The right person to call the father of the Indian hotel industry is none other than Mohan Singh Oberoi. It was he who saw and recognized the potential of our Indian tourism industry, and how it could contribute to the country’s economic prosperity while also providing direct and indirect jobs to Indian citizens.
| Thank you Note |
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| We appreciate Mr. Oberoi’s efforts in ensuring that Indian hotels have a secure place on the world map. |
Here is the late and renowned Mohan Singh Oberoi’s biography, which includes his early life, a brief success story, education, career, honors, and achievements.
Early life & Education
Mohan Singh Oberoi has a unique story to tell about his childhood and early years. He was born in the Pakistani province of Punjab, in the village of Bhaun. Every year on August 15, his birthday is celebrated by all of his near and dear ones because he was born on the same day and month in the year 1898. He attended school in Rawalpindi before moving to Lahore to get his bachelor’s degree.
Career
Mohan Singh fled from his birthplace for India when a very dangerous plague broke out in Pakistan. He worked as a clerk for a hotel in Shimla, where he would earn around Rs 50 salary a month. Mohan Singh was a quick learner who took on additional responsibilities in addition to his clerical work. Because of his hardworking personality, Mr. Clarke asked Mr. Oberoi to be his assistant when he took over the Clarke Hotel. Mr. Clarke taught Mr. Oberoi everything he knew about the hotel business.
In 1934, he purchased the Clarke Hotel from Mr. Clarke using his wife’s jewelry as collateral, and in 1938, he leased the Grand Hotel in Kolkata, which was set to be auctioned owing to an epidemic outbreak. He quickly became the first Indian to own the largest and best hotel network in the world. In India, they first began supplying food during flights in 1959. Mohan Singh opened the Oberoi International, the world’s first five-star and sophisticated international hotel, in Delhi.
Awards and Achievements
In 1966, he founded the Oberoi School of Hotel Management, which was recognized by IHA Paris. In 1973, he opened the Oberoi Sheraton, a 35-story hotel in Mumbai, and he was the first to employ women in this industry. The Oberoi Group now operates 37 luxury and best-in-class hotels in seven countries. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha thrice. He has a long list of awards and honors to his name. He was one hundred and three years old when he died on May 3, 2002.
