Sri Vijaya Puram, July 16: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), Tata Community Initiatives Trust (TCIT) – Tata STRIVE, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited (ANIIDCO) have partnered to strengthen the hospitality workforce in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands through a structured skilling and certification programme aimed at enhancing employability and supporting the tourism sector.
Announced on World Youth Skills Day, the initiative will begin with a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme that will certify and upskill 250 hospitality personnel currently employed in hotels, restaurants, resorts and allied establishments across Sri Vijaya Puram, Swaraj Dweep and Shaheed Dweep.
According to the partners, the programme is designed to improve professional competencies among the existing workforce while supporting the long-term growth of the hospitality industry in the Islands. Training will cover Front Office Management, Food and Beverage Service, Housekeeping, Kitchen Operations, Multi-Cuisine Cooking, Bakery and Guest House Operations.
Under the collaboration, Tata STRIVE will be responsible for delivering the training, conducting assessments and issuing certifications. IHCL will provide industry expertise and operational knowledge, drawing on its presence and experience in the hospitality sector in the Islands.
K. Mohanchandran, Senior Vice President – Operations (East and North East), IHCL, said the partnership aligns with the growing demand for skilled hospitality professionals as India’s tourism and hospitality sector continues to expand. He said the initiative, guided by Paathya, is intended to improve employability, enhance service standards and create livelihood opportunities for island youth as well as existing hospitality professionals while strengthening the tourism ecosystem of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Ameya Vanjari, Chief Operating Officer of Tata STRIVE, said the collaboration extends the organisation’s tourism and hospitality skilling initiatives to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said the programme seeks to build industry-aligned skills that strengthen employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.
Chanchal Yadav, Managing Director of ANIIDCO, said tourism remains a key contributor to the economy of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and that building a skilled workforce is essential to sustaining the sector’s future growth. She said the partnership would support professional development across the Islands while contributing to the long-term expansion of the Union Territory’s tourism industry.
According to the release, the initiative forms part of IHCL’s ESG+ framework, Paathya, under which the company has committed to skill 1,00,000 youth by 2030. IHCL stated that it has expanded its skilling network to more than 80 centres across India and has trained over 49,000 youth since 2020 to improve employability in established and emerging tourism destinations.
The partnership aims to strengthen the hospitality workforce through structured training and certification while supporting the continued development of tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, according to a press release issued by ANIIDCO.
