Hyderabad, 14th December 2024: The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Hyderabad, a prestigious Central Government institute with a legacy of over 50 years and consistently ranked among India’s finest by leading hotel chains, hosted a spectacular Christmas Gala Lunch, today at its DD Colony campus. The festive celebration marked the joyous spirit of Christmas while ushering in the New Year with grandeur and cheer.
Adding to the grandeur, Executive Chefs from 5-star hotels, renowned stand-alone restaurants, Area Directors (H.R.), and Training Managers from leading hospitality brands joined the students in the celebrations. This unique gathering provided a platform for interaction and inspiration, making it a memorable occasion for all attendees.
The festive celebration showcased the exceptional culinary talents of IHM’s budding chefs, who presented a lavish spread featuring Christmas classics like Roast Turkey and Stollen, alongside international delights such as Hummus Mezze and Coq au Vin. This vibrant event offered an invaluable opportunity for the aspiring chefs to interact with Hyderabad’s esteemed chef fraternity, gaining priceless insights into the culinary profession and glimpses into a promising future.
The institute was transformed into a festive wonderland, with handcrafted ornaments, wreaths, and mistletoes adorning every corner, creating a truly magical atmosphere. To heighten the holiday spirit, the in-house band FLUTE captivated guests with enchanting Christmas carols, filling the air with joy and warmth.
Mr Sanjay K. Thakur, Principal, IHMH; speaking on the occasion said, The Institute of Hotel Management is the only central government institute in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh teaching hospitality and hotel administration. This college is celebrating 52 years of its existence, with alumni across the globe. IHMH is celebrating Christmas festivities amidst more than thirty prominent Chefs from 5-star, 4-star hotels and independent restaurants. The students prepared more than 35 dishes, the Chefs who are guests today, will evaluate the preparations by the budding chefs and share their valuable insights and tips for the students. This enables our students to be job ready. There is a general concern about rising unemployment among youth, but the students of IHMH have at least 3 to 4 job options through campus placement by the time they leave the institute. Unemployment is not a concern for hotel management graduates, they get placements in airlines, cruise liners, fast food chains, apart from the jobs in star hotels. In Hyderabad itself there are umpteen job opportunities with the number of 5-star hotels alone rising from 1 in 1980s to 18 today and more coming in. Many of our alumni have ventured to be entrepreneurs providing jobs for others, staring restaurant chains, managing healthcare institutions in UK and USA, there are some who have become civil servants from among our students. The CM of Jammu and Kashmir is a hotel management graduate, Actor Akshay Kumar is a hotel management graduate, so our students are excelling in various streams of professions. We offer 3 years graduation and also have one and half year program for food production, six months program for bar tending, bakery products programs etc. We have two to three months ‘Hunar se rozgar tak’ program sponsored by Government of India for students from economically deprived sections who can’t afford to pay fee, with no educational fee, free accommodation, dress and food, there is enormous demand for such skilled students from the industry. We conduct ‘Hunar se rozgar tak’ program even in Districts.
Ms Rachna Agashe, Head of Department, IHMH; said, we give 100% placement guarantee for our graduates, with over forty companies coming to us every year for placements, in fact many students get 4 to 5 job offers. The cut off starting salary offered is a minimum of Rs 3 lakhs and more per annum for these graduates.
Additionally, Celebrity Chef Harpal Sokhi, esteemed mentor and guide of IHM-Hyderabad, was unable to attend the Christmas Luncheon due to unforeseen changes in his schedule. However, he extended his warm wishes and shared an inspiring motivational message with the students and distinguished guests. As a thoughtful gesture, Chef Sokhi also sent copies of his book, The Biryani Leader, for the attendees. The book offers a unique perspective on leadership and management, drawing parallels with the art of cooking biryani, and provides valuable insights on effective strategies, preventing burnout, and nurturing workplace ethics.
This event was a delightful fusion of culinary excellence and the cheerful spirit of the season, making it an unforgettable celebration that resonated with the true essence of Christmas.