Ajit Kerkar Joins Mitsubishi Elect As Advisor

Ajit B Kerkar, ex-chairman and managing director of Indian Hotels, has joined Japanese giant Mitsubishi Electric Company as business and economic advisor even as several domestic and global hotel chains queue up to employ his services.

The Narangs of Delhi, JP Hotels, and various other Indian hotels chains, too, are eager to tap Kerkar's expertise. He was recently appointed the tourism advisor to the Maharashtra government and is once again a busy man today.

"My wife and me have decided to start anew. I still have a few good years in me and my years with the hotel and tourism business have taught me quite a few things. This is the experience which I shall now share with others," Kerkar told Business Standard.

He spends a considerable amount of his time in Delhi to attend various meetings of the Indian Airlines and Air India boards, of which he is a member.

While in Mumbai, Kerkar is busy drafting a proposal to develop tourism in Maharashtra. He has already submitted a proposal to the state government on how tourism can help generate employment.

Kerkar had, a couple of decades ago, developed the idea of heritage tourism, an experiment which proved a success in Rajasthan and Goa. Not surprisingly, Kerkar plans to develop heritage tourism in Maharashtra as well. "With a 400-500 km long coastline, the state also has a major potential to develop beach resorts," he feels. "Other than heritage travel and beach resorts, Maharashrta can also develop its numerous hill stations without disturbing the fragile ecology of the region," Kerkar said.

"Then, of course, there is pilgrimage travel. Maharashtra has numerous pilgrimage centres which have little or no infrastructure. This, too, can be developed," he added.

Kerkar proposes to outline 6 to 7 categories of tourism that the state can develop. "Tourism is also an area where the private sector can invest in a big way," he said.