Bhubaneswar : Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) , India’s largest hospitality company, has signed a
MoU with the Assam Government to establish a hospitality-focused skills training centre in the North
East, in line with the company’s ESG+ framework, Paathya. The state-of-the-art residential Centre of
Excellence will be developed in collaboration with Assam Tourism Development Corporation Limited
(ATDCL), Tata STRIVE Skill Development Initiative of Tata Community Initiative Trust (TCIT) and the
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, with the aim to
develop talent from economically weaker and socially disadvantaged local communities. IHCL will
provide equipment for the training labs along with Tata STRIVE, in addition to basic content and subject
matter expertise (SME) to support TATA STRIVE. MSDE and ATDCL will provide financial and
infrastructural support to the Centre of Excellence for a period of 10 years, post which the center is
slated to become self-sustainable.
Speaking about this development, Mr. Gaurav Pokhariyal, Executive Vice President, Human Resources,
IHCL, stated, “The state of Assam, known for its natural beauty and rich history is also home to immense
local talent. Given the growing potential of tourism and hospitality, there is significant opportunity to
leverage the untapped potential of talent in the region, and we are honoured to collaborate with the
Assam Government and our partners to develop a hospitality-focused skilling centre. At IHCL,
community lies at the heart of all that we do, and this training will help to bridge the employability gap
in the years to come.”
Located at the Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change & Development (OKD Institute) near
Guwahati, the residential skilling centre will undertake skills training for youth from the North East
across various hospitality segments. The short- and long-term courses, aligned with the requirements of
the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and developed in partnership with Tata STRIVE, will
offer industry knowledge that is required for employment and entrepreneurship within the hospitality
sector. Post successful completion of training, the youth will also have the opportunity for internships at
select IHCL hotels.
