Leaders

As businesses regain normalcy and worldwide travel restarts, many organizations, corporate travellers, and tourists turn to a travel management service to handle all of their travel needs. With an increasing number of travel management firms all over the place, the critical question is how to choose one that meets your company's needs while also providing good value for money.

Founded in 1972, Nijhawan Group is one of the largest travel conglomer­ates in India. And one person who has been instrumental in the company’s success is Priyanka Nijhawan, Director at Nijhawan Group-Representations. She is a seasoned professional with more than a decade of expertise. Pri­yanka is leading the representation vertical at Nijhawan Group, leveraging decade-long relationships to use critical channels and core expertise to un­derstand, lead, and drive teams to ensure efficiency in achieving all business goals.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Priyanka Nijhawan walks us through her professional journey along with the unique traits of the company.

Take us through your early educational journey and the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

With over 12 years of experience and as the leader of Nijhawan Group's Representation vertical, I have devel­oped excellent relationships with important luxury trade partners, luxury concierges, airlines, niche event, and wedding planners, media houses, influencers, celebrities, and cricketers. My core competence is to provide person­alized sales, marketing, and communication strategies for luxury hospitality and tourism brands, as well as to build top-of-mind awareness among the desired travel­ler segments, having worked with top-tier international luxury hospitality and travel brands and launching them in India for HNI travellers. I graduated from Lady Sri Ram College with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Hons). I was able to secure a position as a scholar at King's College London, where I completed my Master's degree in Computer Science.

What are the various roles & responsibilities that you shoulder at Nijhawan Group? Tell us about some key business challenges that you face in your current role and how you counter them.

As Director of Nijhawan Group, I am in charge of Nijha­wan Group-Representations. A successful leader must strike the perfect balance between maintaining team co­hesiveness and getting the work done correctly. Picking the correct mix of people was equally stressful since you never know how the team would work together, even if the candidates seem right on paper and efficient work­ing alone or on their own. But, after more than a decade in the profession, I've been able to reach new heights of brilliance via dedication and consistency.

What are some of the key business strategies and tools that you leverage to ensure organizational success?

The most important thing, in my opinion, is to establish an environment within the workplace that allows them to retain their work-life balance. And I am convinced that when the enthusiasm, expertise, and talents of a motivat­ed group of individuals are combined, you and your team can do everything you set your minds to.

“The most important thing, in my opinion, is to establish an environment within the workplace that allows them to retain their work-life balance”

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved throughout your professional journey? What has been the driving force behind your success as a business leader?

When we hosted the very first roadshow for Address Hotels and Resorts, it piqued my curiosity in joining this sector. At the same time, we were aiming to develop our representation division, and I was eager to get behind the wheel! My educational background is in math and computer science, and I never saw myself working in this field. But the will to perform in a competitive field, par­ticularly for women, has aided me in creating the brand. Starting with two hotel brands to represent in India, we have grown into a diverse brand with over 25+ represen­tations, which include luxury hotel chains, international tourism boards, attractions, and destination management businesses.

The multiplication accomplished in the last 12 years has been enormous. Every day brings a new challenge, which allows me to study and experiment in order to progress. As an entrepreneur, you must be willing to take chances in order to achieve the success you desire. One piece of advice: never stop inventing and keeping up with the fast-paced times in order to meet the wants and demands of your audience.

Drawing from your experience as a successful business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?

Being an entrepreneur provides a sense of empowerment, especially in today's world where women have a long history of fighting their way through gender biased positions that have been created. As a woman, there are times when your emphasis changes to your family, and your attention is divided, but after this pandemic, I believe we have all overcome all obstacles and managed to operate profitable enterprises while caring for our loved ones. Do not be scared to chase your dreams; if you believe in your idea, you will be successful.

Priyanka Nijhawan, Director,  Nijhawan Group

Priyanka is a seasoned professional with 12+ years of experiece and leading the representation vertical of Nijhawan Group for a decade -strong relationships to leverage key Channels, Core competence is to understand, lead, and direct teams to ensure efficiency in the accomplishment of all business goals.

QUICK FACTS

Educational Qualification:

. Maths Hons: Lady Sri Ram College

. Masters in Computer Science: Kings College London

Headquarters & Other Office Locations:

. Head Office: Gurgaon

. Regional Offices: Mumbai, Chennai & Bangalore

Awards & Recognitions:

. Priyanka Nijhawan was awarded the leading woman in the Tourism Industry by VETA 2022

. Priyanka Nijhawan was awarded the women of substance by Delhiites 2022

. Priyanka Nijhawan was awarded the women entrepreneur of the year by VETA 2020

. Priyanka Nijhawan was awarded Luxebook's Indian luxury top 50 most powerful women of 2020