Hailing from a hospitality background, Suborno Bose, the visionary behind the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), has now stepped into the role of president at the Calcutta International Club, a historic institution and a social club on Shakespeare Sarani that is celebrating its centenary this year.

With plans to enhance member engagement, promote cultural events and create more inclusive community initiatives, Bose is set on revitalising the club’s presence and legacy. His vision for the club adds to his passion for hospitality for the club’s cultural and social integration. Taking charge at such a momentous milestone, Bose shared his excitement in an exclusive chat with t2.

Congratulations on taking over the presidential duties of Calcutta International Club! What motivated you to step in and lead a social club?

So it was not really a motivation, I have been requested by the committee members of the Calcutta International Club who are celebrating their centenary year, to come on board as the club president and to give leadership to the institution. In this very important and very historic hundred years, the club wants to create a kind of buzz, visibility and of course media interactions so that we can celebrate the 100th year in style and in the right spirit.

So it’s not that I’ve come from hospitality is the only reason, but this is a social club with over 750 members. I hail from a hospitality background and I have a knack for hosting people, so it’s a great honour to lead the club in its centenary year.

Has your hospitality background shaped your leadership style?

The hospitality and food lifestyle is all part of the social clubs in particular so obviously, my 32 years of experience in this industry, leading India from the finest chain of hotel schools and also leading abroad has definitely helped me to give it kind of an impetus to lead a large group of people.

What new initiatives are you planning for CIC (Calcutta International Club)?

In the centenary year of the club, a lot of initiatives are planned, which include a lot of food and beverage initiatives. There will be wine festivals, malt-tasting events, and a lot of food festivals with international chefs. We are planning to bring celebrity Italian chef Enzo Oliveri at some point of time in winter and of course, we will focus on different kinds of regional cuisine as today regional cuisine has also become very important. We are also trying to get a Swiss chef from Switzerland — because it was initially a Swiss club — to host a contemporary Swiss food festival.

The club is also coming up with an exotic outdoor coffee shop, called Shamiana and it’s going to be a very attractive place for members to sit and have their food and beverages. We are also planning to host some good panel discussions during summer where we’ll invite some of the best minds in the country to come and join in a debate.

What’s your favourite part of being the president of a social club?

My favourite part of being the president of a social club is to actually bring the members together, bring as many members to visit the club and obviously make the club very very vibrant. I think we are in the process, we started doing some of the work and look forward to many more.

What’s your vision for the club’s future growth?

The vision of the club is that it is one of the old, iconic heritage clubs with a lot of history around it. It was founded by a group of Swiss people in Calcutta and it was known as the Swiss Club, then it was renamed as International Club and then renamed as Calcutta International Club. It’s been absolutely rich in tradition and culture, quite a legendary club in a way and the vision is to make it in the top three clubs in Calcutta.

We are planning not just food and beverage but also in terms of a lot of new facilities like a wellness centre; we are revamping the spa. We have plans to work on certain social initiatives for sustainability practices. A whole lot of new events are there. Calcutta International Club’s annual debate is coming up and we are gearing up for a big bash on our foundation day on December 11, and yes, you can expect a lot from Calcutta International Club.