L To R: Puneet Chhatwal, MD & CEO, IHCL; Kanika Hasrat, Area Director IHCL; Ameya Vanjari Head of Operations, Tata STRIVE, Sheo Shankar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Manoj Singh and Prashant Chhirolya MP Tourism Board

MUMBAI, JANUARY 17, 2023: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, has announced its partnership for a hospitality focused skill centre at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. This association with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Tata STRIVE aims to develop talent from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged local communities, especially women.

Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO, IHCL said, "This partnership is in line with IHCL’s ESG + framework of Paathya to build a talent pool for the industry. Given the growing potential of tourism in the state, such skill building initiatives will help leverage the untapped potential of the region. We are delighted to collaborate with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Tata STRIVE to develop a hospitality-focused skilling centre in Gwalior.”

The skilling centre based at Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Gwalior, will offer short- and long-term courses in hospitality education. The courses aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) are developed in partnership with Tata STRIVE and offer industry knowledge for employment and entrepreneurship in the sector.

Mr. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board said “Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board signed a MoU with Tata STRIVE for skilling local youth; mostly women, in the hospitality sector, with focus on employment in IHCL properties. This would go a long way in empowering the local community specially women and make them partners in the development process. This would also be one of its kind projects under the umbrella of ‘Responsible tourism’ for which we at MP Tourism are committed. We hope this will be the first step in a long and mutually beneficial partnership between us, Tata STRIVE and IHCL.”

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is the nodal department that has taken an initiative to train youth in

and around various tourist destinations in the state.

Mr. Ameya Vanjari, Head of Operations, Partnerships and Technology, Tata STRIVE said, “Tata STRIVE is excited to expand its work of skilling unemployed youth for gainful careers, to the city of Gwalior. This agreement is another milestone in the long and unique partnership between IHCL and Tata STRIVE, through which over one lakh lives have been touched across the country for the hospitality industry. This collaboration with MP government is a start. We see multiple opportunities to expand our work within the state in the coming days.”

Regarded as the custodian of Indian hospitality, IHCL under its Paathya framework continues to invest in building industry-relevant talent pools with an aim to develop and support deserving youth and their families, while contributing to the overall growth of the industry.

About The Indian Hotels Company Limited

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) and its subsidiaries bring together a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj – the iconic brand for the most discerning travellers and ranked as the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand and India’s Strongest Brand as per Brand Finance Hotels 50 Report 2022 and India 100 Report 2022, respectively; SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels; Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels; and Ginger, which is revolutionising the lean luxe segment.

Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 252 hotels including 67 under development globally across 4 continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations. The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalization. It is primarily listed on the BSE and NSE.

Please visit: www.ihcltata.com; www.tajhotels.com; www.seleqtionshotels.com; www.vivantahotels.com; www.gingerhotels.com

For more information, please contact: kirti.dhingra@ihcltata.com