Hot Seat

A timeless pursuit

Credited with having placed Khajuraho and Shekhawati on the world tourism map, the late Shyam Poddar had a longterm vision for tourism- one that is today being emulated by his son Kanti Poddar, chairman and MD, Orient Express Travels & Tours. Speaking to Andrea Lopez, Kanti Poddar shares his thoughts on promoting tourism in India

The years following India's independence were not the easiest of times for tourism. The Ministry of Tourism came into being only in 1953, and until such time, a few private players were, on a small scale, doing their bit to promote India as a destination overseas. Orient Express, founded by the late Shyam Poddar was the first travel company to be established in India, in September, 1947. His contribution to India's tourism can hardly go unnoticed; he saw great potential in investing in Khajuraho and Shekhawati and believed the two destinations would hold the interest of foreign visitors. "My father believed that India was so beautiful, it had to be promoted abroad. He visited Khajuraho for the first time in 1955 and decided to build a hotel there. In 1966, construction began and the hotel, called Chandela, was officially opened in February 1969. Subsequently, at my father's efforts, Indian Airlines started its first flight to Khajuraho. It was the first time that a destination opened up to a hotel and was then serviced by an airline," says Kanti Poddar.

In 1986, the Chandela joined the Taj Group and is, till today, managed by them. He adds, "Nothing comes easy when one has a determined vision and my father was one such person. He always wanted to do something beneficial for tourism. The Khajuraho project was one such project; he wanted to build a hotel in a region that had no connectivity. He was a different man and has been honoured for his pioneering work in the field of tourism." Poddar was the first recipient of IATO's (Indian association of Tour Operators) Hall of Fame award along with Rai Bahadur Oberoi in 1986 in New Delhi. The Khajuraho Millennium celebrations, which began in March 1999 and went on until December 2000, were a huge success. Knowledge and interest in the destination spread manifold after the celebrations, which included a unique sound and light show. Infrastructure in terms of roads and amenities for travellers also improved a great deal. Poddar says, "Until some years ago, tourism was taken lightly by the government, there suddenly came a time when this changed and the government began to seriously look at tourism as a foreign exchange earner and initiated tax relief for the industry."

Shyam Poddar is hailed for his second initiative as well. The Shekhawati region in Rajasthan, although popular for its frescoes and havelis, was untapped for tourism. Poddar convinced the government of Rajasthan and the Ministry of Tourism to hold a desert festival here. This generated a lot of interest in the region.

Passing the baton

On his part Kanti Poddar was involved with the company since his father's initial days at Khajuraho. Being intimately involved in the ideation and execution of the project, Kanti felt that tourism was in his blood. He spent four and a half years in Europe and the United States. He studied hotel and tourism management from Austria, following which he worked as a management trainee with Hilton Hotels in Beverly Hills and Honolulu, Intercontinental in Paris and hotels in Germany and Austria. He and the company have won many national and international awards for what has been viewed as the 'resurrection of Khajuraho', including the Millennium celebrations.

A holder of many titles, Poddar has been president of ASTA India Chapter from 1989 to 1993, president of Skal Club of Delhi from 1988 to 1990, the past chairman of Tour Operators Council of Travel Agents Association of India and the past chairman of its Northern Region from 1988 - 1991. Today, although Kanti leads the company from the fore, his son Pragun and nephew Manish also head different verticals and play an active role in shaping the company's future. Says Manish Poddar, "Although I officially joined the inbound department of the company in January 2003, after working for American Express Bank for a year, I have known our clients and seen how the business was done from a very young age. I was brought up 100 per cent in the tourism environment and knew from the beginning that I would eventually join the family business. Even though I completed my MBA in Finance, the draw of tourism and the family business was overwhelming and this led me to join Orient Express in 2003."

Today, upholding the many laurels that it has been awarded, Orient Express has diversified into other businesses such as construction. But the company's passion for tourism remains undeterred. As Pragun says, "My vision for Orient Express is that it expands its current businesses further and diversifies into other ventures such as hospitality or real estate. Orient Express is a legacy that has been passed on to me and I hope to make sure that it continues growing from strength to strength."