EHL Hospitality Business School has appointed Ellerton & Co. as its public relations agency of record for India, marking an expansion of their existing partnership across Southeast Asia. The move signals EHL’s increased focus on India as a strategic growth market and its intent to strengthen brand positioning through thought leadership.
The mandate will focus on building a narrative that positions EHL as the ‘Business School for the Service Economy’, extending its relevance beyond hospitality into sectors such as technology, finance, luxury retail and wellness. This reflects a broader shift in how hospitality education is being marketed, highlighting transferable skills such as customer experience management, service design and leadership.
The partnership builds on Ellerton & Co.’s association with EHL since 2020 in Southeast Asia, and will now be extended to India with a focus on integrated communications, stakeholder engagement and strategic storytelling. The agency will work to amplify EHL’s positioning through media relations, thought leadership initiatives and targeted outreach.
The appointment comes at a time when India’s service sector continues to expand significantly. According to NITI Aayog, the sector contributes nearly 55% of Gross Value Added in 2024–25, employs around 30% of the workforce and has added approximately 40 million jobs over the past six years. It is projected to reach $6 trillion by 2035, contributing 60% to India’s GDP. This macroeconomic context underpins EHL’s focus on positioning its programmes as relevant to a service-led economy.
EHL’s communication strategy centres on the concept of training ‘Experience Architects’, professionals equipped with a blend of operational expertise and emotional intelligence. The narrative positions these skills as critical across industries that prioritise customer experience, from global capability centres and private banking to premium retail and hospitality.
Kanav Mata, director and regional head – South Asia, Myanmar & Middle East, EHL Hospitality Business School, said, "India’s services sector is the engine of Viksit Bharat, and the Budget rightly recognises the need to align education with employment and enterprise. EHL brings more than 130 years of Swiss excellence to this conversation. We do not train hoteliers alone; we develop leaders who can humanise technology, elevate every guest interaction, and drive sustainable growth across tech, finance, luxury retail, and beyond. Partnering with Ellerton & Co. will help us share these stories and support India’s ambition to lead the global service economy.”
Oliver Ellerton, founder and director, Ellerton & Co., said, "Having graduated from a leading Swiss hospitality school and begun my career at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, I have seen first-hand how service excellence translates into business advantage far outside the hotel sector. EHL’s approach is unique – it builds the exact blend of empathy and precision that Indian companies need to thrive in an AI world. We have been proud to support EHL across Southeast Asia since 2020; extending this partnership into India feels both natural and timely. Our role is to elevate the conversation and position EHL as the partner of choice for organisations seeking genuine service leadership.”
The mandate reflects the increasing importance of narrative-building in education branding. By aligning with India’s economic trajectory and focusing on cross-industry relevance, EHL aims to broaden its appeal and strengthen its positioning among prospective students and institutional stakeholders.
Overall, the partnership underscores how global education institutions are leveraging strategic PR and thought leadership to establish relevance in emerging markets, particularly in sectors driven by experience and service excellence.
