Newstrack

IHM Bangalore launches Executive Development Centre

Gayatri Vijaykumar - Bangalore

The Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Bangalore, has announced the launch of an Executive Development Centre (EDC) which aims to provide an opportunity for hospitality and tourism professionals with special refresher training, higher education and offer international programmes in a few years. According to M V Balachandar, director, IHM Bangalore, this is the only institute in the country to have been granted the facility to establish the centre by the government of India.

The project has been set up at a total cost of Rs 5 crore of which Rs 4 crore has been granted by the Government of India and Rs 1 crore has been met out of internal resources. Speaking to Express Hospitality, Balachandar, said, "The centre will provide students with an opportunity to earn while they learn. All students working at the EDC will be paid a stipend." The centre will provide facilities for R&D and refresher programmes for supervisory, junior, middle and senior executives in the hospitality and tourism sector. The EDC will be equipped with conference facilities equipped to accommodate up to 100 delegates, residential rooms, business centre, health centre and computer facilities with video conferencing.

According to Balachandar, the centre will be managed by the faculty and would have students working on a rotational basis. The 30-room EDC will be available for visiting faculty and also for training purposes. Balachandar added that plans are also on to open the centre for the general public. "My aim is to invite professors from schools abroad such as the Cornell School wherein they can provide lectures and stay at the EDC. We hope the EDC will pave the way for further research," he said.