Nakul Anand, one of India’s most eminent and celebrated hotel and travel industry professionals and one who contributed immensely in taking ITC Hotels to the heights where it is today, retired from his position as executive director of ITC on Tuesday. He had joined ITC Hotels as a management trainee in 1978 and in a journey spanning 45 years he rose to the top positions in the company and he oversaw ITC’s hospitality, travel and tourism businesses. Anand (67) was given a fond farewell at Gurgaon-based ITC Green Centre.
Anand, an economics honours graduate from Delhi University with an AMP Degree from Australia’s Bond University, served as ITC Hotels MD from 2003 to 2005. He was appointed as a wholetime director on the board of ITC in 2011.
“In a career that spans more than four decades, Anand has been acknowledged for his vision, commitment and for his role as a thought leader to the tourism and hospitality industry. Building on ITC’s ethos in sustainability, he has advocated the imperative for a sustainable business model of hoteliering. Leveraging the significant learnings of sustainable excellence within ITC, he has led the team at ITC Hotels to pioneer the concept of ‘responsible luxury’ in the hospitality industry. This commitment has won global recognition for ITC Hotels as the largest chain of hotels in the world having the maximum number of LEED® Platinum certified properties,” ITC website says about Anand.He has been also headed Hotel Association of India and CII National Tourism Committee. He is presently a member of the National Tourism Advisory Council constituted by the union tourism ministry and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Hotel Association of India. He is also a Member of the Senior Advisory Council of the Sustainability Hospitality Alliance. Anand is presently on the Boards of International Travel House Limited, Gujarat Hotels Limited and Landbase India Limited, amongst others.
Looking forward to 2024, industry leaders express optimism, anticipating sustained accelerated growth in the Indian hotel industry. Despite global headwinds and the impending general elections, the sector envisions continued expansion, fueled by growth in niche tourism segments such as religious and spiritual tourism, cruise tourism, and medical tourism. The government’s renewed commitment to the industry, coupled with a sustained focus on infrastructure development, sets the stage for enduring growth in the coming year.
