Summary
A Retail Manager works on the commercial side of an organisation — planning, selling, coordinating and improving how the business performs. In India this work sits inside the Hotel, Hospitality and Tourism Management stream: students usually take Any stream in Class 11–12, qualify through B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM, and specialise later through work experience or a master's. The sections below set out the study route, the entrance exams, the leading institutes in India and abroad, and the day-to-day reality of the job.
Core skills
- Commercial judgement and numeracy
- Negotiation and presentation
- Stakeholder coordination
- Spreadsheets, CRM and analytics tools
Where you can work
- Corporates across FMCG, retail, manufacturing and services
- Consulting and market-research firms
- Start-ups and family businesses
- Own venture or independent consultancy
Professional Opportunities
Corporates across FMCG, retail, manufacturing and services
Consulting and market-research firms
Start-ups and family businesses
Own venture or independent consultancy
Career Path
| Stage | What you study | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| After Class 10 | Any stream | 2 years (Class 11–12) |
| Graduation | B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM | 3–4 years |
| After Graduation | M.Sc. Hospitality Administration / MBA (Hospitality or Tourism) | 2 years |
| After Post-Graduation | Ph.D., professional certifications, or senior practice in the field | 3–5 years (optional) |
Important Facts
- Entry qualification: B.Sc. Hospitality & Hotel Administration / BHM / BTTM.
- Most institutes ask for 50–60% in the qualifying examination; reserved categories usually get a 5% relaxation.
- Admission is through the entrance exams listed below — national tests plus the state CET where applicable.
- Government and private institutes both offer this route; fee levels differ sharply between them.
- Scholarships listed on the HBK scholarships page apply to most of these programmes.
Leading Institutes in India
| # | Institute | Entrance / Category | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IHM, Pusa, Delhi | NCHM-JEE | ihmpusa.net/ |
| 1 | Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management, Chandigarh | NCHM-JEE | cihmct.com/ |
| 1 | Ashok Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Delhi | NCHM-JEE | itdc.co.in/ |
| 1 | IHM-Aurangabad | IHM-A | ihmaurangabad.ac.in/ |
| 2 | IHM, Mumbai, Maharshtra | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmctan.edu/ |
| 2 | Pondicherry Institute of Hotel Management, Puducherry | NCHM-JEE | pihmct.py.gov.in/ |
| 2 | Munnar Catering College, Munnar, Kerala | NCHM-JEE | munnarcateringcollege.edu.in/ |
| 2 | Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal | MET | manipal.edu/wgsha.html |
| 3 | IHM, Bangalore, Karnataka | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmbangalore.kar.nic.in/ |
| 3 | Institute of Hotel Management, Gangtok, Sikkim | NCHM-JEE | ihmgangtok.com/ |
| 3 | Jodhpur Institute of Hotel Management, Jodhpur, Rajasthan | NCHM-JEE | www.jietjodhpur.ac.in/ |
| 3 | Oberoi Group of Hotels | STEP | www.oberoigroup.com/learning-programmes/step |
| 4 | Dr. Ambedkar IHM, Chandigarh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmchandigarh.org/ |
| 4 | Institute of Hotel Management, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmhamirpur.in/ |
| 4 | Heritage Institute of Hotel & Tourism, Agra, Uttar Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.hihtworld.com/ |
| 4 | Army Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Bengaluru | Online Admission Test (OAT) | www.aihmctbangalore.edu.in/ |
| 5 | IHM, Goa | NCHM-JEE | ihmgoa.gov.in// |
| 5 | State Institute of Hotel Management, Jodhpur, Rajasthan | NCHM-JEE | ihmjodhpur.com/ |
| 5 | SRM Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai Tamil Nadu | NCHM-JEE | srmihm.info/ |
| 5 | Department of Hotel Management Christ University (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru | CUET | christuniversity.in/campus |
| 6 | IHM, Kolkata, West Bengal | NCHM-JEE | ihmkol.org/ |
| 6 | Delhi Institute of Hotel Management, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi | NCHM-JEE | dihmct.in/ |
| 6 | Institute of Hotel Management, Daurala, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmmeerut.com/ |
| 6 | Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune | CET-BVP | bvuniversity.edu.in/ |
| 7 | IHM, Guwahati, Assam | NCHM-JEE | ihmctanghy.org.in/ |
| 7 | Institute of Hotel Management, Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, U.T. | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmsilvassa.in/ |
| 7 | St. Soldier Institute of Hotel Management, Jalandhar, Punjab | NCHM-JEE | stsoldiergroup.com/ |
| 7 | Amity School of Hospitality, Noida | Based on 12th Marks | www.amity.edu/ash/ |
| 8 | IHM, Hyderabad, Telengana | NCHM-JEE | www.ihmhyd.org/ |
| 8 | Dr. YSR National Institute of Tourism & Hospitality Management, Hyderabad, Telangana | NCHM-JEE | nithm.ac.in/ |
Institutions Abroad
| Institute | Country | Website |
|---|---|---|
| École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) | Switzerland | www.ehl.edu/ |
| Les Roches | Switzerland | lesroches.edu/ |
| Cornell University — Nolan School of Hotel Administration | United States | sha.cornell.edu/ |
| Glion Institute of Higher Education | Switzerland | www.glion.edu/ |
Entrance Exams
| Exam | Full name | What it admits you to | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCHM-JEE | NCHM Joint Entrance Exam | B.Sc. in Hospitality and Hotel Administration Program at Central/State Government sponsored IHMs Across India | nchmjee.nta.nic.in/ |
| IHM-Aurangabad | — | 4 Year Hotel Management Programs at IHM-Aurangabad, a unit of The Taj Group of Hotels | ihmaurangabad.ac.in/ |
| MET | Manipal Entrance Test | 3 & 4 Year Hotel Management Programs at Manipal University, Manipal | apply.manipal.edu/ |
| STEP | Systematic Training & Education Program | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Oberoi Group of Hotels | www.oberoigroup.com/ |
| BHMCT-CET | Common Entrance Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Affiliated Colleges to Indraprastha University, Delhi | www.ipu.ac.in/ |
| CUET | Christ University Entrance Test | various BHM program at Christ University, Bangalore Central Campus and BBA Tourism and Travel Management program at Bangalore Bannerghatta Road Campus | christuniversity.in/ |
| MAH-BHMCT-CET | Common Entrance Test | 3 year Hotel Management program across State and Private Institutes of Hotel Management in Maharashtra | cetcell.mahacet.org/ |
| EAT | Eligibility Assessment Test | 3 Year Hotel Management & Culinary Arts Programs at Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts Pune | www.ssca.edu.in/ |
| HM CET-BVP | Common Entrance Test | 4 Year BHMCT and 3 Year B.Sc. (H&HA) Program at Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune | bvuniversity.edu.in/ |
| AIHMCT-CBT | Computer Based Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Army Institute of Hotel Management, Bangalore | www.aihmctbangalore.edu.in/ |
| JMI-ET | JMI ‒ Entrance Test | BTTM and BHM Programs at Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi | jmicoe.in/ |
| UGAT | Under Graduate Aptitude Test | 3 Year Hotel Management Program at Various Institutes across India | apps.aima.in/ |
| NMIMS-NPAT | National Test For Programs After 12th | 3 year BBA in Hospitality Operations & Management program at Narsee Monjee, Navi Mumbai | nmimsnpat.in/ |
Work Description
- 01Set targets and plan the activity needed to hit them.
- 02Analyse market, cost or performance data and spot the gaps.
- 03Coordinate teams, vendors and customers to get work moving.
- 04Present proposals, reports and recommendations to leadership.
- 05Review results and refine the process for the next cycle.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fast career growth for performers
- Skills transfer across industries
- Direct route to entrepreneurship
Cons
- Target pressure is constant
- Travel and long hours in sales roles
- Performance is measured monthly, not annually
Are you fit for this career?
Take the free HBK psychometric test and see how Retail Manager matches your interests and aptitude.
Sources
© HBK Careers. Compiled in-house from official regulators, exam bodies and institute websites. Exam and institute records on this page are the same records used across the HBK handbook and exams pages.