When a legacy institution meets a fast-growing market, the strategy writes itself. EHL Hospitality Business School has appointed Ellerton & Co as its agency of record for India, expanding a partnership that’s been active across Southeast Asia since 2020.
At first glance, it sounds like a standard PR mandate. But the bigger play is far more interesting-EHL isn’t just selling hospitality education; it’s reframing it. The focus will be on positioning the school as a hub for the “service economy,” where skills go far beyond hotels and into tech, finance, luxury retail, and more.
Why India, and why now? With insights backed by NITI Aayog, the country’s service sector already contributes around 55% of Gross Value Added and is projected to reach a staggering $6 trillion by 2035. In short-it’s the main character in India’s economic growth story.
EHL’s pitch is built around creating “experience architects”-professionals trained to blend precision with empathy. Think less hotel managers, more customer experience leaders shaping everything from private banking lounges to global capability centres.
For Kanav Mata, the goal is clear: align education with India’s ambition to lead the global service economy. Meanwhile, Oliver Ellerton sees this as a natural extension of a successful regional partnership.
Founded in 1893 as Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, EHL now blends Swiss heritage with global ambition-and with India in focus, its next chapter looks anything but traditional.
