Public Sector Undertaking India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDCis expanding its reach to India’s North Eastern states. “ITDC has formed a JV with the Government of Tripura for setting up a three-star category hotel in the state capital Agartala under the name and style of The Ashok,” Lalit Panwar, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, ITDC said. According to him, ITDC will have 51 per cent stake, and Tripura government 49 per cent stake, in the JV Tripura Ashok Hotels Corporation. ITDC has written to all states to have a similar kind of JV, and have received response from the Government of Mizoram for a similar partnership. As per the JVs, land will be given by the state governments and ITDC will find a suitable private player to build hotels and work as a management partner. Tripura Government has consented to provide 2.65 acres of land near the Governor’s House for the hotel. ITDC will also launch sound and light show at Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala.
As per the latest strategy, ITDC is diversifying its portfolio to create a pool of manpower for the tourism and hospitality industry. “We have decided to set up India’s first Tourism University at Rai in Haryana. The Government of Haryana has already approved 40 acres of land for the University in the Rajiv Gandhi Educational City, Rai at the rate of Rs 2 crores per acre for Global Tourism and Hospitality University. We will be paying Rs 80 crores for the land in six installments over the next six years and will make the upfront payment of Rs 20 crores to the government,” he said, and added that ITDC is in the process of appointing a transaction consultant for the project. In addition, ITDC is appointing Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL) as a project consultant.
“Once the University is set up, we will go for funds to Ministry of Labour, Government of India, University Grants Commission (UGC) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) among others,” he informed. He said that the University will have different departments such as Indian School of Dhaba Management; Indian Culinary Institute; Hunar Se Rozgar Academy; School for Foreign Language Training for Guides, etc. He informed that the University will be functional in two years time.
The move is aimed at bridging the gap between demand and supply of manpower to the tourism industry. “As per the Ministry of Tourism, Indian tourism industry needs 150,000 skilled and semi-skilled manpower. However, we are developing only 50,000 manpower annually. Hence, there exists a huge gap and ITDC’s initiative is to bridge it,” he concluded.
