Why Indian Hospitality Education Needs a Revolution, Not an Upgrade

India is a service-first economy. The last two decades have seen a significant rise in consumption across food, travel, experiences, and customer-led industries. Businesses have scaled to meet this demand. Education, however, has not kept pace with what this growth requires.

The current system continues to train young professionals for narrow roles. It assumes that teaching someone how to perform a task is enough to prepare them for the workforce. That logic no longer reflects what employers need or what students want. Institutions must now focus on building deeper thinking, sharper judgment, and the ability to operate across systems.

This shift begins by understanding the difference between teaching a skill and building a discipline.

A skill is something learned through repetition and routine. It allows precision but often stays limited to a specific function. A discipline brings structure, theory, and cognitive stretch. It links knowledge to action. It helps students absorb complexity and navigate decision-making environments. Over time, it builds real capability.

Hospitality needs to be treated as a discipline. It belongs in the same category as professional domains like law or medicine. In an MBBS program, students study human systems in depth before applying that knowledge in hospital settings. That structure builds long-term clarity. It teaches students how to reason and act under pressure. It prepares them for fluid roles in unpredictable environments.

Hospitality education requires the same structure. Students must study how business, people, experience, and systems connect. They must understand finance, consumer psychology, brand, sustainability, and operations. This approach builds individuals who can contribute across industries and respond to shifting business needs.

When education focuses only on task-based instruction, students graduate with a limited range. Their ability to move across functions remains low, and their confidence in making decisions remains undeveloped. The gap between industry ambition and student preparation becomes visible early in their careers.

When institutions build disciplines, the outcome changes. Students learn how to frame problems, apply frameworks, and lead teams. They grow into professionals who can manage performance and build value across sectors. This is what a new model of hospitality education can deliver.

In this scenario, the new-age school was built to train students for relevance. The academic model is structured around a real industry rhythm. Students engage with business tools, financial logic, operations systems, and consumer strategy from the start. Learning unfolds through direct exposure, problem-solving, and outcome-linked projects. Faculty design every touchpoint to build decision-making capacity and professional clarity.

A revolution in hospitality education begins with a clear shift in institutional purpose. India has the population, industry scale, and consumer depth to lead this next chapter. It also has the responsibility to shape professionals who think, act, and adapt with intent.

The time for upgrades has passed. This is the time to lead a revolution or risk becoming irrelevant to the very students we are meant to serve.

(This article is authored by Kunal Vasudeva, Co-founder & Managing Director, Indian School of Hospitality (ISH))