The Hotel Association of India (HAI) has unveiled a landmark initiative — an industry-first, structured mentorship platform designed exclusively for the hotel sector. This programme comes at a time when the industry is witnessing significant growth, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, covering about 50 locations.
Addressing the Talent Gap
This initiative aims to address the widening talent gap in the Indian hotel sector and support its sustainable growth. The focus areas include leadership development, career progression, organizational culture, and improving employee attraction, retention, and engagement. A team of domain experts from The Hotel Association of India member hotels has designed the operational framework.
Government Endorsement as a Game-Changer
Hailing the initiative as a game-changer for the Indian tourism landscape, while launching the program, Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, “The Hotel Association of India’s innovative program marks a significant step towards establishing India as a global tourism powerhouse, with an ambitious goal of creating a USD 3 trillion tourism economy by 2047.”
He highlighted that as tourism demand surges, the need for talented and visionary leaders in hospitality has never been greater. The program will develop professionals prepared to lead the future of tourism and hospitality, setting a high standard that inspires excellence beyond borders.
Industry Leaders Back the Vision
KB Kachru, President, The Hotel Association of India, Chairman – South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group, added, “This is a one-of-its-kind initiative by industry experts – rooted in the guru-shishya parampara, to provide expert mentorship, and inspire a lasting commitment to the future of hospitality leadership in India. The government and industry have set a target of creating around a million branded hotel rooms to achieve the India Tourism vision 2047. This will require an addition of around 100,000 middle to senior management hotel managers to the existing pool.”
Embedding Mentorship in Brand Culture
The Hotel Association of India will work with its member hotels to adopt this programme and embed it into their brand culture, empowering future leaders and strengthening India’s position as a world-class hospitality destination.
