Re-imagining Hospitality Education At Indian School of Hospitality...

Indian hotels are known around the world and India boasts of a rapidly growing service industry, but we do not have a matching standard of hospitality education. 

To bridge the gap, Indian School of Hospitality, a world-class hospitality education enterprise established off Sector 83, Gurgaon has opened its doors in order to reimagine hospitality education. Helmed by Mr. Dilip Puri and boasting of some of the most premier names on its advisory and faculty panels, ISH is the new kid on the block to watch out for. 

With its sound understanding of nuances of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry- as well as the needs of the millennial student, ISH believes that these fields are becoming the fastest growing worldwide, and require talent that’s more versatile and flexible than ever before. 

Facade at ISH

With their aim is to provide students with the relevant skills, mindset, and spirit to succeed as the leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators of tomorrow, the ISH philosophy is to impart lifelong skills to students to help them succeed as the innovators of tomorrow - giving them the tools they need to shape one of the most dynamic industries worldwide. 

Avenue at ISH

The course structure at ISH is aimed at providing the ideal foundation for managerial and leadership development, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning. Backed by the academic accreditation of Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, ISH has inducted its first 'Class of 2022' fired by the dedication to providing educational excellence to its students, upholding of international hospitality education standards, and their strong connection to the industry. 

The curriculum at ISH brings together both traditional hospitality concepts and modules and intertwines them with some of the most in-demand streams of today’s corporate world. While students will be learning food & beverage and housekeeping, they’ll also build a strong portfolio of marketing, law, ethics, human resource management, accounting and entrepreneurship and more. 

In-House Cafe 'Delish'

Throughout their journey with ISH, students will experience active learning – not just passive listening. The curriculum has a strong focus on independent research and critical thinking, as well as practical experience through business internships and business model creation – meaning students will actually experience real-world scenarios while they still have the support and guidance of ISH – giving them an exceptional head start once they graduate and begin their real careers. 

ISH's Food Hall

Every part of the campus was tailormade with a unique philosophy in mind. While creating it, ISH wanted to bring together two very important facets of their vision – to build a space for students to be able to gain hands-on, real-world expertise, while also preserving their mission to spark joy in learning and discovery. The campus is an amalgamation of both a colorful, interactive space that enables students to exercise the practical aspect of the curriculum, while at the same time giving them a space to socialize, have fun, flourish and just enjoy some of the best years of their life. 

Student Learning Centre

ISH is currently opening doors to their first batch of students, and are offering the following programmes: 

• Bachelors in Hotel Management (with a Certification in Hospitality Management) 
• Bachelors in Travel & Tourism (with a Certification in Culinary Arts) 
• Intensive Culinary Arts Certificate 

In the near future, they will begin offering postgraduate and executive education programmes, as well as shorter duration culinary arts programmes with a unique focus on entrepreneurship. 

On the whole, I had an enriching experience on my recent visit to the ISH campus that continues to be a work in progress for times to come. :)

#PowerfulBacking With American Express...

A recent global study commissioned by American Express showed that more than half of people today are living Hybrid Lives, with personal and work life deeply intertwined. The study, conducted in eight markets including India, others being Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States also revealed that two in three people feel they can achieve more because of this work-life integration.

The way people work and live has transformed - there is greater interconnectedness in both personal and work life, as well as real and virtual interactions. This blended, hybrid lifestyle is the new norm across the world, and India is no exception.

'Hybrid Life' as identified in American Express’ 'Live Life' survey is characterized by increasing interconnectedness between work and personal life, as well as real and virtual interactions. It results in deeper work-life integration enabled by technology, described by AmEx as #AmExLife.

American Express, backed by the insights of the study, has thus launched its new 360° brand marketing campaign in India, aptly called “Powerful Backing of American Express: Don’t Live Life / Don’t Do Business Without It” - to reflect new-age highly-integrated lifestyles and the fact that American Express supports its customers, enabling them to thrive in life and in business.

Speaking about the launch, Manoj Adlakha, CEO – American Express Banking Corp., India, said,

“This is the first time we’re introducing a campaign that speaks to all of the customer segments we serve, with a single, overarching message: American Express has your back, in life and in work. Relationships are core to who we are. Since our inception, we’ve put our customers at the center of everything we do. The campaign reinforces the enduring relationships we have with our customers and how we support them in ways big and small.”

Elaborating on the insights that powered the global brand strategy, Manoj added, “The new brand platform is a response to the fact that our customers are living diverse and layered lives. Our new campaign focuses on the powerful backing that we provide our customers and partners, enabling them to navigate this blended lifestyle.”

I recently had a chance to attend an event where AmEx's new brand campaign was presented. showcasing the dual passion-points of Indian millennials - technology and travel - that power the prominently emerging hybrid lifestyle in the 'Live Life' study.



There was an 'AR-VR' setup (or demo zone) featuring innovative use of virtual-augmented reality to present a  real-life simulation of diverse experiences such as an adrenaline-charged roller-coaster ride, the thrill of sky-diving, watching the Northern Lights and seeing penguins in the glaciers of Antarctica to emphasize on the thrill of #VirtualMeetsReal.

Such brand activations have been set up by AmEx for an experience by the masses in DLF Mall of India, Noida and Cyber Hub, Gurgaon.

Advertising is featured on a cross-section of platforms with a focus on communications channels that are at the intersection of life and work. These include print, mobile and outdoor platforms, as well as digital and social media.

Namaste. We are celebrating our new brand launch in India. Our special guest @yamigautam is the first one to try our #VirtualMeetsReal experiences. Don’t live life without it! #AmexLife

A post shared by American Express (@americanexpress) on Jul 25, 2018 at 3:24am PDT

The advertising and marketing elements include a heavy focus on digital content, online video, high-impact out-of-home advertising and social influencer engagement. The campaign is designed to meet people in the places where life and business intersect, both online and offline. Whether traveling, going to work, heading out to have fun, engaging with digital content or connecting on social media, Indians will be continuously reminded - American Express has got their back.

With the new brand platform, American Express is drawing on its heritage of service, security and trust and modernizing many elements of its brand iconography, including a modern articulation of a famous tagline, refreshing its Blue Box logo and visual identity and introducing a hand-drawn version of its famous card design that features its customers at the center.

The work was created by mcgarrybowen, Pentagram, Ogilvy, Mindshare and Digitas. The advertising was directed by renowned director Lance Accord, and the photography was shot by award-winning photographer Matthieu Young.

Sharing details on how the global campaign was adapted for Indian audiences, Manoj added,

“Our local agency partners at Ogilvy and Mindshare have been instrumental in trans-creating the global campaign to make it relevant for the Indian market. They have successfully integrated nuances that our customers and prospects can relate to. We are confident that this approach will resonate with our audience.”

Ruchi Mathur, Sr. Vice President, North & East India at Mindshare said,

“For today’s audiences with hybrid lives and complex paths to purchase, we leveraged relevant media & data intelligence to decode the mindset, media consumption behaviors, and connected journeys to deliver the communication to each audience segment, in the right context through the right medium. Basis these findings, we developed an integrated brand and demand focused media strategy that will keep the audiences engaged throughout the brand funnel, finally leading them towards becoming American Express members.”

Here's what celebrity ambassador Yami Gautam had to say about #PowerfulBacking...

The new brand platform aims to go from belonging i.e. 'the benefit of being part of an exclusive club' to backing i.e. 'the benefit of being part of a reciprocal relationship', with the cultural insight being the following.

I am sure that American Express' brand philosophy will surely make #PowerfulBacking popular among the masses. 

Bangalore to Hyderabad Flights Account For Most Frequent Business Trips

Bengaluru is the new name of Bangalore that is the capital of Karnataka. Karnataka is the southernmost state of India and is a major hub of high-tech business. It is among the busiest metro cities of India and is also popular for green-spaces, heavy traffic jams and nightlife. Bangalore to Hyderabad flights are among most frequent business and personal trips because of two prominent reasons. Many MNCs (Multi-National Companies) have offices in both the locations and their CXOs (top management executives) need to travel frequently for business meetings. Many executives working in any of the MNCs in the modern Hi-Tech city in Hyderabad belong to Bangalore and on the other hand many executives working in Bangalore are residents of Hyderabad. That way most of them would be traveling to their native place on weekends.

If I am among these executives, I would definitely like to have a single portal on internet where I get all kind of relevant questions answered regarding Bangalore to Hyderabad Flights. And along with the important information at one place, what if I also get best of the deals in airline tickets? That is where I got hooked to this page for Bangalore to Hyderabad flights where not only I got all important queries answered but also found it fascinating in the aspect of offering great deals. Obviously if you are a frequent flyer, you would definitely love to grab deals that help you in saving you some money. But above all, getting right information is the most important factor in my opinion.

There are two airline brands that fly from Bangalore to Hyderabad – JetLite and JetKonnect. JetLite has 21 weekly flights from Bangalore to Hyderabad and so has JetKonnect. That means there is a total of 42 flights in a week which itself speaks about the high volume of commuters that need to travel within these two business-oriented cities. There is a high demand of seats on these flights and at times people have to check for a seat in the subsequent flights if they don't get it in the flight of their choice. The first flight that leaves from Bangalore to Hyderabad is JetLite at 6.50 AM that suits well to the top level executives to yield a maximum productivity time during the day without any compromise with the official working hours. The last flight that leaves from Bangalore is JetLite at 9 PM.

Airport code of Bangalore is BLR and that is Hyderabad is HYD. The new name for Bangalore airport is Bengaluru International Airport and the one in Hyderabad is known as Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. If you are seriously looking for economical Bangalore Hyderabad flights, then you must check the flight schedule and book your travel on Cleartrip.com to get the maximum benefit out of it. You get a large option of domestic airlines like JetLite and JetKonnect to suit your flight booking. As mentioned, the first flight from Bangalore to Hyderabad is at 6.50 AM and is JetLite S2 3801. The last flight that leaves Bangalore for Hyderabad at 9 PM is JetLite S2 3741. You will be delighted to find the best offers and deals for cheaper flights from BLR to HYD. 

Following is the current schedule of Bangalore Hyderabad Flights:

Bangalore-Hyderabad Flight Schedule

Departure (Bangalore)		Arrival (Hyderabad)		Airlines		Days		Flight no.
6:50 AM		8:25 AM		Jet Konnect		Daily		2801
6:50 AM		8:25 AM		JetLite		Daily		3801
5:10 PM		6:50 PM		JetLite		Su		3838
5:10 PM		6:50 PM		Jet Konnect		Su		2838
6:05 PM		7:15 PM		Jet Konnect		Daily		2744
6:05 PM		7:15 PM		JetLite		Daily		3744
9:00 PM		10:35 PM		JetLite		Tu, We, Th, Fr, Sa, Mo		3741
9:00 PM		10:35 PM		Jet Konnect		Tu, We, Th, Fr, Sa, Mo		2741

#Airtel4G Enlivens My New Business!

Remember when I had taken the #Airtel4GSpeedTest?

4G is the demand of time. Everyone needs speed. Everyone wants to do more in lesser time. Everyone is hungry for efficiency and accuracy - that too on the move. Gone are the times when you used to sit in the office on a seat every day, seven days a week. Businesses demand results – be it reaching a new location to meet a client, or be it an approval on a workflow on the business app on the device. Most the time, so far, we were facing speed crunch for all such activities. But now, our wait is over and an ultimate solution has arrived.

Most of the businesses have now understood the power of social media and that is why the social media platforms are no more merely for fun-related activities. There are tremendous business-related activities, being taken seriously, which are happening across the globe on the social media platforms over the internet.

These are not possible if you are working on any number before ‘G’ less than 4. #Airtel4G from Airtel is there to serve you (and of course, me too!) for the new start-up business venture that I have launched recently. I am all for it – the 4G service. I am very clearly and distinctly convinced that the throughput of 4G connection is definitely higher, but then I am smart enough to calculate my business results. That is where I know that the results that I can achieve with 4G were not possible earlier.

My outreach is extended now - even to the areas where I was not able to penetrate my online portal. The mobility of my business is now live in a real win-win situation where my employees will be able to drive results on the move or wherever they are.

My business focuses on becoming the leading online portal for the newest trends in technology, business, fashion, lifestyle, family, parenting, travel, food and more. My backend team needs to finish a lot of video uploads in real-time or offline. Earlier it was painful, but now it is happening at lightning fast speed. On the other hand, I am also aware that the performance of my portal will be able to achieve its optimum best at the customer/consumer/user-end only when they are also on 4G.

My portal's subscriptions have increased substantially since the day I employed 4G for all my official devices. Each employee is carrying a portable device on 4G. The news items on my portal have reached a new height. We are now quicker to launch fresh stories, faster than our competitors. We also promote 4G for our subscribers so that they also taste the fresh wave in the transmission era. My employees’ productivity has seen an upward trend and has shown tremendous potential, and so has the performance of my business. Thanks to 4G for providing the speed we were striving for.