As India's hotel industry readies for unprecedented growth, it is about to face a manpower crisis the likes of which it has never seen before. As per a report in the Economic Times, too few people are being trained for the industry; many of those who have received the training choose greener pastures and fierce fights break out regularly to keep or poach the few who remain. All this while a new hotel or restaurant is being added every week. 

"It is a battle every day to retain people you have groomed over the years. While earlier the mantra was to engage with the staff, today you have to keep them enchanted," said Sujata Guin, regional director of human resources at luxury boutique hotel chain The Park. "It is not just other hotels we are losing people to. Everyone wants a piece of the hospitality pie - retail, telecom and banking." 

With India's economy expanding by about 8% a year, the number of people travelling on business or for pleasure is booming. Every year, there are 540 million domestic travellers and the number of overseas tourists will increase from five million now to 18 million by 2016. Where India now has 62,000 top-quality rooms for such travellers, by 2014 it is expected that there will be 150,000 rooms. But where are the chefs, butlers and bellboys to serve all the guests? 

Surveys show an immediate shortfall of 30-40% in the supply of quality manpower as students passing from hotel management institutes shun the profession because of poor pay and long work hours. They prefer to work overseas or with cruise liners, airlines and retail companies. 

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