The International Hospitality Council (IHC) London once again observed International Hospitality Day through a prestigious award ceremony held on 18th July 2022. The International Hospitality Day Awards, Mumbai was a tribute to the people associated with the Hospitality industry.
Honours went to personalities who have contributed immensely to the Hospitality industry through their hard work, innovation, and ideas. This award signifies the hard work and tireless contribution of hospitality professionals who have put in their best efforts to revive the industry after the two-year lull phase. Dr Suborno Bose, the CEO and Convenor of the International Hospitality Council (IHC) said, “The International Hospitality Day Awards, Mumbai truly signify the bounce back of the industry. The hospitality industry was one of those that was badly hit during the pandemic. But the way it had come back with a vengeance, the figures of sales and profits are equal to 2019 figures, is amazing. The industry has rediscovered and reimagined itself is truly commendable. The awards ceremony organised jointly by IHC and IIHM, India’s largest hotel school chain, is a celebration of the bounce back of the hospitality industry after the Covid-19 pandemic. I take this opportunity to congratulate all my friends in the hospitality industry in India and the world who have worked tirelessly with huge passion, enthusiasm and hope and we see the results in the form of huge success of the industry.”
Over 100 young hospitality professionals working in hotels and other sectors received the IHC Best Hospitality Professional Award. They were selected on basis of merit and performance by the organisations they work for. A special awards segment included the IHC Hospitality Leadership Awards that recognised the significant contributions of hospitality leaders and trendsetters. “We are here today to recognise all the outstanding and wonderful achievements of these icons and entrepreneurs. We must also thank all the professionals in the industry who have supported us during these difficult times. We are honouring the icons and entrepreneurs of the industry who are the artists of the industry. We must be very proud of our industry and its people,” said Prof David Foskett, MBE, Chairman of IHC.
The most prestigious of the list, the IHC Lifetime Achievement Award went to Chef Satish Arora, Director, Food Production at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. Satish was the world’s first youngest executive chef to handle a Five Star’s kitchen at the age of 26. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, would cast a magical spell with Chef Satish’s culinary talent.
From Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles to former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chef Satish has mesmerised many global personalities with his extraordinary culinary skills. His guests include heads of states like Bill Clinton, Indira Gandhi and Neil Armstrong. He won gold at the Culinary Olympics in Japan in 1987 and was enlisted among the world’s top 20 cooks by a German food magazine in 1991. In 2007, he received the lifetime achievement award from Curry Club India in London. On receiving the award, Arora said, “This award is the icing on the cake because a dream which Dr Suborno Bose saw about two decades ago is showing great results and is a boon for the hospitality industry. When I was executive chef, the industry was starved of good professionals. We had to do extensive training. But today, Dr Bose and IIHM are doing a wonderful job of helping us. IIHM students are at par with national standards. I thank IHC for this memorable award.”
Several personalities from the industry have made a difference through their unique ideas received the IHC Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry Award. Atul Bhalla, Area Manager for ITC Hotels in West and East India and General Manager, ITC Maratha Mumbai. An alumnus of IHM Hyderabad, Atul has over 32 years of experience with ITC Ltd.
Sanjay Sethi, CEO and Managing Director, Chalet Hotels also received the award. Sethi is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) from American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute. He has completed various management certifications from IIM-Bangalore, XLRI and Cornel. He has over 30 years of experience with leading Indian hotel chains. Prior to joining Chalet Hotels, Sanjay set up Berggruen Hotels in 2006 as promoter CEO and MD along with Berggruen Holdings, New York.
Among the recipients was Ranvir Bhandari, Senior VP and GM, Trident Nariman Point. Ranvir has enriched Luxury hospitality for 35 years with some amazing stints at Oberoi Hotels, ITC hotels and Soneva resorts.
Other persons who received the IHC Outstanding Contribution to Hospitality Award were Sharad Datta, General Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City. Sharad has had vast experience with the Oberoi Hotels, Carlson Rezidor, Hyatt and Marriott Hotels. Manish Gupta, CEO, Taj SATS Air Catering Limited. Manish is a seasoned Hospitality and Food Industry professional with more than 26 years of experience. He is currently heading an airline catering business after multiple roles in various luxury hotels. Anuraag Bhatnagar, COO, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts. Anuraag shows a keen interest in setting up and running high quality and profitable businesses. He loves to meet people and travel to new destinations. Param Kannampilly, Chairman and MD, Concept Hospitality Pvt Ltd, The Fern Hotels & Resorts. A visionary in Indian hospitality, Kannampilly is an environment champion with over 40 years of active involvement in the hospitality industry. Kannampilly is a Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality, London as well as Fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science for his significant contribution to the environment. He was conferred the UN Global Futures Network Award for his outstanding contribution to sustainable development. Kannampilly started Concept Hospitality in 1996 and the company is a leader in consultancy, management and operations of environment-friendly hotels.
Shib Sankar Mukherji, Executive Vice Chairman, The Oberoi Group. Shib Shankar Mukherji joined EIH Limited as Executive Vice Chairman in March 1972. He has 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and did an advanced management programme from Harvard University. Puneet Dhawan, Senior VP, Operations, Accor India & South Asia. Puneet has held key positions at Accor, across countries such as Hong Kong, Vietnam, Australia, Singapore, India, UAE and Philippines. In 2020, Puneet moved to India in his present capacity. Mr. Puneet Dhawan said “I thank IIHM & IHC for this great honour. It is truly humbling to get this award. I think it is important to celebrate our successes and it’s really a great pleasure to be part of this great celebration here. My message for all the students is that we are truly in a blessed industry and it gives you great opportunities and truly it is only your imagination that is stopping you.”
Zubin Saxena, MD and VP Operations, South Asia at Radisson Hotel Group was also awarded. Zubin has more than two decades of global hospitality leadership experience. He has held senior positions with prominent multinational companies such as InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, and HVS (New York). He is an active member and advisor to various industry bodies. He is Co-Chairman of the CII Tourism Committee for Northern India. He was enlisted amongst the top young Indian business leaders in the prestigious ‘40 under Forty’ by The Economic Times annual listing in 2019.
Jyoti Mayal, President, Travel Agents Association of India. President of the largest nodal Travel and Tourism Association, TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) and Vice Chairperson of FAITH (Federation of (10) Associations in Tourism & Hospitality) and Chairperson of THSC (Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council) under the aegis of NSDC. She is also member of the national governing body, CII Tourism Council. Nikita Ramchandani, General Manager, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu. Nikita has earlier led operations for Marriott International as Senior Area Director of Operations where she set the roadmap for new openings, talent development, guest experiences and F&B growth.
Ranveer Brar, Celebrity Chef. His passion for food has driven him to every corner of the world. From becoming the youngest executive chef at a Five Star, to hosting his own cookery shows, it is his love for cooking that has brought him so far. He is also Brand Ambassador for the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM).
Somanth Mukherjee, Senior Vice President – IHCL West also received the award. Somnath is a respected hospitality professional with three decades of hospitality leadership experience at the Taj Group of hotels. He has successfully led the Taj group of hotels as Area Director, Karnataka. Mr Mukherjee received several awards including the Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2018. He is also a Fellow of International Institute of Hotel Management.
Tourism is an integral part of hospitality industry and IHC took the initiative to award those who try to promote tourism in the country. The IHC Outstanding Contribution to Development of Tourism Award went to Carl Vaz, Chairman and CEO, Chairperson Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. He is also the present president of Skal International India and Chairman and CEO of Chairperson Advisory Services Pvt Ltd
IHC has always respected and applauded women achievers in the hospitality sector. This award will go to some amazing women who have contributed immensely to the industry.
Ananya Banerjee, Chef, Consultant, Author, Globetrotter, Artist. The multi-talented Chef Ananya Banerjee has served as Executive Editor for BBC Good Food India. She has extensive culinary experiences that she has gathered from her travel experiences around the world and has authored two popular Cook Books, Planet Global – 100 Most Popular Global Recipes and Bangla Gastronomy – The Journey of Bengali Food. As a chef she has received several prestigious awards including Celebrity Chef of the Year 2018 (Female) at the Food Food TV awards.
Sonal Holland, Master of Wine and wine professional. Sonal is India’s first and only Master of Wine, and the country’s most accomplished wine professional. Sonal has won several awards and is widely known for her media broadcasting of wine education. She is an accomplished writer, wine judge, and speaker with entrepreneurial ventures in wine and beverage education, international consultancy, events and retail of fine wines.
Shatbhi Basu, India’s first Woman Bartender and consultant, brand ambassador and mixologist. Shatbhi is bar and beverage consultant to international brands and bars. She created India’s first Bartending academy, STIR, to teach young students the skills of the profession and give them direction, purpose and a career. She received President of India Award and was appreciated by Ministry of Women and Child Development as India’s first woman bartender.
The IHC Outstanding Hospitality Influencer Award went to Bibhor Srivastava, MD, ITP Media India. Bibhor has over two decades of work experience in Senior Management roles in publishing, audience development and media related events and exhibitions, marketing and sales management and business development. As MD at of ITP Media, Bibhor manages
seven B-2-B premier magazine brands, namely, Construction Week, Digital Studio, Manufacturing Today, Hotelier India, Healthcare Radius and Commercial Design.
Hospitality’s contribution to society was recognised through the IHC Hospitality for a Cause Award. The award went to the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust (TPSWT) that was set up in December 2008, in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks. Inspired by the resilience of the survivors and the courage of those who came to their aid, they reach out to people affected by disasters with support to rebuild their lives. They also have a special mandate for the welfare of injured and disabled members of the armed forces. Since their inception, they have worked for relief and rehabilitation initiatives across the country, with a strong commitment to helping survivors regain their confidence and independence.
Hospitality entrepreneurs are making a huge difference to the industry and IHC acknowledged their contribution through the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder at Treebo, Hotel Superhero. Treebo Hotels and Hotel Superhero were Sidharth Gupta’s brainchild. Treebo is a technology-enabled hotel brand operating in the budget segment and is present in over 800 locations across 150 cities with a network size of 15,000 rooms. Hotel Superhero is a comprehensive hotel management software that
allows hotels to manage their business on a cloud-native SaaS platform.
The IHC Rising Star of the Year Award went to Anant Leekha, Cluster General Manager at Accor. Anant has a rich experience of over 16 years with groups like Lemon tree and Accor.
