CHANGING THE PARADIGM OF THE HOSPITALITY SCENARIO GLOBALLY.
Dr. Madhu Chandhok, diverse hospitality professional with experience as an International Brand Consultant,Project Management Expert, an entrepreneur, and academician.
Dr. Madhu Chandhok’s professional journey in the field of hospitality is studded with top international hotel chains from the likes of Hilton, Lalit, Intercontinental and having served as Director of Design & Projects; incharge of Luxury, Full and Focus Service hospitality projects across India, Dubai, Thailand, and many other subcontinents. She and her team were responsible for leading and directing projects with respect to Hilton Worldwide and the owner’s interests throughout all stages of the projects from early development to final handover to operations.
With over 37 years of extensive Design & Project Development experience across all phases of planning, design and construction documentation, project management and contract administration for a broad range of building types expanding from Hospitality, Luxury high-rise buildings, Educational facilities, and Auditoriums, and focused service International Hotels and Resorts, F&B Spaces, Spas, and Multi-use Developments with over nine international brands. Phew, lest we say she is one of the leading women who has seen, shaped and modeled the hospitality industry in India. She is currently the Director and Founding Partner of ‘pip2020’,
an indigenous project management hospitality firm, providing comprehensive Property Improvement Planning advice to Retail, Hotels, and Large Corporates.
Dr. Madhu observed a lacuna in the current hospitality system, finding a huge gap between Brands Owners and Vendor associates in the industry, there followed a need for someone who has the experience and knowledge to educate and consult the real owners of the hotels and bridge the learnings to add value to the Project. This gave shape to her own dreams and her entrepreneurial journey, she ventured with like-minded and seasoned experts from the hospitality industry to form – ‘pip 2020’ as the first consortium having a pool of experienced professionals that provides comprehensive Property Improvement Planning advisory from concept to opening under one roof. They helped build hotels that are fit for the chosen market segment and Brand. Three partners with complementing strengths came together in 2013 and began their journey as ‘pip2020’, working towards enhancing Hospitality Business to a global brand level, have an opportunity to look at a Project from both Brand and Owners angle. ‘pip2020’ renders a new dimension to deliver a quality Project, considering aspects of Technical Surveys, pip Implementation, and Design Integration and Management models.
The first year was very challenging, in spite of several years of experience we needed to convince the potential clients of the ability to deliver as a Knowledge Partner (Consultant), we eventually did make some headway and got opportunities for Renovations Projects, Technical audits and also Brand Conversion. However, Dr. Madhu shares that pip2020 has an edge over market players, with a unique holistic approach to the Business, combined with comprehensive Knowledge and efficient Brand Collaborations. Undeterred, they continued to use their strengths to pitch into the clients and are thankful for the support of the industry leader; failing which the majority of the competition was from Project Managers Design Firms and Technical representatives. They always follow a collaborative and partnership approach to work with each other’s strengths.
Through Dr. Madhu’s experience, she states that ‘Our Government Policies that effect are our education system need enhancement to be relevant and futuristic in approach. She adds, that vocational training
must be mandatory as part of academics, which might make our youth of today employable. With the initiation of the Skill development policies, she feels implementation needs to be embraced by the Industry representation’.
Dr. Madhu also contributes as a visiting faculty at Oberoi Center of Learning & Development for the past
few years.
Dr. Madhu Signs off – “My key objective is to strategize and streamline the organization’s business and to enable the Client to achieve a greater level of synergies as per international standards and leveraging the expertise to suit the local environment. With my work experience, I am able to communicate it to the necessary stakeholders and work towards the Growth and Development of the Organisation as a whole’’.
