Mahindra Holidays turns to local communities for talent as India’s hospitality schools empty out

In a quiet village, far removed from the clamour of India’s burgeoning cities, a young woman once anticipated a life circumscribed by household chores. Today, she greets guests with composure and manages front-desk operations at Mahindra Holidays resort in Goa. Her journey from rural anonymity to confident hospitality professional is not an isolated incident; it is, according to Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (MHRIL), the tangible outcome of a deliberate skilling initiative. As MHRIL sets an ambitious target of expanding its capacity to 10,000 ‘keys’ by 2030, the company states it is not merely scaling its physical infrastructure but actively cultivating the workforce required to operate it, often from the ground up.

An industry in crisis

The hospitality sector faces a peculiar paradox: whilst the industry expands, the pipeline of trained professionals is shrinking. The Covid-19 pandemic devastated hospitality education, leaving more than 6,000 out of 12,500 academic seats vacant, according to industry data. Students increasingly shun hospitality as a career path, viewing it as low-paid service work with limited prospects.

“We don’t just train for the sake of skilling. We teach in a way that allows the trainees to integrate seamlessly into our resorts and culture.”

Tanvi Choksi, CHRO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India (MHRIL)

This talent crunch has forced MHRIL to rethink its recruitment strategy entirely. “We realised we could no longer rely solely on ready-made talent from hotel-management schools; we had to reach deeper, go more grassroots, and co-create the talent we need,” explains Tanvi Choksi, the company’s CHRO.

Building from scratch

MHRIL’s solution is through a  third party “recruit, train, deploy” model, the initiative targets remote areas where formal employment opportunities are scarce.

The process begins with identifying candidates in villages, then training them in specific hospitality roles such as housekeeping, food and beverage service, or spa treatments. Crucially, the curriculum is tailored to Mahindra’s standards rather than generic hospitality training. “We don’t just train for the sake of skilling,” Choksi notes. “We teach in a way that allows the trainees to integrate seamlessly into our resorts and culture.”

Once hired, recruits undergo induction and enter a “Ready for Role” programme before taking on real responsibilities. The company claims it can absorb 36 to 37 candidates from typical batches of 40, though matching placements with location preferences remains challenging.

Radical experimentation

Perhaps the most striking example of this approach is Acacia Palms Resort in Goa, which MHRIL claims is the company’s first all-women resort. All 73 positions—from housekeeping to engineering, security, and tandoor chefs—are filled by women. “Finding women electricians, chefs and security guards is a big challenge even today,” Choksi admits. But through persistent recruitment, the company filled these traditionally male roles.

The initiative extends beyond diversity quotas. MHRIL has introduced a tiered career-progression framework called iGrow, allowing employees to nominate themselves for upskilling modules lasting six to nine months. Upon completion, candidates can be promoted to higher roles across departments—theoretically enabling a chambermaid to rise to general manager positions.

The training is supported by a learning management system that provides multilingual, mobile-friendly lessons. The platform uses artificial intelligence to personalise learning journeys, according to the company, covering soft skills, compliance training, and technical knowledge.

Systemic change

MHRIL tracks success through metrics including recruitment numbers, training completion rates, absorption ratios, tenure, and post-placement growth. The company reports that most recruits stay longer than traditional hotel staff, though specific retention figures weren’t disclosed.

The challenges remain significant. Reaching youth in remote areas consistently requires partnerships with local governments, NGOs, and social enterprises. Aligning talent availability with job demand across a vast network proves complex. “There’s a time lag between when a person is ready and when a job opens up,” Choksi explains. “So forecasting and synchronisation are areas we’re continuously working to improve.”

The broader Mahindra Group is exploring ways to integrate this grassroots approach across its automotive, farm equipment, financial services, and technology divisions. Collaborations with industrial training institutes and local institutions are underway to scale the mission, according to the company.

The initiative aligns with Mahindra’s “RISE” philosophy—RISE for a more equal world, RISE to be future ready, and RISE to create value. These principles guide programme design, with inclusion scrutinised for equal opportunities across gender, geography, and background.

“Future readiness” is reflected in digital learning platforms and AI integration, whilst “creating value” focuses on long-term transformation rather than short-term recruitment. The company frames this as moving beyond filling roles to igniting purpose and empowering communities.

The broader implications

MHRIL’s approach reflects a wider trend in Indian industry, where companies facing skilled labour shortages are building their own training pipelines. The model particularly appeals to industries with specific cultural or operational requirements that generic education doesn’t address.

The success of initiatives like the all-women resort sends ripples through local communities. “The amount of pride these women carry is incredible. They know they’re part of something bigger—and that they’re inspiring others like them,” Choksi observes.

For an industry often criticised for high attrition and limited career pathways, MHRIL’s experiment offers an alternative model. Rather than competing for scarce trained professionals, the company is creating its own talent pipeline from scratch.

In a sector where skilled labour is increasingly scarce, Mahindra Holiday’s grassroots training model suggests that companies may need to look beyond traditional recruitment channels. By investing in long-term skill development rather than short-term hiring, the approach potentially addresses both talent shortages and rural employment challenges.

Whether this model proves sustainable at scale remains to be seen. But for now, when a village trainee becomes a front-office associate or a woman electrician confidently handles resort wiring, it demonstrates how industry necessity can drive social innovation. The question is whether other companies will follow suit, or if Mahindra Holidays’ experiment remains an isolated case in India’s evolving hospitality landscape.