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Always look down, not

up, to realise where you

are in life and that will

give you perspective.

On his beginnings and journey…
My family is originally from Punjab. Our father was in the army, and was a total PR guy. He told me, “You can deal with the paperwork,
we moved around a lot, as any army family would. My sister and but being a hotelier is all about how you deal with people. You need
I kept getting taken out of our schools every three years, so my to know a person’s name, his wife’s name, where he’s from, what
parents made a conscious decision to send us to boarding school, he does, what he eats, what he is allergic to, etc.” That advice is
and we ended up at the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla. After school something that has become the cornerstone of my approach
finished, I was at a crossroads in life. My father wanted me to follow towards people.
him and join the army. However, I had gone to a public school and
was exposed to a different mindset. I wanted to remain open to In 1993, what was then known as the Amari Atrium Bangkok,
doing other things. I told him that I will enter the National Defence was being constructed. Somebody I knew from The Oberoi Group
Academy, proving to him that I was capable of joining, but that I had joined the GP Group here, and he told me to come along. After
didn’t really want to do it. He was a bit taken back but eventually coming here, I was placed as the Assistant Director of F&B.
allowed me to do my own thing. On his time in Thailand and the challenges faced…
On my winter trips to Delhi, my friends and I would invariably My management style was very rigorous, and I couldn’t exert
end up staying at hotels. I remember going to the Taj and Oberoi this style in Thailand, as the working environment is much more
chains, and thinking “this is the life”. I told my dad that I wanted to laidback. When I first got here, there was no internet and there was
try this line of work. One of his friends was the GM of the Taj Palace a language barrier. I met and got to know a group of businessman
in Delhi, so I met his son to talk to him and the rest was history. and hoteliers, who helped ease the adjustment a bit. They told me
Before I knew it, I had gained my qualifications at the Institute to be like a father to my staff, and this advice has really helped me.
of Hotel Management Mumbai, and was picked as one of the six So instead of being the lone leader ahead of the pack, I started to
management trainees for the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. After take my people along with me. I played on the strengths I acquired
the programme, I was lucky to have started my career at The Taj at the Taj and got to know people inside and outside the hotel.
Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai. I must say that when you look up, the dots don’t connect, but

On his early career and experiences… when you look back, the dots connect behind you. So always look
down, not up, to realise where you are in life and that will give you
I considered food and beverage to be the hot trend at the time. So I perspective. I was also told to learn Thai, and so I signed up with
was very happy to be appointed as Assistant Manager of F&B at the a teacher for lessons. But two months later, she was speaking
Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. One of the things I learnt there was that you Punjabi and I still didn’t know Thai.
are only as good as your boss. My boss, who was also my mentor,

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