Mr. Ravi Puri is the Managing Director at Institute of Hotel Management and Culinary Studies. He has an experience of 14 years in the varied field of Hospitality, Education and Training.Started as a fresher in the hospitality industry. He was then part of India's first Butler opening team in Taj, Rambagh Palace. He is the pioneer of the Bartending Academy and also has excelled as a Freelance Trainer in many five star category hotels and has a 4 years International work experience as an Event Manager with the best business houses.

IHMCS Jaipur

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

“It is important to give accountability to other people”

I believe in giving ownership to the team members, which leads to accountability for that person and enables them to take decisions freely. I motivate my team not to work for your job and work for your passion, which makes a person perform better in any task, and also we need to accept the mistakes of your team members and motivate them to do their task with more dedication.

How have you improved your education, curriculum and facilities over the last year? How are you bridging the gap between expectations of hotels and quality of students? 

“Identification of voids and filling them with necessary approaches is essential”

  • We have introduced many sessions that are part of Management Training Programs of various hotel brands like Wine Tasting, Tea Tasting, Event Organization at the graduation level education. It gives the students an edge when they enter the industry.
  • We have arranged for students to attend film festivals, literature festivals and much more to carve out a multi-talented personality.
  • Our students have constant rewards and recognition by featuring them in magazines, social media handles, website and video clips. It makes them feel a part of the institute and helps them to open up about their shortcomings. Them being open to taking help from us puts us in a better place to guide them.
  • We ensure the interaction of our students with HR, Training Managers and Operation heads. It helps them in understanding what the recruiters are looking for during interviews and further during their performances. Having a clear vision about what you want to become makes the goal achievable.
  • We have come up with Connecting Elements that is a magazine that aims to connect various sectors, or elements, of the Hospitality Industry. The interviews and surveys conducted by students have led to the development of their personalities and personal relations. I am attaching the link of this magazine in case you would prefer to explore it. 

How well versed are students with newer tech trends in hospitality?

“It is necessary to stay abreast to the current industry standards”

I believe it varies significantly from city to city, institute to institute, but surprisingly from one student to another. We are in a dynamic industry with many sectors, and there are innumerable changes. It is necessary to update one's knowledge and skills to cope with the competition and always prove yourself worthy. As educators, we must emphasize its need and figure out tools to create awareness about new trends and technologies. However, still, a student has to be self-motivated to absorb what institute is striving to serve.

Check Institute of Hotel Management and Culinary Studies Courses & Fees

What is your mantra for good hospitality education?

“Practical impartation of knowledge and acquiring skills are essential”

We at IHMCS believe in developing traits in a student. Knowledge and skills are necessary and need lifelong polishing and accumulation. However, mannerism, compassion, promptness and willingness to serve are a must. These traits make the student adaptable to different demands and challenges this industry will present to them. Suppose, as educators. We are teaching these qualities in the students. In that case, the industry trainers have a much easier job at training them according to their brand's standards and procedures. 

How can hospitality education in the country be improved?

“There is a required focus in every domain”

  • We must dissolve the rigid boundaries between industry and education. The interactions, hotel visits and workshops need to be focused upon, instead of theoretical approach.
  • Also, the aim should not be to develop manpower for hotels, but to create professionals as well as entrepreneurs.
  • Innovation must be encouraged.
  • The age old syllabuses of universities must be revised by the expert panels of the Industry. It should be task oriented, rather than following text book format that put too much emphasis on rigid definitions etc. 
  • Education must empower the future employees and entrepreneur and enable them to handle pressure as well as overcome exploitation. It must make them better people. 

How do the Hotel Management programs differ from the other professional courses?

“We focus on building interpersonal and intrapersonal skills”

Hotel Management courses are the highly professional programs that focus on the interpersonal, intrapersonal, managerial and vocational skills. The attitude, knowledge and skills are the three main elements of this course. A person needs to be very committed to his duty and follow a meticulous approach while pursuing these programs.

Read Institute of Hotel Management and Culinary Studies Placement

What advice would you like to give aspiring youths for a successful career?

“Students should focus on taking the right career decision”

The students need to have a clear vision about their career and what they want to do in their future and once the vision is clear students have to be very compassionate about their vision and achieve the same hard work is the key. I advise students to follow these three keys to have a successful career ahead.