Manish T.K. holds a master’s degree in Hotel Management from Annamalai University and a bachelor’s degree from Srinivas College of Hotel Management, both with first-class honours. Since 2012, he has been a faculty member at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), MAHE, Manipal, where he last served as Assistant Professor (Senior Scale) in Food & Beverage Production.

His expertise includes food and beverage production, culinary innovation, and food research with a focus on combining traditional and modern techniques, especially in Udupi and Mangalorean cuisines. Manish contributes to curriculum development, mentors students, and organises culinary workshops and food festivals. He has co-authored research on culinary creativity, plant-based meat alternatives, and traditional fermented foods like kimchi.

Manish has gained practical experience through training at renowned hotels such as ITC Grand Chola, Grand Hyatt Goa, and The Oberoi Bengaluru, and has supported training for World Skills competitions. Recognised for his teaching excellence, he is known for his strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

Manish is committed to continuous learning and actively participates in extracurricular and social service activities, driving innovation and education in the culinary arts.

• M.Sc. in Hotel Management I Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu (2015–2017)

• BHM I Srinivas College of Hotel Management, Mangalore University, Karnataka (2008–2012)

Publications

• “A Bibliometric Framework for Quantifying Research on Kimchi, A Staple Korean Dish.” Published article providing a comprehensive review and analysis of global research trends on Kimchi.

• Assistant Professor Mahindra University 2025 – Present
• Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), MAHE, Manipal
• Assistant Professor (Senior Scale), Food & Beverage Production I January 2020 – April 2025.
• Assistant Professor, Food & Beverage Production I January 2015 – January 2020
• Tutor, Food & Beverage Production I August 2012 – January 2015

Co-Author: “Paak Darshini’s Turmeric Wrap Poached Chicken: A Realm of Culinary Creativity, Innovation, and a Blend of Traditional Ingredients with Modern Cooking Techniques” (Literary/ Dramatic Work). A recognised piece showcasing the nutritional richness with high TAC.

Co-Author: “Purchase Intention of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives among the Indian Millennials.” Presented at the 12th Edition of the International Research Symposium on Service Management (IRSSM).

With a diverse career spanning MICE operations, hospitality, and education, Manan brings a unique combination of strategic expertise, operational leadership, and academic insight. His ability to bridge industry and academia allows him to contribute meaningfully across domains, enriching learning ecosystems with real-world perspectives and make a meaningful impact in both domains.

Most recently, at The Banyan Tree, Manan served as Developer – LMS, where he played a pivotal role in conceptualizing, deploying, and maintaining online learning programmes. His work focused on delivering scalable, impactful, and learner-centric digital education experiences.

At Heritage International Xperiential School, Manan played a pivotal role in shaping Global Perspectives and Humanities classes by integrating his extensive industry insights, leading student expeditions, and mentoring young minds with a forward-thinking approach.

Before transitioning to education, Manan built a solid foundation in MICE strategy and conference management. As a Project Manager at KW Conferences Pvt Ltd, he successfully managed high-profile international congresses, academic immersions, corporate conferences, and large-scale exhibitions. His expertise in handling complex logistics, stakeholder coordination, and revenue-driven operations positioned him as a key contributor to the company’s success.

His tenure in the hospitality industry includes managing a high-end resort in Bhutan and delivering customer-centric experiences at prestigious brands such as The Lodhi, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa Bangalore, and Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre. During this period, he played a critical role in managing group operations and orchestrating large-scale conferences and events. Notable among these were the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the 17th Commonwealth Law Conference, and the Indian Seed Congress. Additionally, he led the comprehensive ground transportation planning and execution for the prestigious 49th ICCA Congress, which spanned 14 days, multiple hotels, and several local venues.

Manan holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching (PGDLT) and a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management. Beyond his professional commitments, he is a certified open-water diver and an avid poet, always seeking new avenues for learning and creative expression.

• BHM – Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal University (2008)

• PG Diploma in Learning and Teaching – I Am a Teacher (2021)

• Assistant Professor, School of Hospitality and Management, Mahindra University (Feb 2025- present)
• Developer – LMS, The Banyan Tree, (November ’24 – February ‘25)
• Educator – Global Perspectives & Humanities, Heritage International Xperiential School, (April ’22 – November ‘24)
• Resort Manager, Dewa Thimphu by Realm, Thimphu, Bhutan, (June 2019 – March 2020)
• Project Manager, KW Conferences Pvt Ltd, New Delhi NCR, (August 2014 – May 2019)
• Asst. Manager Front Office, The Lodhi, New Delhi NCR, (March 2014 – July 2014)
• Sr. Front Desk Manager, Mövenpick Hotel & Spa, Bangalore, (February 2012 – February 2014)
• Duty Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, Hyderabad, (July 2008 – November 2011)

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Dr. Nishanth is a result-oriented and forward-thinking hospitality management professional with over 17 years of experience in the luxury hotel and food & beverage industry. He has built an exceptional career across leading international brands, including The Park Hotels, Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Hyatt.

Known for his strategic leadership, operational excellence, and people-first management style, he has successfully overseen multi-outlet F&B operations, pre-openings, large-scale events, and financial performance improvements. His expertise spans hotel operations, team development, sustainability initiatives, and financial management, with a consistent focus on achieving profitability while enhancing guest satisfaction.

As Director of Food & Beverage, he has played a pivotal role in driving business strategies, developing future leaders, and maintaining brand standards.

His notable achievements include leading the conversion of The Grand Bhagwathi to Sheraton Grand Palace Indore, executing the G20 Summit events in 2023, and managing prestigious events such as the World Chess Championship and Chennai Fashion Week.

A multilingual professional fluent in English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and conversant in European languages including German, French, Italian, and Spanish, he brings strong cross-cultural communication skills and a global perspective to his work.

Prof. Nishanth’s leadership approach emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and fostering a culture of service excellence.

• Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM) from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal University – 2008.

Additional language certifications from reputed international institutes:

• French – Level 1 & Communication Course, Alliance Française de Madras
• German – Levels 1–3, Max Mueller Bhavan (Goethe-Institut), Chennai – Zertifikat Deutsch
• Spanish – Levels 1–2, Instituto Hispania, Chennai
• Italian – Level 1, Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce, Chennai

• Seasoned hospitality leader with over 17 years of global experience driving excellence in Food & Beverage and Hotel Operations across premier brands such as Marriott International, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, The Park, and Hyatt. Recognized for delivering strategic growth, operational innovation, and exceptional guest experiences through visionary leadership and a results-driven approach.

Areas of Research Interests include F&B Service, Hospitality Management, Service Quality, Customer Experience, Sustainability, Restaurant Operations, Menu Engineering, and Beverage Management

Ms. Divya Manchanda is an Assistant Professor in the Finance area at the School of Management, Mahindra University. Ms. Manchanda is also in the process of completing her Ph.D. in Finance & Accounting from Indian Institute of Management Udaipur.

• Pursing Ph.D. in Finance & Accounting, Indian Institute of Management Udaipur, Udaipur, Rajasthan.

• M.Com (Major in Finance), Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics.

• B.Com (Honours), Maitreyi College, University of Delhi

• July 2024 to present, Assistant Professor, Mahindra University

• Academic associate at Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (September 2018 to March 2019)

Research Interests:

• Climate risk
• Corporate finance

Jose Manu M A is a Ph.D holder in Marketing from IIM Bangalore. Under the guidance of Prof. G. Shainesh, his thesis work focused on understanding “The Impact of Network Characteristics on Customer Engagement in Review Platforms.” His areas of interest in marketing research include Customer Engagement, Services Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Health Promotion. His work has been accepted at prestigious conferences like the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing (JPPM) Conference, AMA-ServSIG, and Frontiers in Service.

Before enrolling in the doctoral program, he completed a 2-year stint at Cypress Semiconductors as an Operations Analyst. He earned his Master of Engineering degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, and his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)

• Ph.D. in Marketing from Indian Institute of Management (IIM ), Bangalore
• M.E. Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani (Pilani Campus).
• B.Tech Mechanical Engineering from Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

• Assistant Professor, Mahindra University (June 2024 to present)

His work has been accepted at various international conferences:

• “Impact of Network Characteristics on Customer Engagement Behavior on Review Platforms: A Conformity Theory Perspective”, manuscript presented at Frontiers in Services Conference, Maastricht, Netherlands, June 2023.
• “Customer Engagement in Review Platforms: A Study on the Impact of Network Characteristics”, Accepted at American Marketing Association, SERVSIG 2022 conference, Glasgow, UK, June 2022
• “Do You Believe It Or Not? – The Role Of Source Credibility In Reducing Stigma And Misinformation About Aids” manuscript presented at American Marketing Association – Journal of Public policy and Marketing (JPPM) conference, in Washington,DC (Hybrid), June, 2021.

Nidhin Mathath is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Finance at the School of Management, Mahindra University. He has submitted his thesis for his Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance at IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University. His doctoral research primarily focuses on ESG disclosures of Indian companies. His current areas of interest encompass Sustainable Finance, Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance, and Accounting. Furthermore, he has presented research papers at various prestigious national and international conferences, including the World Finance Conference, World Finance & Banking Symposium, International Conference on Management Research (IIT Madras), Globalizing Indian Thought (IIM Kozhikode), International Conference on Management of MSMEs (IIM Amritsar), Pathways to Sustainable Economy (IIT Bombay) and Research Symposium in Finance and Economics (IFMR GSB).

• Ph.D. in Finance and Accounting, IFMR Graduate School of Business, Krea University, Andhra Pradesh, India, 2024

• UGC-NET in Commerce, University Grants Commission, India, 2015

• M.Com in Finance, Kannur University, Kerala, India, 2015

• B.Com in Finance, University of Calicut, Kerala India, 2013

• Mathath, N., Kumar, V., and Balasubramanian, G. (2024). “The Effect of ESG Disclosure on Cost of Debt: A Life-Cycle Perspective.” Managerial and Decision Economics. [ABDC-B, Q2, Scopus Indexed].
• Mathath, N. and Kumar, V. (2024). “Unlocking Trade Credit Opportunities and Working Capital Efficiency through ESG Disclosure.” Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal. [ABDC-B, Q2, Scopus Indexed].
• Mathath, N., Kumar, V., and Balasubramanian, G. (2025). “ESG Disclosure and Cost of Equity: Do Big 4 Audit Firms Matter?” Journal of Emerging Market Finance. [ABDC-B, Q3, Scopus Indexed].

Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wAFczkwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

• Assistant Professor, School of Law, Mahindra University.
• Co-ordinator, Moot Court Committee, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad.

• Sustainable Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Governance
• Accounting

Catherine Xavier works as an Academic Associate in the School of Management at Mahindra University. She has worked in the field of academia for around two decades now with activities ranging from teaching courses to providing support to faculty in their varied academic activities. She graduated with an MBA from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (US) and intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Marketing Consumer Behavior/Marketing Communications and to subsequently pursue teaching and research. Catherine has assisted a course on Coursera in addition to assisting several professors at the Indian School of Business. She has been involved in providing research assistance in several projects, especially with professors at ISB and IIMA.

Additionally, she has worked as a case writer and content writer: two of her cases that she co-authored have been published in The Harvard Business Review. Ms.Xavier has also written several non-specialists lay summaries of research articles and research spotlights that were published in ISB Insight, ISB Management briefs and in Business newspapers such as Business Standard and Forbes India.

• Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, USA.

• Masters in Commerce (M.Com) (specializing in Income Tax and Accounting), Osmania University, Hyderabad

• Bachelors in Commerce (B.Com) St. Francis Degree College for Women, Begumpet, Hyderabad

Cases:

• Air India: Maharaja In Debt Trap (HBR, 2018).
• APIGEE (Ivey Publishing, HBR 2017)

• October 2021 – Present Academic Associate, School of Management, Mahindra University

• Academic Associate at Indian School of Business

• Case writer & content writer at Indian School of Business

• Research Assistant at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

• Assistant Professor, St. Joseph’s PG College

• Research Assistant at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

• Ph.D student and Research assistant at University of Arkansas

• Assistant Professor, St. Mary’s College, OU.

• Research Grant awarded by NASMEI (North American Society for Management Education in India) at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, India; INR 50,000 ($750); December 2017; “Nostalgia as a Post-Crisis Brand Communication Strategy.” ; second prize with Tanuka Ghoshal and Rajagopal Raghunathan.
• Research Grant awarded by SRITNE (Srini Raju Centre for IT and the Networked Economy) at the Indian School of Business; INR 260,000 ($4000); June 2017; “Examining the role of technology in effectiveness of nutritional information dissemination in India;” with Tanuka Ghoshal.

Anandita is currently Faculty Associate in the School of Management at Mahindra University.

Ms.Mulukutla comes with nearly 4 years of experience in the area of research and consulting support for both government and private organizations.

Ms.Mulukutla started her career after completing her M.A. at TISS where she had the opportunity to work under the Chief Secretary and Special Secretary within the Vision Management Unit of the Planning Department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Her experience during the time was in infrastructure and energy sectors where she was extensively involved in the identification and implementation of Key Performance Indicators and international benchmarks adapted for the state of Andhra Pradesh and working on the vision document for the state. There was extensive interaction with top consultants such as: EY, TERI and WEF.

Subsequently, after completing her PGDM, Ms.Mulukutla worked in Administrative Staff College of India in the Centre for Public Policy, Governance and Performance where she was providing research and consulting support to the Centre Director for several consulting projects including the Defense, public sector logistics organization, NITI Aayog etc. She was involved in research, data analysis and preparation of presentations and final reports and ensured the successful completion of the projects on time and on budget.

Ms.Mulukutla also worked in Deloitte as part of the research and analysis team in Government and Public Services supporting various consulting teams across the globe. During this time, she had the opportunity to work on various projects in areas such as sustainability, defense, local governments, economic and budget analysis and Public Private Partnership projects and a few cross-industry projects. She also worked on a cross-sectoral project involving third party risk assessment for which her work was recognized by Deloitte.

Before joining Mahindra University, Ms.Mulukutla was once again working in the Administrative Staff College of India in the Centre for Public Policy, Governance and Performance where she had the opportunity to assist in the preparation of consultancy proposals, preparing concept notes for a Government of India awards event and preparing case studies for an organization in coordination with relevant concerned stakeholders. She was also involved in a consulting project for a Pollution Control Board including preparing the study methodology, detailed secondary and primary research, data analysis and preparing the interim report to be submitted to the client.

• M.A Economics (Distance Education), Andhra University, 2023
• PGDM (Full-time), Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, 2019

• MA Public Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 2015

• BA Economics Public Administration and Social Management, St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, 2013

• Faculty Associate, School of Management, Mahindra University (February 2023 – Present).
• Research and Consulting Professional, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI).
• Research and Analysis Team Member, Deloitte – Government and Public Services.
• Vision Management Unit Associate, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• Ph.D. Scholar in Management, Mahindra University.

Anandita prepared a paper on ‘Challenges in the Implementation of the Public Private Partnership Policy – Hyderabad Metro Rail Case Study’ in the Seminar on Well-being, Growth and Development in 2015 at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Her area of interests for research include:

• Strategy
• Marketing
• Public Policy
• Sustainability
• Smart Cities
• Urban Infrastructure

Sandhya Banda is an Assistant Professor in the Marketing area at the Mahindra University. Her research lies within the area of empirical marketing strategy. Her research interests include New-Age Technologies (specific to Drones), Stakeholder Engagement, Product Returns and their impact on marketing outcomes. She focuses on real-world marketing problems and employs multiple sources of data and empirical methods to provide solutions. She uses quantitative and qualitative research methods, including interviews, surveys, econometric analysis, and machine learning.

Sandhya Banda is an Assistant Professor in Marketing at the Mahindra University. Her research lies in the area of empirical marketing strategy. Her research interests include New-Age Technologies (specific to Drones), Stakeholder Engagement, Product Returns, and their impact on marketing outcomes. She focuses on real-world marketing problems and employs multiple sources of data and empirical methods to provide solutions. She uses quantitative and qualitative research methods, including interviews, surveys, econometric analysis, and machine learning.

• Ph.D. in Marketing from Indian School of Business (ABD)

• Double Masters in Business Administration, Osmania University

• Bachelors in Chemistry (Hons), Delhi University

• Aksoy, Lerzan, Sandhya Banda, Colleen Harmeling, Timothy L. Keiningham, and Anita Pansari. “Marketing’s role in multi-stakeholder engagement.” International Journal of Research in Marketing 39, no. 2 (2022): 445-461.

• Jan 2024 – Present: Assistant Professor, Mahindra University.

Research Interests

• New-age/Emerging Technologies
• Product Returns
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Customer Engagement and Customer Experience