JOIN USWith entrepreneurship in her DNA, Amruda Nair is all set to forge new paths in the hospitality industry, observes Bindu Gopal Rao
She is a third-generation hotelier who has chosen to charter her own trajectory by getting into a new venture that has nothing to do with her roots. When I catch up with Amruda Nair, joint managing director and CEO, Aiana Hotels and Resorts, I am impressed with her conviction and confidence that she carries very ably over her shoulders.
Amruda is someone who has hospitality in her DNA, thanks to her grandfather, the late Captain C P Krishnan Nair, founder of The Leela Group of hotels. An economics graduate, she studied hospitality management from CHN University in The Netherlands and obtained a master’s degree from the world’s leading hotel school, Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration in New York, which included exposure to Asian markets through the Nanyang Business School, in Singapore.
She knows that her family legacy will always remain and admittedly, she is grateful for the platform it offered. “My generation is all about being independent and taking risks, but also about being proud of your roots and The Leela will always be a source of inspiration,” says Amruda.
After a stint with Mandarin Oriental, New York, she worked for Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels (JLLH) in Singapore as a full-time analyst on the hospitality brokerage team and was involved in investment sales mandates across the region, including Indonesia, Japan, China, India and Thailand.
After returning to India, she served as head of asset management for Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts during a period of major growth, which included the opening of new properties in Gurgaon, Udaipur, Delhi and Chennai.
Was entrepreneurship also in her DNA? “To be honest, I think in some ways we never really saw business as something different from our regular life. Growing up, I imbibed a lot of things by simply overhearing dinner table conversations between my father and grandfather. Even as children, we were taught to think independently and it was never about inheriting a business; rather it was about becoming capable to
contribute to it. For us, it was always about being given the exposure and
travel experiences that we could learn from.”
New vistas
Her current entrepreneurial venture Aiana Hotels & Resorts is a partnership with Qatari entrepreneur Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani of Al Faisal Holding, which aims to create a brand of lifestyle hotels and bring global perspective along with experience of leading international hospitality brands.
“With Aiana, it was an opportunity that came in at the right time and since it was a wonderful business opportunity with a partner who shared the same vision, I was clear about wanting to get into this. And for the name, we wanted something that had a strong Indian connect and a universal appeal. So, we chose the Mandala logo, which is very universal. Aiana comes from Sanskrit and means eternal blossom and hence has a nature connect,” explains the entrepreneur.
Considering the hotel’s brand of hospitality to be ‘Hospitality 2.0’, wherein the hotel will be run through a management contract, Amruda is responsible for designing the brand’s signature programming as well as spearheading the company’s overall business development to create a unique proposition that will define the next wave of smart hospitality.
“Our vision, fresh design perspective, sensitivity to the local environment and social ways will redefine the hospitality model. What inspires me is the ability to create a modern brand with an Indian soul in a global world,” she adds.
Incidentally, she is currently working on a 22-room villa project in Munnar, which will have a fractional ownership concept, and a 180-key service apartment project in Doha.
A keen businesswoman, Amruda understands the need to stay ahead of the curve and getting the first mover advantage in what she does. So, does she feel out of place in a male-dominated space? “I have never really thought of it that way. I guess when I take my seat among colleagues and partners and expect to be treated as an equal, it just simply works,” says the lady who enjoys the outdoors. When in Doha, Amruda makes time for kite surfing and in India, running is her choice of activity.
Her advice to young women who want to be entrepreneurs is simple: “Follow your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” And coming from someone who has chartered new ground, it’s a good idea to lend it a willing ear!