Mohan Singh Oberoi

Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi (15 August 1898—3 May 2002) ^[1] was a renowned Indian hotelier, widely regarded as the father of 20th century India's hotel business, was the founder Chairman of Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, India's second-largest hotel company, with 35 luxury hotels in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt, Australia and Hungary ^[2][3].

A centenarian, he is acknowledged for putting the Indian hoteliering on the global map by successfully establishing noted hotel brands like Oberoi and Trident worldwide ^[4]. he was revered in his later years as a far-ranging visionary who provided a modern structural model for South Asia's tourism and hospitality services industry ^[2][5].

He was awarded the one of India's highest civilian awards the Padma Bhushan in 2001.

Biography

Early years

M S Oberoi was born in Bhaun, a minor village of Jhelum District (now Chakwal District), Punjab. During the partition of India, Punjab was divided between Pakistan and India, Bhaun became part of Pakistan. When he was six months old, his father, a contractor in Peshawar, died, leaving his mother with few resources. After attending schools in his village and nearby Rawalpindi, he passed the Intermediate College Examination in Lahore, but was unable to continue attending classes because of lack of finances. Instead, he learned typing and shorthand and, in 1922, started his hotel career with a low-paid billing clerk position at Shimla's The Cecil. He was working there as a bell boy, within two years, he assisted the Cecil's manager, Mr. Clarke, in purchasing The Carlton Hotel (renamed Clarkes) in Shimla, and ten years later, in 1934, upon Clarke's retirement, he gathered all the family resources to purchase the hotel.

The start of a hotel empire

Oberoi Grand Hotel in Calcutta, acquired by MS Oberoi in 1938

After another four years, in the aftermath of a cholera-epidemic-caused business downturn in Kolkata, M. S. Oberoi was able to negotiate favourable terms in taking over the management of the city's Calcutta Grand Hotel. The hotel, formerly a palace of luxury, had been empty for years, since the death of over a hundred foreigners who were guests during the outbreak. The hotel was refurbished and the following year, 1939, at the start of World War II, 1500 beds were made available to the British Army, as thousands of troops filled Kolkata ^[6]. By 1941, M. S. Oberoi was becoming well known in the hotel business and, in recognition of his services to the industry in time of war, Indian authorities bestowed on him the title of Rai Bahadur.

In another two years, he became India's first modern hotel magnate by taking over the controlling interest in the Associated Hotels of India (AIH) ^[1], which owned top hotels in the entire region, including Delhi, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Murree and Shimla's Hotel Cecil, his first place of employment twenty-one years earlier.

Role as politician and business statesman

As India became independent, M. S. Oberoi built additional hotels, while expanding his base holdings. In 1948, he established 1948, East India Hotels now known as EIH Ltd., whose first acquisition was the Oberoi Grand Hotel in Calcutta ^[4]. In April 1955, he was elected President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India and in 1960 was endowed as the President of Honour of the Federation for life. He also participated in legislative politics by winning elections to the Rajya Sabha for two terms, first from April 1962 to March 1968 and thereafter again from April 1972 to April 1978, he was also elected to the Fourth Lok Sabha in April 1968 and remained a Member of that House till December 1970 ^[7].

One very notable hotel industry milestone came in 1965 when, in partnership with international hotel chains, he opened the Oberoi Intercontinental in Delhi, India's first modern five-star, world-class hotel.

Revered centenarian

Throughout his later life M. S. Oberoi received numerous honours and awards, both from the Indian government and private organizations and came to be seen as an emblematic figure in transformation of modern India. Upon his death, extensive tributes poured in from the country's business community.

Almost all publications indicated M. S. Oberoi's year of birth as 1898 and his age at death as 103. In his own autobiographical sketch - How M S Oberoi became India's greatest hotelier ^[8], however, he gave 1900 as his birth year, a fact attesting to his having lived to 101. However, in his New York Times obituary, the date is given as 1898 and the following was written: "He was 103, although for years he said he was born in 1900 because he did not want to be seen as dating from the 19th century."

Oberoi Group

The Oberoi Group, founded in 1934, now employs about 12,000 people worldwide and owns and manages about thirty hotels and five luxury cruisers. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, ranks amongst the Top 10 Hotel Spas Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East of the Travel + Leisure magazine. ^[9], and also Rank 3rd in Best Hotels in Asia in 2007 ^[10]. Other activities include airline catering, management of restaurants and airport bars, travel and tour services, car rental, project management and corporate air charters. The Group has a number of hotels worldwide, latest hotel additions being in Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt and Africa.

Further reading

• Dare to Dream: a Life of Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, by Bachi J Karkaria. Viking, 1992. ISBN 0670847232.
• 216: M.S. Oberoi. 333 Great Indians, who is who & who was Who, from the Remotest Past to the Nearest Present: Philosophers, Politicians, Diplomats: Philosophers, Politicians, Diplomats. Edited by Om Parkash Varma. Published by Varma Bros., 1963. Page 189
• Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi: Father of the Indian Hotel Industry. by Chathoth, P. K. Chon, K. K. S. JOURNAL OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM EDUCATION, 2006, VOL 18; NUMB 1, pages 7-10. USA. ISSN 1096-3758.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Mohan Singh Oberoi Britannica.com.
2. ^ ^{a b} Mohan Singh Oberoi, 103, A Pioneer in Luxury Hotels New York Times, 4 May 2002.
3. ^ Mohan Singh Oberoi - Founder Chairman - Official Biography Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
4. ^ ^{a b} Noted hotelier M S Oberoi passes away Times of India, 3 May 2002.
5. ^ The centennial Man Times of India, Sept 1, 2001.
6. ^ Hotelier Oberoi dies at 103 BBC News, 3 May 2002.
7. ^ Obituary Rajya Sabha debates.
8. ^ How M S Oberoi became India's greatest hotelier by M S Oberoi, Rediff.com, 21 October 2005.
9. ^ Top 10 Hotel Spas Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East Travel + Leisure.
10. ^ Oberoi Amarvilas Travel + Leisure.

External links

• How M S Oberoi became India's greatest hotelier by M.S. Oberoi, with note by Dr. Gita Piramal, Managing Editor, The Smart Manager. Rediff.com
• M.S. Oberoi dies at 103 (2002) The Hindu Business Line.
• Rai Bahadur M S Oberoi - A Tribute To The Founding Father (2000) Indian Express.
• MS Oberoi:A Century Of Hospitality the-south-asian, September 2000.

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Name	Oberoi, Mohan Singh
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Date of birth	1900
Place of birth
Date of death	2002
Place of death