Team Siliconindia

• FHRAI-ETS India MoU to create standardized English communication benchmarks for the hospitality sector using the TOEIC Link test, tailored to real workplace scenarios.
• Selected hotels and IHMs to undergo diagnostic testing, role-specific benchmarking, and faculty training to set measurable communication standards for roles like front office, housekeeping, and F&B service.
• Establish TOEIC Link as the industry’s standard English test, improving hiring decisions and boosting employability of hospitality graduates and job seekers.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ETS India to develop strong, role-related English communication standards for the hospitality and restaurant industry based on the TOEIC Link test.

The collaboration brings together FHRAI’s industry leadership and ETS’s global assessment expertise to drive a sector-wide transformation in workforce readiness. With communication as the cornerstone of guest engagement and service delivery, the MoU focuses on integrating English language proficiency as a measurable hiring and training standard.

Talking about this tie-up, President, FHRAI, K. Syama Raju said, "This tie-up is an important step towards standardizing hospitality communication skills among our member hotels and institutes. With the help of ETS India, we will set definite standards that will enable our industry to keep pace with global service standards. It's time we not only give our workforce technical know-how, but also the confidence to communicate clearly.

Sachin Jain, ETS Country Manager India and South Asia, underlined the larger importance of the initiative by saying "ETS India is pledged to contribute to skilling ecosystem of India through internationally trusted assessments. With our collaboration with FHRAI, we want to not only bridge the communication gap in English but also contribute to development of a standardized, scalable talent building framework for hospitality industry". Such cooperation can become a model for universal adoption in the sector not only in India but around the world.

Also Read: KIMSHEALTH Received Chief Minister's Excellence Award as Top Workplace

ETS-designed TOEIC Link test, a flexible and modular English communication test based on the widely accepted Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), is tailored for workplace preparedness. The test examines candidates through actual hospitality situations in four essential areas of communication listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Conducted fully online with artificial intelligence-powered monitoring, the test allows for accessibility and integrity even in far-flung or rural areas.

In accordance with the agreement, FHRAI shall recommend a representative sample of hotels and Institutes of Hotel Management (IHMs) to join a pilot benchmarking study. TOEIC Link tests for hotel employees, new hires, and final-year IHM students would be conducted by ETS India to establish minimum communication standards specific to important job functions like front office, housekeeping, and food and beverage service.

The pilot implementation of the collaboration will comprise diagnostic testing, disciplined input from HR and training managers, and data-driven analysis for establishing role-specific communication standards. ETS India will further train faculty through a Train-the-Trainer approach with built-in sustainability and capacity development among participating institutions.

After the pilot, the project plans to roll out nationally, assisting in making TOEIC Link the hospitality industry's standard English communication test. This will benefit employers in making better-informed employment decisions and enable job hunters particularly from IHMs and vocational streams to match their communication skills with industry standards.