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Campus Notes
Developing human capital
ITFT is among one of the few institutes in the country to
offer international standard combined courses in the tourism, hospitality
and airline disciplines. Praveen K Singh profiles the institute
 Established
in 1994, primarily with the aim to develop quality human capital for the service
sector, the Institute of Tourism & Future Management Trends (ITFT), has
emerged as a premier educational, training and research institute of North India.
It is among one of the few institutes in the country to offer international
standard combined courses in tourism, hospitality and airline disciplines.
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ITFT group is a conglomerate involved
in a range of activities, from academics to developing rural tourism to
helping retiring and retired defence personnel find suitable openings
after retirement. The institute blends its programs with employment generation,
especially in the fast developing service industry in India
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Situated 250 kilometres, north of Delhi, ITFT group is a conglomerate involved
in a range of activities, from academics to developing rural tourism to helping
retiring and retired defence personnel find suitable openings after retirement.
The institute blends its programs with employment generation, especially in
the fast developing service industry in India, which is now being considered
as the biggest driver of national economy and employment generator.
Keeping in view that out of the total of 200 million employment opportunities
likely to be created by 2020, 120 million jobs will be created in the service
industry, the main objective of the ITFT is to prepare the youth to enable them
to carve a niche in any one of the varied segments of the service industry as
well as to equip them with qualities for entrepreneurship.
Explaining about the institute's objectives, Dr Gulshan Sharma, director, explains,
"To undertake training, research and development and provide consultancy
while organising programmes and events to prepare the youth for gainful employment
and entrepreneurship in the service industry for the overall socio-economic
development of the Asian region."
ITFT is actively involved in academics, research and development,
NRI research and studies, consultancy for service industry projects, tourism,
hospitality and airlines, global human resource solutions and consultancy, global
conferences, events and communication, resettlement of ex-defence personnel
in service industry, ayurveda and health tourism,and sustainable eco-tourism
research & studies.
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 Dr
Gulshan Sharma, director, Institute of Tourism & Future Management
Trends (ITFT) Chandigarh, puts across the aspirations behind starting
the institute in an exclusive with Praveen K Singh
What is the USP of your institute? Our USP is that we offer a Bachelors degree in airlines-tourism
and hospitality management (3 years) which gives a wider scope to students
for employment. Instead of just one area they get complete exposure to
all the three areas. ITFT mission statement is - Education for Employment
and Entrepreneurship.
What opportunities are available to hospitality
students today? Today the entire industry is becoming highly specialised.
There are tremendous opportunities in India as well as abroad. The services
sector has three very important. components - understanding the customer
needs in as much detail as possible, unerstanding that the customer is
highly demanding and that he has excellent knowledge of the product and
services. Hence the staff has to have an edge in their areas of work in
all respects to excel in today's society. Hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants,
other eating joints, fast food establishments, clubs, airline catering,
cruises, outdoor catering etc are different avenues for hospitality students.
Theme-based parties and event management are also new feathers in the
cap for the hospitality business.
What does the future hold for hospitality education
in the country, and what role will your institute play in bringing about
change? The hospitality industry is very customer oriented and
guest handling/management skills, understanding the profile of the customer
and offering the services accordingly is the thumb rule of the industry.
Hospitality industry growth is unbound, we require huge infrastructure
to meet the growing demand. The ITFT Chandigarh aims to grow into be Asia's
leading research and training centre of excellence for tourism, hospitality
and aviation services.
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