Hospitality: In good times

The image of Jet Airways cabin crew, resplendent in their yellow uniforms, protesting a proposed layoff in 2008, is etched firmly in public memory. Though the airline pulled back that decision, pilots and crew industry-wide encountered pink slips in 2009. Those who kept their jobs saw salaries shrink by up to half.

Things have turned around this year and as more Indians fly again, hiring is back. Kingfisher Airlines is ranked first in the hospitality sector - an industry tracked for the first time in this year's BT survey. "Unlimited rebated tickets on our network for employees and their dependents, and buddytickets make for an industry first," says a Kingfisher spokesman. "This adds a significant cost but keeps our employees happy." And, attrition low.

Officials of the Taj Group of Hotels and Jet Airways did not want to be interviewed for this story.

-Kushan Mitra