CWG 2010 catering contract enters penultimate phase

Awarding of Commonwealth Games 2010 catering contract is entering its penultimate phase. The upcoming Games are providing an unprecedented opportunity for the hotels to bid for the multi-crore catering contract with an opportunity to claim fame at an international event adding to their repertoire.

(Read: IRCTC bags Commonwealth Games catering contract)

The bidding process for the contract is still on and so far many hotels have bid for the same. The hotel groups in India are not revealing any information regarding the bidding though sources say that many hotels are still sending their responses to Organizing Committee's Request for Proposal (RFP) for the contract.

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Ajay Grover, head - catering, Commonwealth Games 2010, without disclosing the actual figures revealed that the contract will run into multiple crores. He said, "It is a moment that offers great prospects to the Indian hospitality industry for catering. The RFP would be accepted keeping in mind the techno commercial criteria. Various parameters would also be considered eg experience, varieties of menu, etc."

According to him, there would be 11 clusters in catering and each would be given out to one caterer. "It would also provide a consortium to work together as for one cluster there could be several sub-caterers. This would also facilitate a major shift in terms of approach and awareness in food and hygiene," Grover said. The event is also going to benefit the hospitality sector as it would create new benchmarks for all big hotels in India. "The successful Indian companies in the bidding process will come to know about the way big events are organised and how the catering format works. This would further generate awareness about food safety and standards. Moreover, the hoteliers would get acquainted to the global trends in new varieties of food which would help them come up with the same in their prospective areas," he added.

Speaking on the guidelines for catering, Grover informed that it would be on a B2B format and they want the best of hotels to come in for bidding. He said, "From supply chain management to consumption level, everything will be monitored in consultation with the health department of the government of India and third party, who will be certified auditors to do such kind of certification process." It was further said that global tenders had been floated to draw interest from international players having expertise in hospitality, in addition to domestic ones. Express Hospitality has learnt from its sources that apart from ITDC, Delaware North Companies, Global Infusion from UK, and Sodexho from France have been short-listed so far. On being queried about the same, Grover declined to comment.

Delhi facing shortage of masseurs

Facing a major shortage of professional masseurs to cater to sportspersons during the Commonwealth Games scheduled here this October, authorities are now looking for foreign experts and also trying to bring in masseurs from other states.

Approximately 400-500 masseurs are required during Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games (CWG), the 19th edition of these games, will be held from Oct 3 to 14. Thousands of athletes are expected to take part in the event.

"We need properly trained and well qualified masseurs to provide support to sportspersons taking part in the Games. But there is a serious shortage of them," said an official of the Delhi government's health department.

"We are in the process of identifying and shortlisting masseurs. Once that is done, further training would be imparted to them by experts," the official added.

"It is a little difficult to find well-trained masseurs as a lot of them are employed with private massage parlours. A number of them may be busy serving tourists during that period and this has led to increase in their demand," he added.

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee spokesperson Lalit Bhanot also said: "Yes, there is a shortage of masseurs. We are trying to arrange masseurs from treatment centres in West Bengal and Kerala."

"We are also trying to bring in foreign experts. They will be in the city during the games and would train the selected masseurs here"

"The health department is considering training the masseurs in foot massage, Ayurvedic massage, Panchakarma, oil massage and other types of massages. The health department along with the Games organising committee is likely to jointly bear the expenditure of their training."

Hospitality industry is also a shortage of trained personal to cater to the tourists.

The health department official refused to say by when the masseurs would be trained or ready or how they would be recruited.

Besides the professionally trained masseurs, the city and the nearby areas have a number of traditional masseurs, who are generally untrained, but quite popular among tourists. But experts have warned against employing any untrained masseurs.

No traditional masseur can be taken just like this. Masseurs need to be very technically sound and they need to understand human anatomy well. They need to be professionally trained as wrong massage can even lead to injuries to sportsperson.

ITDC's preparations for Commonwealth Games

The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the official hospitality partner for the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2010, is all set to make the much awaited sports extravaganza, the most memorable experience for the global tourists. From re-designing the hotel interiors, to impart training to support staff and hiring volunteers, ITDC is undertaking massive preparations for this mammoth event.

To start off, Hotel Ashok-the pioneers in the Indian luxury hotel industry has been designated as the official “Games Family Hotel” and has undertaken extensive renovation. From interiors to furnishings to upholstery every thing has been revamped. Keeping the Indian tradition in mind, the hotel now boasts of Indian extravagance combined with the minimalistic European feel. The entire renovation took place within a stipulated period of five months with a budget of Rs 146 crores. In addition to the renovation at The Ashok, ITDC is also conducting training for support staff such as drivers, taxi drivers and dhabawallas to make them efficient to handle international clientele.

ITDC will also hire 700 students from the top 10 colleges in Delhi and other hospitality institutes in India. These students will be designated as “Hospitality Executives” and will act as volunteers at different venues. In order to promote night tourism in Delhi, ITDC is further undertaking the task of lighting major monuments in Delhi so that tourists can visit these monuments in their fully lit view.

“The entire makeover and other initiatives undertaken by ITDC will give a magnificent international touch both in terms of appearance, services and comfort and ensures that the visit turns to be a truly pleasurable and enriching experience for visitors during CWG-2010,” said an official spokesperson from ITDC

Commonwealth Games brings hospitality industry back in focus

If you love to look after people, bring a smile to their faces, cook them a nice dish, and give them an experience to remember, then the hospitality industry may be the place for you. Every year, there's a need for 2.03 lakh professionals in the industry, says the Ministry of Tourism but only 18,000 hospitality graduates pass out, annually. Clearly there's a dearth of skilled professionals in this sector. With the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and several international hotel chains such as Carlson, Starwood, Accor and Marriott coming to India, both opportunity and exposure in hospitality is going to be staggering.

(Click here: Delhi needs more masseurs)
This sector is essentially divided into four broad functions:

• Food Production, where food is designed and created,
• Food & Beverage Service (F&B), where the guests' needs are looked after in a restaurant or in an office cafeteria,
• Front Office, that welcomes guests and tries to make their stay as hassle-free as possible, and
• Housekeeping, where the staff sees that you feel at home in your room.

In fact, the wellness industry that includes spa and fitness, is also becoming a popular service in hospitality.

Front Office, in demand

Food Production, where chefs work in kitchens has been traditionally a big attraction for many young people wanting to join the industry. But now young people prefer Front Office jobs. "Fifty-five percent of our students went for Front Office jobs," says DD Sharma, head of department, Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Delhi. This tilt towards Front Office and F&B is because of the ample opportunities that are present in the service sector. Also, it signifies greater confidence amongst today's generation who is not shy to interact with customers.

Soft skills acquired by Front Office executives such as communication and managerial skills also double up as skills required in customer relations, business development, human resource function, sales and marketing. In fact, banks, hospitals, telecom and BPOs are recruiting hotel management graduates in large numbers, says Anita Sharma, senior faculty and placement coordinator, IHM, Catering & Nutrition, New Delhi.

Over the years, hospitality has extended beyond hotels and restaurants and has become integral to the service sector.

There's also the incentive of better salaries and a less strenuous working schedule. Food Production is labour-intensive points out Mr Sharma of IHM. Sameer Sharma, a hotel management (HM) graduate, agrees. "There are heavy crates to be picked, sacks of onions and potatoes to be carted, and working hours could stretch to 12 to 16 hours a day." On the other hand, Front Office has regulated working hours and industries such as telecom and banking, pay well.

Where's the money?
Although chefs and general managers at four star hotels and five star hotels are paid in lakhs, a fresh HM graduate may have to start with a leaner package. NS Bhuie, director, Studies, National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, admits that the pay is average.

Fresh HM graduates, as management trainees get a stipend between Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000. The stipend goes up to Rs 26,000 after the completion of the training at a hotel, which is usually two years. In comparison, industries like BPOs pay a fatter take-home to fresh graduates, says a recruiter.

"Forty per cent of students who do hotel management join other service industries," says Sudhir Andrews, dean, Ecole H teli re Lavasa, a hospitality management institute in Pune. Hotels are already feeling the pinch, he says. But a senior manager at one of the top Delhi hotels says that salaries have gone up by more than 60 per cent in the past few years.

Long working hours

Hospitality is a round-the-clock function; it's a 24x7, 365 days-a-year job. In fact, when the whole nation is off on August 15, the hospitality industry is buzzing, says Ashima Sukhani, public relation executive of ITC Hotels. And as room service and coffee shop kitchens are open 24 hours, working hours go up to 18 hours. But KS Srinivasan, vice-president, HR, Taj, Mumbai, doesn't see working long hours as a drawback at all. "Just look at the experience you get after working in this industry for two years. You get scrubbed and polished and after two years you shine!"

While hotel management institutes prepare students for a managerial role, the industry wants to hire them as waiters. Both sides have their arguments. Jay Rathore, general manager, The Oberoi, New Delhi, says that while he picks graduates, they start at the staff level. "People expect to do managerial or supervisory jobs right away, but I ask them 'are they prepared to manage 25 people?' With no experience how can you lead 25 people, how can those 25 people look up to you for career and advice?" While the industry needs people with managerial qualities, it's only after a few years that young graduates can step into that role. "People have to walk in with the right attitude."

In this week-long series, we will look at the opportunities in the Hospitality industry - Front Office, Food Production, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping and Wellness - and how you should go about plotting your career.

Little girl to civilize Delhi

Delhi’s citizens are about to be introduced to a range of civic awareness messages over the next 10 months, right up to the Commonwealth Games in October 2010. A wide-ranging advertising campaign, ‘Come on Dilli’, with the messages delivered by a new city mascot — a cartoon-drawn, seven-year-old girl named Delhi ki Beti has begun to dot Delhi’s billboards since December 12.

India’s Capital will play host to athletes from 71 nations at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Delhi government feels that in addition to providing world-class infrastructure and facilities for the event, it is also critical that Delhi’s people come together as hospitable hosts.

To instill that sense of hospitality, pride, care and concern for the city, it decided to undertake a public communication exercise. The ‘Civility Campaign’ has started with the outdoor media and will move on to radio, print and television.

The messages point to a greater range of civic awareness building than what may typically be required for just the Commonwealth Games. The use of solar power or the rejection of the use of plastic bags are some other examples of wide range of issues this campaign aims to address.

Other issues such as pollution, car pooling, using the cellphone while driving, breaking traffic signals and defacing heritage sites are covered through messages that use English and Hindi, English nursery rhyme lines and even references to legendary poet, Ghalib.

Building pride in the city’s heritage is seen as a unifying factor since a significant number of Delhi’s residents have come in from other parts of the country.

Cartoon animals have been used in a rather tongue-in-cheek manner.

The youth who’s taken a toss off his motorbike because he jumped a red light is a monkey; the person defacing a heritage building’s wall is a rat; the chap chatting on his mobile phone while driving is an owl.

The idea is to convey, in a dignified manner, that the people with such attitude are not behaving like civilized humans.

While it is tempting to compare Delhi ki Beti with the Amul girl who also delivers sharp, witty social messages, Sen preferred that the two not be compared, saying the Amul property has been built over time.

The campaign’s budget is rumoured to be in the range of Rs 100 crore but there is no official confirmation on the figure. PK Tripathi, principal secretary in the chief minister’s office, said there was no fixed budget.

“We will intensify the campaign over the next few months and will release money depending on the various media used for it. The three-phased campaign will progress from ‘inform and inspire’ to ‘involve’ messages, to culminate with ‘hospitality’ statements