The Higher Education Review

With India being considered as one of the premium destinations for tourists across the globe, the hospitality sector of the country is renovating its models to equip world-class service and ideologies. As the industry is expanding its horizon to accommodate improved facilities for tourists around the globe, along with it rises the demand for prominent industry stalwarts who can introduce innovative ideas across the hospitality fragment. committed to creating potential leaders for an expanding hospitality industry who will be capable of competing for senior positions in a global marketplace, SRM Institute of Hotel Management (SRM IHM) is dedicated exclusively to the creation, development and amelioration of the professional careers of mid to senior executives in the hospitality industry.

With a vision to emerge as an internationally recognized portal for the Hospitality industry by developing professionals for the future needs of the industry, SRM IHM, is a part of SRM Institute of Science and Technology (Deemed to be university), Chennai. One of the country's premier Hotel management institutes established in the year 1993, SRM IHM has been blessed with glorious 25 plus years of exposure in academics and skill development of each student who's brought into the light of hospitality.

Giving Students a New Perspective
SRM Institute of hotel management has a committee with well-experienced and qualified faculty members and experts from the industry who updates the curriculum every year. Since the pandemic the curriculum has been molded according to the SOP set by the industry and this has helped to elevate the existing syllabus. The curriculum always gives the student a new perspective and refreshes the approach towards the subject. It also helps them to understand the advanced technologies and methods implemented in the industry which helps them in cracking the placement. "We are proud to say that we have completed 28 years of service in the field of academics.

The major advantage is that SRM IHM is part of the SRM group of

hotels which gives the students first-hand experience in a fully operational star hotel attached to the campus to help the students acquire hands-on training in the real-time environment to hone their skills and competencies. As an added laurel we have collaborations with the hotels such as Crown Plaza, Novatel, Accor group, Westin and many other which always extends your hands to gain experience and knowledge from the experts, they also visit the college for workshops and one on one sessions which is a bonus for the students," states Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar, Director, SRM University.

`Education to Employment, learn by doing and Earn while you learn' is the mission of SRM IHMand the institute cherishes this mission to carry out Excellence, to nurture and develop young aspirants to be the finest Hospitality professionals for the most sophisticated hospitality industry with the most innovative curriculum and methodology renewed and updated to UGC Standards. With numerous academic partners abroad including Southern Cross University (Australia), Kent State University (USA), Federation University (Australia; Campus in Malaysia), UBIS University (Switzerland), ALMA (Italy), IMI International Management Institute (Switzerland), VATEL HOTEL & TOURISM BUSINESS SCHOOL (France), and more, the college has an entrepreneur cell through which the faculties of SRM IHM join hands with budding business minds.

The group also has alumni of SRM in which they can shadow and always consult for advice. The cell meets up once a month and updates the group with information and shares the same in social media for frequent communication. "We have campuses in different states like Tamil Nadu at Chennai and Trichy, in Uttar Pradesh at Modhi Nagar & Sonipat and also at Haryana with the State-of-the-art infrastructure with the latest equipment, smart classrooms, advanced labs, well-equipped library and a fully operational star hotel attached to the campus to help the students acquire hands-on training in the real-time environment to hone their skills and competencies," avers Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar.

Advancing Towards an Impeccable Future
SRM University is a certified green campus the greenery is neatly spread over the 250 acres of land. As a part of this project SRM IHM is planning to implement a terrace garden/Green-house at the college, this will help the students to learn and appreciate the art of cultivating the product

and the plea-sure of utilizing it in the kitchen. The campus is also installing solar panels in which the generated electricity will be distributed to the guest rooms of the campus and the waste management system will help in producing Biogas for the kitchen purpose, this is will educate the students in understanding the hotel engineering. To promote entrepreneurship among the students and the rural people of eight villages adopted by our institution, SRM IHM has developed a low-budget cart which runs in the solar panels the ideology is to sell healthy food at low cost.

SRM IHM is planning to upgrade new courses in the fourth coming semesters including BBA in Hotel Management and Hospitality Administration under UG degree and courses like M.Sc. in Hospitality Administration, MBA in Hotel Management & Catering Science, M.Sc. in Culinary arts and Hotel Management under PG degree. Similarly in Post Graduate Diploma courses like Dietetics & Hospital Food Service and Accommodation Operations & Management will be encompassed. "We often conduct Live demo classes to bring celebrity chefs, members of IFCA, SICA, WACS General managers of the hotel, hoteliers, professionals from the hospitality sector to conduct certified workshops and interactive sessions. With a smart class-room equipped with projectors, computers and Wi-Fi access which help the students to learn in connection with technology, SRM IHM has adapted ac-cording to the new norms of the academic patterns. Since pandemic, the students have been going through virtual classes and the study material are been digitalized. Students have access to E-books and E-practical's which can be referred to all the time in their digital classroom," concludes Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar.

Dr. Antony Ashok Kumar, Director
Dr. D.Antony Ashok Kumar has a prolific, academic and professional exposure. He has a repute and experience spanning over two decades in diverse environments. He had travelled extensively and had gained immense knowledge about various cultures and practices in hospitality and tourism sector. Due to his passion and drive for teaching he moved to academic ring, and served as a lecturer with the most reputed Institutes like: Government Institute of Hotel Management, Hyderabad: Government Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai; His experience, proficiency, and expertise had made him hold numerous responsibilities. At present he is leading as Director Institute of Hotel Management.