The hotel management industry is growing at a rapid pace, due to globalization. Every year several hotel management-related job opportunities are injected into the economy by both Indian and international hotel chains. And, now with the whole world slowly getting back to the pre-covid normalcy, the hotel industry demands individuals who are not only expert in their respective fields, but also have a strong grip of specific management techniques including hotel marketing, maintenance, administration, housekeeping, catering and many more. Thus, emphasizing on one such renowned educational institute that aims towards effectively training students to make a difference in the hotel industry – ITM Institute of Hotel Management was established by Dr. P.V Ramana, Chairperson and the Founder of the ITM Group of Institutions (Nerul, Navi Mumbai).
Being a man of vision, Dr, Ramana ventured into the field of education after his retirement and laid the foundation of a series of educational institutes catering to different verticals under one umbrella – the ITM Group of Institutions. Incepted in 2002, the ITM Institute of Hotel Management acquired its affiliation from the University of Mumbai in 2006. Ranked among the top Hotel Management Institutes in India, the ITM Institute of Hotel Management offers the best Hotel Management programs to train students and the syllabus is enriched by a cutting-edge curriculum, extensive industry connections, and practical internships with five-star properties. ”At ITM IHM we lay extra focus on guiding and mentoring students with a healthy faculty student ratio, extensive interaction between industry professionals and students through guest lectures, hotel visits and practical simulations builds confidence in students to face the hospitality world”, shared Ms. Ujwala Sonawane, the Dean of the institute.
Believing thoroughly in being complete industry-relevant and in-sync with the current market trends and demands, ITM IHM caters to an extensive range of courses such as Bachelor of Arts in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, Bachelor of Arts in International Culinary Arts, B.Sc. in Hospitality Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts, Diploma in Patisserie and Confectionery. Moreover, through its advanced curriculum and pedagogical methodologies, ITM IHM aspires to address the existing gap between the education and industry requirements in the country, helping students grow beyond their classrooms by imparting training on personal grooming, soft skills, language abilities & professional development for a comprehensive and all-around learning experience.
Redefining enriched learning
“Our vision is to impart to graduates an international perspective of the hospitality, tourism and service industry turning them into lifelong learners and global citizens”, continued Ms. Ujwala Sonawane, elaborating on how ITM IHM has consecutively managed to stand out when compared to its competitors – year after year. Through the conversation we also learnt that the curricular activities have been divided into classroom-based courses and field/research-based projects subject to evaluation, whereas co-curricular activities such as Soft Skills workshops, Mock Group Discussion / Personal Interview, Industry-Institute interface, workshops/seminars etc. will complement the class-based evaluation courses.
ITM IHM also offers B. Sc Hospitality Studies and BA in Culinary Arts programs, which are both three-year full time degree programs. The curriculum that is followed across all the programs at the Hotel Management Institute is curated towards helping every student get a detailed understanding of their subjects, and be applicable in the future in their respective careers. The faculty at ITM IHM play an important role in the student development process, interacting with the students, operating as go-to mentors cum gurus. As a result, strong mentor-mentee bonds are formed on the institute campus, guiding students on both professional and personal fronts.
Progressing today, towards a better tomorrow
As we all witnessed during the pandemic, the teaching and learning concepts and techniques for everyone changed drastically, and institutes had to adapt to the new change. ITM IHM was no exception, as the whole campus was moved online, while also equipping classrooms with wifi, camera and mic setups. Thus a hybrid mode teaching learning process was followed as required.
All thanks to the impressive industry connections existing at ITM IHM, it is always ensured that service-oriented practicals along with the highest number of study tours are made mandatory for all the students on the campus. World-class infrastructure along with One-On-One Corporate mentorship to the students also enables students to get clarity about the dynamics of the hospitality sector even before entering into it and emerge as prolific professionals. The holistic program offered by ITM IHM for students’ overall development through soft-skills training and personality development with the Corporate Trainers, has grabbed the attention of many students and stalwarts alike.
With guest lecturers visiting the campus from the industry, and by inviting industry professionals to curate themed lunches and dinners, Annual events like Melange and Elements ITM IHM sees a lot of hospitality professionals visit the campus and interact with students and feel the industry presence on campus. ITM IHM is also proud of the fact that it provides 100 percent placements for internships and final placements through their training and placement department, and has a wide array of options for loan and scholarship assistance to students, indeed, working towards creating one big roof of opportunities for all, irrespective of the socio-economic backgrounds the students come from, but just striving on the passion towards quality Hotel Management Education.
Ujwala Sonawane – Dean
Having grown up in a service class family, for Ms. Ujwala, her mother, was always an inspiration as well as her personal cheerleader. Her professional journey has been a combination of Industry and Academia, where she pursued her academics in-order to maintain a balance in her personal and professional life. Her main objective of working in the Industry was to challenge herself and self check if she would be able to sustain an Industry Job, which she proved to do very well in the capacity of Manager, training several aspirants in a pan India Chain of Hotels. Currently heading the parade of ITM IHM as the Dean, she involves herself readily towards redoing syllabus, setting systems and processes, and ensuring an environment that is work-driven rather than person driven.
