ANIL MALIK

Believes In Atithi Devo Bhavah

The first thing one notices when you step into the office of Anil Malik, the General Manager of the ITC Grand Maratha is the numerous ‘Best Employer in the Industry’ awards that adorn the wall. The next, is the air of efficiency and activity that surrounds the people who work there. There seems to be an extra spring in every step and a smile on every face. Certainly if employees are well paid, not allowed to take overtime, and women are treated as if they might be working at their own father’s office the atmosphere would be more conducive to productivity. And especially when the big boss himself is concerned about being a mother to each and every guest that walks into the hotel (including yours truly by making sure I eat ‘something wholesome’) it is no wonder that this hotel has managed to successfully cross that thin line between bookishly learnt western hospitality and hospitality that is as Indian and ingrained in us as our culture is.

Hailing from a feudal, well-to-do refugee family originally settled in Pakistan, it was a challenge for Malik’s father “a man of good taste” to find well paying work in India. The youngest of three brothers, unlike his siblings, Malik was spared the brunt of their economic situation and was able to get a public school education. Seeing his father’s inability to ensure a steady income flow, it seemed most logical to Malik to get an education that would guarantee employment on commencement. Keeping this in mind Malik chose to study Hospitality at IHM, Delhi. This decision turned out to be rock solid, as Malik was able to land himself a plum job as a supervisor in food and beverage at the Taj even before he sat for his final exam at the hospitality school. Within three years he was promoted to the position of Assistant Manager of a restaurant. It was at Taj that Malik met and married his wife. “It was a tough time. We both found it so difficult to make ends meet. We could not even afford to raise a family then.” Based on this desire to have children, Malik made a strategic decision to move to Delhi and reside with his parents. “Well, the rent was free,” laughed Malik. This proved to be the biggest career decision of his life as he switched jobs and joined ITC Maurya.

“In the 70s, hotels in Delhi were very image based. If you could afford a five star meal that meant in simple terms you had made it in life. Delhi had a very status conscious culture and approved of General Managers that had flamboyant lifestyles. I was a teetotaller, non-smoker and a non-womaniser, which was exactly what other ‘macho’ hoteliers were not. I was a complete misfit there.” This misfit image proved to be a blessing in disguise and Malik got the role of the team custodian. Over time he built an image of balance and maturity. He was known as ‘Mr Reliable’, and as ITC moved places, so did he.

Though Food and Beverage was his forte and he had maximum experience in that field, Malik was also given exposure in the management side by being the Executive Assistant to the Managing Director of ITC hotels, Habib Rehman. “Mr Rehman was a visionary and a strategist. He was the one who taught me how to give character to a hotel, how to make it stand apart from the rest.” With ITC being one of the newer entrants Malik’s formula to success was in the correct positioning of the hotel. “In our business we compete with our ownself if there are two hotels of the same chain in the same city. To be able to cater to the same client and yet have a distinct identity is a great challenge.”

Setting himself apart from the competition, Malik is however most likely to learn from his competition whenever he gets the chance. “I have started a consortium of General Managers of the city’s five star hotels that meet regularly to discuss and thereby educate each other on the latest developments of their hotels.” And what is his success formula? Malik is a thorough believer and preacher of the saying Atithi Devo Bhavah which means – a guest is equivalent to God. That is Indian culture. His belief is that if Indian hoteliers put their act together, they have the potential to be the best hoteliers of the world. “I learnt hospitality from my mother, and not a catering college.”

When a new employee joins the hotel, he spends a rigorous hour with Malik who fondly terms the session as “I will succeed”. He narrates an anecdote every time which he believes beautifully explains hospitality simply and effectively. “My mother was a brilliant cook, and so my friends would often come to study the night before the exam because we would get fresh hot food cooked by my mother into the wee hours of the morning. One day, while eating, a friend communicated to my mother he wanted one more paratha. Knowing the hardships of the time with our economic status, and the fact that my mother had to go into a small, hellishly hot kitchen in summer to make another paratha for this fool I jokingly said ‘how much more will you eat!’ This was the first time I was slapped by my mother. She told me never to count anyone’s rotis. This was Atithi Devo Bhavah.”

The challenge therefore is to bring the mother in front. If a hotelier can translate that equation with a guest, he will never go to any other place. Well, regretfully, Bombay’s loss will soon be Delhi’s gain. Anil Malik and his wife Mahrukh will be relocating to Delhi shortly. Head Office has summoned Malik there. They need him. Indespensible that he is, they are putting him in charge of a department where he began his career and is a wiz in; F&B. Except Malik will be overseeing the food and beverage of the entire ITC chain - that makes it – hotels all over India. Life for Anil Malik just got busier.

GIAN PAOLO GAVIOLI

Bringing Italian Wines To India

When an Italian like Gian Paolo Gavioli greets you with a well-practiced “namaste” – hands folded et al – you know that the man takes his job very seriously. As Export Manager for Cantine Riunite & CIV, one of the largest Italian wine groups, Gavioli is responsible for the business in over 40 countries and India is the country that he now has his sight firmly trained upon “And why not? There is an exponential growth in the number of wine drinkers in India with more than twenty five million Indians now drinking wine and that is great news for a wine producing company like us,” says the 45-year-old Gavioli with a disarming smile.

Born of an English mother and an Italian father in Modena, Gavioli spent his childhood in places like Milan and Umbria. He then went on to do his classic studies at Modena University. “I was lucky enough to have had the chance to travel extensively since I was a child and to know many different cultures,” says Gavioli who will have me know that he has a myriad other passions besides the obvious food and wine of course. He is an expert snowboarder and sailor of catamarans, with a yen for classic books, art and photography.

Here in India to launch two of the company’s premium brands Riunite Classic Lambrusco Emilia IGT and Albinea Canali Codarossa Lambrusco Grasparosso DOC in association with Aspri Spirits Private Limited, Gavioli is super-passionate about the two wines that he goes on to deconstruct for us. “Both the wines come from the very heart of Italy, from the region of Emilia Romagna. And both have distinct and unique characteristics. While the Riunite Classic Lambrusco Emilia IGT is lively and bright ruby red in appearance with fresh, fruity, pleasant and long-lasting aroma, the Albinea Canali Codarossa Lambrusco Grasparosso DOC is a semi-sweet and harmonious wine with vinous and fruity aroma reminding of peach stone. Both the Lambrusco wines can be enjoyed with most dishes, in particular cheese, Parma ham, light meats and grilled vegetables. And yes, we have tested it with Indian food and it pairs very well, especially with butter chicken,” assures Gavioli who has over 20 years of experience in the international wine business.

With its relatively sweet taste, Lambrusco as a wine has often found fond favour with women drinkers the world over. Is he hopeful of achieving the same here in India? “The modern Indian woman is no different from her western counterpart; with significant consumption of wine being done by women in India and with the drinking population growing by 5% every six months,” explains Gavioli.

So, has he encountered any hiccups at all in his attempt to penetrate the Indian market? “We have been patient with the Indian market and have been studying its changing lifestyle and trends for some time now. We are glad to associate with a strong partner like Aspri Spirits for this market. I am quite sure that the unique style of Lambrusco will be a big success in the Indian market in the time to come,” says Gavioli with a supremely optimistic flare that he seems to be blessed with.

As we bid adieu, Gavioli once again does the whole “namaste” routine and I reply with an “arrivederci”… we are after all in a very Indo-Italian mood thanks to all that stimulating talk about Lambrusco and butter chicken!