Prof. Dr. Sidharth Shankar Raju

	Prof. Dr. Sidharth Shankar Raju
Born	19 January 1982, Kasrour village, Darbhanga district, Bihar, India
Citizenship	Indian
Field	Hospitality education, Tourism studies
Academic role	Associate Professor & Head of Department
Affiliation	Vivekananda Global University
Notable publication	FAILHA – Haar Se Janmi Jeet Ki Zidd
Family	Spouse: Pooja; Two children

Prof. Dr. Sidharth Shankar Raju (born 19 January 1982) is an Indian academic and hospitality education specialist. He is associated with Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, where he holds the position of Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Hotel Management.

His professional work includes teaching, academic administration, research publication, and authorship in the fields of hospitality management and tourism studies.

Background

Sidharth Shankar Raju was born in Kasrour village in the Darbhanga district of Bihar. The area is part of the historic Mithila region, known for its long-standing cultural and literary traditions.

Mithila has historical associations with the ancient Videha kingdom and occupies a notable place in Indian cultural history due to its links with Goddess Sita. The region lies geographically between areas connected to poet Vidyapati and national poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’.

Dr. Raju was raised in a rural household. His father, Shri Vishwamohan Jha, worked as a farmer and also served as village Mukhiya, while his mother, Smt. Sunaina Devi, managed the household. He attended a government school during his early education.

Academic training

Dr. Raju completed his higher education in hospitality, tourism, management, and commerce.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Research focused on performance evaluation of operational-level employees in hospitality and tourism systems

Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.)

Study on work culture diversity in international tourism business

Master of Business Administration (MBA) – Hotel Management and Human Resource Management

Bachelor’s degree – Hotel Management, Travel and Tourism

Diploma – Hotel Management

Master of Commerce – Distance education

Supplementary qualifications

Advanced Diploma in Computer Applications
Human Resource Management certification from IBMI, Germany

Professional experience

Prior to joining academia, Dr. Raju worked in the international hospitality sector, gaining practical experience in hotel operations and service management.

Industry roles

Management Trainee – Grand Hotel, Mackinaw Island, USA
Food & Beverage Executive – Vail Resorts Corporation, Denver, USA
Restaurant Manager & Training Manager – Sterling Holidays Resorts, Goa
Assistant Manager (F&B Services) – Hilton Hotel, Singapore

Academic appointments

Junior Lecturer – Academy of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Dehradun
Senior Lecturer & Head of Department – Academy of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Dehradun
Assistant Professor & Head of Department – Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur
Associate Professor & Head of Department – Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur

Research output

Dr. Raju has contributed scholarly articles to academic journals indexed in Scopus, Elsevier, and UGC-CARE. His research areas include hospitality workforce management, tourism development, artificial intelligence applications in hotels, and sustainability practices.

Selected books

Tourism in India – Status, Challenges and Opportunities
Effect of Cultural Diversities in Business
Performance Evaluation Techniques in Hospitality and Tourism Management
Fibers and Fabrics: The Essentials for Beginners
FAILHA – Haar Se Janmi Jeet Ki Zidd

Academic engagement

Dr. Raju has participated in academic service as a visiting faculty member, external examiner, and member of statutory academic bodies at various universities across India.

Institutions include:

Awards

Rashtriya Gaurav Award – Education category (2021)
Head of Department of the Year – National recognition (2022)

Personal details

Dr. Raju is married to Pooja, who works as an Assistant Professor. He has two children. He uses Hindi and English in academic and professional communication.