Chef K Thiru's

Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham

Dean, School of Hospitality Management
thiru.k@mahindrauniversity.edu.in

Chef K. Thirugnanasambantham, affectionately known as Chef K. Thiru, is a distinguished academic leader and culinary educator with over 34 years of experience in both the hospitality industry and academia. As the Founding Dean of the School of Hospitality at Mahindra University, Chef Thiru champions innovation, leadership, and excellence in culinary and hospitality education.

Academic and Professional Background

Chef Thiru has made significant strides in academia and the hospitality industry. Before joining Mahindra University, he spent 25 years at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), a part of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). His tenure included six years as Principal and four years as Vice Principal, with a focus on transforming WGSHA into one of India’s premier hospitality institutions. Chef Thiru has been on the rolls of ITC Hotels as a Senior Executive, a testament to his ongoing contributions to ITC’s hospitality endeavours, with WGSHA operating under ITC Hotels’ mentorship during his time there. He also gained early industry experience with prestigious brands like the Taj Group of Hotels, Residency Group of Hotels, and Blue Hill Food Products, providing him with eight years of operational expertise.

Ph.D.

  • Ph.D. (Food & Nutrition), Bharathiar University, Coimbatore
    • Ph. D. Thesis Title: Prevalence and Assessment of Cardiovascular disease (CVD)Risk Factors and the Impact of Diet and Lifestyle Intervention Among the Hotel Employees in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Districts.
      Supervisor: Dr. Lalitha Ramaswamy

M.B.A.

  • M.B.A. in Human Resource Management, Mysore University

M.Sc.

  • M.Sc. in Hotel Management, Annamalai University

Catering

  • Catering from I.H.M. Chennai.

B.Sc.

  • B.Sc. in Nutrition, Food Service Management & Dietetics, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore.

Certificate in Hotel Revenue Management

  • Certificate in Hotel Revenue Management, Cornell Nanyang Institute, Singapore

Certificate in Strategic Hospitality Management

  • Certificate in Strategic Hospitality Management, Cornell Nanyang Institute, Singapore

Wine Fundamentals Certification

  • Wine Fundamentals Certification, Levels 1 and 2, International Sommelier Guild, U.S.A.

Contributions to Hospitality Education

Contributions to Hospitality Education

At WGSHA, Chef Thiru’s impact on hospitality education has been profound. His efforts in establishing programs and enhancing academic standards have earned WGSHA recognition as one of India’s most advanced institutions for Culinary Arts and hospitality studies. Key initiatives and achievements include:

  • Academic Excellence: Guided WGSHA to secure the top ranking among Indian hotel management colleges for six consecutive years.
  • Global Accreditations: Achieved international accreditations from esteemed organizations such as the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS), Hotel Schools of Distinction (HSD), and the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA).
  • National Recognition: WGSHA was designated as a Centre of Excellence for Tourism, Hospitality, and Skills by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development.
  • Program Innovations: Launched unique programs, including the M.H.M. in Sales & Marketing and Revenue Management, M.A. in Indian Cuisine and Food Culture, and B.Sc. programs in Culinary Science and Hospitality and Service Management.
  • Experiential Learning Initiatives: Established student-run commercial outlets, cafes, and food pods, enhancing hands-on learning.
  • Research and International Collaborations: Fostered partnerships that led to numerous Scopus-indexed publications in top-tier (Q1 and Q2) journals in hospitality and culinary sciences.
  • Entrepreneurship Development: Created the Welcomgroup Entrepreneurship Development Cell to inspire students toward entrepreneurial ventures.
  • Infrastructure Development: Spearheaded the creation of one of India’s largest campuses dedicated to hospitality education.

Professional Affiliations

 

Professional Affiliations

Chef Thiru is actively involved in various academic and industry councils:

  • Board of Studies Member: Serving on academic boards across institutions.
  • AICTE Governing Council Member: Represents Tourism, Hospitality, and Hotel Management Education.
  • Hotel Schools with Distinction Governing Council Member: U.S.-based council member, contributing to global hospitality education standards.
  • Member of Institute of Hospitality, London, United Kingdom.

 

Professional Experience

Chef Thiru’s rich career includes varied roles in Industry, teaching and leadership

2018–2024

  • Principal, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal (2018–2024)

2014–2018

  • Professor & Vice Principal, WGSHA, Manipal (2014–2018)

2011–2018

  • Professor & Head of Department, Culinary Arts & Food Production, WGSHA, Manipal (2011–2018)

2011–2013

  • Professor & Head of Operations Subjects, WGSHA, Manipal (2011–2013)

2006–2018

  • Associate Professor & Head of Food Production, WGSHA, Manipal (2006–2018)

2003–2006

  • Assistant Professor, Food Production, WGSHA, Manipal (2003–2006)

2000–2003

  • Lecturer, Food Production, WGSHA, Manipal (2000–2003)

1998–2000

  • Lecturer, Food Production, Sapthagiri College of Hotel Management, Mangalore (1998–2000)

1997–1998

  • Junior Sous Chef, The Residency Hotels (1997–1998)

1995–1996

  • Production Manager, Blue Hill Food Products (1995–1996)

1990–1995

  • Senior Chef de Partie, Taj Coromandel Hotel, Chennai (1990–1995)

Non-Scopus Indexed Publications

2023

  • Sarkar Prasenjit,  Thirugnanasambantham, K. (2023). "Relationship between Self, Peer, and Faculty Assessment of Technical Skills in Indian Contemporary Cuisine Practical: A Study on Culinary Students." Indian Journal of Applied Hospitality & Tourism Research, 8, 94-101. ISSN 0975-4954.

2014

  • Thirugnanasambantham,  K. (2014). "Service Praxis Using Tablet Personal Computer (iPad Apps): A Proposed Framework." International Journal of Scientific Knowledge, 5(6), 20-28. ISSN 2305-1493.

2011

  • Thirugnanasambantham, K. (2011). "Culinary Tourism - Udupi: A Case Study." International Journal of Culture and Tourism Research, 4(1), 115-127. UCI I410-ECN-0102-2016-320-000203278.

Awards and Recognitions

Chef Thiru’s contributions have earned him several prestigious awards:
  • WorldSkills Competitions: As Team India Coach, he led the team to a Medallion of Excellence in Cooking at the 2024 WorldSkills Culinary Competition in Lyon, France, and at the 2022 WorldSkills Special Edition in Lucerne, Switzerland.
  • IRSSM-2021 Highly Commended Award: Recognized by the Journal of Service Management for research on brand satisfaction in non-profit organizations.
  • Best Principal Award 2020: Awarded by the International Chamber for Service Industry at the Global Education Skills MSME & Entrepreneurship Summit.
  • Outstanding Achiever Award 2019: Bestowed by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations for contributions to Culinary Arts.
  • Best Culinary Educator of the Year 2018: Awarded by The Epicurus Hospitality & Telangana State Tourism
  •  Best Culinary Educator of the Year 2016-17:  Awarded by Indian Federation of Culinary Associations and World Association of Chefs' Societies, Paris.
  • Cochran Fellowship Program in Culinary Arts (2016): Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) &  (FAO ) for culinary study in key U.S. cities.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (Scopus Indexed)

  • Kumar, D., Shandilya, A.K., & Thirugnanasambantham, K. (2024). “Global research landscape on specific diets and cardiovascular diseases: assessing the current status and charting future directions,” Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-03-2024-0079.
  • Thirugnanasambantham, K., Pillai, K. R., Patwardhan, V., Raghavendra, G., & Rao, S. (2023). “Determinants of Visitors’ Festival Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being: Tracing the Roles of Place Attachment and Satisfaction,” International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 14(4), 441–459. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEFM-07-2022-0061.
  • Mallya, J., Thirugnanasambantham, K., & Shettigar, P. (2023). “Uncovering Culinary Medicine Research Themes: Current Status and Future Direction,” F1000Research, 12, 173. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.130947.1.
  • Prabhu, M. N., Bolar, K., Mallya, J., Roy, P., Payini, V., & Thirugnanasambantham, K. (2022). “Determinants of Hospitality Students’ Perceived Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Role of Interactions and Self-Efficacy,” Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education, 30, 100335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100335.
  • Patwardhan, V., Rao, S., Thirugnanasambantham, K., & Prabhu, N. (2020). “Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework and Course Design as Predictors of Satisfaction in Emergency Remote Teaching: Perspectives of Hospitality Management Students,” Journal of E-Learning and Knowledge Society, December, 94-103. https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1135315.
  • Thirugnanasambantham, K., & Ramaswamy, L. (2020). “Factors Affecting Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases among Hotel Employees in Udupi District, Karnataka,” Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 11(2), 192. https://doi.org/10.37506/v11/i2/2020/ijphrd/194781.

Book Chapters

  • Ribeiro, Manuel Alector, Patwardhan, Vidya, Woosnam, Kyle Maurice, & Thirugnanasambantham. (2022). Antecedents to Religious Festival Visitors’ Loyalty: The Role of Memorable Experiences, Religious Faith, Emotion, and Satisfaction. In Handbook on the Tourist Experience (pp. 350-368). Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978-1839109393.