Amitabh Kant Foresees a Bright, Bold, and Broad Future for the Hospitality Sector at IHM Mumbai’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration

The Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai, popularly known as Dadar Catering College, celebrated its Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of excellence in hospitality education and hotel management. The grand event, held in Mumbai, was attended by alumni, students, staff, and industry stalwarts.

Amitabh Kant addressed the gathering. The lamp was lit by Nisheeth Srivastava and Jayashree Bhoj. Present staff of IHM Mumbai

Established on June 27, 1954, IHM Mumbai holds the distinction of being the oldest hospitality institute in South East Asia. Since its inception, the institute has been at the forefront of nurturing the aspirations of countless students, turning their dreams into reality.

Indias G-20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. He praised IHM Mumbai for charting new territory and reshaping the landscape of hospitality education. He highlighted the institutes legacy of being ahead of the curve, guided by exceptional leaders who understood the impact of holistic education. Notably, IHM Mumbai alumni have emerged as champions in the hospitality sector in India and abroad.

Speaking at the event, Amitabh Kant emphasized the vital role of the hospitality sector in achieving Indias vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He noted that Indias recent hosting of G-20 conferences solidified its standing as a cultural powerhouse and a premier destination for an authentic experience. With India poised to become the worlds third-largest economy by 2027, there will be a surge in Indian travelers globally, creating more opportunities and responsibilities for the hospitality sector.

Jayashree Bhoj, Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, and Chairperson of the Governing Body of IHM Mumbai, presided over the function. In her address, she emphasized the history and contribution of IHM Mumbai in shaping Indias hospitality sector.

The event also saw the felicitation of former students and notable alumni for their contribution to the institutes development and the hospitality sector. The lists of awardees are as below:-

Hall of Fame

Shashank Warty – Former Area Vice President The Leela Palace Hotels & Resorts. Group Director Jaypee Group, Sr. Vice President Indian Hotels Company Ltd. Batch 1968.

Shirin Batliwala – Former VP F&B IHCL – Taj Hotels & Resorts. Batch 1969.

Malvinder Narang – Former Area Director / Director of Corporate Administration in Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. Batch 1970.

Sunil Malik – CEO at World Class Hospitality Consortium, New York USA. Batch 1972.

Param Kannampilly – Chairman & MD, Concept Hospitality. Batch 1974.

P.K. Mohan Kumar – Former Area Director & GM Taj Luxury Hotels, Chief Operating Officer, Taj Gateway Hotels and MD & CEO Ginger Hotels. Batch 1974.

Gev Desai – Former Area Chef ITC Hotel Maratha, Mumbai, The Luxury Collection. Batch 1975.

Achievers Award

Corporate

Kuldeep Bhartee – CEO, Peerless Hotels Ltd. Batch 1983

Rohit Khosla – Executive Vice President North & West India Indian Hotels Company Ltd. Batch 1985

Zubin Songadwala – Vice president for the South and East, ITC Hotels. Batch 1989

Entrepreneur

Dayal Advani – Founder Director Hospitality Solutions. Batch 1975

Dr. C.V. Ravindranath – Founder Krishna Beach Resort. Batch 1979

Sheila Vasan – Independent Director – Chrysalis. Batch 1988

Sanjay Vazirani – Founder Foodlink. Batch 1989

Dheeraj Gupta – Founder Jumboking. Batch 1995

Kainaz Messman – Founder Theobroma. Batch 2001

Kamlesh Barot – Founder Revival Hotels HCM Course

Special Chefs

Ramchandra Iyer – Former Chef in Taj. “Pillar of Taj Shamiana”. Batch 1980

Manoj Vasaikar – Chef proprietor of three Michelin Couvert restaurants in UK. Owner – Indian Zing Limited UK. Batch 1985

Salil Fadnis – GM at Sahara Star and President of WICA. Batch 1991

Academic

Shatbhi Basu – First Indian Female Bartender. Batch 1980

Ruchita Verma – Dean at NMIMS School of Hospitality. Batch 1990

Mukul Dimri – Principal IHM Shimla. Batch 1990

Sonal Holland – Sonal Holland is the first recipient of the Master of Wine title in India. Batch 1995

Laxmi Todiwan – Founder of IWH Forum. Batch 1997

Vikas Bagul – Founder of School of European Pastry. Batch 1999

Other Industry

Ajit Thomas – Environmentalist. Batch 1991

Dr. Nitin Nagrale – CEO India & Emerging Market at Quality NZ, Founder and General Secretary – Hospitality Purchase Mangers Forum (HPMF). Batch 1995

Terence Lewis – Performing Arts. Batch 1997

Amita Karve Godbole – Performing Arts. Batch 1997

Karan Singh Grover – Performing Arts. Batch 2003

Nandish Sandhu – Performing Arts. Batch 2003

Pillars of IHM, Mumbai

S. L. Dhargalkar (1963)

Ismay Gomes (1968)

Jyotsna Bhosle (1977)

Avril Sule (1977)

Viswanatha K Iyer (1980)

Sanjeev Kacker (1980)

Jaeson Cardoz (1983)

Jayant Kathe (1982)

Aileen Sequeira (1981)

Dr. Nisheeth Srivastava, Principal of IHM Mumbai, expressed gratitude to all the guests, award winners, and associates for the success of the event. He provided a brief description of the institutes major achievements and expressed great pride in its continuous growth and contribution. Established in 1954 by the All India Womens Central Food Council through the efforts of Lilavati Munshi, IHM Mumbai, which began with just six students, has played an important role in the hospitality industry by educating more than 50,000 graduates to date.