SPECIAL REPORT
tobacco concern , it created a hotels arm in 1975 and today has four India-centric brands : ITC Hotels , whose 14 properties are part of Marriott International ’ s Luxury Collection ; WelcomHotel ( 5-star ) and Fortune ( mid-market to upscale ); and WelcomHeritage , a sub-brand comprising heritage and historic properties .
Anand , 63 , was born in New Delhi and attended the Bishop Cotton School in northwest India . “ I can confidently recommend him as a young man of sound character and intellectual worth who has the ability and initiative to do very well in the future ,” his headmaster wrote in 1974 , adding , “ he is keen to take up Hotel Management as a career and in this I feel he will do very well .”
It was at Bishop Cotton that he met a lifelong friend and future hotelier : Rajiv Kaul , president of The Leela Palaces , Hotels and Resorts , based in Mumbai . Kaul also booked time at Taj Hotels and Oberoi Hotels and Resorts — but not ITC .
“ I tease Nakul … that I wanted to work only at the hotels that have the highest luxury standards ,” Kaul says , laughing . Still , he respects ITC for its focus on the Indian traveler , its promotion of the country ’ s varied and sophisticated cuisine , and its commitment to sustainability .
And he deeply respects Anand , he says , because of his “ old-fashioned virtues ”: simplicity and warmth , a commitment to his family and the personal interest he takes in so many colleagues . “ His contribution has been immense in terms of farming generations of leaders in his company ,” Kaul says .
One of those mentees is Anil Chadha , vice president of operations , hotels division and , like Anand , “ an absolute lifer ” at ITC .
Before they met , Chadha knew Anand ’ s name as one of the youngest GMs in the country , and as an intern , he worked for Anand at the ITC Windsor in Bangalore .
IF ANYBODY ASKS US WHAT WE DO , FIRST WE ARE HOTELIERS , AND WE MUST BE PROUD HOTELIERS … WE ARE PROFESSIONALS , NO LESS THAN A DOCTOR , AN ENGINEER .
NAKUL ANAND
28 hotelsmag . com November / December 2019