The Lalit Suri Hospitality School (TLSHS) hosted a felicitation ceremony to recognise the achievements of the first batch of students who successfully completed a placement-linked hospitality skilling programme conducted by the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) in collaboration with The Lalit Suri Hospitality School (TLSHS)
The programme provided tribal youth with structured hospitality training, industry exposure and placement opportunities, helping create pathways into the organised hospitality sector. The participation of the students was sponsored by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India, under its Support to Tribal Research Institutes scheme, with students from Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, and Nagaland participating through their respective Tribal Research Institutes.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by Shambhu Nath Pal, the Under Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and the hospitality skilling ecosystem.
Under the programme, 76 Scheduled Tribe youth from Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur and Nagaland underwent fully residential training at the TLSHS campus in Faridabad. The students were trained across three hospitality job roles, Commis (Food Production), Guest Service Associate (Front Office), and Guest Service Associate (Food & Beverage Service), with each course comprising 450 hours of training aligned to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The training combined classroom learning with extensive practical exposure across the school’s professional kitchens, restaurant, and front office laboratories. In addition to technical skills, the curriculum focused on communication and guest interaction, health and food safety, professional grooming, workplace conduct, employability, interview preparation, and career counselling.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rocky Kalra, CEO of The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School, said, “At The LaLiT Suri Hospitality School, we believe education is most meaningful when it creates opportunities. This programme gives talented youth from tribal communities the skills, confidence and industry exposure to build meaningful careers in hospitality. We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Tribal Research Institutes, and THSC in creating a pathway from learning to employment. We hope this pilot sets a strong benchmark for inclusive and sustainable skilling in India’s hospitality sector.”
The programme was designed to go beyond classroom skills by giving students an opportunity to experience the realities of the hospitality industry. Following the completion of their academic and practical training at TLSHS, the students will undertake three months of structured industrial exposure at operating units of The LaLiT Group across nine cities, including Delhi, Goa, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaipur, Kolkata, Udaipur, Mumbai and Mangar.
As part of this phase, students will receive hands-on training in the departments corresponding to their respective qualifications, under the supervision of industry professionals. They will also receive a monthly training stipend from The LaLiT Group. Successful candidates will be awarded a nationally recognised NSQF certification by the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) and will be eligible for placement opportunities within The LaLiT Group and allied hospitality establishments.
The initiative reflects the shared commitment of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group towards building employability, expanding access to quality vocational education and creating sustainable career pathways for young people from tribal communities.
With hospitality offering opportunities across diverse skill levels and geographies, the programme seeks to bridge the gap between formal skilling and meaningful employment by combining government support, specialised institutional training and direct industry exposure.
The pilot also placed emphasis on inclusive participation, with candidate mobilisation and selection undertaken by the respective Tribal Research Institutes, with representation from multiple tribal communities and a focus on encouraging women candidates.
The first phase of the programme was conducted from 1 June to 29 August 2026 at TLSHS, Faridabad. The industrial exposure and THSC assessment will form the concluding phase of the programme and are scheduled to continue until 31 December 2026.
Read more: Upskilling India
