Providing an array of national and international hospitality and culinary programmes ranging from diploma level to masters, NIPS Group of Institutes strives to provide best-in-class all-round hospitality education to the aspiring hospitality students. Vivek Pathak, group MD, NIPS Group speaks to Akshay Nayak about the many facilities that the group of institutes provides
How has the hospitality education scenario evolved in India?
With the widespread and fast growing globalisation and surge of internet, the hospitality sector has emerged as the fastest growing sector in the world. The world-class top Indian hotel chains and proliferation of renowned international hotel brands in the country have already infused dynamism into the industry and a demand for hospitality education. The world-class education and training from leading hospitality education institutes of the country is helping them to prove their mettle and find their place in the sun. The contemporary hospitality industry scenario is buzzing and has become quite promising in terms of career prospects, progression and incentives. More interesting has been the revolutionary employee branding that has occurred, with the industry offering a lot more to aspirants apart from a glitzy career. Remuneration and working lifestyle have come on par with other leading sectors of industry, resulting in the successful wooing of passionate and professional talent.
No doubt, the advent and investment of international hotel brands in the Indian market has commenced the evolution of the hospitality industry as a potential and prudent employer. Today, for a hospitality professional, the whole Earth has become a playground. With the kind of quality hospitality education, leading Indian institutes are providing the professionals trained in India opoortunities worldwide.
Through each year leading hospitality institutes witness an increase in the number of applicants vis-à-vis previous years. More often than not, it is the decline in the interest in traditional courses that account for students opting for hospitality as a career.
What are the various offerings for the students across NIPS Hotel Management Institutes?
NIPS across all its campuses provides an array of national and international hospitality and culinary programmes ranging from diploma level to Masters courses, delivered in world-class environment along with its national and international partners. NIPS is highly connected with top universities in countries like UK, Canada, Australia and many other countries.
NIPS takes pride in sending its students all around the world for internships including USA, Canada, UK, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, UAE, Singapore, Mauritius and many more. NIPS alumni are working all around the world and in various different sectors like airlines, cruiselines, MNCs and many more along with the leading hotels in the world.
The hospitality industry strives for quality manpower. How does NIPS train the students to meet the modern needs of the industry?
Best part of learning in NIPS is the international environment and exposure that the students get. NIPS Hotel Management’s generous facilities allow for a hands-on delivery of the hospitality and culinary management programmes.
“Learning by Doing” has long been the approach of NIPS. In tandem with its strong Indian and International partners, the institute develops professionals who can both implement their ideas in a working environment and lead the required processes, making them absolutely employment-ready for any country in the world. The NIPS programmes focus on global trends, business strategy and operational leadership. Students who join the institute learn the art of international hospitality management and develop the principles of the Indian hospitality touch.
With FSSAI getting more stringent in food handling and safety, how do you train your students to meet the terms set by the regulator for the industry?
Special sessions are held at regular intervals to train the students as per the FSSAI manuals and standards and it is also incorporated within the students to make it a regular habit to maintain highest standards of sanitation, food safety and hygiene.
Do you see importance in vocational training for hospitality professionals? Any programmes that NIPS Group conducts?
The scenario is very encouraging. It is like a huge ocean of opportunities where students belonging to any socio-economic background has equal opportunity to excel. In a country of 1.2 billion, almost 50 per cent is below 25 years of age hence India can be termed as a young nation. With the development of the skilling industry in India through vocational training, we have been successful in turning our negative aspect of an overpopulated nation into highly skilled nation, in both aspects of quantity and quality.
NIPS Skill Development Training Institute offers vocational training in multiple verticals of the hospitality sector in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Government of India, and especially for underprivileged students, we offer them the courses without any charge. More importantly, it is not sufficient to develop someone’s skills and leave them, we also need to find them a proper place to showcase their skills and earn their daily bread, so that is one more thing NIPS does for its students under vocational courses that it gives all of them decent jobs to make a career and change their socio-economic status.
You have four institutes in the North East and East region of India. Any plans to expand?
Future expansion plan is to launch our upcoming institute in many more locations pan India in the coming three years. Over the years, NIPS has expanded exponentially by launching other brands like Windsor Bakery, Kolkata Biryani, Elysian Banquet, NIPS Chef Culinary Academy, NIPS Pastry & Chocolate School, to name a few. NIPS is strongly focused on expansion of the vertical of the group and to spread pan India.
NIPS Hotel Management seeks to unlock the industry’s full potential as one of the biggest engines for growth in the economy and to ensure that the industry’s needs are effectively represented by engaging with government, the media, employees and customers. Our key priorities are the future workforce of the sector and in the process to become the largest hospitality conglomerate in the nation within next five years.
