Campus Watch

Global standards in education

RIG Institute of Hospitality and Management is operating from Greater Noida with international state-of-the-art facilities, Praveen K Singh writes about the campus.

With a mission to equip young adults with academic knowledge and practical training and to qualify them for careers in the hospitality sector in India and abroad, RIG Institute of Hospitality & Management has been striving to offer the best in hospitality education.

It is set up in a newly-constructed building in Greater Noida by Hospitality Education Services International (HESI) in partnership with HTMi Hotel School, Switzerland, that was established in 1991 and offers Swiss diplomas and UK university degrees. HESI has been engaged in setting up hotel schools in India and overseas. Together, HTMi and HESI have vast experience of running hotel and tourism schools and business.

According to Rohit Bhatia, founder and CEO of the institute, "We have state-of-the-art facilities and are offering top-of-the-line degree, diploma and certificate courses. Our diploma students will have access to the best hotel management education in the world, through our partner HTMi in Switzerland."

Explaining the need for better institutes, he says that the hotel industry in India is growing at a healthy rate over the last three years. Ministry of tourism figures show that there are more than 300 million domestic tourists and business travellers, annually travelling to and within the country, which is likely to grow at the rate of 15-20 per cent. "Because of this, there is great demand for hotels in the country and construction of new hotels is taking place at an unprecedented rate of 10-12 per cent every year. We therefore need more and more trained staff with each passing month," opines Bhatia.

The campus

RIG Institute of Hospitality & Management is being constructed in an area of about 1,00,000 sq. ft. and is equipped with first-class academic, hostel and sporting facilities. Shyam Suri, advisor to the institute, says, "The institute is also being positioned as one of the largest and the most modern private hotel management institutions in India."

Degrees offered

Talking about the various degrees being offered by the institute, B N Mohanty, its principal, said, "We have BA in Tourism Studies from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Higher Diploma in International Hotel & Tourism Management awarded by HTMi Switzerland, PG Diploma in International Hotel &Tourism Management, etc."

He adds, "We plan to fill 30 seats each in food production, food service and retail management, 20 seats each in bakery and confectionery, front office and housekeeping. American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and RIG Institute of Hospitality & Management will award certificates to the students."

Opportunity for MBA

HTMi also offers an MBA programme in hospitality management and students who complete their higher diploma course and IGNOU degree at RIG can enroll for the one-year MBA course at HTMi in Switzerland. "This will also be available to students who have completed their one and half year PG Diploma in International Hotel & Tourism Management," explains Mohanty.

International placements

The institute has started discussions with Baisan Group of Hotels in Bahrain and some hotels in UAE including Dubai for placement opportunities, including industrial training, for its students. These hotels will visit the institute every year for on-campus recruitment.

'Hospitality education in India is evolving'

Rohit Bhatia, CEO of RIG Institute, talks with Praveen K Singh What is the USP of your institute? We are offering international education with top-of-the-line degree, diploma and certificate courses. Our diploma students will have access to the best hotel management education in the world through our partner HTMi in Switzerland. We have also recruited the best available faculty in India and visiting lecturers from Switzerland. What opportunities are available to hospitality students today? Hospitality students today have a diverse choice once they get a degree in hospitality education. The existing and new properties need managers, supervisors and staff in ever-increasing numbers. Apart from hotels, these students will also have opportunities in other service sectors like: Restaurants, including fast food outlets Event management including conven tions and exhibitions Cruise liners Catering sector including canteens, out door catering and industrial catering Catering departments in railways, hos pitals and defence services Airlines including air hostesses, ground agents and customer services Tourism sector Banks BPOs (call centres) Other service sectors like malls and multiplexes Customer service and marketing jobs in other industries including manufacturing companies What does the future hold for hospitality education in India? What role will your institute play in bringing that change? The hospitality education in India is evolving. Things are being re-defined and value-addition is being done in the existing curriculum. There is also a great demand for trained Indian students and experienced Indian hotel managers abroad. A large percentage of students passing out of diploma/degree courses and one-year certificate courses are able to find jobs in the Middle East and other countries, including developed countries. Research figures show that only about 40 per cent of fresh pass-outs from hotel schools join hotels and restaurants. The rest join other sectors or go for higher studies or go abroad. The percentage of this trained staff increases as they spend some time in the industry and pick up necessary skills for the job. As an institute, we train staff and add value to these students, who can work in any environment whether in India or abroad as we bestow them with international standards in terms of training and education.