It’s been a long run for K. Mohanchandran in Calcutta — six years. Before the general manager of Taj Bengal moves to Hyderabad where he will be boss of all five properties (Taj Krishna, Taj Banjara, Taj Deccan, Taj Falaknuma Palace and Vivanta by Taj: Begumpet), he bids goodbye to Calcutta with t2.
Six years ago, what made you say yes to Taj Bengal?
As a career hotelier, one moves every so often. And having worked in the north (New Delhi, Udaipur), west (Mumbai, Aurangabad), south (Chennai) and overseas (Dubai, Sydney), the only geography I hadn’t worked in India was the east. Taj Bengal has for so long been the face of the Taj in this region, that when the opportunity came, I grabbed it! I’ve always believed you must always rotate. Otherwise a) You don’t learn anything new b) There is a risk of complacency and c) You’re a far more rounded person if you’ve seen different things and different cultures.
In your first interview to t2 in August 2009, you had said that the biggest challenge you face is to keep service on top.
I think this is an ongoing theme and we have had some success in this area. Today, about 30 per cent of the workforce is under 30 years of age, up from about 25 per cent five-six years ago. We have focused sharply on recruiting young talent and grooming them and we have been able to maintain our customer and employee satisfaction scores. I am also proud of our development pipeline — we have groomed and released three Taj Bengal team members (Manu Sharma, Vinod Pandey and Vikas Parimoo) to become general managers of our hotels in my time here — at Calcutta at our second hotel (Gateway), at Nashik and at Calicut.
What were some of your other major targets and how much has been achieved?
Well, we have had three good years of top-line revenues — we have met our targets on both financial and customer facing metrics. Alongside, we have retained our mystery audit scores (by anonymous auditors who check into the hotel). But more satisfying for me has been some of the upgradation work we have undertaken in the past three years — significant challenges, because all this was completed in a running hotel, without once having closed any of the services. We have had to change the entire plumbing of the hotel — after 25 years, some of the older galvanised iron pipes were giving way. We decided to switch to more modern CPVC plumbing and have completed the change in about 75 per cent of the rooms in phases, with the balance to be completed by end-May.
What were the pros of having wife Seema work closely with you at Taj Bengal?
Taj has always encouraged spouses, with the proviso of course that there is no direct reporting relationship. And Seema, with her extensive 25 years of experience, 15 of those in sales, was able to step in and mentor the team to push growth. Her role as regional head, responsible for outbound sales, gave her a great opportunity to connect with a base of much more than just Taj Bengal users and this also helped to drive Brand Taj in the city I think.
Who are some of your closest friends in Calcutta?
We have made some lifelong friendships and while it is difficult to name one or two, I will retain an enormous fondness for the friendships I have made at Udayan, the NGO at Barrackpore run by Father James Stevens. I think they do phenomenal work and some of the young boys and girls there are really stars!
In these six years: a) a high point b) a low point...
The high point certainly was the 25 Years of Taj Bengal — and most serendipitously, this coincided with my completing 25 years with Taj in the same year! So the celebrations were doubly special.
The low point — we lost our pet Dachshund, CoCo, of 14 years last year in Calcutta. We miss her and now we will leave her behind in Calcutta where she is buried. So in yet another way, Calcutta will always be close to our hearts.
Which is your favourite spot in the hotel?
Probably the Chambers Lounge — the only place I can think of in the city where you can look out on four Calcutta landmarks from the same vantage point — Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, Victoria Memorial and the Calcutta Race Course! A second favourite would be the poolside — a wonderfully tranquil area.
Where does Taj Bengal figure in the pecking order in Calcutta in terms of occupancy today?
I think our position in the city is well established — both in terms of our product and service and also our food offerings, we are in people’s hearts! With the central business district moving towards Rajarhat, New Town areas, we have maintained our customer base and have grown it as well.
Two distinct trends you’ve noticed in the hospitality industry here?
One would be the increase in standalone restaurants — there is now a significant pool of fantastic world-class cuisine available, along with the traditional favourites that were here when I came six years ago. A second would be the increase in popularity of wine, especially amongst the younger set. As you know, we have been doing the Vine and Food Exhibition for two years now and it is encouraging to see the response.
The Gateway Hotel opened in Calcutta during your tenure. How much of a big brother role did you play?
Yes, The Gateway Hotel on EM Bypass opened and the GM (Manu Sharma), as also almost the entire department heads team plus some key managers, were sent from Taj Bengal. And I believe they have done a great job of establishing that brand and product in Calcutta.
What happens next, professionally and personally?
Professionally, it is a new challenge as an area director for Hyderabad where we have five hotels — there will be so much to learn!
Personally, we came with two dogs, and will be leaving now with one dog and three cats so Calcutta will remain a part of our lives!
Are you bracing for the biryani in Hyderabad?
Oh yes, all that food... the haleem and all. I’ve been to Hyderabad only as a tourist, or for weddings. I’ve been hearing good things. The hotel’s in a great spot. Right in the heart of Hyderabad proper, in one of the poshest areas — Banjara Hills. There are five hotels. Five times the headache (laughs) but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s a touristy city... Salman Khan’s sister Arpita got married at Falaknuma Palace.
Finally, what’s your bye-bye message to Calcutta?
Continue to spread the warmth and keep welcoming people warmly into the city!
Karo Christine Kumar
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
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