Scheduleforming part of the Balance Sheet - Domain-b

The Indian Hotels Company Limited
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There was a special focus on energy conservation and the environment and several programmes pertaining to these aspects were
initiated. Energy audits were conducted at all Luxury (India) hotels and the recommendations are under implementation. The use
of solar energy in our hotels is being actively promoted and solar energy panels have been installed in some hotels.
As a commitment to the safety and security of our guests, we have instituted a process of independent external audits to evaluate
the preparedness of our hotels from a hygiene and safety perspective.
The Tata Business Excellence Model was introduced in the three hotels in the United States of America and some other international
luxury hotels in the first phase of the roll-out.
This exercise has resulted in a) identifying the priority areas to focus on for improving the service levels and b) introducing a
process-oriented model to achieve excellence.
In terms of product upgrades and facilities enhancement, the renovation programme for the year was successfully concluded in
several properties.
Guest Experience (BUSINESS)
All hotels in the Business SBU are in the process of enhancing hygiene initiatives and progressively moving from HACCP to ISO
22000 (Food Safety Management) certifications. Hotels have also commenced work on OHSAS certification (ISO 14001 & ISO
18000 covering environment, ergonomics, Health & Safety)
In our effort to provide defect free product and services, a Six Sigma programme was launched as a pilot project in two (2) hotels
in the Business SBU.
Feedback from our guests on their changing needs have been incorporated into planned hotel renovations and into the design
planning for new builds. A competency based training matrix was introduced to augment knowledge, skill & total quality of
service and enhance the guest experience.
A “Personal Contact” programme was developed to ensure a consistent guest experience which is unique and personalized to
each guest’s needs. This helps in building customer loyalty and eventually giving us a competitive edge.
Guest Experience (LEISURE)
In the Leisure Hotels division, efforts are ongoing to streamline processes in all departments and these have resulted in an
increase in the Customer Satisfaction index. The number of HACCP certified hotels increased from nine (9) in the previous year
to thirteen (13) in the current year.
The increase of certified internal / external Tata Business Excellence Model assessors has helped the division to implement and
enforce a process-driven operation. About 80 executives in the SBU were trained in the usage of Quality tools for analysis of their
departmental operations. This has reflected in a positive trend of results in measures pertaining to financials, customer satisfaction,
internal processes and human resources.
The phased roll out of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) has resulted in optimum usage of equipment in the engineering Plant
Rooms, Kitchens and Laundry as well as reduced incidence of equipment breakdown.
The efforts in Food & Beverage benchmarking to create awareness of global food and beverage trends are continuing. Alternate
dining experiences and local cuisine dining experiences have been well-received by our guests.
A project to cultivate organic vegetables in kitchen gardens and make home-made preserves in all hotels was initiated. Spa
cuisine was introduced in all Leisure hotels where Taj Spas are located.
MARKETING ALLIANCES
During the year, your Company entered into some Marketing initiatives. The key amongst those were the alliance with Okura
Hotels & Resorts, one of the largest international hotel groups in Japan, to develop cross-promotional opportunities for both
companies to harness each other’s strengths in their respective markets of dominance.
During the year, your Company also tied up with several Airlines for their Frequent Flier loyalty programme, the key amongst
them being with Lufthansa, American Airlines and KLM. The major tie-ups entered into are like “Miles & More”, the frequent
flyer programme of Lufthansa, Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Air One, Austrian Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines and