Service
has been the very essence of Indian culture and traditions. Since ages we have
treated guests as equivalent to God. The change in demography and socio
economic conditions has led to a service sector boom in India. We have fast
progressed to be a service driven economy from an agrarian economy. Hospitality
sector constitutes a major part of this service landscape. The sector has
transformed in recent years and integration of online with offline business
models will further accelerate the growth. A majority of customers now prefer
booking online furthering the reach and accessibility of good service on one
side and elimination of middle men and agents on the other side. Most of the
service businesses have their online presence and they are able to market using
social media now. The practices followed by these businesses are becoming more
sustainable keeping in mind the aspirations of a clean and green India. A large
number of hotels are proud to present themselves as ecofriendly and green be it
in terms of building, design, architecture or use of ecofriendly material. The
young breed of health conscious consumers still expect a lot to be done in
terms of offering healthy and organic food. Sustainability, digitization and
health will be the key drivers for growth and development in the future.
The
demographic dividend that most often is talked about now a days provide us with
the most valuable resource i.e. youth to drive growth in this service economy.
But, the youth need to be nurtured and shaped through quality professional
education. The young talent need to be equipped with capabilities and skills to
compete with their counterparts throughout the globe given the fact that most
of the service businesses including the one in hospitality sector operate at a
global scale. The school of Hotel Management at Manipal University Jaipur
provides a combination of high standards of teaching and strong industry
integration to achieve this objective.
The
focus of educational Institutions should not be only to impart knowledge of
their respective domains but also to groom students to become industry leaders
and take up entrepreneurship. One entrepreneur generate job opportunities for
many. The leadership at national and regional level has realized this fact by
initiating campaigns like “Startup India”. More opportunities need to be
provided to the students to work on industry relevant projects, assignments and
internships so that they get exposure to real life problem and challenges.
By
following right talent management approaches we can help youth to achieve
better standard of living and thereby contributing to the growth and
development of nation. Industry also has a role to play in achieving this
besides academia. In Hospitality sector especially Hotel, practical training is
of utmost importance. Students are encouraged to participate in various
competitions, visit hotels and resorts to gain practical exposure. Students are
also encouraged to create records and bring in innovation to their domain of
study. Limca book of world record have awarded SHM, MUJ for preparing the
“Heaviest Gateaux Annanas”. Senior executives from the industry are regularly
invited at SHM, MUJ to orient students to good practices.
Institutions
also need to develop global interface with academia and industry across
borders. Regular visits of senior faculty and industry experts from abroad help
students to be apprised of recent trends in the sector at global level. Not
only have they got to know about the service quality and standards across the
globe but also about job and business opportunities abroad.
The
quantum growth that the country aspires for can only be achieved if Industry,
academia and society in general join hand to develop and nurture young talent
into corporate leaders. Modern institutions with global outreach and strong
industry interface like School of Hotel Management, Manipal University Jaipur are
capable to do so and India is poised to be in forefront of growth in Hospitality
sector in years to come.
Director-
School of Hotel Management
Manipal
University Jaipur
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