future. Her efforts bore fruits and the academy was launched in 1998 at Mahim, in Mumbai. STIR, become India’s first school for aspiring bartenders. Today it offers comprehensive training in the basics of bartending, right from bar ethics to bar acrobatics. She has also authored ‘The Can’t Go Wrong Book of Cocktails’; a comprehensive guide to cocktails and alcoholic beverages for the Indian consumer. These are her two other major contributions that have been able to create awareness, educate as well as facilitate the art of mixology and bartending.

Despite the benchmarks created by her, there is still under representation of women in the field. Her advice to the young professionals and students is, “Choose your career path wisely. Do it because you love it. Be passionate about your work and give it everything. Be inspired by others but be yourself. Believe in yourself, your vision for yourself and in everything that you do. You and only you have the power to control your destiny. Be the best that you can be always. Don't think of yourself as a woman trying to find your place among men but be a professional right on the top”. 

The Early Life

She is a Bombay girl, did her schooling from St. Teresa’s Convent, Mumbai and her college from Mithibai College of Arts and Science. She completed her Hotel management Course from IHM Mumbai in 1980.  She comes from a family that was well educated and well traveled; it was also her constant source of information and support. Her aunts and uncles from around the world sent her books and information to ‘up’ her knowledge. Her friends she says; were the guinea pigs and the force that kept her grounded. When asked about the challenges she faced as a woman in the industry she says, ”Absolutely none! I have been respected for the work that I have done and my contribution to the skill of bartending. My only challenge was the lack of information when I began”.

Ms. Shatbhi Basu admits the going was tough, but she took all challenges head on, never using circumstances as an excuse to back out. She had a dream and worked diligently to achieve it. She believed in herself and it’s her commitment, dedication as well as focus that have brought her to where she is today. She believes in her own instincts, is a constant learner and preaches only what she can practice. Innovating and taking up new challenges gives her a high; designing bars being one of them. She brought to the bar counter what was missing in the traditional ones, adding a degree of sophistication, creating a great ambience and focusing on the comfort of those working behind the counter. In fact she wanted a makeover of the menu being served as well and started the art of fine dining; making wines an integral part of the dining experience. Ever since she created a niche for herself, women have begun to enroll into professional bartending programs and Ms. Basu has been the change maker!

Awards and recognition

·    She has been awarded two Lifetime Achievement awards - from professionals and people who appreciated her contribution to the hospitality industry. Initiated and currently is head of the first institution for professional bartending in India, STIR - Academy Of Bartending, Mumbai

·    Authored the first comprehensive guide to alcoholic beverages and cocktails relevant to Indian conditions - The Can't Go Wrong Book Of Cocktails

·         She is a consultant with over 50 reputed organizations since 1998

·         She designed the first SS modular bar in India in 1998

·         She was appointed the first American Whiskey Ambassador for India 2013 - 2016

·     She’s awarded a Gold by Spiritz Magazine for being a great "Friend of the Industry" (the alcobev industry)

·        Host and content advisor to NDTV for the show `In High Spirits’ on NDTV Good Times

·     Was consultant to Focus Brands – for Campari, Jose Cuervo, Marie Brizard Liqueurs, Skyy Vodka, Cinzano, Cutty Sark, Glen Rothes

·      Trainer with Aspri Spirits on Stoli, Roberto Cavalli, Molinari Sambuca, Amarula, Diva Cachaca, Skyy.

·     Consultant to INS Hamla, the catering school and training centre for the Indian Navy

·     Consulted on training, brand extensions and launch strategy for Diageo on Ciroc Vodka, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Vat 69…

·     Was instrumental in the creation and execution of Smirnoff Tastemaker Sessions and Smirnoff Bartending Sessions

Read More:

http://www.theiwh.com/ms-shatbhi-basu/

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The small town girl who made it big!

The incredible ordinary small town girl

‘Things are scarce. Opportunities are few. If you don’t work hard, you won’t survive!’

I would hear this often from my parents and teachers who worried about my careless ways. 

These were the years 1977-1995 in Bhopal, an industrial township of hundreds of engineers, doctors, artisans, accountants, workers, from all parts of the country. The children were self-motivated achievers excelling in academics, sports and performing arts and accomplishing the lofty expectations of their middle class parents.

I was a different child. 

Despite taking up Math and Sciences at the behest of my parents to target engineering entrance exams, I held more allegiance to my first love for Language and Literature. Needless to say, I could barely sail through my engineering exams. Tired of academic pressures at the tender age of seventeen, I wished to escape into a completely unknown world of work and skills. I urged my parents to allow me to appear in other (read modest) college entrance exams.

As the great Rumi says – ‘What you seek is seeking you!’

And sure enough, my eyes fell on the National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) entrance exams facilitating admissions into hotel management diploma courses. I was selected for IHM Lucknow, much to the displeasure of my parents who were unaware of the utility of such skill-based trainings and that too offering a mere Diploma or a Certificate. It was hard to convince an erudite Bengali family. I assured them that I would pursue the customary Degree through distance education and I did keep my word later on.

I boarded the train for Lucknow. Like a homesick adolescent girl fighting back her tears while waving goodbye to the parents whom she had failed so miserably.

The incredible ordinary hotel housekeeper

‘So what do you do at the hotel? Cook or clean?’

This was the feedback I got every time on sharing the news of joining The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development after completing the hotel management course. No one in my immediate family or friends had the faintest idea that the institution was one of the finest places to begin a career in Hospitality. Schoolmates from my hometown still doubted if ‘Housekeeping’ was a serious profession. They were concerned for my safety. They truly sympathized with me for not being able to make it in engineering, medicine, banking, strategy consulting or law.

And then, there was magic!

Well. Not really. I wish this were a fairy tale.

I started sharing experiences of my work with everyone back home through letters, STD phone calls and extensive talks during the vacation visits. I shared with them how the industry inspired me to handle emotions better; how I prepared budgets and duty rosters, wrote standard operating procedures, designed training calendars, placed orders on emails, and operated the intranet and internet while creating presentations. The world of hotels was new for everyone and they would gobble up those behind-the-scene stories related to VIP guests, floor renovations and staff appraisals. They also witnessed my transfers and promotions. I would share my professional highs and lows with them over the phone.

Just when life was moving on the best track, I lost my mother in a tragic road accident. Consequently, my father needed constant care and attention. All this coincided with the time when I was about to have my first baby.

I also came face to face with the challenges that new (often lactating) mothers confronted during night shifts, double duties and a fixed maternity leave quota.  

After the long deliberation, I quit hotels.

What stayed with me, however, was the spirit of a hotelier who felt deeply indebted to her hotel background. Hotels had been a rich source of learning opportunities, fantastic experiences and even my life partner.

I craved to express my gratitude for the industry in whichever little ways I possibly could.  

The incredible ordinary hotelier-turned-author

And so I decided to write...

To highlight the daily trials of modest hotel workers in India.

To lay bare the struggles of white-collared, blue-collared and non-collared staff, in order to break the stereotypes about hotel professionals.

To reach out to the famous travel writers and presenters who could feature the lives of hotel professionals ardently working to create and keep a world of glamour, even in the contrasting reality of our country.

To help certain parts of the society come out of a feudal mindset and show respect towards service-oriented work, such as hospitality.

To separate ‘services’ from ‘servitude’.

To shatter the outrageous sense of entitlement in a few domestic travellers who seemed to believe that they owned the hotel staff as bonded labourers for the period of their stay.

To alter the deep set bias against Hospitality and uphold it as a respectful career choice among the parents and youth, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

I toiled away at the writing desk and completed the book manuscript, then titled as ‘The Corridor Chronicles’.

But it was tough to sell the story of a humble hotel housekeeper to the literary agents and commissioning editors. It was an entirely new book concept. After facing a series of rejections for more than a year, the work was finally picked up by one of the leading book publishers in India.

But, I shall always remain grateful for the constructive feedback that few editors provided despite rejecting the manuscript. It helped in shaping up the book tremendously.

Her Master Key: A Hotel Housekeeper’s Stories from Inn-dia (Rupa Publications)

Today, the book stands tall on the bookshelves in the august company of written accounts of well-regarded journalists, ex-armymen, entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, travellers, media professionals and social workers.

The industry has welcomed the book with open arms with comments from Chef Ranveer Brar and Mr. Rattan Keswani (Deputy Managing Director Lemon Tree Hotels and Former President Trident Hotels at Oberoi Hotels & Resorts) among countless messages pouring in from hoteliers, both known and unknown to me.

The book has also begun to garner the well-deserved public attention for the humble hotel staff working behind-the-scenes through wide media and digital coverage on Hindustan Times HT City, The Telegraph, IANS, Yahoo! Lifestyle, Business Standard, Manorama Online, The Statesman, EeYuva – ETV digital portal, DC Books (Kairali and Mango Imprints) and blogposts of top travel and book bloggers.

All reviews speak one voice. They shall never be able to ignore the hotel workers. Not without a little display of gratitude for the hard work that goes into making their stay comfortable.

My story is incredible ordinary but I firmly believe that the story of every hotelier is INCREDIBLE! 

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http://www.theiwh.com/the-incredible-ordinary-small-town-girl-by-shruti-

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The girl who asked many questions- Pamini Hemaprabha

Growing up in Armed forces family is the best thing that happened to me. As my dad was in a transferable job, serving in Indian Air Force, I had the best upbringing a girl child could have ever asked for. I was born in Calcutta, studied in Gujrat, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Coimbatore etc and raised up more as an Indian as supposed to someone from only one state! I loved that clarity about my life and shall be indebted to the armed forces environment forever, for the same!

Growing up as girl child with dark complexion was always something that was often brought forward to me by the school mates and relatives who raised dowry questions on the same. The more pride I took being an Indian, the more I was faced with such ugly side of our society which needed to be questioned. There came my first WHY should a girl child with beautiful dark complexion must be a subject of less interest or worry?

During my teenage, I remember listening to conversation of my parents about dowry requirements for my marriage and their retirement plans, which brought me to my second WHY parents begin to worry about girl child and her future which is related to marriage? Why marriage plans take over career plans for a girl child?

When challenged at school for my sports skills my answer to them was my national volleyball medal.

When my interest to pursue hotel management course was questioned, I graciously shared with them my gold medal at Bharthiar University in 2003.

I had just completed my hotel management and got my first job at ITC Park Sheraton Chennai, I clearly remember the date 5th May 2003, which was one of the most joyous day of my life. The very thought of providing financial support to my parents and becoming independent brought tears of joy and gave me wings to fly.

Staying any longer in India was taking me closer to my parents’ desire to get me married off and was drifting me away from my desire to achieve big in life. I am selfish as I never wanted to settle down with just a title of being mother, daughter, wife etc. I wanted an identity for myself along with all the other titles. My dream of working abroad became a reality during 2005 and pursuing same was nothing less than winning a civil war at home. My mom’s fear to send her only girl child abroad brought worst anxiety in her. There came my Third WHY parents fear the worst when it comes to letting girls fly? Why girls are made to feel insecure about themselves?

After a great struggle my father allowed me and entrusted me with exploring my life, which meant locking my mom in one room and letting me jump off the window to pursue my dreams. I ran as fast as I could to catch the flight from Bangalore to Dubai or should I say a flight from my fears to my dreams…

Landing in a different land brought many challenges which at the same time brought the best out of me. Little did I know that my promise to return to my dad in one year would be forgotten so soon. I loved every bit of being myself. I made great friends and not so great ones too! I was liked my few and not liked my many. I guess that’s what I love about life the most…the uncertainty.

I flew so high, fought like tigress and every obstacle that came my way was handled with such dignity that I fell in love with my own identity. I worked with some great hospitality brands in 7 different countries.

During this phase not only did I fight with the external world but had to deal with life’s ugly turmoil of going through a rough break up and depression. There came my next WHY, why being a strong successful girl I was still vulnerable to handle this phase. Why people are intimidated by successful girls? I realized one thing at that time, “no one can help us better than just us!’’ I decided to pull myself together from all corners and challenged myself to come out of it like a warrior. Being a lady is a pride we need to take and I hold my head high for the same.

I gave my best shot to my career which fetch me best Housekeeper of the Middle East award in 2014, followed by Best Asian Executive housekeeper award in 2017.

I started contributing to my father’s dream of owning his own house without any loans. I worked. very hard to accomplish his goals. I then sponsored my own wedding which took my parents by a surprise.

Going out of my comfort zone and questioning many so called social barricades brought me to my choice in life. I became independent, found the love of my life and was blessed with a life as gorgeous as one could ask for. Being a leader and not a boss is the success story of my life.

The best part of my story is that I have become a role model to my family, friends and many followers. My parents are spending their quality time in educating others to allow their girl child to dream big and think beyond gender and complexion and motivating them to challenge so called rotten social expectations from girls!

Another million-dollar fact is that behind every successful woman there is another woman and few great men too. I wish to thank my mom who taught me selflessness, my father, brother and husband for being real gentlemen who equated their success with that of the girls in their life, Mamdouh Salem, my mentor from Egypt, who taught me the art of winning battles with grace and my daughter who brought the worldly happiness to me and pushed me to become a great women of substance in all aspects of my life.

Whilst all titles a woman is given like mother, daughter, sister, friend etc. are an absolute honor and grace, I still feel that adding another title of your career can add more value to your life.

I now leave you with the below…

If questioning the norm can get the best out of you and reward you with ecstasy, then it’s time to ask WHY & WHY NOT?

Read more:
http://www.theiwh.com/a-girl-who-asked…amini-hemaprabha/ ‎

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Indian Women In Hospitality

I am extremely happy today; in fact my happiness knows no bounds! I feel finally have created something which can really go far as the saying goes, a small step leading to a giant leap! A  platform for the Indian women, working in the hospitality industry. It’ll be used for knowledge & experience sharing, networking, mentoring and collaborating. We have come far indeed but a lot needs to be done. Together we all can achieve more!

Look at inspirational stories among us, motivate us to give our best, share our concerns, and get mentoring but above all each woman empowering the other!  That’s the focus of this group. Would like to get every success story reach the others through blogs and you never know when that can give shape to a book. That’s the vision, to have a collection of success stories from the fraternity.

I believe we have amazing women among us who have beaten every stereotype to reach where they are in their careers and life. There are super women who have been there and done that let their stories guide the others who are just embarking on this journey. It’s easy for women to work for a couple of years in the industry and then switch track, not finding it their cup of tea. We see high turnover among women employees in hospitality. Whereas the truth is that hospitality comes naturally to women, so making a career in the industry can be utilising 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 mantra to follow and not become a victim of gender bias!

I often hear from my ex students, colleagues as well as women I met across the country during my training programs, writing to me seeking guidance. I end up counseling them, sharing whatever best I can but I feel I am not equipped to handle all on my own. This platform will thus create a bigger bandwidth, a support group where one can seek help from the others.

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, need to know it better.

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. 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 more than two decades and counselling parents and students as well as employees over the years, I have felt that it is extremely important for the students or new employees to know how the hotels operate and what career paths will be available to them. 

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

I thought of sharing 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 girls. 

I am a girl, of course a lady now! Have been in the industry, for almost 21 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 really experienced any bias anywhere, but I was a fighter just like many other women of my generation! Can say that; 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 absolutely 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 so that one can travel back home safely. 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.

So when the industry holds so much potential why don’t the women who work there make great careers? We need more role models and more take charge women. Indian women in hospitality will bring such women together and create and share success stories.

In any work culture, relationships are necessary for employees to attain professional success. Women in particular need support from people in positions of authority who use their influence intentionally to help others progress. That support and empowerment are essential to ensuring career advancement and professional development. Women may have a lot of mentors but they also need advocates or supporters, who will give them visibility, talk about their accomplishments on the board and promote them for higher opportunities.

There are very few examples of women role models in workplaces. You can’t be what you can’t see. Research shows that almost two-thirds of women reported a lack of senior or visibly successful female role models as a major obstacle to their career advancement. Not many women hold leadership roles in spite of a substantial representation at work place. Give them the wings and see them soar high. Not just they flying but they taking the entire organisation to great heights.

We have come a long way but there are miles to go before there's fair representation and equal opportunities for women. Let's make workplaces productive and happy not just profitable businesses. Women dream to get equal opportunities and recognition for their work, which is long due. Let's all make that dream a reality. A woman has the power and ability to make castle with every brick thrown at her. Let them use this power to engage, inspire, motivate and empower each other.

 

PS: Women in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism can join the Facebook group: Indian Women in Hospitality.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/141735206638001/
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Website: www.theiwh.com Picture Courtesy: Ladies in Hospitality event (taken only for representational purpose)