At IIHM we integrate AI, tech tools and digital innovation: Dr. Suborno Bose

“Technology must augment, not replace, the human essence of hospitality: empathy, instinct, and service ethic. At IIHM, the academic infrastructure is being upgraded with AI driven learning, simulations, and real time insights.

Digital transformation is enabling us to scale, customize, and sensitize students for global markets”. Dr. Suborno Bose, the visionary founder of the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), said this and more in a candid conversation about the hospitality industry, his journey, and more, with SugerMint.

SugerMint: Dr. Bose, can you take us through your journey that led to the founding and vision behind IIHM?

Dr. Suborno Bose: I founded IIHM in 1994 in Kolkata with a conviction: India deserves a hospitality education institution that not only trains students in the best global practices, but also retains the warmth, culture, and human touch that define Indian service.

Over the years, IIHM has grown in scope and reputation—not only through its campuses, curriculum, and industry partnerships—but also via recognitions that reinforce its mission.

For example, IIHM has won The Economic Times Best Hospitality Education Brand multiple years in a row (including 8 years in 2025) for consistently raising the bar in hospitality education.

SugerMint: What qualities do you believe have been most important in your leadership and in building IIHM’s global reputation?

Dr. Suborno Bose: The values that have steered IIHM include:

• Vision with resilience: being able to see where hospitality education needs to go (digital, AI, global exposure), even when the infrastructure or acceptance was not yet widespread.
• Commitment to innovation, not for its own sake but so education, training, and students’ future employability remain ahead of curve.
• People centred leadership, always. Recognitions such as the Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality & Education Through Technology (presented by Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat) reaffirm that we are succeeding not only in scale but in purpose.
• Credibility & trust: having peers & luminaries endorse the work. Chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor have said that specialized tools and focused institutions like IIHM define future hospitality education. Ranveer Brar, on several occasions, has spoken about how IIHM’s ideology meshes with talent, innovation, and creating holistic leaders.

SugerMint: IIHM has grown into a globally recognized institution. What has been your strategy to align its curriculum with international standards in hospitality?

Dr. Suborno Bose: Our alignment strategy rests on several pillars:

• Dual degree collaborations (for example with University of West London), ensuring that students receive not just Indian credentials but ones recognised globally.
• Regular benchmarking against global best practices, including introducing AI tools, updated digital learning modules, industry standard SOPs.
• Industry tie ups for internships, exposure, exchange.
• Recognition and consistency: winning awards like the ET Best Hospitality Education Brand for many consecutive years is not just about publicity—it confirms that curriculum, delivery, faculty quality are being held to high standards.

SugerMint: What role do you see technology, particularly AI and digital transformation, playing in the evolution of hospitality education at IIHM?

Dr. Suborno Bose: Technology is central. Some recent milestones:

• I was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality & Education Through Technology by the Union Tourism Minister, recognizing IIHM’s integration of AI, tech tools, and digital innovation in learning.
• We’ve launched NamAIste IIHM HospitalityGPT, an AI powered knowledge engine tailored for the hospitality industry—not generic chatbots but models trained for real world service, operations, trend forecasting, sustainable practices.
• The academic infrastructure is being upgraded with AI driven learning, simulations, and real time insights. Digital transformation is enabling us to scale, customize, and sensitize students for global markets.

SugerMint: Do you see virtual reality, simulation labs, or AI driven personalization influencing the future of hospitality training?

Dr. Suborno Bose: Definitely. The combination of immersive experience and personalization is how education will evolve:

• VR/AR and simulation labs help students practice in controlled but realistic scenarios (mock hotel rooms, kitchens, etc.).
• AI driven personalization (adaptive assessments, feedback, learning paths) will help every student learn at their pace, build strengths and improve weaknesses.
• The technology must augment—not replace—the human essence of hospitality: empathy, instinct, service ethic. Awards like the ET Best Brand and the government recognition underscore that IIHM’s efforts in tech are being balanced with human values.

SugerMint: IIHM graduates are working worldwide. What makes them stand out in the highly competitive global hospitality market?

Dr. Suborno Bose: What gives IIHM graduates an edge:

• They come with strong academic credentials and global exposure (dual degrees, exchange programs, exposure to international faculty and operations).
• They are well trained in both service craft and tech tools: being comfortable in AI, SOPs, operations analytics, sustainability practices.
• The recognitions and awards (like ET Best Hospitality Education Brand) reflect consistent quality, which makes recruiters trust IIHM degrees.
• Testimonials from industry stalwarts (chefs Sanjeev Kapoor & Ranveer Brar, etc.) also help: they see IIHM graduates as well rounded, ready for leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation.

SugerMint: IIHM has been deeply involved in global food security initiatives such as the Young Chef Olympiad. How do you see IIHM contributing to global causes beyond education?

Dr. Suborno Bose: IIHM believes in being a responsible global citizen. Key contributions:

• Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) acts not just as competition but cultural exchange, sustainability, food waste awareness etc.
• Food Soldier is a student led movement addressing hunger, community feeding, waste reduction aligned with UN SDGs.
• The Global Knowledge Sharing Declaration involving over 50 countries reflects our approach that education must also foster sustainability, fairness and shared learning.
• Awards such as the Lifetime Achievement award by the government recognize these dimensions of work, beyond just academics.

SugerMint: What message would you like to share with young students who aspire to build careers in hospitality management and entrepreneurship?

Dr. Suborno Bose: Here’s what I always tell students:

• Dream big, but build skills. Hospitality demands both heart and head: sensitivity, service, hospitality craft + competence, technology, adaptability.
• Be open to learning: every award, recognition, quote from industry icons shows that efforts matter—perseverance, continuous improvement, humility count.
• Use technology wisely: AI, GPT type tools, simulations—they are amplifiers, not replacements. Let them augment what is human in hospitality.

Finally, serve with purpose. The world needs hospitality that is sustainable, inclusive, human centred. If you carry that in your work, recognition will follow—but more importantly, satisfaction.

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