Hyatt India rolls out vocational training program across properties
Higher secondary students with at least 50 percent marks in English can apply for the program
By Vishnu Rageev RJul 29, 2024
HYATT INDIA RECENTLY launched the Vocational Education and Training Swiss Professional Diploma program across its properties, including Hyatt Regency Delhi, Andaz Delhi, Grand Hyatt Gurgaon and Hyatt Regency Lucknow. The company worked with the Confederation of Indian Industry and EHL Hospitality Business School to offer an 18-month program for students who have completed their higher secondary education with at least 50 percent marks in English.
The program, divided into foundational, intermediate and advanced levels, will equip students with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the hospitality industry, according to a joint press statement.
“At a time when India is emerging as a global leader in the hospitality industry, there is significant growth potential for the youth of India who choose the VET by EHL program offered by the Confederation of Indian Industry,” said Sunjae Sharma, Hyatt Hotels’ managing director, India and Southwest Asia. “We are proud to be the first international hotel chain in India to collaborate with CII and EHL for this initiative and to contribute to training a new generation of hoteliers. I am confident that the learning and training imparted at Hyatt will enable these young minds to stand out in this competitive sector and achieve their dreams.”
The program will offer learning in three streams: culinary, food & beverage service and rooms, following VET by EHL’s quality assurance standards, the statement said. Each certificate level builds on the previous one and culminates in a professional diploma. CII guarantees job placements for students upon their successful completion of the Swiss Professional Diploma.
“With the rapidly expanding hospitality industry in India and beyond, there is an unprecedented need for skilled professionals,” said Sougata Roy Choudhury, CII’s executive director. “Additionally, youth interest in long-duration courses is dwindling. To address this gap, CII has introduced the VET by EHL Swiss Professional Diploma initiative, which offers practical training by industry experts at renowned Hyatt hotels. We ensure students are job-ready from day one, and upon completing this 18-month diploma, they secure placements in top hotels and restaurants worldwide.”
More than 500 students are currently undergoing training with CII at other hotels across India, the statement said.
“The objective of the program is to prepare youth worldwide for frontline roles in the hospitality industry at global standards,” said Aman Aditya Sachdev, EHL’s director and regional head for South Asia, the Middle East and Myanmar. “Students in India will gain a significant advantage with future employers, in global mobility and in career progression. They will acquire the relevant knowledge and competencies required by the industry, on par with international programs.”
Hyatt Hotels Corp.'s global initiative RiseHY connects young people with career opportunities in hospitality. Through RiseHY, Hyatt has pledged to hire 10,000 Opportunity Youth globally by 2025.
According to the latest data from Brand Finance, Hyatt is the world's second most valuable hotel brand, after Hilton Hotels & Resorts, while India's Taj Hotels is the world's second-fastest-growing brand, driven by revenue growth and improved brand strength.
MHRIL targets 10,000 rooms by 2030, up from 5,700.
It is exploring new models to become more competitive.
It calls the goal “conservative” amid India’s post-COVID tourism boom.
MAHINDRA HOLIDAYS AND Resorts India Ltd., a subsidiary of Mahindra Group, is aiming to have 10,000 rooms by 2030. The company is expanding beyond vacation ownership into the travel and tourism sector, Anish Shah, Mahindra Group CEO and managing director, said in an interview with PTI Videos.
MHRIL, led by Managing Director and CEO Manoj Bhat, had 5,794 keys as of June 30, 2025, and plans to add about 1,000 rooms this fiscal as part of its target to increase its room count to 10,000 by the 2030 fiscal, according to PTI.
Shah said the target of 10,000 rooms by 2030 is "conservative" given the boom in domestic tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"So my response to that is that you're right,” Shah told PTI. “It should be much more. It is a good target right now, as a business looks at various options to go beyond vacation ownership."
The company is exploring new models to become more competitive, moving beyond its Club Mahindra business.
"As those options are thought through, further developed and combined with 'here's what the model is going to be' that will then give us a better sense of how we can play this in a much bigger way,” Shah said. "Our goal is very clear, to be the number one leisure hospitality player in India and that is something that we have been able to show, as we've seen from all the feedback we get from customers who go to our resorts. The experience has always been fantastic, and that is one that we've been able to deliver for families in leisure destinations, and we want to do that on a much larger scale."
Asked why the group has stayed away from conventional hotels and restricted itself to Club Mahindra, Shah said.
"That has been the model of the past but the business is looking at various options now, and is exploring, what are models that make sense, and how can we expand beyond just vacation ownership that we are doing (now)," he said.
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India received 9.95 million foreign tourists in 2024, up from 9.52 million in 2023.
U.S. led India’s inbound and outbound travel in 2024 with 1.8 million American visitors.
The UAE was the top overseas destination for Indians, hosting 7.7 million travelers.
THE U.S EMERGED as India’s largest inbound tourism market in 2024, sending 1.8 million visitors, according to the India’s Ministry of Tourism. The U.S. also ranked among the top destinations for Indian travelers, welcoming more than 2.1 million visits last year.
Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said these figures signal strong momentum in both inbound and outbound travel, The Tribune reported.
India received a total of 99,51,722 foreign tourists in 2024, up from 95,20,928 in 2023 and 64,37,467 in 2022. Bangladesh followed the U.S. in inbound arrivals with 17,50,165 visitors, while the United Kingdom ranked third with 10,22,587.
On the outbound side, more than 30 million Indians traveled abroad in 2024, the report said.
Bureau of Immigration data showed the UAE as the most popular destination, attracting 7.7 million visitors from India, followed by Saudi Arabia with 34,23,711 and the United States with 21,43,909.
Earlier in July, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh outlined plans to further strengthen India’s tourism profile through global trade fairs, roadshows, B2B meetings, familiarization trips and digital campaigns.
Rubix Data Sciences projected India’s hospitality industry will grow steadily despite regional tensions, with revenue reaching $12.8 billion by 2027.
Marriott and BHVL plan six hotels with 940 rooms in four Indian markets.
Bengaluru-based BHVL is a subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises Ltd.
BHVL recently launched a $101.2 million IPO, including a $14.4 million pre-IPO placement.
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL AND Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd will open six hotels totaling 940 rooms across four markets in India. The projects will be developed under five Marriott Bonvoy brands: The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott.
Bengaluru-based BHVL, a subsidiary of real estate firm Brigade Enterprises Ltd or BEL led by Executive Chairman M.R. Jaishankar, signed the agreement as part of its nearly 15-year partnership with Marriott, which has produced several large projects.
The six hotels, said Jaishankar, include the Courtyard by Marriott Chennai World Trade Center; Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru International Airport; Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Brigade Valencia; The Ritz-Carlton Vaikom Island, Kerala; JW Marriott Chennai OMR; and Thiruvananthapuram Marriott Hotel World Trade Center.
“Each of these projects reflects our belief in the long-term potential of the Indian hospitality industry and our commitment to bringing thoughtfully designed hotels to both business and leisure travelers,” Jaishankar said. “With Marriott’s brands and global standards, we are confident these hotels will set benchmarks in their respective markets.”
BHVL is the second-largest owner of chain-affiliated hotels and rooms in South India among major private hotel asset owners as of March 31, according to the Economic Times. With the six upcoming hotels, along with the Sheraton Grand Bangalore at Brigade Gateway and Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark, BHVL’s Marriott portfolio will total eight hotels with 1,388 keys.
“Our growth strategy focuses on being present where our guests want us to be, as we continue to meet the demand for luxury travel and hospitality services,” said Rajeev Menon, Marriott’s president, Asia Pacific excluding China. “Today’s agreement underscores our relationship with the Brigade Group and leveraging our brand portfolio, we are confident these developments will meet the needs of travellers for every trip purpose.”
Upcoming projects
Courtyard by Marriott Chennai World Trade Center, Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 45 rooms, opening fiscal year 2027.
Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka – 224 rooms, opening fiscal year 2028.
Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Brigade Valencia, Bengaluru, Karnataka – 151 rooms, opening fiscal year 2028.
The Ritz-Carlton Vaikom Island, Kerala – 70 villas, opening fiscal year 2029.
JW Marriott Chennai OMR, Chennai, Tamil Nadu – 250 rooms, opening fiscal year 2030.
Thiruvananthapuram Marriott Hotel World Trade Center, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – 200 rooms, opening fiscal year 2030.
BEL has a pipeline of about 16 million square feet of new launches in the residential and commercial segments and plans to add 1,700 keys to its hotel portfolio. BHVL operates nine hotels in Bengaluru, Karnataka; Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Kochi, Kerala; Mysuru, Karnataka and GIFT City, Gujarat, with 1,604 keys. The hotels are managed by Marriott, Accor S.A. and InterContinental Hotels Group. They are in the upper upscale, upscale, upper-midscale and midscale segments.
BHVL recently launched a $101.2 million initial public offering, including a $14.4 million pre-IPO placement, Business Standard reported. Hospitality revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 was $16.1 million, up 19 percent from the same period in fiscal year 2025, while EBITDA rose 34 percent to $5.5 million.
Separately, Bengaluru-based Prestige Hospitality Ventures recently secured Sebi approval for a $308 million initial public offering.
Prestige Hospitality Ventures received SEBI approval for a $308 million IPO.
It operates hotels under multiple Marriott International brands.
As of December 2024, its portfolio included seven hotels with 1,445 keys.
PRESTIGE HOSPITALITY VENTURES recently received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for a $308 million, or ₹2,700 crore, initial public offering. The company develops and operates luxury to upper midscale hospitality assets and is part of Bengaluru-based Prestige Group, promoted by Prestige Estates Projects.
The offer comprises a $193 million fresh issue of shares and an offer for sale of up to $114 million by promoters Prestige Estates Projects, Economic Times reported.
Prestige Hospitality Ventures, led by CEO Suresh Singaravelu, plans to use $128 million from the fresh issue to repay $45.34 million in debt incurred by itself and its subsidiaries, Sai Chakra Hotels and Northland Holding Co., while reinvesting $83 million into these subsidiaries.
Additional funds will support growth through acquisitions, strategic initiatives and general corporate purposes, the Times said.
As of December 2024, its portfolio included seven hotels with 1,445 keys—1,255 operating and 190 under renovation. It also has three ongoing projects with 951 keys and nine planned projects adding 1,558 rooms, making it the largest hotel chain in South India. The portfolio spans Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad and Chennai, covering convention centers, business hotels, extended stay residences and golf resorts.
The company operates hotels under several Marriott International brands—St. Regis, Edition, W Hotels, JW Marriott, Marriott Marquis, Sheraton, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Moxy, Aloft and Marriott Executive Apartments—as well as Conrad by Hilton and Angsana Resorts & Spa by Banyan Tree.
Marriott-managed keys account for nine percent of the group’s portfolio, the largest share under any brand. Meanwhile, revenue from hospitality services rose to $91 million, or around Rs 796 crore, in the previous fiscal year, up from $73 million, Rs 636 crore, in fiscal 2023.
IHCL and Ambuja Neotia Group aim to develop 15 new hotels across West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
The projects are expected to be completed by 2030.
The expansion aims to boost tourism in East and North-East India.
INDIAN HOTELS CO. Ltd. recently signed a new agreement with the Ambuja Neotia Group to develop 15 additional hotels across West Bengal, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh. Ambuja will invest approximately $240 million toward executing the projects.
The IHCL and Ambuja Neotia partnership will open Taj resorts in Sunderban and Darjeeling, West Bengal; Shimla, Himachal Pradesh; and Rabong, Sikkim. They will build SeleQtions hotels in Kolkata, West Bengal and Siliguri, West Bengal. A Tree of Life hotel will be built in Lataguri, West Bengal. The expansion will include a mix of greenfield, brownfield and conversion projects, PTI reported.
“Under this capital light arrangement, the total number of hotels, through the partnership with the Ambuja Neotia Group, will go from 28 to 43,” said Puneet Chhatwal, IHCL managing director and CEO. “What we estimate is 1,000-plus rooms will be added by the new hotels to an existing 1,500 rooms.”
Harshvardhan Neotia, Ambuja's chairman, said the recent partnership with IHCL highlights the strength and momentum of their continued collaboration.
“Northeast, the unexplored region of India, has tremendous potential for bespoke luxury travel,” he said. “The addition of premium room inventory this fiscal to Taj Chia Kutir in Kurseong as well as the upcoming Taj-branded luxury villas in Darjeeling, Lataguri and Gangtok reflects the growing demand from the segment."
The first phase includes four signed operating agreements: Taj Darjeeling, SeleQtions in Kolkata and Siliguri and Tree of Life in Lataguri. A few select projects will also include Taj-branded villas in Darjeeling, Sikkim, Lataguri and Raichak. Completion is planned over the next five years.
Recently, Tata Sons launched a new hospitality platform to support IHCL, enabling it to operate group-owned hotels on a revenue-share model while staying asset-light.