Hotel Association of India (HAI), the apex body of the hotel industry in India and an integrated hospitality industry platform, has appointed Charulata Sukhija as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Association. Her appointment is in line with HAI’s overall strategic restructuring to strengthen the HAI secretariat in its efforts to aid the survival of the hotel industry in India.

Charulata Sukhija has been part of the hospitality sector since 1985 and started her career at the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), an organisation entrusted with the task of developing tourism infrastructure and promoting India as a tourist destination. Charulata joined HAI in 2008 and was holding the position of Director, supplementing the association’s efforts to strengthen the voice of the industry amongst the external stakeholders.

 Talking about the new appointment, KB Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India (HAI) said, “We are dealing with a pandemic that requires extensive effort from all industry players to innovate and change their operations in order to offer a more holistic and safe experience to patrons. Charulata has been a part of HAI over a decade and has striven to help in the growth of the industry by strategically working with the association in devising several consultative policy documents and provided continuous guidance through her decades of experience for the benefit of the hotel industry. She will continue to be an integral part of the association and push our efforts and agenda of Survival, Revival and Thrival of the hospitality sector.” Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, Secretary-General, Hotel Association of India (HAI), added, “Charulata’s appointment has strengthened the association. I’m glad to be working closely with her and optimistic that HAI will reach new heights in taking the hospitality sector to avenues of success and uniform growth in the coming years.”

 An academic achiever, Charulata is an alumnus of Delhi University (Shri Ram College of Commerce), Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition Pusa, New Delhi and International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi. A career spanning close to two decades, Charulata has had the distinct experience of working with the state as well as the Corporate sector; she has worked with organizations like the International Travel House, an ITC Group Company and Challenge Hospitality, a Thai Company managing hotels in Bangkok, New Zealand and India, prior to joining HAI. 

The Hotel Association of India is working on a three-pronged HAI 2020 Strategy to bring back normalcy in the hospitality sector in India. This strategy stems from years of experience and expertise of the Executive Committee of HAI and focuses on the industry’s resurgence by creating an ecosystem that works on greater collaboration with influencers and opinion makers; deepening reach through a hub-and-spoke model to establish presence and prominence for HAI in regional markets thus creating influence for the benefit of the local economy; initiate inclusive programs that protect and promote the interests of small, medium operators and the larger employee base of the hotel industry contributing to the survival and thus the revival of the hotel industry.