For former COO of Vivanta by Taj, Veer Vijay Singh, Taj has been like a home for 39 years teaching him the finer nuances of the hospitality trade. A candid conversation with him reveals the challenges during his journey with the brand, his future vision and much more By Reema Lokesh and Rituparna Chatterjee
When did your journey with the Taj begin?
Sometime during mid 1960s I visited Mumbai with my parents. My relatives lived around Marine Lines and we happened to dine at the The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. After dinner, in typical tourist style we sat out to see the majestic Gateway of India. While everyone was admiring the monument, I stood in awe admiring yet another icon on the opposite street, the Taj Mahal Hotel, which had only the heritage wing then. That moment my life changed as it was then that I decided to work for the Taj come what may. Before this incident I wanted to become an army officer. To get into the Taj, I had to pursue hotel management so I sought admission at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition, Pusa. I joined the Taj the same year I graduated, in 1976 and then went on to work for the brand for 39 years. During my interview, I expressed my interest in joining the F&B operations but they selected me for kitchen instead. I learned a lot under the tutelage of Chef George Hamilton of the culinary team of England, who trained me for six months. However, post an operation I moved to F&B operations and over time I became a GM. I was one of the longest serving GMs in the Taj Group – Taj Banjara Hyderabad for six years, Taj Bengal Kolkata for two years, Taj Krishna Hyderabad for 10 years and Taj Samudra Colombo for two years. Though the positions were different, I still handled the portfolio of a GM. In 2009, I was called to Mumbai to become the COO for the upper upscale hotel brand of Taj.
Which posting in your career was the most challenging?
There were two-three challenging postings in my career. First was Taj Banjara Hyderabad where we increased its F&B business by 100 per cent in the first 2.5 years despite competing with large hotels. I was instrumental in getting the Taj Falaknuma Palace Hyderabad from the Nizam. Second was the launch of Taj Krishna Hyderabad, which underwent massive renovation for nine months. For 14 years the property was incurring losses, but we took its turnover from Rs 16 crore to Rs 125 crore in six years i.e. 2000 – 2006 and finally my role as COO of Vivanta by Taj. In 2010, we launched Vivanta by Taj, which has grown from 19 hotels then to 41 hotels today, a combination of lease, ownership and management contracts. The turnover has also increased from Rs 700-800 crore to Rs 1800 crore in 2014 – 2015. Vivanta by Taj is the third best recalled brand in India after Taj and Oberoi respectively.
Who have been your mentors throughout your journey in this field?
Couple of people I would say. Firstly, JRD Tata who had a charismatic personality, humility and confidence on his team. Ajit Baburao Kerkar was a great leader who understood people well. Subir Bhowmick was driven by passion and hard work and Rony Lobo, GM of Taj Mahal, who taught detailing. All amazing personalities in their own right. My parents also played a very important role. My mother was a friend and lady in waiting for Maharani Gayatri Devi. She taught me humility and my father taught me contentment.
Since you started, what changes have you noticed in the hospitality industry?
A change that I have noticed is that today people believe that they can grow by doing hop, skip and jump for quick success. They believe a single place cannot give you career growth and learning. I do not subscribe to this thinking. Today, expectations have changed and loyalty is missing. Secondly, a thing that hasn’t changed is the traditions of the Taj and the sense of belonging. There is a saying that if you pick up the job that you love, you don’t even work a single day in your life. I felt exactly the same here. Everyday I looked forward to going to work. While the Taj is 100 plus, I felt 40 years of that 100 was ours.
What did the Taj give you?
A lot of valuable learnings, colleagues and friends and customers who have become friends with time. I always believed that a negative feedback from my customer was indeed of great value. They are my high value customer and a true friend of the Taj, as their feedback was given in true spirit to improve us further rather than to criticise the place. For this industry it is all about relationships which are genuine. The Taj also builds a certain culture within you of Atithi Devo Bhava or else why would our staff go beyond their set duty to serve their guests during the unfortunate 26/11 attack risking their lives only for their guests?
What is in store for the golden years to come?
Sitting idle is surely not for me. After my retirement, my endeavour is to go back to Hyderabad and start my own brand management company. I believe in karma and also feel a true leader is someone without an ego. I would like to use knowledge and experience to leave behind something of value. I also believe that a leader can manage quality, price and time but it is a true leader who can manage people as well, which is the most vital asset of our business.
