Mr. Koushik Das is the HOD of the ABHI Institute of Hotel Management. He holds a BHMCT degree from Bangalore University and an MTTM degree from IGNOU. Mr. Das is also WSET 2 level certified (U.K.). Furthermore, he has over 16 years of experience in Hotel Management, including his time at the ABHI Institute of Hotel Management.

ABHI Institute Of Hotel Management

What are your primary responsibilities as the HOD of ABHI Institute Of Hotel Management?

The primary responsibility of a founding member is to see that the students who take admission to this institution get the right kind of education and are able to pursue the career of their choice. They should be knowledgeable, have the right skills, and be eligible to get good jobs. Apart from that, taking care of the functioning of the institute, tackling the management, the faculties, taking care of the placements, and building the perfect industry connection are my key responsibilities.
Check: Abhi Institute Of Hotel Management- [AIHM], New Delhi

Can you describe the functioning of your institute?

The ABHI Institute of Hotel Management is a hotel management college. We believe in providing quality education to our students. Most of our students come from across the country, and they don't know much about this industry. We make them aware of what hotel management is and develop all the right skills so that they can meet their career goals.

What are the opportunities of growth including courses, internships and placements of your institute?

We give our students a lot of exposure facilities during the course like when they join within three to four months, they get a basic idea about the courses of food and beverage, kitchen, front office, and housekeeping. We have tie-ups with good five-star brands and hotels like Leela Palace, Hyatt Regency, IHG Group, Shangri La Inn, Surya Hotel, and Taj Group that help us with internships and placements. We send our students there for practical exposure every Friday and Saturday evening so that they get hands-on experience working in the industry. They get to know the domain and decide which department they want to pursue their career in. Sometimes, based on their performance, the hotels also give them pre-placement offers. This makes the selection process much easier and enables students to choose their area of interest.
Check: Abhi Institute Of Hotel Management- [AIHM], New Delhi - Course & Fees Details

What is the future vision of your institute as a HOD and how has that evolved with time?

Our vision when starting out was to address the problem of expensive hotel management degrees. This hinders a lot of students from taking admission to these degrees. It was our vision to make it easy for parents to afford our courses with easy payment options. Besides this, we give the students opportunities to learn and grow. Many of them come from very remote parts of the country. Our aim is to make them ready for the real world. We encourage every student and give them the opportunity to outperform and shine.

What would you like people to know about your institute that people may not know?

Often, parents and students look for lucrative buildings and campuses at an institute for which they are charged a lot of fees. At our institute, we don't charge anything from the students to make our campus better. We believe in providing quality education and taking care of infrastructure is part of that. We don't compromise on our infrastructure. We have all the latest laboratories, study materials, and experienced faculties. We pay the course fees in monthly instalments or even small instalments.
Check: Abhi Institute Of Hotel Management- [AIHM], New Delhi - Placement Details And Companies Visiting

What do you think are the greatest strengths of your institution?

I believe that our fee structure is extremely inclusive, it covers everything, including the study materials, the mandatory dress code, the laboratory fees, and the library fees. The fee can be paid according to the student’s convenience. We also provide extra classes in case the student is facing difficulty in coping. We give them every kind of help and opportunity to shine and prepare for the industry. One-on-one sessions are arranged for any students who need them. We are proud that for the last sixteen years, we have created a generation of well-trained and skilled professionals.

What are some of the biggest challenges that are faced by a student in the hotel industry?

The hotel industry moves fast, and one must be able to keep up with it. Remuneration is also a challenge for the hotel industry. But the scenario is changing and students are getting a good amount of money for the labour they put in. Getting placements is not an issue anymore. The students sometimes get demotivated about joining the industry when they compare the amount they get during the training period to other industries. I feel that if the industry can offer a little more, then the students might overcome their fear of working hard and be much more satisfied after graduation.
Check: Abhi Institute Of Hotel Management- [AIHM], New Delhi - Scholarship Details

Any suggestions that you would like to give to the current aspiring students?

I advise students to not go by the social media reviews about the hotel industry. There are a lot of bad rumours about the industry, such as that there are no proper work hours. My suggestion is that if you want to be an average earner, you can work a 9-5 average job, but if you want to earn more, you have to struggle hard and push your limits, avoiding all the negatives, and embrace the hard work and put in the extra time needed to learn, earn, and grow more.