Kohinoor group plans hospitality institute in Guj

Kohinoor-IMI School of Hospitality Management could soon make its foray into Gujarat with a social touch.

The Khandala-based institute, which offers bachelor and master programmes in hospitality management, has submitted a proposal to the Gujarat government for setting up a 'Kohinoor Short-term Training Institute' for families of saltpan workers.

Kohinoor has proposed a facility to train youngsters from saltpan worker families who are looking for career opportunities outside salt making. The institute is planning to set up its own facility either in Ahmedabad or Rajkot, which could train 30 students every two months.

"We are in talks with the Gujarat government to offer alternative employment opportunities to the kin of saltpan workers. We will be designing short-term courses in food preparation and services in the hospitality industry," said Prabhat Ghosh, admission co-ordinator, Kohinoor-IMI School of Hospitality Management.

The fee is likely to be close to Rs 10,000, and would be waived partly for students through the state government assistance. Ghosh said the institute would provide placement to each student through tie ups with hospitality majors across the state.

"There is a major shortage of trained personnel in the hospitality industry in the state and we will collaborate with hotels across the state to offer employment to these students," said Ghosh. If the approval comes through, the institute is expected to start functioning from July 2008.

Kohinoor already has a similar institutes in Indore and is looking at a short-term institute in each state.

It also plans to set up of two more campuses in the Northeast, mostly at Shillong or Guwahati and one at Punjab in the next two years.

The investment into the new campuses is expected to be close to Rs 40 crore, which will be funded through internal accruals. The institute is a part of the Kohinoor Group, which has business interests in education, hospitality, real estate and power.

The campus at Khandala, which runs a BBA and an MBA programme in hospitality management, has close to 120 students and the one at Indore, which offers a BBA programme, has 70 students. Nearly 20 per cent of the institute's students are not foreign citizens.