Faculty – INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT AURANGABAD

Principal's Desk

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you to the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, a place where hospitality meets excellence, discipline shapes professionalism, and learning becomes a lifelong journey.

At IHM-A, we believe that education in hospitality goes far beyond mastering culinary craft, service, or hotel operations. It is about nurturing character, creativity, leadership, and a mindset that thrives on responsibility. Our goal is to shape professionals who excel not only in skill and knowledge, but also in empathy, presence, communication, and global understanding.

The hospitality industry evolves every day, and so must we. Our curriculum, training approach, and industry exposure are designed to meet international standards, ensuring that every student who walks through our corridors leaves as a confident, industry-ready professional. The world of hotels, food, travel, and service is dynamic and competitive; IHM-A prepares you not just to enter this world, but to lead it.

I am proud of our faculty, whose dedication and experience guide students at every step of their journey. I am equally proud of our students, passionate, curious, and determined to make their mark across the globe. Together, we cultivate a culture of discipline, innovation, respect, and continuous growth.

To every aspiring student, IHM-A is more than an institute. It is your foundation for a remarkable future. I welcome you to experience the journey of learning, character-building, and transformation that awaits you here.

Warm regards,
Dr. Zubin D’souza

Dean & Principal, IHM-A
Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad

Meet Our Team

Dr. Zubin D’souza

Dean & Principal

Dr. Zubin D’souza

Dean & Principal

An author, TEDx speaker, and seasoned hospitality professional, Dr. D’souza brings with him over 30 years of global experience. From starting his career as Senior Kitchen Executive at The Oberoi to becoming the Executive Chef at Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, his journey reflects excellence, passion, and commitment to the craft. He holds two PhDs, one in Organisation Behaviour and the other in Human Analytics, and is the author of eleven books. Most recently, Dr. Zubin served as Principal and Dean of Culinary at the Indian School of Hospitality.

Dr. Anand Iyengar

Dean - Teaching & Learning

Dr. Anand Iyengar

Dean - Teaching & Learning

A Doctor of Philosophy in Corporate Governance, Masters of Business Administration (Finance), Masters of Commerce and Bachelor of Commerce, Dr. Iyengar holds multiple publications to his credit. He has authored Hotel Finance (2008) New Delhi: Oxford University Press, published in the International Journal of Revenue Management (2012), and developed white papers understanding the Role of NED’s in the Internationalization Process and Corporate Governance Practices of Global Hotel Corporations. He contributes to the Strategic Hospitality Management module with a Business Finance background, equipped ably with a former role as Registrar overseeing Course Leaders at the Institute over the past 16 years. He has been actively involved in managing all academic and quality assurance initiatives towards creating a cohesive learning environment for students. A passion for intellectual excellence and commitment to empower young minds with research methodologies has been his goal over the decades.

Prof. Rushad Kavina

Dean - Undergraduate Studies

Prof. Rushad Kavina

Dean - Undergraduate Studies

Prof. Rushad Kavina is responsible for the overall management of the Bachelor’s Programmes at the institute. He is the Designated Academic Liaison Officer (DALO) with the University of Huddersfield, UK, and ensures consistency in policies, practices, processes, and educational quality assurances. He is instrumental in developing cooperative relations with Boston University, USA, Le Cordon Bleu, Ecole Ducasse, France, Zealand Business College, Denmark, and Sommet Education, Switzerland, for collaborative learning projects and workshops at the Institute, in turn enhancing the overall learning experience for students. An alumnus from the Class of 1997, he started his professional journey in hotel operations with the Taj Group and came back to IHM–A in 2004 to fulfil his dream of teaching. He has also completed the National Faculty Development Program on Entrepreneurship Education at the prestigious Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad. He teaches Strategic Management at the Honours level.

Dr. Rakesh Katyayani

Dean - Academics

Dr. Rakesh Katyayani

Dean - Academics

Rakesh is a PhD. in the area of Human Resource Management, Master of Personnel Management, Master of Arts in Education, Master of Science (Tourism & Hospitality Management), Post Graduate Diploma in Taxation Law, Certificate in Revenue Management & Dynamic Pricing from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-Ahmedabad) Rakesh is a seasoned operations professional with extensive experience in Front Office Operations for 17 years, including 5 years as Front Office Manager leading a team of 20 persons. During his professional journey, he has been recognized for his work several times, including the Tata Award for Business Excellence (TABE) Award for Customer Information System implementation. The 8th World Education Congress, recognizes him for being one of the 100 Most Dedicated Professors.

Chef Thottapayil Pramod

Dean - Culinary Arts

Chef Thottapavli Pramod Course Leader Culinary Arts at IHM Aurangabad professional chef and culinary education expert

Chef Thottapayil Pramod

Dean - Culinary Arts

Starting his career in 1993 with the Taj Group of Hotels, he was given various positions in different hotels. Later, he moved abroad and worked with Cunard Sea bourn Company in their luxury ship “M/s Caronia” as Galley Chef. On returning, he came back joining the Taj Hotels, holding positions of Executive Chef with multiple Taj Hotels. In 2008, he shifted to Learning and Development function, and soon became the L&D Manager, while being responsible for rolling out the e-learning system of Taj, after which he joint IHM-A in 2014. A proud course leader to Culinary Arts students teaching them Food Production Operations in addition to management subjects, he continues to strongly believe in practical experience learning.

Gautam Sen

Academic Registrar

Gautam Sen

Academic Registrar

As a certified Six Sigma professional, he was instrumental in implementing Six Sigma quality management processes in food service areas in ITC Sonar, Kolkata. Gautam’s passion for training inspired him to join IHM-A in 2008. At the Institute, he is imparting education in the area of food & beverage operations, enterprise development, hospitality marketing and event management. Besides teaching he also carried out the responsibility of being the Program Manager for students in Hotel Management at Foundation to Honours levels. He was instrumental in the roll-out of Industrial Exposure Training Programme designed to offer more concerted learning at the foundation level.

Dr. Anandsingh Marwad

Course Leader - Culinary Arts

Dr. Anandsingh Marwad

Course Leader - Culinary Arts

A Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology and Master of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Anandsingh has extensive experience in India and abroad handling the pastry production area, including at the prestigious Ritz Carlton, Greensboro, Atlanta training chefs for over 6 years, he is with IHM-A for 13 years. His focus area remains pastry and confectionery after having been recently trained at Ecole Nationale Superieure de Patisserie, Yssingeaux, France under the aegis of the world famous Ecole Ducasse. He is often seen sharing notes with visiting chefs from France and Denmark. He contributes to the Global Cuisine module at the Honours level, Human Resource Management at the Intermediate level and Food Production Operations at the Foundation level. He also essays the role of Year Tutor for Year 3 Culinary Arts. His research interests are Technology in Hospitality and Sustainable Supply Chain Management having published three papers, co-authored two papers on 6 Sigma application and Organic Food. His doctoral research is in the technology domain focusing on technology in food production and service operations.

Dr. Anant Bhamkar

Associate Professor – Food Production

Dr. Anant Bhamkar

Associate Professor – Food Production

A Diploma in Food and Beverage Production, B.Sc. in Hotel Management, Master of Business Administration (Hotel Management). Chef Bhamkar is a specialist in bakery and confectionery with 10 years industry experience with Taj Group of Hotels (India) and Princess Cruises (USA). His contribution to setting up Corporate Social Responsibility projects in Skill Development over 14 years has gained him enormous respect. He is currently exploring new trends and innovations in the field of bakery and confectionery. He imparts bakery and confectionery skills at Year 1 and 2 in the Culinary Arts domain. He was chosen to accompany Team India to Sao Paolo during the prestigious World Skills Competition in Brazil. His recent compilation of unique recipes called Baker’s Delight has been published online to share his expertise.

Dr. Saurabh Krishna

Assistant Professor – Management Studies

Dr. Saurabh Krishna

Assistant Professor – Management Studies

An alumnus of IIM – Ahmedabad’s Faculty Development Program in Management, Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management), Master of Tourism Management, Master of Science (Tourism & Hospitality), Master of Rural Development, Bachelor of Tourism Studies, Bachelor of Science (Hospitality & Tourism) Diploma in Hotel Management and Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management (AH&LA, USA) Saurabh joined IHM-A as an early academic, currently having gathered over 10 years of experience in the Institute after a short stint in hotel operations. He is the youngest tourism graduate to receive a Gold Medal for Tourism Studies through the Vice President of India and recommended for a National Tourism Award by the Prime Minister’s Office. He was also the youngest to qualify the UGC – NET exam in Tourism. His research interests are in the areas of human resource, tourism and sustainability.

Dr. Aarohi Deshpande

Assistant Professor - Hotel Operations

Dr. Aarohi Deshpande

Assistant Professor - Hotel Operations

A commerce graduate with travel and tourism as her subject, holds a Master of Science in Hotel & Tourism Management degree, M. Phil from Commerce & Management Department from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, and Ph.D in Management Science. Dr. Aarohi had started her career in 2006 with industrial experience of 2 years and moved for the academics in specialization with hotel housekeeping subject for hotel management aspirants. She is closely associated with Hospitality Educators association to get updated knowledge in the hospitality industry. She has more than 15 years of experience in academics. Her research domain is hotel management and she has published more than 10 research papers in national and international journals.

Bhavana Varma

Assistant Professor – Food Science

Bhavana Varma

Assistant Professor – Food Science

A Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Processing from SNDT Women’s University Pune after a Bachelor of Science in Composite Home Science, from Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, Bhavana’s core expertise lies in Nutrition, Human Development and Extension Education. Bhavana has 10 years of experience in Education prominently in the areas of Nutrition, Health and Safety Management. Her technical skills were honed at FRESH (Foundation of Food Research and Enterprise for Safety and Hygiene), Nilgiris and K C Das. Bhavana is responsible for the maintenance of Food Safety Standards Authority of India’s stringent norms at the Institute. Recently certified with FOSTAC (Food Safety Training and Certification), she is the designated Covid Prevention Compliance Officer at the Institute.

Smita Parmar

Assistant Professor – Digital & Marketing Communication

Smita Parmar

Assistant Professor – Digital & Marketing Communication

A Master in Communication Studies (Video Production), Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) in Business Administration with over 13 years experience in the IT and Communication industry, Smita has held multiple managerial positions in digital projects before moving to academics in 2019. In her current role, she teaches Digital and Marketing Communication, while driving the Institute’s social media and digital initiatives. She has achieved high engagement levels with all stakeholders through coordinating agency expertise. Her research interests include media and communication effects, cultural influences from communication on digital media and social networks. She contributes to the Institute’s communication strategy alongside documenting emerging standard operating procedures. An active member of the Strategic Innovation Domain, her research projects in technological innovation and digital business models forms the basis for her doctoral studies.

Zamanjit S. Parmar

Course Leader - Hotel Management

Zamanjit S. Parmar

Course Leader - Hotel Management

A Master of Personnel Management and Bachelor of Hotel Management, a trained hotelier, highly committed to quality in process management. He is a certified trainer credited for his long term association and good deeds at IHCL. Responsible for training young aspirants at Year 1, he ensures the highest standards of grooming and ethics required for Front Office professionals. After an assignment in data analytics and MIS, his industry insights in operations management skills are a learning imperative for future professionals to be equipped with the highest levels of confidence.

Prasad Nawale

Assistant Professor – Food & Beverage Service

Prasad Nawale

Assistant Professor – Food & Beverage Service

A Master of Business Administration (Human Resource & Marketing), Bachelor of Arts in History, Diploma in Hotel Management, Prasad is a Certified ISO 22000 professional by Bureau Veritas. A professional with 18 years experience in F&B operations, having held the position of Food & Beverage Manager, his expertise in food service operations is a basis for students to learn high operational standards of hygienic service delivery. He is currently the Year Tutor for Year 1 (Hotel Management) and a single point of contact for all student support and learning.

Ankush Tripathi

Assistant Professor – Front Office Operations

Ankush Tripathi

Assistant Professor – Front Office Operations

A Diploma in Hotel Operations, Bachelor of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Master of Hospitality Management with a keen interest in bartending, Ankush chose a career in academics after 5 years in industry. He has worked as Assistant Professor for 5 years and is highly motivated to complete a Master of Business Administration (Human Resources) qualification. Ankush is associated with the Property Management Systems module at the Foundation level specializing in Management Information Systems. His research interests are in the domain of tourism, public relations and people empowerment. His doctoral research focuses on food ethics and cuisine evolution. He is keenly involved with social development projects and is a champion of community outreach initiatives at the Institute. A personality with diverse and varied interests, he is honing his pedagogical skills for digital delivery in the evolving situation.

Khalid Syed

Assistant Professor – Facilities Management

Khalid Syed

Assistant Professor – Facilities Management

A Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) Master of Business Administration scholar, Khalid is a trained HVAC specialist who joined academics after 14 years in industry, across projects in India and abroad. He is associated with the Facilities Management module at Intermediate level and oversees live projects at the Institute converting them into perennial learning opportunities. As an HVAC specialist, he has handled projects at scale as Country Manager (Saudi Arabia) for Danfoss Engineering, Denmark. His association with multinational projects at ATS (Advanced Technical Solutions), Germany and Leminar Global, U.A.E. have enhanced his knowledge in the domains of energy conservation, design optimization and controls automation. His research interests are in the domain of sustainable solutions, comfort reforms and building management system optimization in the hotel and restaurant industry. His doctoral research is in the optimization of refurbishment and retrofitting of facilities for cost advantage and environmental awareness.

Chef Surabhi Chidrawar

Assistant Professor – Food Production

Chef Surabhi Chidrawar

Assistant Professor – Food Production

Chef Satrujeet Das

Assistant Professor of Practice – Food Production

Chef Satrujeet Das

Assistant Professor of Practice – Food Production

Apratim Gole

Assistant Professor – Management Studies

Apratim Gole

Assistant Professor – Management Studies

A proud alumnus of the Class of 2010 from the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, Apratim received a Bachelor of Hotel Management (Honours) from the University of Huddersfield, UK. He has worked with some of the country’s leading hospitality management companies, including the Taj Group, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, and Marriott International. A Marketing and Communications professional with over 10 years of experience across hospitality, luxury automotive, and digital marketing, he previously served as Marketing and Communications Manager with Marriott International. During this time, he worked with high-profile luxury properties and pre-opening teams, driving brand visibility, guest engagement, and revenue through integrated marketing, public relations, and digital strategies. His expertise spans brand strategy, social media, public relations, influencer and celebrity collaborations, digital performance marketing, OTA and meta platforms, website management, and agency leadership. He has successfully led national and regional campaigns, managed cross-functional teams, and delivered impactful brand storytelling for luxury hospitality brands. He brings a hands-on, creative, and data-driven approach, supported by strong hospitality sales experience and a passion for building memorable brand experiences. His research interests include Marketing and Communications and Public Relations.

Ganesh Gaikwad

General Manager - Accounts, Finance & Human Resources

Ganesh Gaikwad

General Manager - Accounts, Finance & Human Resources

Meet the go to person, who is the single point of contact for all human resource needs. Ganesh Gaikwad is a stringent financier with a legal orientation. He is known to be a precise administrator who is also a solution provider to the team. Over two decades at IHM-A, place enormous responsibilities on him. Each parent will remember their extensive interactions with him, setting the record in order for their wards.

Satish Pawar

General Manager - Administration

Satish Pawar

General Manager - Administration

Meet the go to person, who is the single point of contact for all student support services. Satish Pawar is an able administrator with an extensive liaison network. He is known to be a tough disciplinarian who is also loved by students. Over two decades at IHM-A, make him an indispensible part of institute operations. Each student carries indelible impressions of the time spent interacting with this caring professional.