Uma Majumdar of Poise offers model Sayani a few suggestions on the finer points of table etiquette Location courtesy: Afraa lounge and restaurant, City centre. Pix by Rashbehari Das

Minocher Patel takes etiquette and good manners seriously. His Ecole Solitaire in Pune has duplex cottages and a health club and it’s patterned on the swankiest Swiss finishing schools. Some 30 students — young job-seekers and others from the corporate world — eagerly attend classes that promise to give their personalities a new gloss.

“Nowadays, everybody needs specialised training to prepare for a brighter career,” says Patel. He reckons that over the years, there’s been a 50 per cent increase in students who are keen to fine-tune their social skills. “There was a time when only housewives or would-be-brides would enrol in the course. But now it could be anybody — from a company CEO to a young engineer — who wants to learn about the finer nuances of social etiquette,” he adds.

Cross over to Ooty where a nine-month course at the all-girl Good Shepherd Finishing School costs you an eye-popping Rs 3.2 lakh. Among the courses on offer is rock climbing which aims to improve team spirit.

“Earlier, the focus was more on etiquette and personality. Now we take a holistic approach which includes everything from health and nutrition, to make-up and social communication,” says Tulsi Bhatia, dean, Good Shepherd Finishing School.

We all know why etiquette and social graces are becoming more important in today’s world. Middle-class Indians are travelling to the four corners of the globe and hobnobbing with everyone from corporate captains to Hollywood stars.

At Minocher Patel’s (standing) Ecole Solitaire demand has been rising steeply as Indians look to fine-tune their social skills

At a different level, young Indians are moving into service industries like the airlines and hotels where their demeanour, bearing and everything from knotting a tie to talking correctly counts.

Finishing schools are on a roll. Says grooming expert Chaya Momaya: “These schools are in great demand. It’s not just an urban phenomenon as a considerable number of students hail from small towns as well.”

“Making the first impression is what matters the most in a competitive scenario,” says Uma Majumdar, owner of Poise, a Calcutta-based finishing school.

Majumdar’s Poise, has a strength of 20 students per batch and she also conducts grooming workshops for people from the aviation, hospitality and other parts of the corporate world. There are also housewives and schoolchildren.

Majumdar has three modules. Her 10-day course (Rs 3,500) and 15-day course (Rs 5,000) are for homemakers and children. For companies, there’s a five day course for which she charges Rs 800 per hour for two hours.

In today’s world etiquette courses are, as Majumdar points out, for almost anyone. Take a look at the three-month-old International Finishing Academy (IFA) in Mumbai which kicked off by conducting courses for big companies, particularly the hospitality industry.

Who’s turning up at IFA? “Anybody who aspires to become a well-turned out individual,” says Rajesh T, director IFA.

The International Finishing Academy has day courses specially aimed at the hospitality industry. Pix by Gajanan Dudhalkar

The academy, like the others in the field, quickly discovered that its courses are in hot demand. It’s just launched a children’s development programme for 6-12 year olds. There’s also a teen development programme for those between 13 and 19 years.

What’s taught during these courses? The youngsters are taught a wide range of subjects like public and social etiquette and ways of addressing elders. They’re also given tips on personal hygiene and how to handle peer pressure. A classroom course on money and time management and communication skills are also a part of it.

“Today parents don’t have time to inculcate vital social values in their kids. So when they grow up and step into a professional world, they seem to be lacking in basic social skills,” says Rajesh.

His academy conducts grooming workshops in different cities and has over 15 grooming projects every month. He also has plans to turn it into a residential set-up in the future. Its advisory panel boasts names like make-up artist Cory Walia, dermatologist Rekha Sheth and designer Salim Asgarally.

“We do image coaching of CEOs and vice presidents from financial institutions and the hospitality industry,” says Rajesh. Though classes are held in his academy, they also organise workshops outside for bigger clients.

The Good Shepherd Finishing School for Girls offers holistic courses that include everything from health and nutrition to rock climbing

At Good Shepherd Finishing School, you have to be over 18 years old to sign up. “There’s no fixed upper age limit as we even have mothers and senior citizens turning up at our school,” says Good Shepherd’s Bhatia. The curriculum includes subjects like good housekeeping, beauty and health, personality development, interior décor and outdoor activities like horse riding and rowing.

Experts agree that soft skills are increasingly gaining popularity. And that includes everything from public speaking to the art of interacting with people. So you even have politicians who are looking out for a total image makeover.

Priya Warrick runs a residential finishing school Warrick Finishing Academy, which started out in 1990 aiming at young brides-to-be. Today she has politicians who want to smart up their images. “They come to me to brush their PR skills and to learn ways to deal with the masses,” she says.

Chaya Momaya’s clients include politicians and bureaucrats who want grooming tips

All this comes with a price tag which is based on the duration of the module. For instance, if you take a one-day course at the IFA, it will cost you around Rs 4,500 per person. The kids’ course is priced at Rs 2,400 a year (Rs 200 per month). On the other hand, at the Ecole Solitaire prices depend on the type/ duration of the courses and range from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000 per person. Courses vary from one day to nine days.

Though the demand is increasing, there aren’t too many trainers who are qualified to train others. Chaya Momaya, who’s an old hand in the grooming business and who gives grooming lessons to politicians and bureaucrats, rues the fact that very few people pay attention to the basics. “Parents need to be groomed first so that they can bring up well-mannered kids,” she says.

But change is coming swiftly and the next time you want an image makeover you know where to head.