Express Food and Hospitality (Vol.1 No.11) February, 2020

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Budget Barometer

A

nother Budget has come and gone.

With no surprises for the hospitality industry. Tourism is still not on the concurrent list nor has hospitality been given infrastructure status. As Gurbaxish Kohli, VP, FHRAI & president, HRAWI, said, “While the budget allocation of Rs 2500 crore for the tourism sector sounds like it may translate to spill-over benefits for the hospitality sector, we don’t have sufficient information about where or how the funds will be used.” There is no mention of a single-window process either, one that the industry has been asking for years. Chander Baljee, CMD, Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels, our man on the cover, has stated that “What we have at best is a single window which leads to multiple doors, which are closed.”

However, the best barometer to judge the Budget is whether it will lead to a revival of economic growth or not. In that sense it definitely has delivered the fiscal stimulus needed to push the economy onto the path of recovery.

As an industry, we have certainly benefitted from tech advancement. By using automation and

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY NATIONALFOOD,HOSPITALITY& BEVERAGE SALES WEST Datta K +91 9821580849 | datta.kandalkar@indianexpress.com

SOUTH Sreejith Radhakrishnan +91 88675 74257 | sreejith.radhakrishnan@expressindia.com

Sanjay Kumar +91 9711099079 | sanjay.kumar@expressindia.com

OPERATION AND SALES Satish Dange +91 9821876620 | satish.dange@indianexpress.com

EAST Debnarayan Dutta +919051150480 | debnarayan.dutta@expressindia.com

Ziyad Tungekar +91 9820512718 | ziyad.tungekar@expressindia.com

Ajanta Sen Gupta +919831182580 | Email: ajanta.sengupta@expressindia.com

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

February 2020

STEENA JOY Editor Express Food & Hospitality editor.efh@gmail.com

NORTH Prabhas Jha +91 9899707440 | prabhas.jha@expressindia.com

Satish Dange +91 9821876620 | satish.dange@indianexpress.com

Venkatesh Subramaniam +91 9892512644 | venkatesh.subramaniam@expressindia.com

4

“Another Budget has come and gone.With no surprises for the hospitality industry.

Tourism is still not on the concurrent list nor has hospitality been given infrastructure status”

AI, hotels can now start maximising their occupancy, increasing their ADRs (Average Daily Rates), and reducing their overheads, says Siddharth Goenka, founder, Aiosell Technologies in his article. Many hotels have put their distribution and reservation systems on the cloud. They are able to manage the entire customer lifecycle journey, thereby building an ecosystem where they know much more about their guests so as to deliver personalised experiences. We’re in a much more drive-by-wire environment, and hence growth is faster.

Even in Tier 2 cities like Amritsar, occupancies have shown an upward trajectory and hotels are increasingly making their footprints there, jostling for a share of the same pie. The overwhelming response to GICC Kolkata proves that everyone is open to healthy competition.

Looking forward to our flagship GICC Mumbai in March!

FOR PARTNERSHIPS,TIE-UPS,SPECIAL EVENTS Anishi Khetan +91 9930915221 | anishi.khetan@indianexpress.com

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CONTENTS CHEF'S PLATTER Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Sr. Vice President Neil Viegas Asst. Vice President Harit Mohanty Editor

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Steena Joy* Correspondent Akshay Nayak DESIGN Assistant Art Director Pravin Temble

HIGH SPIRITS

Chief Designer Prasad Tate Senior Designer Rekha Bisht Graphics Designer Gauri Deorukhkar Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Photo Editor Sandeep Patil DIGITAL TEAM Head of Internet

TODAY'S CHEFS ARE RECOGNISED , NOT JUST AS ARTISANS OF FOOD, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR SKILLS AS CULINARY AMBASSADORS: CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR

Designing experiential spaces Hotels and restaurants are reshaping the look,feel and appeal of their properties,using exterior and interior designs as one of the differentiating methods to create unique experiences.

Hospitalityspaces are moving from utilitarian functionalityto contemporaryaesthetics and experience driven developments engaging the senses.

(18-23)

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INDIA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST POTENTIAL EXPORT MARKETS FOR JIANGXIAOBAI PURE: ZOE FU

Viraj Mehta SCHEDULING & COORDINATION Arvind Mane

TECH BYTES

MARKETS

MARKETING / SALES Ziyad Tungekar Dattaram Kandalkar

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Satish Dange

INDUSTRY EXPERTS LAUD CENTRE'S DECISION TO BOOST INFRA AND TOURISM SECTOR IN UNION BUDGET FOR FY 2020-21

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IHM MUMBAI AND INDIA TOURISM OFFICE MUMBAI CELEBRATE CULTURAL PROGRAMME ON ODISHA

Venkatesh Subramaniam Sanjay Kumar

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Sreejith Radhakrishnan Ashish Damania PARTNERSHIPS, TIE-UPS Anishi Khetan

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THINK ABOUT WHERE THE MARKET IS HEADED, PREPARE FOR TOMORROW, AND MOVE FAST: CHANDER BALJEE

12

CANADIAN BRANDS NOW VENTURING INTO INDIA WILL SURELY TAP THE NICHE MARKETS: ANNIE DUBÉ

CIRCULATION Mohan Varadakar PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis Production Co-ordinator

IMPACT OF AUTOMATED REVENUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HOTELS

Express Food & Hospitality® REGD.WITH RNI NO. MAHENG/2019/78000, Printed and Published by Vaidehi Thakar on behalf of Global Fairs & Media Pvt Ltd and Printed at The Indian Express Press, Plot No.EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai-400710 and Published at Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021.

Editor: Steena Joy* (Editorial & Administrative Offices: Express Towers, 1st floor, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021) * Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act. Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in any manner, electronic or otherwise, in whole or in part, without prior written permission is prohibited.

Dhananjay Nidre

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

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February 2020

MARKET

Industry experts laud Centre's decision to boost infra and tourism sector in Union Budget for FY 2020-21

EF&H Staff Mumbai THE UNION BUDGET for FY2020-21 focused on three key themes - aspiring India, economic development and caring society. FM Nirmala Sitharaman presenting her second Budget focussed on the demand purview of the economy by relaxing income tax slabs, hence putting more money in the taxpayers' hands. Furthermore, she relaxed the long-trailing de-

6

mand of the travel and hospitality industry of inclusion in the budget by allocating Rs 2500 crore for the tourism sector for the current fiscal which gained a feeling of encouragement within the industry. Industry experts shared their views on the Budget. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI), said, "The Union Budget 2020-21 is a progressive document to ensure economic

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

February 2020

growth. Measures for enhancing investment climate, boosting transport infrastructure and education and push towards digitalisation will spur tourism and hospitality sector. The proposal to develop iconic sites with on-site museums is a welcome measure to boost tourism. Besides, the proposal to establish more airports and monetise 12 lots of highway bundles of 6,000 km by 2024 will lay the framework for enhancing the attractiveness of India as a

tourism destination. The proposal of earmarking a fund for cleaner air will ensure sustainable living."

Giving a mixed view, Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, VP, FHRAI & president, HRAWI, said, “This Union Budget, like the preceding Budget has neglected the hospitality industry.

While the budget allocation of Rs 2500 crore for the tourism sector sounds like it may translate to spill-over benefits for the hospitality sector, we don’t have sufficient informa-

tion about where or how the funds will be used. The increase in the number of Tejas type trains to iconic destinations has the potential to boost travel but alas is vague.

The construction of 100 airports is also an encouraging announcement but unless infrastructure is boosted nothing will take place. We have been expecting reforms in rate slabs of GST, Input Tax Credit (ITC) and a definitive step to boost the domestic and inbound traffic. It has

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MARKET been our long-pending demand to include tourism in the concurrent list which has not seen the light of the day, nor has hospitality been given infrastructure status. Unfortunately, none of the concerns of the industry has been addressed in this Budget."

Gaurav Dewan, COO and business head, Travel Food Services, said, ''The government's focus on development is clear and reinforced with the allocation of additional funds to the Airport, Railway, and the Highway sectors. This will boost business and leisure travel thereby generating employment, connectivity and overall economic development of catchment areas.With digitisation and infusion of positive funds in the economy, we look forward to rubber hitting the road in the days to come.''

Ravichandran Purushothaman, president, Danfoss India’s response to the Union Budget 2020, said, "The budget restores our confidence for agriculture and allied industries to increase their contribution to GDP in the coming days. With the expansion of NABARD refinance scheme and extension of Agri-credit to Rs 15 lakh crore, there definitely is a greater scope to address the industry’s challenges at a grassroot level. The ability of states to fuel infrastructure support in tandem with the push for increased cold chain infrastructure for agriculture, horticulture, dairy, and fisheries will be key to tackling the food loss in our country.

With efficient implementation, the Kisan Rail and Krishi Udaan schemes will be helpful in buckling down the overall cost within the farm-to-fork process, thereby driving profitability for farmers and reducing prices for consumers.

Additionally, the vision to double our milk capacity to 108 MT tonnes by 2025 and raise fish production to 2 lakh tonnes through FFPOs will help in building a new ecosystem of start-ups across the agri and allied sectors and thereby help create newer job

8

Announcement such as development of archaeological sites and world-class museums at five identified sites and allocation of Rs 2,500 crores for tourism promotion will not only further enhance the country’s ranking on the Tourism Competitive Index but will also generate huge employment opportunities opportunities in the nation.

Overall, the budget this year certainly brings in exciting times ahead as we look forward to great advancements in our rejuvenated ecosystem.” Preety Arora, head Business Strategy, Amatra Hotels & Resorts, commented, "Budget has given the Indian hospitality sector the requisite boost by its initiative of developing museums in five archaeological sites.

This would aid in creating the much needed social infrastructure around these locations and boost employment opportunities as well. New properties and resorts will come up in these locations and cater to these travellers.

Also, the allocation of Rs 2,500 crores for tourism promotion in this fiscal would abet in attracting domestic and international travellers to various locations in India.”

Jaideep, Ghosh, partner, Travel, Hospitality and Leisure, KPMG in India, pointed out, "Continued emphasis on infrastructure, energy, education, healthcare will boost the economy over the long term. National Infrastructure Pipeline projects worth US$14 trillion, if implemented on a timely basis, would be a game-changer.”

Roop Pratap Choudhary, MD, Noor Mahal, noted, “This budget is certainly a booster for the promotion of India’s heritage, tourism, and rich cultural diversity. This will provide flourishing ground for the hospitality sector. We wel-

EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

February 2020

come the move of the FM towards the creation of a robust infrastructure by announcing the development of more than 100 airports till the year 2025.

This will allow the new and offbeat destinations to emerge and grow at a faster rate. Announcing Rakhigarhi, Haryana amongst the five archaeological sites with on-site museums would also put Haryana now on the map of the international travellers. In the near future, we expect a more flexible and tolerant financial environment from the government to give small hospitality players to explore more growth avenues.”

Sonica Malhotra, joint MD, MBD Group, voiced, "It is a holistic budget which caters to all segments of the economy primarily education, health & women welfare, infrastructure & agriculture.

What is heartening to see is that the government has put a lot of emphasis to boost the tourism sector. Announcement such as development of archaeological sites and world-class museums at five identified sites and allocation of Rs 2,500 crores for tourism promotion will not only further enhance the country’s ranking on the Tourism Competitive Index but will also generate huge employment opportunities.”

Ankur Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group also had a mixed reaction. “The decision to develop five more archaeological sites will surely increase both international

and domestic tourist inflow.

The number could have been much more than just five, considering the wide array of decrepit historical sites in the country crying for development. While we welcome these development-oriented announcements, the hospitality industry was also expecting a full-blown infrastructure status for the hotel sector and further rationalisation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on hotel rooms.

Infrastructure status for the hotel industry can alleviate the funding woes the sector is currently staring at, as liquidity with the mid-sized hotel players has almost dried up. In the absence of seamless debt flow, equity alone will not suffice," he said.

Sarbendra Sarkar, founder & MD, Cygnett Hotels and Resorts, opined that the government's push for infrastructure development by building more airports and announcement of new Tejas-like trains will boost tourism outside the main centers. "This, in turn, will have a positive impact on the hotel sector. We are building hotels in many new locations and with this kind of infrastructure development, we will surely be a gainer," he said.

JB Singh, president and CEO, InterGlobe Hotels, noted, “With Rs 1.7 lakh crore being allotted for transport infrastructure in terms of expansion of highways, new Tejas trains and 100 more airports getting announced, we expect

seamless travel between tier II and urban cities. The initiatives to develop 5 new smart cities, as well as building archaeological sites with on-site museums, will open new avenues and experiences for visitors and boost travel.”

Arjun Raj Kher, brand head, Hitchki and Bayroute said, "There has definitely been an increase in the budget allocation for the Tourism and Hospitality industry, from Rs 1416 cr in FY19 to Rs 2500 cr this fiscal year, but since this is one of the fastest growing industry, there could have been a better announcement.

Some positive changes have also been announced such as concession in corporate tax rate, which will be beneficial, help us to remain competitive in the market and also help create maximum employment. A proper budget has also been set aside for food processing sector, which will boost the rural economy."

Rahul Chaudhary, CEO & MD, CG Hospitality & CG Corp Global said, “The tourism industry's proposed Budget allocation of Rs 2,500 crore for the financial year 2020-21 is very encouraging.

With the growth of tourism comes the creation of jobs.

While the tourism sector contributes almost 10 per cent of India GDP, expected to create employment growth of 10 per cent annually. State governments have been given more incentives to promote infrastructure and heritage sites through the UDAN and Tejas schemes which will further link less travelled locations which have the potential to become very attractive circuits. Most importantly, the new personal income tax regime would put higher disposable incomes in the hands of the individuals which would certainly also go into the tourism sector. After all, India's growth story will always be linked to the rise of the Middle class and subsequently the mid-market segments where the potential of growth is highest.”

MARKET

IHM Mumbai and India Tourism Office Mumbai celebrate cultural programme on Odisha

By Akshay Nayak Mumbai THE TEMPLE of hotel management in India – IHMCTAN Mumbai in association with India Tourism Office Mumbai and IHM Bhubaneswar organised a cultural programme at the IHM Mumbai Campus to promote the Ministry of Tourism’s initiative – Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

Speaking at the occasion, Arun Singh, principal, IHM Mumbai, said, “With the Government of India – Ministry of

Tourism’s initiative ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’, it has paired the many states of the country to come together for a cultural exchange programme. Likewise, Maharashtra is paired with Odisha. As part of the initiative, over a 5-day course, 10 students and two faculty members of IHM Bhubaneswar were visiting Maharashtra. IHM Mumbai welcomed them to the campus and also hosted a cultural programme on the second day of their visit, to showcase the dance and culinary excellence of

Odisha. India Tourism Office Mumbai has also organised a

tour programme over the remaining three days for the stu-

dents to showcase to them the cultural heritage sites in Mumbai and vicinity. We strive to be in line with the government of India’s vision to strengthen domestic tourism with many such initiatives.”

Citing examples of the increasing popularity of Jaisalmer and Jodhpur in Rajasthan as tourism attractions for their food and hospitable culture, Singh added, “We have to realise the potential of our destinations across the country and promote them accordingly.”

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EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY

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February 2020

EXPRESS EXCLUSIVE

'THINKABOUTWHERE THE MARKETIS HEADED, PREPARE FOR TOMORROW,AND MOVE FAST' Chander Baljee, CMD, Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels is a veteran hospitality thought leader and an expert on owned, leased, managed and franchised hotel models. His success story features in a book titled ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’ which follows the professional journey of 25 IIM Ahmedabad entrepreneurs. In an exclusive interview with Steena Joy, he elucidates on the changing hospitality landscape, the demand for industry status and advises hoteliers to boldly venture into newer segments, try new niches and create new experiences

10 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

EXPRESS EXCLUSIVE You started Royal Orchid in 2001. How has the hospitality industry in India changed over the last two decades?

We have come a long way.

The early years; 2001 to 2003 were years of struggle. The five years between 2003 and 2008 is actually when the economy boomed, only to realise there was a shortage of accommodation options. Investors at that time naturally turned bullish and desirous; everyone had a plan to operate 100 hotels.

Growth, however, comes with its own challenges. The industry battled funding, investment and licensing issues. It was normal for the process to take 3-4 years before a hotel could open and many hotel projects got delayed because of this. In 2008 recession hit the market. The economy was in a limbo, and ironically, by now, there was an abundance of hotel inventory.

The downturn continued for 10 years - it was the biggest slowdown we have seen.

Over the last few years, growth in technology, financial services and manufacturing sector has led to high demand for rooms and hotels have started doing well. A lot of new players have entered the market. So much of unorganised inventory is now available for booking and all of this has been enabled by technology. Look at the enormous and fast growth of Oyo, Fabhotels and Treebo.

OTAs have been enablers of monumental growth. We see thousands of small hotels now being able to list themselves and get bookings online. People have started converting houses into guesthouses, which goes to show that the demand is healthy. Also, an increase in disposable income, new airports, better road and rail connectivity has led to an increase in demand for hotels.

As an industry, we have certainly benefitted from tech advancement. Our distribution and reservation systems are now on the cloud. We’re able to manage the entire customer lifecycle journey, thereby building an ecosystem where we know much more about our guests so we’re able to deliver personalised experiences. I re-

member the days when it was difficult to manage individual hotels, and we’re certainly much stronger today when it comes to revenue and operations management across our portfolio. We use multiple technology platforms that give us real-time analytics and insights into business on-ground, enabling us to create better value for our asset owners and investors in terms of occupancy, ARRs and GOP. We’re today actively exploring AI systems, automating most of what happens in the front and back-of-the-house, at least in terms of forecasts and planning. We’ve got platforms where marketing is automated and we’re able to deliver brandstandard collateral and campaigns for our hotels located in various locations across India.

We measure our hotels’ performance everyday and we continue to optimise operations everyday - and this, is the key.

Social media has certainly brought about a strong change in how we engage with our guests and with the community.

Our reach today is much stronger and we’re able to tap into newer source markets, with much more interesting and engaging content. Two-way conversation across channels is now a norm, and something we did not have till a few years ago.

Our feedback systems are much more robust now and we can capture our guests’ experience pretty much on-the-go today. We’re in a much more drive-by-wire environment, and hence growth is faster.

What we're seeing in F&B is that the younger generation, the millennials today, are much more open to new experiences, new concepts and cuisines. We operate 110+ F&B outlets and we keep trying to create new experiences. Guests today need multiple options, and this leads to new trends coming about every few years. Guests today prefer casual dining to formal dining. First it was draft beer, then came breweries, then molecular cuisine and now vegan; we have a large number of guests now opting for better, healthier ingredients, which also leads to more compassion-

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ate eating habits. Owing to all of the above, standalone restaurants have also grown in numbers and earned their fair share of recognition.

Do you think the GST was a move in the right direction?

How has it impacted the business?

GST started with the market panicking initially, I think lack of understanding led to confusion; it was a monumental move that affected every single person. It has though, moved in the right direction now. The recent reduction in GST for F&B and banquets to five per cent has given the industry much required relief, banqueting has definitely picked up since the new rates have come into effect.

How has India evolved as a hotel investment destination?

Well, setting up and operating a hotel in India is still not devoid of challenges. Multiple, sequential approvals make it a mammoth task. There is no single-window process, one that the industry has been asking for years.

What we have at best is a single window which leads to multiple doors, which are closed. It is a cumbersome task to get land with a clear title, clearances from multiple departments, and fulfilling statutory requirements. India has huge potential as a hotel investment destination but it is not easy being an investor in India.

Is the industry mature enough to get industry status?

We have been in talks for so many years. We've been struggling to get the benefits that are enjoyed by other industries.

Electricity for example; hotels have to pay commercial rates while industries get subsidised rates. The same is the case with finance interest rates. There is a huge disparity in what hoteliers pay as interest vs what other industries pay. To truly elevate hospitality as an industry, the government must provide longer term loans at lower interest rates. There’s much left to desire but we’re hopeful.

What is the vision for your hotel chain? Any international plans?

Yes, we are looking at neighbouring countries for expansion. Our aim is to operate 100 hotels by March 2022. We're now investing in wildlife, spiritual, and leisure destinations, while continuing expansion in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. People today wish to travel much farther, more often, and experience much more. They look for curated experiences and personalised service. People like to escape the rigmarole of stressful daily lives, detox and rejuvenate often. They look for holistic experiences and spend more time with their loved ones, which is why we see a higher number of people booking staycations, weekend-escapes and spa or yoga packages. We currently operate in 37 locations across India and plan to reach 55 in the years to come.

International vs homegrown brands in India....is there enough market for both?

Yes, in case of five-star hotels; where the market is international, foreign brands do enjoy an advantage because of brand recognition and strong loyalty programmes. In cases where the market is primarily Indian, there is no real advan-

tage. I don’t also see much benefit in tying up with a foreign brand because of high fees. Indian hotel chains offer better value and enjoy better connect with local owners. While international brands bask in the glory of the brand, we perhaps deliver local-market suited, tailormade, value driven, faster breakeven business models leading to better partnership experiences for asset owners.

We operate regional sales offices, very closely track performance and ROI, and run tactical campaigns.

What is your advice for aspiring hoteliers?

Think about where the market is headed, prepare for tomorrow and move fast. I often tell my team, "Bring new ideas, venture into newer segments, try new niches and create new experiences. Build spaces that will be enjoyed by millennials.

Keep your investment low; don't get swayed by fancy embellishments. Work with your end-customer in mind. The bottom line is scalable and sustainable growth. Work with rigor and hustle hard. Don’t be lazy and never have a passive approach to operations onground; you may be able to hire very talented people, but don’t work from a distance, immerse yourself and dive deep. Never forget to give back to the community and enable the ones who lack opportunities.”

We run employment-linked skill development courses conducted by the Presidency College of Hotel Management where we train people and make them employable for the hotel industry. These are longterm as well as short courses conducted through Skill Development Centers with online modules from AHLEI. We operate 10 centers and we have skilled 5,000+ aspirants.

Under the Baljee Foundation, we sponsor school fees for many of our staff’s children and we contribute to the underprivileged in Shimla. We have been working with the Association of Physically Disabled (APD) to train their candidates for the hospitality sector.

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February 2020

MARKET

'CANADIAN BRANDS NOWVENTURING INTO INDIAWILL SURELYTAPTHE NICHE MARKETS' In an exclusive interview with Steena Joy, Annie Dubé, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai, elucidates about the trade between Indo-Canadian agri businesses and why India holds great promise for Canadian food companies How has the trade in agriculture and food products grown between Canada and India?

Agriculture and food processing are key components of the Canadian economy and of Canada’s international trade portfolio. As the world’s fastest-growing major economy, India offers tremendous opportunities for Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs. We have been key supplier of India's agricultural imports, including pulses and potash.

Cold chain management, animal husbandry, dryland farming, food processing technologies and agricultural sustainability are priority areas for bilateral cooperation.

In 2018, the two-way trade of goods between Canada and India totalled more than US$ 9.4 billion. Agrifood trade figures, which used to account for nearly a third of Canada's exports to India, are down a little due to regulatory challenges on the pulses file. India remains focused on food security and marketing initiatives such as “nutritional security,” which is a tagline used to increase health-conscious product consumption. This offers high opportunities for Canadian companies looking to enter the Indian market.

The hospitality sector also offers many high-value opportunities for Canadian companies to provide niche products for consumption, including meat products, canola oil, seafood, healthy snack foods, ice wine, frozen fruit, maple syrup and health products. From a commer-

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cial perspective, agricultural equipment, machinery, storage (including cold storage), and bulk handling or processing machinery are all examples of high-demand technologies. Training in fields such as herd management, veterinary practices, genetics, breeding, and animal and plant husbandry practices that reduce endemic spoilage are also deemed of value by the Indian market.

As they say “Countries don’t trade, firms and people within countries do”. Canada and India have strong social ties, aided by Canada’s large Indian diaspora; they have a common language for business, similar legal frameworks and democratic political institutions. What we are trying to do is trying to foster an environment that allows Canadian firms to engage in Indian market and take advantage of the opportunities it presents. We have eight missions in India at which trade commissioners are working to provide Canadian companies with on-theground intelligence on agri food file and practical business advice about doing business in India.

While maple syrup is synonymous with Canada in India, which other Canadian agri products have great potential for the India market?

Apart from iconic maple syrup, several niche categories from Canada have been growing organically in Indian market.

One such category is edible oil where Canada offers canola oil to global markets.

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Annie Dubé

India is the world’s biggest importer of vegetable oils, buying nearly US$ 10 billion worth a year; currently palm oil accounts for two-thirds of India’s vegetable oil imports.

However, people are becoming more and more health conscious. Canola oil is one of the best oils for heart health. Made from crushed canola seeds, it has less saturated fat than any other oil commonly used in Indian households. In addition, its light flavour, high smoke point, and smooth texture, makes it the most versatile cooking oil and an ideal fit in Indian kitchens. Canola is growing organically in India with a stable sales growth year on year.

Canadian berries have gained the reputation of a wonderful superfood in India in the last few years. If you walk around the supermarket fruit aisle, you will find several varieties of imported berries from Canada like the

blueberries, cranberries that have had everyone talking.

We also see a huge potential for fresh Canadian cherries in India.

Another big file for us in India has to do with pulses.

Canada is a world leader in the production of pulses and is a trusted trading partner for India. Canadian lentils, peas, chickpeas and dry beans are known for their excellent quality throughout the world. There are significant opportunities for Indian companies to partner with Canadian industry and pulse processors to address India's growing demand for protein from vegetable sources. In the not too distant past, Canada was fulfilling almost 40 per cent of the total Indian pulses consumption. Despite present regulatory challenges, imports of lentils from Canada are still at their peak. Oats is another category which can be seen growing leaps and bounds along with other breakfast cereals.

Changing food habits in India are driven by convenience, growing concerns on health and awareness on food safety. They are leading to a demand for new and innovative products on the shelf and this presents a great opportunity for the Canadian food processing industry.

What strategy does Canada have for the HoReCa sector in India?

What promotional campaigns are in the pipeline for developing this market?

We fully understand that

for imported food categories, HoReCa is an important distribution channel. It has a huge potential. Mumbai alone has more than 88,000 restaurants and most importantly, unlike modern retail, food service market has already grown beyond the top eight cities in India. In fact it outnumbers the mom and pop stores in India. According to a recent report, the HoReCa segment accounts for nearly 1.3 crore organisations against 1.2 crore kirana stores across the country.

That led us to start looking beyond retail distribution channel for Canadian agribusinesses.

Understanding the requirements of this segment makes our approach toward them convenient.

Through our all India network of Trade commissioners, we are adopting a variety of approaches like participation in networking and trading platforms like SIAL, AAHAR, Food and Grocery forum, etc. to help stakeholders explore business to business opportunities. We are also building relationships with top chefs at big hotels and providing them with the required assortments, backed by our Canadian suppliers. At the same time, we are also proactively reaching out to food industry suppliers, distributors and importers with Canadian agrifood capabilities so that any possible opportunities of collaboration could be tapped upon.

Canada is delighted to be partnering with the Indian Express Group for their upcoming edition of Great In-

MARKET dian Culinary Challenge (GICC) in Kolkata and Mumbai, to showcase Canadian blueberries and maple syrup.

To team up with platforms like these, we want to generate more awareness and engagement in the Hotel, Restaurants and Institutional (HRI) segment and the chef community.

Is India a mature market for Canadian ice wines?

Creating awareness about Indian food pairings with ice wines?

Wine is still quite a young category in India, with corresponding niche consumer demand. However, wine consumption is picking up due to rising income levels in major cities. With the Canadian ice wines, the pricing is slightly on the higher end and it is still catching up with current market demand and awareness.

In order to create more awareness, we are planning to enhance our engagement with on-trade channels,

restaurants and five-star hotels this year by organising curated wine tasting events.

Ice wine is really sweet and fruity, naturally acidic, and that’s the reason why it makes for a really good food match with the Indian sweet tooth. Through these small but targeted events, we will not only disseminate knowledge about ice wine, but also bring Indo-Canadian fusion cuisines that pair best with ice wine.

Rather than going down the retail route, we believe these distribution channels will be important for ice wine distribution in value terms, with consumption by the glass being the preferred option. The on-trade channels can play an important role in exposing consumers to ice wines, as the range of products on offer through such channels is often wider than that through smaller independent off-trade outlets.

Your insights on tapping the Tier 1 and Tier 2

markets in India?

Imports of consumer-oriented foods, are among the fastest growing segments of imported agricultural products in India and reached $5.3 billion in 2018, even though India remains a complex market to navigate. Indian retail has evolved over the years, modern retail formats are gaining popularity across metro cities in India.

However, traditional retail still dominates food, grocery and allied products sector, with grocery and staples largely sourced from the “Kiranas” and pushcart vendors. This is especially true if you move beyond metros in India.

In recent years, E-commerce has played a significant role in bringing luxury to the forefront. The Indian gourmet food market, which had earlier been restricted to consumers in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai for years, is now witnessing a change in its consumer base – the well-travelled and in-

formed Indian middle class.

In the past few years Tier II cities have come up as important marketplaces - these include Nagpur, Indore, Chandigarh, Thane, Jaipur, Surat and Vadodara among others. Significant factors that have increased consumption in these markets are the growing market access through the internet and the rise of food delivery apps. It was fascinating to learn that in 2019 alone, Swiggy and Zomato have launched operations in 185 towns and 300 cities. These factors are greatly contributing and altering purchasing habits in these locations.

With frequent international travel and media awareness, more and more people are becoming brand conscious and want to consume the best of global brands. The rising aspirational class has definitely added to the numbers of consumers in these cities.

This has created excellent

avenue for Canadian brands as E-commerce model is an ideal fit for Canadian agrifood companies. It presents quick access to the Indian market and the right audiences. All E-commerce companies are eager for imported fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and grocery listings. There a lot of headroom for growth for Canadian agribusinesses in this segment. By partnering with a distributor, most of the business risks are averted for the Canadian companies and they gain access to established marketing and distribution setups all leading to speedier execution.

Canadian brands now venturing into India will surely tap the niche markets and leverage their set of opportunities in the smaller, but full of potential, interior markets.

We certainly hope there will be greater #AppetiteForFusion and for Canadian products!

British Columbia Blueberry Council joins hands with GICC Kolkata BRITISH COLUMBIA (BC), Canada’s westernmost province, is one of the largest highbush blueberry growing regions in the world, making blueberries Canada’s number one small fruit export. BC’s pure waters, clean air, rich soils and moderate climate create perfect growing conditions for blueberries. From July through until September, BC’s blueberry fields burst with vitality, turning warm sunshine and pure BC water into some of the best berries in the known universe. Every berry grown and harvested in BC brings natural energy and superfood health to recipes, tables, kitchens and berry snackers.

Apart from its richness in essential vitamins and minerals, researchers who ranked the antioxidant potential of 40 fresh fruits and vegetables found blueberries at the top of the list, thus earning the nickname, ‘#1 superfood.’ Canadian blueberries are delicious in pancakes, pies, tarts,

muffins, sauces and cakes, but they are amazingly versatile in other dishes as well. Their fresh, natural flavour enhances the taste of any

savoury dish and chefs can combine them with almost any other fruit or berry to make a delectable dessert. The British Columbia Blueberry Council represents more than 600 growers of premium quality highbush blueberries, producing an average of 150 million lbs annually.

British Columbia Blueberry Council was the ingredient partner for Kolkata edition of Express Food & Hospitality’s Great Indian Culinary Challenge (GICC) Live Series - India’s leading culinary challenge for professional and student chefs, held in January 2020 at the NIPS Hotel Management in Kolkata.

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ITC Hotels wins in the Professional Category at The Great Indian Culinary Challenge (GICC) Kolkata

EF&H Staff Mumbai AFTER HOLDING successful Dehradun and Pune editions, the Great Indian Culinary Challenge (GICC) – India’s most coveted culinary challenge for professional and student chefs concluded at NIPS Hotel Management institute in Kolkata today.

The day-long live competition witnessed participation from over 100 culinary enthusiasts who presented their talent. The competition was declared open for professionals as well as hospitality management college students who undertook live cooking in International and Regional cuisine categories.

Some of the participants represented reputed hotel and foodservice brands including ITC Sonar & ITC Royal Bengal, The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata, Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass, Ramada by Wyndham Kolkata, Swissotel Kolkata, Holiday Inn

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Kolkata, Howard Johnson by Wyndham Kolkata, Lemon Tree Premier Kolkata, Jameson Inn Shiraz, Blue Nile, Sanjha Chulha, The Awadh Restaurant, Hotel Kempton, among others.

The Great Indian Culinary Challenge is an initiative by Express Food and Hospitality to showcase Indian culinary talent.

The platform has been curated

by Chef Michael Swamy, LCB alumni, author and food designer and Chef Gautam Chaudhary entrepreneur, Demiurgic Hospitality. The jury panel for the GICC Kolkata edition included Chef Vivek Kalia, executive chef, The Westin Kolkata; Chef Joseph Uttam Gomes, deputy director, NIPS Hotel Management; Doma Wang, chef owner, Thember Restaurants, Kolkata; Kaniska Chakraborty, travel & food enthusiast; Urvika Kanoi, chef owner, The Daily Cafe, Kolkata and Sneha Singhi, chef owner - Paris Cafe, Le Studio, Kolkata.

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The event was inagurated in the esteemed presence of Michael Hawkins, counsellor (Agriculture & Agrifood) and senior trade commissioner, High Commission of Canada; Vivek Pathak, group MD, NIPS Group; Nisheeth Srivastava, principal, IHM Kolkata and Xavier Gomes, principal, Guru Nanak Institute of Hotel Management, Kolkata.

On the sidelines of the live competition, the jury panel held several Masterclasses with the ingredients - Canadian maple syrup, blueberries by British Columbia Blueberry Council and coconut milk by Nestlé Professional. The other masterclasses were on North East Indian cuisine and travel & food writing.

Canada was the Country Partner for the GICC Kolkata edition while British Columbia Blueberry Council and Nestlé Professional were the Ingredient Partners for the competition.

NIPS Hotel Management institute was the Venue Partner.

THE WINNERS ACROSS THE FOUR CATEGORIES Live Cooking (International Cuisine) for Professionals: Gold – Rohit Pal, ITC Royal Bengal Silver – Manish Choudhary, Swissotel Kolkata Bronze – Kamal Bahadur,The LaLiT Great Eastern Kolkata Live Cooking (International Cuisine) for Students: Gold – Indrani Nandi, Guru Nanak Institute of Hotel Management Silver – Bharti Kumari, NIPS Hotel Management Bronze – Kushal Halder, NIPS Hotel Management Live Cooking (Regional Cuisine) for Professionals: Gold – Gouse Alam, ITC Sonar Silver – Sukanya Chatterjee,Vivanta Kolkata EM Bypass Bronze – MD Maqsood, Sanjha Chulha Live Cooking (Regional Cuisine) for Students: Gold – Souvik Roy, Global Group of Institutions, Haldia Silver – Ushasi Roychoudhury, NIPS Hotel Management Bronze – Shanu Mali, Institute of Hotel & Restaurant Management (IHRM)

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'OUR STRATEGYWILLREMAIN FOCUSED ON DEVELOPMENTOFEXISTING LAND BANKS' Vijay Dewan, MD, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels speaks to Akshay Nayak about the markets the hotel chain is focussing on and how the immersive and ‘Anything But Ordinary’ experiences are an important part of the brand's DNA How has the hospitality industry in India been for Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels (ASPHL)?

The Indian tourism industry is one of the key drivers of growth among the services sector in India. It supports twice as many jobs as the financial sector and is the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country. The disruptions caused by demonetisation, GST and IBC implementation and the NBFC crisis are now all behind us. Sustained upcycle should begin hereon for the Indian economy. We expect double digit growth over the next three to five years in both the aviation and hotel sector.

We are a leading hospitality company with a diversified portfolio of owned and managed hotels that are strategically located across India. Presently we run three distinct hotel brands that are unified under our vision of “Leadership through Differentiation”. THE Park is our flagship brand with established leadership in the business of luxury boutique hotels. THE Park Collection encompasses small luxury properties located in unique travel destinations delivering personalised guest experiences. Zone by The Park is positioned at the upper midscale level and offers contemporary global experiences for the design conscious and price conscious customers.

We are poised for sustained growth in the years ahead.

Which markets are you focussing on for further development?

We launched Zone by The Park in 2014 with an aim to cater to the growing demand of ‘design- conscious, priceconscious’ Indian and international travellers in tier-II, tier-III markets. We already have made a strong presence in these markets through Zone by The Park in the last five years. We have 11 operational hotels and 12 properties already signed and at various stages of developments under this brand. We are furthering our foothold by opening up hotels in cities like Dimapur, Gopalpur, Nagaland, Amritsar, Srinagar, Tirupati, Vijaywada, Surat and Goa. Zone by The Park continues to progress as the social hotspot. Also, India is poised to be the next big destination for globally attracting MICE driven-tourism.

The country’s stable government, implementation of infrastructure development measures integrated with our rich and historical culture, makes it a sought-after destination for MICE business travellers.

How are you catering to FTAs and domestic travellers looking for bespoke design and luxury and experiences?

Design element has been one of THE Park’s greatest strengths, with each hotel reflecting the city it is set in.

Our property in Hyderabad draws inspiration from the settings and metal work in the Nizam’s jewellery collec-

Vijay Dewan

tion which the property also reflects. Similarly, when we opened our Bengaluru property, there was a tech boom happening, so we played with a lot of colour. Chennai’s property was set where the old Gemini film studio once stood, and the design reflects that.

We are of the firm belief that location drives the art and design. This way, we want to bring a bit of the locations culture to our guests who come to stay with us. All the hotels lay a very strong emphasis on contemporary design in their private and public spaces. Style and luxury enhance everything, from the paintings, furniture and accessories to the award-winning dining and entertainment concepts.

This is what sets us apart and with local culture of the city in our hotels, we have been witnessing a year-onyear surge in demand both

from national and domestic travellers whether they are looking for staycations, events or premium hotel services. At THE Park, we ensure our guests are provided with immersive and ‘Anything But Ordinary’ experiences with an aim to connect with our customers.

We have also seen a rise in demand for affordable accommodations from business and leisure travellers.

Our brand Zone by The Park caters to design conscious and price conscious travellers. With relaxed, un-boxy spaces, a happening bar, restaurant and buzzing nightlife, it is a place where people can make new connections, refresh and recharge themselves.

The hotel design seeks to establish a connection between the traveller and the local culture by creating a contemporary collage of the country and its’ traditions.

The public areas are inspired by the traditional market bazaar - a place where people meet and engage in a friendly and informal atmosphere. The idea is to make our hotels the starting point to enjoy the city going beyond just a superior room and service experience to become a hub of social interactivity for the modern national and international travellers. We have recently renovated the room interiors of our hotels in Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

What are your expectations from the government for the hospitality industry

to thrive?

The purpose of GST was one nation one tax. At a maximum, we should have two slabs of GST eight per cent and 15 per cent and an additional tax category for the negative list. Lower taxes will lead to higher compliance and higher revenue collection. Both aviation fuel and liquor should be brought under GST. There is a need to grant infrastructure status to all hotel projects upto Rs 100 cr and hotel projects should be allowed five FSI in all metros to make them more viable. Zero duty concession for import should be restored to 10 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. Infrastructure needs to substantially improve at all tourist and leisure destinations.

Roadmap ahead for Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels.

Our development pipeline includes expansion at Visakhapatnam by 100 rooms and at Navi Mumbai by 80 rooms. A new 200 room luxury hotel is planned at Pune on our existing land parcel to be ready by October 2021. Our strategy will remain focused on development of existing land banks and on strategic allocation of capital to ensure our projects give above market IRR. Under our asset high model we plan to add another 1032 rooms over the next years.

Overall 1500 rooms will be added in the next three years. This should ensure our dominance in the market.

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Designing experiential spaces Hotels and restaurants are reshaping the look, feel and appeal of their properties, using exterior and interior designs as one of the differentiating methods to create unique experiences. Hospitality spaces are moving from utilitarian functionality to contemporary aesthetics and experience driven developments engaging the senses. By Akshay Nayak

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the main focus

“With the world getting smaller by the day, hotels have become much sleeker and smarter” PREM NATH Principal architect, Prem Nath & Associates

H

istorically, the development of lodging areas and facilities has mostly been driven by their physical locations, such as at major business/trading hubs, travel ports and tourist centres (railway stations, etc), or in locations lending themselves to defense, such as forts or castles. Today, while property location continues to be a key consideration, ho-

tel design has moved from utilitarian functionality to contemporary aesthetics and experience driven developments engaging the senses.

The hospitality industry has evolved from a basic amenity to a customised individual experience platform where each hotel and restaurant strives to provide a unique experience to its patrons. Indians are travelling internationally and the global ex-

perience and exposure has influenced their palettes and sense of style, design and aesthetics immensely. The internet has also opened up doors to learn about different countries and cultures.

Due to increase in alternate accommodation bookings through a variety of digital platforms, hotels face a fierce competition to win customer demand. With a stronger focus on their overall experience, hotel

guests today have higher expectations and the ever-evolving landscape of travellers have brought about a slew of changes within the hospitality industry. It is now becoming evident that hotels are reshaping the look, feel and appeal of their properties, using exterior and interior designs as one of their differentiating methods to create unique experiences. Likewise, restaurants are now designed to give a

“The very notion of ‘luxury’has changed in the last decade, becoming highly experience driven as opposed to comfort and functionality” SONALI RASTOGI Founding partner, Morphogenesis

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“Spaces must provide authentic as well as layered experiences” ASHA SAIRAM Design principal, Studio Lotus

“Millennials look for that “something more” factor, so designers have to rethink a restaurant’s cosmetics” SUMESSH MENON Owner, Sumessh Menon Associates

wholesome experience to the diner. The concept is ingrained right from the signage of the space to the upholstery, lights and menus. Spaces are designed based on trends, sustainability and international standards.

Agreeing to the notion of changing sentiments in hotel designs, Prem Nath, principal architect, Prem Nath & Associates feels change is the only constant. Evolution is a continuous process and Indian hospitality industry is no different from its global counterpart. “With the world getting smaller by the day, hotels have become much sleeker and smarter; the definition of space has got more defined and the specifications and finishes have undergone a lot of refinement. Modern problems have got modern solutions with things getting more and more digital by the day; with increased security and safety issues, hotel designs have evolved with respect to the access controls, surveillance, etc. - so has automation within the rooms evolved from curtains to mood lighting; to sum it up, the said ‘evolution’ is fast and for the good,” he adds.

Today, design is constantly evolving based on the demand,

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space, functionality, luxury and location. Sonali Rastogi, founding partner, Morphogenesis, points out, “For instance, the design of suites, public spaces and the very notion of ‘luxury’ has changed in the last decade itself.

It is now becoming highly experience driven as opposed to comfort and functionality. There has been a shift from air-conditioned rooms with comfortable furniture to one where the ‘space’ itself lends to luxury.”

Drawing a cue from Rastogi’s ‘experiential element’ point, Asha Sairam, design principal, Studio Lotus, notes that the primary shift has been one of experience - the modern Indian patron is no longer looking for a hospitality experience that superficially mimics the west, or fulfils a singular recreational brief. “Spaces must provide authentic as well as layered experiences that cater to their target demographic’s aesthetic sensibilities as well as functional expectations. Successful hospitality properties are able to complement their patron’s lifestyle, which is enabled largely through design - such as in the case of business hotels, that prioritise facilitation of remote

working and a life on the go over the typical fixtures of a hotel property,” she said.

The restaurant sector across the country is also undergoing a facelift, with more of experiential dining spaces mushrooming in not just the metros but also in the B cities. Interior designer Sumessh Menon, owner, Sumessh Menon Associates, who has designed several theme-based dining outlets in India, reasons it is because of the new generation of customers, widely known as ‘millennials’.

“They are always looking for that “something more” factor when it comes to dining out, which has in turn compelled interior designers to rethink a restaurant’s cosmetics. Large groups, unusual meal times, healthy food options, unique ambience and the opportunity for self-expression are all part of the dining experience for this generation. As designers, it is very important to consider these aspects while planning the design of the restaurant. Today restaurants are so much more than just about food. They are more of an opportunity for social experiences and exploration. The ambience matters, the comfort level

and seating styles matter, hygienic facilities matter and even the unique services matter. As per the current trends, the millennial generation prefers large groups and so communal tables with unique seating styles become an instant hit. High energy bars always pull a crowd and in the case of this generation a crowd pulls in more of a crowd,” he points out.

“Exotic cuisines, traditional cuisines and fusion food; each evoking a different experience have started defining the design strategy of the industry. This has led to customisation of architecture that briefs the cuisine and enhances not only the dining experience but also the narration of story behind the cuisine,” observe Rakhee Bedi and Shobhit Kumar, founding directors, RSDA.

Cosmetic turnaround The challenge Though many facelifted structures of hotels and restaurants in India - a developing country for long, are sure head turners, there are many factors which have arrested or made the process of creating unique designs cumbersome. As Prem

COVER STORY Nath notes, “The world is shrinking and horizon-land is at the diminishing end, lesser space is left for greenfield projects, due to which architects and designers are tasked with turning around an existing property to one that reverberates with charm and awe.”

Agreeing with this view, Klaus Kienzler, studio head design service, Hyatt India, believes that though it is always easier to design a hotel from ground up, that isn’t always possible. With limited real estate availability, one has to often settle for giving an existing property a facelift. This is the biggest challenge hoteliers face in designing a modern day hotel - devising the building approach towards an existing structure. Turning old assets into something new, up to date with technology, and to the liking of the evolving mind-set of the traveller continues to remain an exacting albeit interesting task.

“We at Hyatt believe that building a modern design from a brownfield structure doesn’t mean compromising creativity, newness and ideation. At the same time, the process doesn’t have to undermine the previously built structure. We are always looking forward to collaborating with designers who can appreciate what was built, and at the same time, could assist us

Architects and designers are tasked with turning around an existing property to one that reverberates with charm and awe in evolving a brownfield project into a new work of art, one that is with the times and representative of the creativity and aesthetic each Hyatt brand stands for,” Kienzler adds.

On the similar lines, Amit Aurora and Rahul Bansal, partners, Group DCA see brownfield projects to be symbolic of the complementary architectural dialogue of past and present.

“While historical hospitality environments revolved around shelter and food as resting centers for pilgrimage, the present hospitality paradigm aims to develop an experience that encourages conversation and mindfulness of the outdoor and indoor activities as well as of the visitors and the staff. Such projects promote urban strengthening and encourages revival efforts. However, while designing, the existing elements can be an opportunity or a challenge. The possibility of technology serving mankind to rekindle the lost

shine of our old buildings is a budding promise, but can pose to be a challenge for traditional hospitality architecture in India,” they feel.

According to Deepika Arora, founder, Rosakue and advisor South Asia, Dusit International, with all building types, challenges in designing modern-day hotels or restaurants lie in making the development sustainable and profitable.

In the Indian hospitality scenario, the increased presence of international brands across segments has led to experimentation over the years with the investment/product profile, i.e. smaller room sizes, limited F&B profiles (from fine dining restaurants to QSR set ups), etc. Hotel projects are mostly invariably budget driven with an objective of achieving a fine balance between the vision, budget, timescale, existing building condition and market factors. “The challenge of turning around a

brownfield project therefore is taking traditional cost drivers and investment/design parameters that are well known and understood for new build projects, and applying them to the constraints of an existing building whilst maintaining the key financial metrics,” Arora explains.

This then involves challenges that include unpredictable investment cost and risk. Shiv Kashyap, VP -Technical Services, India & South Asia, Accor, says, “There might be times that we overrun the planned cost due to inefficient planning. We also have to keep in mind the lifecycle cost of the product - cheaper is always not cheap and expensive is always not expensive. We have to ensure that the cost-effective materials are used. Utility cost minimisation is a key factor and automation and Building Management System (BMS) plays a crucial role as you control only when you monitor. To overcome any challenges, it is important to have efficient and effective teams to help develop future-ready hotels,” he trusts.

The biggest challenge in turning around a brownfield project would be labour. Lack of awareness and education makes it hard even for a talented and hard-working work force to cope with advanced technology. Another challenge is lack of streamlined and transparent

“Customised architecture enhances not only the dining experience but also the story behind the cuisine” RAKHEE BEDI AND SHOBHIT KUMAR Founding directors, RSDA

“The biggest challenge is devising the building approach towards an existing structure” KLAUS KIENZLER Studio head design service, Hyatt India

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“I think it’s fascinating to take something that is old and possibly forgotten, and give it new life” AKSHAT BHATT Principal architect, Architecture Discipline

“One of the major challenges faced while designing is to create a space that has a meaningful experience” VIVEK SINGH RATHORE Design principal, Salient

regulations. When one is working towards turning around a brownfield project, the task is even tougher. Pollution, infestation and contamination parameters have to be checked and corrected thoroughly prior to proceeding with creating a fresh outlay. This means, twice the amount of time and resources.

The management has to be sensitive to this fact and, often, that is far from the case sadly, laments Minnie Bhatt, founder and creative director, Minnie Bhatt Designs who has designed many popular restaurants and bars in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi.

Smriti Raheja Sawhney, director, SSDesignex - a leading design firm with a portfolio of designing chic restaurants and the recently opened PVR Home, explains - while planning a hotel or a restaurant one must balance functional, layout, and aesthetic elements to develop a property that simultaneously meet the needs of the guests, the staff, and the owner. “In general, five-star properties have public areas that are heavily design oriented, with the functional aspects carefully integrated to enhance, yet not dominate the space. However, budget properties tend to favour function and layout over design, for maximum utility. Regardless of how the spaces are configured, the developer must consider and balance many conflicting needs before a design is ready for the contrac-

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tor's hand. The best examples provide properties that inspire; are safe, efficient, and cost effective; and that maintain their utility and charm through time,” she adds.

Kolkata-based Vivek Singh Rathore, design principal of Salient - which has designed hotels and resort properties like Amaya Resort and Raajkutir Swabhumi, opines, “One of the major challenges faced while designing a hotel or restaurant is to create a space that has a meaningful experience. These days people come to a certain hotel for its experience and it is our job to design the space in such a way that the experience is truly conveyed to them. At Amaya Resort, the design is to extensively pursue an association with nature, both visually and conceptually. At Raajkutir the experience is of old-world charm and the tradition of old zamindarbari. It celebrates the Bengali culture and craftsmanship. A lot of research goes into creating these experiences. Amaya Resort is designed to have its suites and residential clusters along the lake, swimming pool and theme gardens, creating a striking backdrop to their setting whereas Raajkutir is designed to have the interstitial spaces or the piazzas to engage the guests,” he explains.

Having designed a fair number of hotels and restaurants, especially brownfield projects,

Akshat Bhatt, principal architect, Architecture Discipline doesn’t see challenges but for unique opportunities. “I think it’s fascinating to take something that is old and possibly forgotten, and give it new life. All this is essentially recuperation. We are running out of space, forests, and water. There aren’t enough resources to continuously produce new things. To that effect, we’ve done a few projects - The Postcard Hotels in Goa, The Oberoi Grand in Kolkata, The Oberoi, New Delhi - all of which are brownfield projects. All of these are now restored and redeveloped with a new identity,” he adds.

“The developer must consider and balance many conflicting needs before a design is ready” SMRITI RAHEJA SAWHNEY Director, SSDesignex

Sustainability in design As conveyed by the design experts that bringing the experiential element to the structure, irrespective of new or a brownfield project, the hotel or restaurant will only strive to attract footfalls, for the spirit that it enlivens within itself, i.e. the experiential element. They also mentioned that to kindle the structure with a spirit, the update that it demands is high on Capex, mindful designs and usage of a lot of resources. In order to reduce costs and simultaneously the burden on the environment by minimising debris, interior designers and architects suggest using simple designs contouring throughout the expanse of the structure and also

“The biggest challenge in turning around a brownfield project would be labour” MINNIE BHATT Founder & creative director, Minnie Bhatt Designs

COVER STORY

“To overcome any challenges, it is important to have efficient and effective teams to help develop futureready hotels” SHIV KASHYAP VP -Technical Services, India & South Asia, Accor

incorporating the use of ecofriendly materials, which will drive the designing of hotels and restaurants in the coming years too.

Vouching heavily on the use of eco-friendly materials, Prem Nath says that it is not a trend trends come and go - but sustainable developments are the need of the hour and they are here to stay. “It may be noted that a lot of trends come and go, what stays and never gets out of date is a simple & functional design; this design system not only is most preferred but is comfortable to users from all strata of life and all age groups. It ensures the best maintainability and longevity for the owners-operators, too.”

In Indian hospital industry, just like the cuisine, the design has become ‘Glocal’ characterised by both global and local considerations. Spatial components derived from traditional design philosophies like Vastu, Feng Shui and Taoism; design elements that are inspired from various architecture styles that defines the design theme; all together present an elaborate design accent of the place. “Material experimentation is another perk of design freedom as it reinvents the design and extends the lifespan of design. It includes use of modern materials in traditional pattern and indigenous materials in a modern arrangement along with a fusion of design elements. Use of ecofriendly and local materials in open plans reduces the energy consumption and material wastage; which adds to the quality of the restaurant. Today,

hospitality industry demands design to narrate the journey of a restaurant and to induce a sensory experience. This advancement of design knowledge helped designers is pushing the limits of architecture in hospitality industry and provide more user centric designs,” elaborate Bedi and Kumar of RSDA. According to Kienzler, there are various trends that are influencing the design strategy of hotels these days. Keeping this in mind, the industry has moved towards adopting digitally dynamic strategies, which reflects in the design of hotels as well.

Mood-themed lighting, signature scented meeting rooms and motion activated air conditioning are just a few examples of how technology is being embedded into hotel designs. “Another such trend can be attributed to globalisation, owing to which the average traveller of today is exposed to different cultures and cuisines, and hence, wants to experiment with these during their stay at a hotel here in India. As a result of this, Indian restaurants are no longer serving only Indian cuisines. The methods involved in preparation and presentation of world cuisine also constitute a factor that is taken into consideration while designing restaurants and kitchen spaces in hotels. Additionally, hospitality industry is getting more conscious towards its commitment to the environment. We at Hyatt have resolved to go green, prohibiting the use of plastic at all our properties.

Hence, we ensure this is reflected in the design of our hotels as well, involving no usage

of plastic in either the architecture or décor,” he explained.

Sairam adds that trending on top in the hospitality and F&B industry is the approach of employing flexible, multi-use spaces - designed to offer guests a series of differentiated experiences. A restaurant can no longer be just a restaurant today - it has to cater to the growing need for spaces that enable a multitude of functions, such as co-working and social interaction. Besides, restaurants are now offering more than just meals, with retail pockets, culinary workshops, and brand experiences taking up floor space to establish a deeper connect with patrons.

Rahul Shankwalker, partner, Studio HBA, feels that restaurants will see a significant push towards using local and seasonal produce to make sensational food much in line with what’s happening in the design of the spaces. “In hotels I see that a need for socially responsible business will be a norm,” he says.

A collective shift in consumer values and behaviour began several years ago, when authenticity, sustainability and simplicity started to emerge as new drivers of consumer demand. The hospitality industry has already started to address these initial trends. The economic downturn fuelled a new awareness of these issues and accelerated the shifts in consumer values and behaviour even further - strengthening a focus on simplicity, restraint, technology, family, well-being, and value. The industry must address these shifts, concludes Sawhney.

“Brownfield projects are symbolic of the complementary architectural dialogue of past and present” AMIT AURORA AND RAHUL BANSAL Partners, Group DCA

“Challenges in designing lie in making the development sustainable and profitable”

“In hotels I see that a need for socially responsible business will be a norm”

DEEPIKA ARORA

RAHUL SHANKWALKER,

Founder, Rosakue and advisor - South Asia, Dusit International

Partner, Studio HBA

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February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

EF&H Mumbai Expo connects key stakeholders of Indian food & hospitalityindustry The 39th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo, held at MMRDA Grounds, BKC, from January 22-24, 2020, witnessed the who’s who of the food and hospitality industry visiting the tradeshow

24 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Anurag Katriar

Dr Nitin Nagrale

T

ation (AHAR); Dr Nitin Nagrale, founder and general secretary, Hospitality Purchase Managers' Forum (HPMF) and Dr Prabodh Halde of All India Food Processor's Association.

Speaking at the event, the esteemed inaugural panel voiced that the expo brings great value in connecting the hospitality stalwarts at the outset. Katriar said, “It is very important to have such kind of exhibitions to support the industry and also be a

he three-day exhibition, organised by Global Fairs & Media - part of the Indian Express Group, was inaugurated by the chief guests - Anurag Katriar, president, NRAI; Ritesh Mathur, joint secretary, Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (AFST); Pradeep Shetty, joint honorary secretary, Hotel & Restaurant Association - Western India (HRAWI); Shivanand Shetty, president, India Hotel & Restaurant Associ-

Dr Prabodh Halde

platform to help the stakeholders network.� Dr Nagrale said, "The exhibition brings great value to all the stakeholders on the hospitality industry including the purchase managers."

Leading exhibitors at the 39th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Mumbai included Blue Star, Welbilt, Bisleri, Nandini Cheese, Nestle Professional, Feather Touch, Kaapi Solutions, Italin Solutions, among others.

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February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Economic slowdown: Riding out the storm The first GM's Conclave panel discussion at the 39th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Mumbai highlighted how the country's hospitality industry is strategising to face the slowdown.

By Akshay Nayak

O

n the opening day of the tradeshow, EF&H hosted a GM's Conclave on the topic “Economic slowdown: Riding out the storm” which marked the presence of esteemed panelists including Amit Kumar, GM, ITC Grand

Central; Amit Chawla, GM, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Navi Mumbai; Shahrom Oshtori, GM, The Park Mumbai; Nischint Pathania, GM, Ramada by Wyndham Powai Hotel & Convention Centre and Mohammed Aslam Syed, GM- Operations,

26 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

VITS Group.

Opening the discussion, Kumar said, “I don't think the economic slowdown has impacted the hospitality sector in the same manner as it has the auto and IT industries in India. The city has seen an increase of five per cent in ARR

and occupancy, which has been year on year. This makes it evident that the slowdown has not impacted the hospitality sector. Both ITC Maratha and ITC Grand Central have shown a significant growth in ARRs and occupancies. Our F&B outlets have shown

higher number of footfalls as compared to last year. So it's all about how you create a demand.”

Noting that one needs to become flexible and quickly adapt to changes in market to remain profitable in the industry, Chawla agreed with Ku-

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

mar saying, “The industry isn't faced with the hit per se. However, if we are looking at the growth, it is not happening. Last year was fabulous for the hospitality industry, however, this year the trend is not continuing. The impact of the slowdown in the hospitality industry is not evident with a lot of inventory and branded hotels still paving their way in the country looking at the demand that India offers. Attracting footfalls has become a challenge because standalone restaurants are now meeting the standards of branded star hotels right from the ambience to the quality of food.”

Oshtori also voiced similar views that although the notion of economic slowdown has been hovering in the market for some time now, the demand hasn't seen a decrease given that the domestic tourism is only increasing and we have become a self dependent country of sorts now. “When it comes to economic slowdown, it has been biased in its impact to certain industries but not hospitality until recently.

There is no exponential growth currently, given that the spend is on the decreasing side, but the growth will continue to remain though slow and steady,” he pointed out.

Amit Kumar

Nischint Pathania

Impact of GST regime implementation One of the decelerators of the economic growth, Pathania feels, is the hasty decision of implementation of the GST regime which has impacted the industry by and large. “After the implementation of the tax regime, an instance at our hotel occured, wherein a patron cancelled two events given he had only cash to take care of the bills, and we had no option but to turn it down. Its implementation has affected the social markets. However, what looks positive is its moderation now.

Moving forward, hospitality in Mumbai market will be enjoying growth.

Goa has been hurting with 25-30 per cent business down due to the implementation of GST. Also the unpredictability in the industry with lesser spending sentiments in the market, the second half of the year for performance of hospitality industry still remains hazy. If the GST slabs on room tariffs, currently at 12-18 per cent, are reduced to the scale of 12-15 per cent, it will be encouraging for the industry and tourism sector in the country,” he said.

Adding to this point, Kumar voiced that though the exorbitant 28 per cent slab on the luxury category of rooms,

Amit Chawla

Shahrom Oshtori

previously hurt the hotels dealing in the segment, “The recent rationalisation of the GST slab last year, with a dip of 10 per cent, has deemed to be a boon for hotels like ours which operate in the luxury segment.”

Syed felt that the increasing labour costs and licencing costs has actually impacted the growth in the industry.

Chawla added, “Operating in the midscale segment, the rationalisation of GST has been better off for us too with

rooms tariffs taxed at 12 per cent and our F&B outlets being taxed at five per cent, like any standalone restaurant.”

Speaking on the impact of economic slowdown on the pipeline of hotels, Oshtori said that it will not affect The Park Group's upcoming hotels.

“For our investment in Tier-II cities and the selection of partners there too are highly strategic in nature while keeping costs in mind. Also, India itself lacks room count, so the upcoming

Mohammed Aslam Syed

hotels in the pipeline will be seldom affected by the economic slowdown,” he opined.

In this regard, Kumar said, “As mentioned earlier, the demand in Mumbai is only growing. When it comes to the supply in the city, it remains stagnant or much lesser as compared to the other metros. Operationally, rationalising costs without impacting our quality is something we have to start working on, looking at the increasing inflation. Responsible Luxury being our brand ethos, we have cut out on single-use plastic PET bottles from rooms too, replacing them with glass bottles, bottled inhouse at the hotels, which has further significantly decreased our costs on just sourcing water.”

Chawla felt that as the prices of goods keep changing in the current turbulent period of the economy, Country Inn and Suites in Navi Mumbai in a strategic partnership with other two hotels of different brands in the same locality have tied up with couple of vendors to procure all the goods hence maintaining a streamlined cost, while keeping the vendors happy.

With a six-year high inflation and lay-offs increasing day by day, the panelists said that they take up various activities to keep the employees motivated. They engage in a lot of cross functional training activities for them as well as CSR activities to keep the staff engaged.

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February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Managing a cost efficient kitchen in times of price volatility The second day of the 39th edition of EF&H Expo saw executive chefs and F&B heads of leading hotels in Mumbai voice their views on the challenges and opportunities faced by them in running a cost efficient kitchen during times of volatility in pricing of staple ingredients. By Akshay Nayak

T

he first panel discussion on the second day of the three-day hospitality expo witnessed the presence of Chef Aungshuman Chakraborty, executive chef, The Leela Mumbai; Roger Marti, F&B director, Grand Hyatt Mumbai; Chef Sidney Dcunha, executive chef, Conrad Pune; Chef Gautam Mehrishi, executive chef, Renaissance Mumbai; Chef Sudhir Pai, F&B consultant, Pai & Associates; Chef Rajesh Shetty, executive chef, GVK Lounge, Travel Food Services; Chef Gopal Jha, executive chef, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach; Chef Avisek Chand, executive chef, Royal Orchid Central Grazia; Chef Ranjan Rajani, executive chef, Hotel Sahara Star; Chef Neeraj Rawoot, executive chef, Sofitel Mumbai BKC; Chef Irfan Pabaney, country head, Sodabottleopenerwala, and Sunil Athalye; senior execu-

tive chef, Ramada Plaza Palm Grove, sharing their insights at the Chef's Knowledge Exchange panel discussion on the topic: “Managing a cost efficient kitchen in times of price volatility” While the country is facing a six-year high inflation and decrease in overall production right from agriculture to manufacturing, Chef Chakraborty opened the panel discussion by pointing out that the change in price of goods does impact the cost of the dishes on the menu.

“The cost in turn impacts the production for bulk cooking and a la carte, so there has to be some factor to control the increase in price,” he said.

Marti opined, “I can only agree on that. With such increase in prices, especially that of onions, the dynamic pricing gradually impacts the cost stability in turn impacting the bot-

28 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

tomline.” Working in a luxury hotel in Pune, Chef Dcunha informed that, “We have more suppliers from Mumbai, so it does get challenging for them when the prices of ingredients see a landslide change. Like onion prices, it has moved dramatically from Rs 20-30 per kg to as high as Rs 150 per kg, so that does become very challenging in operating kitchens”.

Chef Shetty too mentioned, “Like everybody said, the prices are up and beyond our control, so we have taken steps to minimise costs like tracking our inventory system; our purchase and sales meet keep going on daily basis, hence driving out the extra costs, etc.”

Chef Rajani lamented, “Given that we have huge banquets in a day, there is little that we can do to the prices of staples such as tomatoes and onions, hence making it challenging for us.”

Working for many restaurants and cloud kitchens and also preparing ready-to-eat packaged sauces, Chef Pai noted that they saw a landslide change in prices of onions wherein it retailed at Rs 6 per kg in Nashik last year but jumped to as high as Rs 160 per kg this year. “However, the MRP of the sauce cannot change, which poses a challenge for us chefs. There is 21 per cent change in prices of goods as compared to last year. Hence we are finding means and ways to strategise on the costs. Eventually, it has impacted and taken a toll on a chef's day-to-day operations,” he observed.

While all spoke about the challenges that they are facing in these turbulent times, Chef Pabaney echoed, “As a community, we need to take into account factors that might impact the production, well ahead of its actual effect hence disallowing the sup-

pliers from swindling money for increased prices of goods. As a community, we need to come together to put an end to the thought of suppliers that the hoteliers/ restaurants will pay ransom for the goods.”

Suppliers' reaction to central procurement process Rawoot highlighted that the suppliers too are burdened with the costs - this time when the prices were really high, they shared the burden with their vendors. “At our hotel, we have the leverage to balance out the costs given the presence of multiple F&B outlets. At some time, we help them and on some days, they help us. We take care of the vendor relationship,” he said.

Chef Jha said that the hike in onions prices hasn't impacted his hotel to a great extent, for their major clientele is the Jain

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Chef Aungshuman Chakraborty

Chef Avisek Chand

Chef Gautam Mehrishi

Chef Gopal Jha

Chef Irfan Pabaney

Chef Neeraj Rawoot

Chef Rajesh Shetty

Chef Ranjan Rajani

Chef Sidney Dcunha

Chef Sudhir Pai

community. But, the situation is not only for one hotel. “Our purchase team managed to keep the costs streamlined and also we tweaked the menu in a certain way, wherein onions were substituted with other inexpensive ingredients,” he added.

When asked about the trend of growing inhouse herbs and vegetables to save on costs, Chef Mehrishi deemed it to be a brilliant idea as it gives the property control over quality and quantity. “However, with our size of inventory and dealing in the luxury segment, the scale of produce cannot ideally meet the demand when grown inhouse.

Volatility in prices has always been there and will keep for long in the market. We have to take it as an opportunity and not as a challenge, by creating different menus, etc,” he voiced.

Chef Chand while talking about the alternatives to save on costs pointed out that dehydrated onions are an option, but not necessarily for Indian dishes in which spotting the difference is too easy. “An Indian clientele will

always ask why? So it depends on the clientele that you are serving with while providing them with options,” he expressed. “At Ramada, we shared some part of the costs with the suppliers as it was difficult for them too. For the rising costs of onions and tomatoes, we can use premix gravies, which reduces labour costs and that of sourcing the supplies too,” said Chef Athalye.

good quality of ingredients is essential as well. Chef Shetty explained that they had annual tenders with the vendors. “When we buy in bulk we get bigger discount. We are very stringent on the price and maintenance of quality,” he said.

Chef Sunil Athalye

Roger Marti

ity industry is definitely getting there, when it comes to reducing carbon footprint. Centralising your production and centralising your team accordingly reduces waste.”

Chef Shetty explained that they have tied up with the NGO, Feeding India - so that the food which cannot be used again in the restaurant, but which is still fresh, is passed on to the under priviledged. Marti

said, “Food wastage is a very big challenge. We have to educate our clients in terms of choosing their food.”

Chef Athalye opined that changing the attitude towards wastage is required. “We have an initiative called Go Green right from change in lighting, to shutting down equipment and also changing faucets, we have significantly brought down the carbon footprint, “ he said.

A chef’s influence on purchase decisions Speaking about how much a chef can influence a purcahse decision, Marti believed that if you have good skills of the product, and know the likings of the consumer, you can influence the purchase decisions.

Chef Chakraborty added, “Earlier, chefs were not involved in purchase decisions, but the trend is slowly changing now.

Compromising on quality won't take us a long way.” Chef Dcunha was of the opinion that building long term relationships with vendors is very important and

Sustainability in the kitchen Sharng his insights on sustainability, Chef Pai said that with so much of awareness today, chefs can reduce the carbon footprint by using local ingredients. Chef Rawoot pointed out, “Using local products, doing vendor visits and market visits with purchase team is what we practise to recognise more of local produce and incorporate them in our menus.”

According to Chef Pabaney, it is question of changing people's mindsets and making your staff a little more conscious. Chef Mehrishi observed, “Sustainability in overseas kitchens has been taken up as a lifestyle by the Indians working there. Indian hospital-

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February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

The demand-supplygap in Indian hospitalityindustry At the second GM's Conclave held at the 39th edition of EF&H Expo in Mumbai, our esteemed panelists from leading hotels in Mumbai and Pune discussed the room inventory status in the metros and why hotels need to change their market mix to open up new opportunities. By Akshay Nayak

P

anelists Salil Fadnis, HM, Sahara Star; Sachin Malhotra, GM, Novotel Imagica Khopoli; Sameer Sud, GM, The Leela Mumbai; Khan Mohammed Imran, zonal manager – Operations, Intellistay Hotels and Pankaj Wadhwa, DOSM, Sofitel Mumbai BKC spoke on 'The demand-supply

gap in Indian hospitality industry' at the second GM's Conclave held at the 39th edition of EF&H Expo in Mumbai recently.

Kickstarting the discussion, Malhotra said, “Demand is a very sujective topic.Currently looking at India, there is too much talk on inflation and economic slowdown, etc. And the

32 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

development growth rate coming down. However, the travel industry in the country is still developing because there is high demand and still too little supply. Most of the travel industry revolves around agility.

We have worked with various internaitonally branded hotels, and this agility keeps the travel industry alive. We change our

segments if there is a drop in the revenue share from one particular segment. You can change your market mix and selling opportunities but they still rise, so there will never be a complete stoppage. There is nothing to worry about, the hotel industry is going to keep moving at a good pace. In a year or two there will be a little

drop but it will pick up again.

The industry is in good shape.

At the Novotel Imagica Khopoli, we recently added 171 keys, which itself shows that the demand is only rising for which the supply also needs to keep pace.”

According to Fadnis, demand and supply are very generic terms. It is just that the

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW conventional methods of business get impacted. “Apart from that there are many other methods wherein we can generate the demand. There is a lot of demand and its just that we as hoteliers need to keep on finding avenues. When it comes to tourism, there are a lot of destinations in India that still need hotels, but are not developed due to lack of infrastructure. Whenever, one segment of business gets saturated, you look at the other segment and start generating opportunities from it. Hoteliers are creative people and they can create that demand,” he said.

Sud felt that in general, the demand growth is 10-12 per cent. He added, “Supply growth is still slower. There are two factors. People will still travel for business to a city. What we have seen is that over the years, room tariffs have marginally increased. This depicts that supply is still not meeting the demand.

The growth is going to happen in the Tier II and III cities.”

Wadhwa observed that some time ago, there was a Marriott branded property of 550 keys which opened in Andheri and there were apprehensions since the market is stagnant. “However, they are getting business and so are the other hotels. We at Accor are now planning for two key-heavy properties in the same location. Location is very important. Mumbai as a market doesn't have much inventory coming in. In BKC, the new Convention Centre will boost demand instantaneously. Whenever there is a convention happening, you have at least 5000 people coming in and where do they go? Even if you see Aerocity location in Delhi, wherein the complex itself has over 20 hotels, but still they witness increase in occupancy month over month,” he said.

Mohammed explained that being a young brand, Intellistay has made it a point that the offerings are fresh and in the process learning what is really needed by the guests of various age groups, in order to attract the right audience. “We also have various segments right from budget to upscale categories, which enhances our positioning when it comes to attracting guests,” he pointed out.

India as an hospitality investment market Most of the panelists felt that India is certainly a sound market for hospitality investment. According to Sud, India is the place for investing as the economy is bound to bounce back. Elections are round the corner in two states and possibly and probably the scenario might be different after that, he added.

Fadnis felt that in everybody's

Pankaj Wadhwa

Sachin Malhotra

Sameer Sud

Mohammed Imran Khan

minds, the term economic slowdown is just clouding. “Every city has some or other kind of demand, but supply, does every city have it? You cannot just keep focusing on the metros but one needs to look at India in wholesome terms,” he said.

Malhotra opined, “When we say the demand is slwoing down, the major demand drivers in India can be divided into infrastructure, auto, etc. We understand that real estate is going through a difficult time because traditionally, Indians thrived on possesing land assets, which is not the case with new India, which is a reason that real estate is going through a big turmoil.” The auto industry too is seeing a slowdown, given the shift of emission norms by the government from BSIV to BSVI. Given this shift which comes into full effect by March 2020, there is an intentional decrease in consumption awaiting a better

upgraded product. “The hotel industry is the first one to decide whether a country is faced with economic slowdown or not. In the market scenario that we have reviewed, there is no slowdown. The turnaround time from opening hotels to making it profitable is shrinking. It is a relatively new perceprtion that there is slowdown, but the ground reality is there is no shortage of demand, the only change is that the markets are changing, for which the hotels need to be agile,” he affirmed.

Hotbeds for room supply in the coming decade Speaking about the new hotspots of hospitality supply, Fadnis pointed out that the A cities are completely saturated, but there is a lot of space left in the B cities. “The unexplored sectors would be the C & D cities and touristic destinations still need a lot of invest-

Salil Fadnis

ment and hotels. Also, if the consumption is coming from India, you don't necessarily require luxury hotels there. If it is a mass tourism place, you need midluxury or budget hotels,” he stated.

While Sud believed that the growth, is going to be in Tier II cities and resort and leisure destinations, Wadhwa added that in all the cities, luxury segment is also growing quite well. “There is increase in disposable incomes. India has many touristic destinations, a mix of pilgrimage too and also many resort destinations. The government is also doing a lot for promoting the tourism sector.

They did e-visas. Eight per cent of our GDP comes from tourism and the plan is to grow this industry. Measures are being taken and gradually all the cities will grow,” he opined.

Commenting on accommodation formats of the future, Malhotra said, “When you look at accommodation formats, there are traditional hotels and then thereare serviced apartment styled hotels as they focus on long stays.

Continuous usage brings you a larger pie of revenue. Furthermore, it adds to the comfort of an individual with bigger sized rooms.”

The panelists concluded by saying that the distribution system per se varies in terms of dynamics from hotel to hotel in destaination and formats that they operate in. Malhotra was bullish on direct booking through his hotel's own website - which showcases complete offering of the resort property which he looks after, while Sud feels that being in a city hotel, and with corporates as major clientele, the dynamics change and much more of bookings come through online booking partners. Fadnis, operating the massive Sahara Star hotel next to the domestic airport in Mumbai agreed with Sud's views.

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February 2020

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Go for the kill: Saving v/s vendor relationship Organised in association with Hospitality Procurement Managers' Forum (HPMF), the second day of the three-day EF&H Mumbai Expo conducted the Power of Purchase, where the who's who of the hospitality procurement fraternity discussed ways to balance two aspects i.e cost saving and maintaining vendor relationship strategically. By Akshay Nayak

M

oderated by Christopher Basil Massey, senior GM - Procurement, Brookfield Properties, the panelists for the Power of Purchase panel discussion on the topic “Go for the kill: Saving v/s vendor relationship” included Jaideep Gupta, director, Aanyah Management; Mukesh Chaudhary head of procurement, Byke Hopsitality; Mahendra Shinde, sr manager - Supply Chain and Procurement, KA Hospitality; Simson Dsilva, purchase manager, Jio World Centre; Ram Vriksh Dwivedi, sr purchase manager, Sahara Aamby Valley and Sameer Pednekar, sr materials manager, Mirah Hospitality.

Kickstarting the panel discussion, Gupta said that one can use leverage to reduce prices through various ways as the relationship between a procurement head and a vendor is extremely close. “With the time passing the trust develops. The vendors look after the purchase people's requirement from the time of the need.

Sometimes we definitely use that relationship as a leverage to gain better pricing. However, at the end of the day, one has to be fair with the vendors becuase as they trust you and you must trust them that when they give a certain quotation to you, there is some basis to it.

Doesn't mean that you trust the pricing blindly, but you do your homework, do your data analysis and then make a

decision,” he explained.

Chaudhary noted that trust and respect is most important when it comes to relationship with the vendor. “With the trust that we vest in the vendors, we can leverage on reducing prices, but mostly the case turns out to be fallout of the quality vendors,” he added.

Vendor relationship being the core responsibility of the purchase manager, Shinde voiced that as the the mediator between the management and the vendors they have to maintain relationship with both the parties and furthermore bridge

34 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

the gap between them. “The management vests trust in us to control costs, and with the years of relationship with the vendor, we can do it. The rapport of the purchase manager with the vendor plays an important role in the quality of the product and also the cost control measures of the management. Though you have good relation with the vendor you should have the knowledge of the product so the vendor cannot play you,” he noted.

Referring to a casestudy from Harvard related to purchase, Dsilva informed that

though the years of relationship with vendors can let a purchase head to negotiate on costs, it shall not be to an extent that it actually kills the vendor from dealing in the competitive market. “According to the case study, there were around 25 vendors who were providing railroad equipment to companies, but over a period of time the purchase team demanded reduction in prices for which the vendors went on to form a disruptive technology wherein the product at the time of selling looks attractive and also is economi-

cal. However, the product didn't have that great edurance in terms of longevity. This led to reduction of competitors gradually melting down to be survived by only one vendor. This is an example wherein we are pushing the vendors to provide us with prices which is not possible for them at all. For this the vendors too create a product that is not of good quality and long lasting. That is the problem that we are creating when we negotiate with vendor vouching on the relationship,” he explained.

On the similar lines,

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Mahendra Shinde & Simson Dsilva

Mukesh Chaudhary

Sameer Pednekar

Christopher Basil Massey

Ram Vriksh Dwivedi

Jaideep Gupta

Dwivedi felt that cost reduction at certain level should ensure a win win situation for both the organisation as well as the vendors. “Definitely, we hold good relations with the vendors. When we have good rapport with the vendors, we understand each other. We have to constantly practice trend analysis of the market to know the best available price without degrading quality,” he informed.

Pednekar, while decoding a similar situation at his workplace, said, “I was faced with such a scenario recently. I had to procure certain materials on a fixed budget for which I had to negotitate hard with the vendors. However, it wasn't really possible for the vendors to lower the prices further, so we had to go back to the management and justify why it couldn't be possible for the vendors. So one must be able to justify and also be sensitive as far as commercials are concerned.”

planning can help save a lot of costs while procuring materials.

Dsilva pointed out that the four factors that can impact saving in procurement are price, quality, quantity and timeliness. He said, “When you negotiate, price is looked primarily most of the time. However, the processs needs to be reversed and one needs to check quality, quantity and timliness of the vendor followed by what price the vendor is giving the product at.”

“When a vendor introduces a new product, they strive to promote it to us on the basis of its quality and economical pricing. As procurer, we are supposed to bring in good qulaity products while reducing costs for the management, which is taken care of. Furthermore, by procuring new products that the vendor brings in, they are encouraged to make future deals with the manufacturer, hence creating a win win situation for everybody,” elaborated Shinde.

Chaudhary also added that bulk procurement can be a highly beneficial factor when it comes to saving during procurement. “Prequalification of the vendor is very important and also consolidation of requirement is important in order to make it a bulk order and hence save on the costs which empowers us to negotiate,” said Massey.

Factors initiating savings during procurement Speaking about the factors that lead to saving in the procurement process, Pednekar voiced that volume is the first aspect, which aids negotitations. “Apart from volumes, timely vendor payments also play a very crucial role in terms of future negotiations,” he said.

Gupta, in this regard agreed with Pednekar saying, “When he pointed out two things i.e. the payment and secondly the volume aspect. There is another thing that I would like to add is that the knowledge of the procurer. Most of the time when we sit for negotiations, we do not do a lot of homework ourselves. We need to learn the market and the fluctuations that has happened to the pricing. We don't go for technicalities of a product, which shall not be the case.”

According to Dwivedi, good cash flow and systemic

Ensuring timely vendor payment cycle The panelists unanimously expressed that timely vendor payment cycle helps plug good relations between the organisation and the vendor, hence creating ideal grounds for future negotiations.

Gupta said that vendor payment is a subjective term. “Larger organisations like Taj and Oberoi have the process streamlined and make the payments to the

vendor between 45-60 days cycle. The issues are with organisations that have mushroomed across, wherein they easily do very well in their outputm but their payments to vendors sort of dip down. The problem with most of the organisations is that they do not plan out things. They spare money as and when required, and vendors are always last on priority. That is one practice that needs to be looked upon. A bit of financial planning goes a long way in benefiting the organisation and the vendors.”

Shinde said, “When you have high demand of bulk procurement, the vendors are ready to wait for a while for the payment and also ready to give you the best prices, given that the payment cycle in the earlier transactions were on time.”

Dsilva highlighted that prioritising vendor payments for smooth transactions in the future with the vendor which in turn aids future negiotiations has to be considered by the management.

Dwivedi, pointed, “As we are answerable to the management, likewise the vendor has to pay further to partners from where he is sourcing the materials, hence timely payment of vendors should be top on priority of the purchase manager and their management.”

“Communication is an important part as far as vendor payment relationship is concerned. Most of the time when the vendor connects with the accounts team while chasing for their payments, the accounts team do not help them with an agreeable solution.

Hence, there is a disconnect there. Any payment terms should be communicated to the purchase team as well so the terms can be negotiatied with the vendors ensuring that the process in turn becomes more streamlined,” concluded Pednekar.

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MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

Glocalising Indian hotel & restaurant design The concluding day of the three-day long 39th edition of EF&H Expo in Mumbai saw leading architects and interior designers speaking about the importance of glocalisation of design in the Indian hospitality industry

T

he design panel discussion on topic “Glocalising Indian hotel & restaurant design” was graced by the presence of the esteemed panelists including Prem Nath, principal architect, Prem Nath & Associates; Paulomi Shah, partner, Bobby Mukherji & Associates and Saniya Kantawala, lead designer, Saniya Kantawala Design.

Being in the industry for more than 50 years, Nath opened the panel discussion by giving a timeline of the changes that the hospitality industry underwent in terms of design and architecture. “I have noticed that back then, though international brands like InterContinental were here, they assured that the design had an Indianness to it.

Now if you see the chain of hotels that are coming to India and are on an expansion spree, the design is influenced by international design elements to bring the global experiential touch to the product. This has seen the architecture industry in India too taking a turn and evolving from designing Indian heritage-rich hotels to catering to international tastes. Standardisation of brand value has further influenced the design element of chain of hotels, wherein they like to keep the offerings similar across a brand irrespective of the destination. Today we see glocalisation with soft touches of Indian elements to it, when it comes to designing hotels.”

Shah too pointed out that the design aspect in the Indian hospitality industry has certainly evolved in the last 50 years. Back in that time, hospitality was only synonymous to select brands like the Taj,

L-R: Saniya Kantawala, Paulomi Shah and Prem Nath

Oberoi, Holiday Inn or a Le Meridien at most. The common notion then was hotels being fantasy spaces for their design influence drawn from the colonial and Victorian styles. “In that sense, I feel we have broken the mould, wherein today contemporary design has taken centrestage, as it is a good path to take, for it is not cutting edge and also not heavily classic, hence the design becomes timeless. It has a longer shelf life than a theme/ concept based hotel.

With the phenomenal influence of experience, hotels are going a long way to provide the guest with more personalised elements. In order to create the brand recall, design plays an integral role in it.

Functionality is key. Also, you could play with local materials, as the land prices have hit the roof, it becomes difficult for clients to make business sense for products. Spaces now have become a lot more compact, and the experiences have become very intimate

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and personal, “ she opined.

Kantawala also spoke on the similar lines, saying, “About a decade ago, when I used to go to restaurants, I noticed that we just entered the restaurant and enjoyed good food, but particularly missed out on having the vibe and ambience for celebrations.

Interiors for that time were really fine, but as time passes, we start seeing progress in everything when it comes to hospitality. With the patrons now active on social media, they always want to show the 'where and why' aspect to their post. Now restaurants are judged by the patrons on not just food but the vibe and ambience that they offer. It also goes for hotels and boutique hotels. It is an experience that one wants to enjoy and because of digitisation, it has opened many gates for new-age designers.”

Importance of glocalisation in hospitality design Elucidating the impor-

tance of glocalisation in hospitality industry, Nath said that as the industry is very vast with food outlets in malls too carrying an attractive design aspect, you have to ensure that the canvas remains basic but the artefacts local, as the guests now travel for thousands of kilometers to learn about their foreign destination's culture which is heavily ingrained in food and the architecture of the place.

He voiced, “That is how glocalisation is playing an important role here. There is no permanent design that lasts for 100 years now, but something that can be changed over 5-7 years now. People no more buy but rent places, so the design of the space too keeps changing with the passing of time and a new restaurateur coming into that place again changes the overall look.”

Shah pointed out that, “Talking of today, glocalisation plays an important role.

A large part of our expense

goes into travelling and seeing what the world has to offer in terms of materials and what people are doing. During one of our international visits, we came across a small village in Thailand where we saw a material that grows in sea moss. The local artisans there make furniture using that material. The furniture initially retailed only in Thailand but is world renowned now. We use the furniture extensively in our resort projects which has increased employment to the local artisans there. In India, we are so steeped in culture through arts and crafts. We had a project in Rajasthan where we revived the Tikri work with local artisans there. So glocalisation adds to the employment avenues for locals, which is also very important today.”

Kantawala agreed with Shah on the importance of glocalisation in promoting employment to the local artisans and uplifting them socioeconomically. “Many Indian companies are hiring local artists as our country is so rich in depicting culture through arts and crafts, probably the best in the world. We used to take it for granted earlier but now everyone has started to realise the value that local artwork holds. Even companies like Jaipur Rugs for that matter employ only local artisans from Rajasthan.

All their yarns and weavers come from the villages, so it is a source of income for them and at the end of the day they have customers who value the essence that the product carries, not just in India but internationally too. This is how glocalisation works,” she expressed.

MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

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MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

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MUMBAI EXPO 2020 - A REVIEW

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February 2020

CHEF'S PLATTER

'TODAY'S CHEFS ARE RECOGNISED ,NOTJUST AS ARTISANS OFFOOD,BUTALSO FOR THEIR SKILLS AS CULINARYAMBASSADORS' Chef Davinder Kumar, president, Indian Culinary Forum and VP (F&B Production) & executive chef, Le Meridien New Delhi, started his career in 1972 with the Oberoi Group of hotels. The group later sponsored him to go to the Lychee Technique de Hotelier in Paris, to work with selected chefs specialised in French cuisine. He was also the sole Indian representative at the International Cooking Festival held in Tokyo in 1983 and was awarded a medal for his presentation of Indian cuisine. He speaks to Steena Joy on how the culinary scene has evolved in India and his vision for ICF

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Chef Davinder Kumar

CHEF'S PLATTER

What inspired you to don the chef's hat? A few childhood memories that helped you decide to take up the culinary arts as a career?

After graduating from Delhi University, I wanted to pursue a professional course.

Cooking was my first love and the exposure to hospitality only fanned and kindled my latent passion for culinary arts. Enormous growth opportunities domestically and internationally, a chance to create a niche for myself, ability to become a role model for young aspirants, this being a skill and creativity oriented profession, all these inspired me to don the chef's hat.

You career map from The Oberoi group to Le Meridien?

The journey from the Oberoi to Le Meridien was like a rollercoaster. I joined Oberoi Group of hotels as a kitchen management trainee.

Upon completion, I was sent to France to hone my skills in French cuisine. I worked in various hotels in India and abroad. At the age of 29 I became the executive chef of Oberoi InterContinental hotel which is now known as The Oberoi. After working in various hotels in India and abroad, in 1985, I joined Le Meridien Delhi as executive chef and now I am heading the team as VP F&B Production. It has been successful journey, full of challenges yet rewarding and I have received many accolades including the best chef of the country by the Ministry of Tourism .

How has the culinary scene particularly in Northern India evolved over the decades?

There has been a paradigm shift in cuisines as well as the food business. A few essential changes that I have seen over the years are: food habits in general India are cultural specific but in the last few decades dynamic

My advice to inspiring chefs is that you should be focused, strengthen the basics, embrace technology yet hone your culinary skills, creativity and innovation is the key to success, never stop learning and always cook from the heart with love and attitude!!

Portions have become smaller, with simple and creative presentations. Regional cuisines of India have made their presence.

Design element in Indian food has evolved from traditional serving style to ethnic yet chic plating changes have occurred due to the fast growing economy, a shift from traditional to modern technology, globalisation, industrialisation, etc, evolving taste and ever increasing demands for fast and processed food has taken centrestage.

After Indian cuisine, Asian cuisine has made a big mark in this part of India.

Menus have become smaller but on the other hand at social functions, menus have grown bigger. A lot of focus is on presentation and display, live cooking - even in restaurants or banquets, chefs showcase their culinary skills live. Portions have become smaller, with simple and creative presentations. Regional cuisines of India have made

their presence. Design element in Indian food has evolved from traditional serving style to ethnic yet chic plating.

There has been a huge transformation from ethnic Indian cuisine to Modern cuisine over the years. Indian food has evolved and is now at par with any other Modern global cuisine with so much health awareness. One trend which is fast catching up is healthy cuisine, where focus is on fresh, seasonal and local produce.

The perception of chefs as a career has changed over the years thanks to TV and Social Media. Your insights?

Today, chefs are in the

forefront and are considered to be the star attraction for any F&B business. In light of the increased recognition of a chef, both inside the kitchen and outside world, the profession is being looked at as a sought after one, that not just helps one in satisfying the palate of customers but also brings them recognition and fame. Being a chef today is more appealing then ever. Today's chefs are recognised , not just as artisans of food, but also for their skills as culinary ambassadors.

There are wider career options and commensurately the rewards are also very satisfying.

What advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

As president of ICF, what is your vision for the Forum?

How can such Forums grow the chef community?

Indian Culinary Forum is dedicated solely to the advancement of the culinary art of India. Prime objectives are: ● To encourage and inspire junior chefs through training and competition ● To enhance international culinary prestige In India ● To encourage youngster to consider culinary as a career within the hospitality industry ● To enable the fraternity to remain competitive, both nationally and internationally, especially by addressing changing trends and emerging challenges .

My vision is to grow ICF in terms of membership, host culinary workshops and seminars to impart knowledge, upgrade all events to international level, associate with various food shows, exhibitions and organisations to support and create awareness.

India has diverse regional cuisines. How can these cuisines, especially the forgotten ones, be revived?

Well, regional cuisines have become popular over the years surely, there is more scope for the growth which can be attained through hosting regional food gourmet festivals, creating food hubs/food courts serving regional cuisines of India including forgotten cuisines.

Your stressbusters?

Daily workout, listening to music, photography and ravelling are some of my stressbusters.

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February 2020

HIGH SPIRITS

'INDIAIS ONE OFTHE LARGESTPOTENTIAL EXPORTMARKETS FOR JIANGXIAOBAI PURE' VBev, a dynamic company engaged in the import, marketing, sales and distribution of international wines, spirits and beers recently introduced first and only premium Baijiu - Jiangxiaobai Pure in the India market. In coversation with Akshay Nayak, Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, VBev India and Zoe Fu, director of International Business, Jiangxiaobai, spoke about the future roadmap of the premium white spirit in India market

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HIGH SPIRITS

How do you see India as a market for baijiu?

ZF: India has the potential to become one of the largest export markets for our Baijiu Jiangxiaobai. The demography, purchasing power of the youth and demand for aspirational brands is going to drive the sales for Jiangxiaobai in India. Even though baijiu is one of the largest spirits categories in the world it is new for the Indian market. So, more than challenge we see this as a responsibility and opportunity to first build this category of spirit- baijiu in India.

SSM: We believe this new segment offers a great promise as the imported white spirits category is showing strong growth and also the cocktail culture is evolving. We did spend over a year to finalise the modern packaging as well as the “Light & Smooth” taste profile to introduce baijiu in India.

Being a major market for whiskies and slowly a wine consuming one, how are you at Jiangxiaobai and VBev looking to tap India for

baijiu? How will you educate the masses here about it?

ZF: As mentioned before we see this as our responsibility to educate consumers and trade about this new category of spirit. We have appointed Rojita Tiwari- a highly qualified and renowned alcobev expert- as the brand ambassador and brand manager who is going to be in charge of education, training, tastings, events, communication and activation for Jiangxiaobai in India.

We also have Leonard Menezes as the business head for the India market.

We intend to work together with VBev, our partner in India to establish Jiangxiaobai in the country as the most versatile and preferred white spirit in the times to come.

The main education will happen through consumer engagement programmes, tastings, parties, events, etc.

SSM: Its unique flavour profile makes it a great base for mixed drinks. It can be consumed straight, with mixers like tonic water or juices and in the form of cocktails.

We have curated a range of cocktails that we have showcased to the bartending fraternity as well as consumers in India.

The spirit could be ideally paired with authentic Chinese Cuisine in premium restaurants and cocktails at the high energy bars.

What are the tasting notes like? How are you planning to bring the experiential element to the drinks made with the premium baijiu?

ZF: Jiangxiaobai is a smooth, light and pure white spirit with notes of green apple, sweet sorghum with a hint of pungency and finishes with umami flavours. We will have curated cocktails specially catering to the variations in the white spirits categories.

We also intend to create various experiential sensory tastings and education programmes to make consumers aware of this premium youthful white spirit.

SSM: The profile is versatile.

• Nose: Light floral aromas, delicate note of fresh grass and green apple, clean and elegant • Taste: Clean and smooth, lingering subtle almondflavour on the tongue

Which markets in India are you looking primarily at?

ZF: The first three main markets that we have launched Jiangxiaobai are Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai. In the next phase, we intend to launch in Goa, Pune and Chennai. We are targeting the tier I and II cities where there is a consumer, trade awareness and demand for versatile white spirits where we are going to position Jiangxiaobai.

SSM: We are launching the brand in key premium White Spirits consumption markets like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune, Goa and Chennai. We will take it to other key cities over the coming months.

How does the hospitality industry in India add value to it?

SSM: We have introduced the category with a special

focus on high energy bars and fine dining Chinese restaurants. We will invest our time and resources to build up distribution and acceptance in the HoReCa segment. We have already started our drive to familiarise and educate our hospitality partners about the category and also the range of cocktails that we have curated for the Indian market. We have also engaged wellrenowned brand champions in key markets for conducting ongoing education and activations. All these initiatives will help us to develop a strong brand connect with the hospitality industry.

Future roadmap for Jiangxiaobai in India?

ZF: At present we are only focusing on Jiangxiaobai Pure for India.

SSM: We have carefully picked our first variant. We understand our responsibility as the introducer of a new category to the market. Based on the market response and upcoming growth opportunities, we will decide on the further extension in our range.

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February 2020

TECH BYTES

Impact of automated revenue management system using Artificial Intelligence in hotels It is time that concepts like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning also enter the field of marketing and pricing, and not just directly relating to enhancing superior guest experience, says Siddharth Goenka, founder, Aiosell Technologies

H

otel bookings around the world have changed much faster than what the industry had anticipated. Players in the sector have recently witnessed a lot of automation and innovation around guest experience and augmented reality.

Hotels around the globe see almost more than 70 per cent-90 per cent of their rooms booked online on OTAs. As per the Expedia Millennial Survey, 62 per cent of the Indian millennials prefer to book their tickets through an online travel agency, and 19 per cent of them prefer to book through the airline and hotel websites directly. This change has led to a paradigm shift for revenue management and pricing for hotels.

Technology adoption is needed in the hospitality industry for several reasons. The ubiquitous availability of internet and smartphones have made millennial and modern guests more discerning and wanting more experiential and personalised services. Moreover, increasing competition makes it even more important for hotels to differentiate themselves, and technology is turning out to be a big USP for hotels.

Hotel rooms are a perishable inventory (like airline seats and movie tickets), which need to be priced

Siddarth Goenka

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appropriately because if they go unsold, they will never be recovered back. The ease of internet on smartphones has made two primary changes in the hotel booking patterns: Customers are increasingly buying hotel rooms online, which reduces the role of traditional travel agents and offline channels. Moreover, the average booking window (the period between booking and check-in) is reducing drastically, in many cases to last 48 hours and in many cases to last 24 hours.

Hence, the need to use AI

for pricing hotel rooms has become even more relevant in today’s fast-changing and impatient world. Revenue managers should no longer be forced to collect reports from various disparate systems and crunch daily numbers in an Excel spreadsheet to determine the right rates. By using automation and AI, hotels can now start maximising their occupancy, increasing their ADRs (Average Daily Rates), and reducing their overheads.

Historically, hotels would base their pricing decisions only based on past data and

analysis; however this is only valid if we assume the industry and competition remain stagnant. In most leisure and business destinations, the market trends of occupancy and rates are significantly different every year, and hence past data cannot be used as a sole predictor of rates for the current season. Markets have either witnessed a hypergrowth in demand or slump in economy.

Moreover, several external factors like geo-politics, climate change, and changing competition make the demand

TECH BYTES for hotel rooms very unpredictable. These factors often make the task of pricing hotel rooms very complex, and hence there is a need to rethink and redesign the current paradigm. The need to introduce innovation around machine learning and realtime decision making can help hotels forecast demand more accurately, and take optimal real-time pricing decisions, and in turn drive more revenue and profitability.

As per the market reports by 2021, the global smart hospitality market will increase to US$ 18.1 billion at a CAGR of 25.8 per cent. This will be driven by hotel automation platforms, which can generate a global market of US$ 4.3 billion by 2021, at 6.5 per cent CAGR. Prices now need to be changed several times a day, or even several times an hour by an automated system to maximise the occupancy and revenues, and this cannot be done with any manually operated system.

Drivers of change In terms of sales and marketing, AI and automation have been the biggest drivers of change when it comes to dynamic pricing and automated revenue management.

Most hotels are seeing a major percentage of their bookings come from smartphone and internet users, and the usage of integrated pricing and distribution systems that use AI and ML to optimise rates has become even more important to maximise revenues and minimise efforts.

Prior to the inception of this automation, hotel rates were often decided by hotel and revenue managers and manually entered into the extranets of online travel agencies or channel managers, which was time-bound and often a slow and inefficient process. Rates could only be changed a few times a day, depending on the time and availability of revenue managers and only for a few days, depending on constraints of linear human understanding.

This would often leave money

AI and automation have been the biggest drivers of change when it comes to dynamic pricing and automated revenue management. Most hotels are seeing a major percentage of their bookings come from smartphone and internet users, and the usage of integrated pricing and distribution systems that use AI and ML to optimise rates has become even more important to maximise revenues and minimise efforts on the table, because the last room could have probably been sold at an even higher price, or the excess capacity could have probably been increased if the prices were lowered systematically during the last hours of the day.

There is clearly a need for advanced automated revenue management and dynamic pricing systems in the hotel industry. The marketing and rev-

enue management teams of hotels who are typically responsible for managing online marketing can now be made more productive, or in some cases be completely replaced by pricing robots thereby increasing efficiency for the hotels.

There are few hotels utilising AI and ML in their rooms, many of them began using Facebook Messenger way back in 2014 to answer guests’

queries, let them make reservations and check availability, and use its customer relations staff to help guests on the platform.

The industry has typically been slow in embracing new trends in modern technology and automation and it is time to redesign a brighter future.

The existing legacy systems and infrastructure, fixed and inflexible mindsets of hotel owners and staff, along with

inertia of embracing the unknown are some of the main challenges that are slowing down the adoption of technology across the industry. However, things are changing really drastically and with the availability of efficient, costeffective systems that are easy to transition to, it is not too long before hospitality industry goes through a technology revolution.

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February 2020

SPOTLIGHT - AMRITSAR

A living Punjabi museum Situated in the holy city of Amritsar, just eight kms from the Golden Temple and seven kms from the airport, Sadda Pind is a living Punjabi village museum spread across 12 acres of land.

It brings you a chance to experience authentic culture, colours and flavours of Punjab's traditional village or 'pind' in one place, a perfect setting for a weekend getaway or a short stay. By Steena Joy

A

dream venture by JMD Heritage Lawns, Sadda Pind is an endeavour to redefine Punjabi culture and hospitality, connecting generations.

The young can reconnect with their roots and understand the traditions and values of their fathers and forefathers. The elderly can remember their happier times. Foreign tourists can sample the true Indian rustic lifestyle.

As you enter your eyes are drawn to the biggest cot in Punjab with a wooden frame and coir. Sadda Pind offers 20 spacious and comfortable guest rooms. Each room has been designed with rustic motifs offering guests an experience of an old time traditional Punjabi village. Apart from Standard and Deluxe rooms, there are Junior Suites and Maharaja Suites. The Junior Suite is aesthetically designed, well ventilated and airconditioned with attached bathroom, a living area and with balcony. Best suited for business travellers and tourists. The Maharaja Suite is adorned with exotic Maharaja furniture. Made in solid Sheesham (Rosewood) wood, Designed in traditional tones, this suite is a visual treat.

Enjoy the hospitality of Village Nambardar and also learn how he manages his village and house together. Both these suites can be accessed by crossing Nambardar Ghar and through magnificent hand crafted doors.

As for F&B, at Sadda Pind, you can sample the traditional North Indian or authentic Punjabi cuisine at Chayee Ji Ka Vehra, the Dhaba. It also offers an a la carte menu as well as a traditional thali. Kadhi chawal,

Amritsari naan, lassi, Makki Di Roti, Sarson da Saag, naan, rotis, rabri, kulfi are a few of the specialties. Guests can enjoy traditional folk dances like Bhangra and Gidda.

There is also the Gatka performance (traditional Sikh martial arts). Gatka is an ancient martial art that has been thoroughly tested and has existed for thousands of years in Punjab, India. It is considered physical as well as spiritual. Although it uses the sword as its primary weapon, many other weapons are available to the Gatka. Today, this art is especially present among Sikhs, who have been passing through the flamboyant technique from generation to generation, as their sixth guru, Guru Hargobind, wore two swords of “Miri” (cosmic, earthly) and “Piri” (spiritual, otherworldly).

Visit Phulkari House and learn how to make Phulkari.

Phulkari which means “work of flowers” is a rural and auspicious tradition embroidered by Punjabi women.The embroidery on a Phulkari reveals a lot of ground cloth. A different variety of characters, forms and designs are scattered and embroidered on Phulkari. Phulkari is mentioned in the famous, Punjabi folklore of Heer Ranjha (a love story) by Warrier Shah. Also, this culture has been practiced since the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

At Sadda Pind guests can also learn how to spin the charkha; visit Nambardar House and learn how to grind flour using traditional hand grinder (Chakki); visit Weaver House to learn how to weave; visit Weapon House and buy some traditional

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swords for memory; visit the Wedding Hall to experience a traditional Punjabi wedding celebration; visit Sarpanch House and meet the village Head and he will brief about his village; visit Paranda House and learn how to make parandas; visit Musician House and listen to some classical folk music; visit Zamindar Haveli to see how the village landlord used to live. At Zamindar Haveli you can also join ladies in sangeet celebrations; visit village post office; learn how popcorns are made in an earthen

SPOTLIGHT - AMRITSAR oven; visit Hakim House and see how he prepares medicines (Ayurvedic Medicines); visit Potter House, Blacksmith House and Carpenter House to see the art and try your hands on it; have a Mehndi art and hair styling done; enjoy the art of Balance by Long man and Rope Dancer and a traditional puppet show and enjoy a performance by Punjabi Baazigars.

Amritsar calling Inextricably linked with the history of Sikhism, Amritsar is amongst the most revered sites of the religion. It was founded as recently as the 16th century. Its name is a derivative of the Amrit Sarovar (pool of nectar) amidst which stands the Golden Temple, the most sacred of Sikh shrines. Accounts suggest that Guru Amardas purchased the land from Emperor Akbar and decided to build a tank at the site. Following his death, it was completed by Guru Ramdas and also came to be known as Chak Ramdas or Guru ka Chak. Some of the oldest markets in Amritsar, notably Guru ka Bazaar, date back to his time.

The construction of the Golden Temple was initiated by Guru Arjan Dev while Guru Hargobind, who accorded the reli-

gion a martial temper, built the Akal Takht in 1606. Amritsar has a rich history encompassing various mythical and historical narratives including the epic Ramayana. It is believed that the site called Ram Tirath was Maharish Valmiki’s ashram, where Sita reportedly gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush. The Gobindgarh Fort and Ram Bagh were built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire. While the Jallianwala Bagh continues to be the most evocative monument to India’s freedom struggle. The Khalsa College, established by visionary leaders at the beginning of the 20th century turned Amritsar into a hub of education. Also a centre of thriving industry since its inception, Amritsar is famed for its textiles, particularly shawls, and for its carpets. Amritsar has gained tremendous popularity for its gourmet traditions; especially the dhabas (roadside eatery) that churn out, amongst an inexhaustible list of delicacies, irresistible kulchas, chola-bhaturas, tandoori chicken and fried fish.

Wagah Attari border with Pakistan lies roughly 30kms from Amritsar at Attari on the Grand Trunk Road to Lahore and is one of the main access

points overland to the neighbouring nation. A flag-lowering ceremony is held here daily at sunset by both sides. And along with the interactive patriotic fiesta that precedes it, the ceremony is a huge attraction for visitors. Another attraction in close proximity is the complex housing the samadh of Sham Singh Attari. A celebrated General of the Sikh Empire, he fought valiantly and is known for his last stand at the Battle of Sabraon.

‘We plan to expand Sadda Pind all across the nation especially South India’ In an exclusive interview, Ish Gambhir, owner, Sadda Pind, speaks about the vision behind the concept What was the inspiration behind Sadda Pind?

The idea was to bring something to life that represents the heart of Punjab and it's unique tradition and culture. In Sadda Pind you get to experience all of this as we were able to bind of all it at one place.

Why locate it in Amritsar?

Sadda Pind is a Punjabi cultural village and Amritsar is the soul of

Punjab. People here connect to it culturally more than anywhere else in India and also we wanted to stay in touch with our roots.

How does it benefit community and the artisans?

Sadda Pind has been benefitting the community through telling people about the deep culture and tradition of punjab. Different activities and shows help people within as well as outside the community

to understand the uniqueness of Punjabi culture. It also provides a huge platform for the artisans to represent and showcase their talent and reach out to maximum people.

Future plans for Sadda Pind?

We plan to expand Sadda Pind all across the nation especially South India. We want them to understand and experience our cultural beauty and traditions.

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SPOTLIGHT - AMRITSAR

Sat Sri Akal, the Courtyard way The newly opened 104-room Courtyard by Marriott Amritsar is ready to offer custom-made Ambarsariya experiences to clientele of all age groups. Akshay Nayak checks out the hotel to find out how it caters to different market segments

“S

at Sri Akal to Amritsar!� A warm namaste welcomes you in the pleasantly fragrant warm lobby of the newly opened Courtyard by Marriott Amritsar. The 18th Courtyard by Marriott branded hotel of the country exudes a dainty aura from the outside. Its insignia is clearly visible from the main road that brings you from the airport in just 20 minutes.

The 104-key hotel is chiseled to showcase sheer exuberance. Climbing the floors transfers you to either of the 35 Executive or 66 Deluxe rooms measuring 312 sq ft - one of the biggest in its category in the city. If you wish to be pampered more, you can upgrade to either of the three suites measuring 624 sq ft each. "To welcome our major clientele families, we have thoughtfully included spacious big sofas in the rooms to ensure comfort and a feeling of home away from home," expresses Rahul Sharma, hotel manager, Courtyard by Marriott Amritsar.

The jaunty touches Equipped with best in class amenities, the swanky rooms tick several boxes of comfort and aesthetically placed art pieces along with notches of technological assistance thoughtfully placed around the room. Like the window blinders accessible by just toggling the button next to the bed, to the one-click laundry request, etc.

Sharma says that not just families but the hotel is wellequipped with a large banqueting space of 4800 sq ft divided into six rooms, to host an array of corporate events, especially from the pharma industry who visit the destination for

BLeisure. "We are aptly a family-friendly hotel, but do not shy away from catering to the corporates too. We offer a 700 sq ft gymnasium with state-ofthe-art equipment and a chic lively bar with 96 covers and commendable alfresco space," he explains about the flexibility of the hotel in catering to a different segment of clientele. Not stopping at it, the hotel prides itself to be the youngest and a heartthrob for millennials too, with the opening of its latest rooftop lounge venue - VUE Bar & Grill that offers scenic views of the city, music, ideal ambience with finger foods and cocktails.At the lobby level, the name itself - Amritsari Kitchen

50 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

Rahul Sharma

SPOTLIGHT - AMRITSAR echoes the 'Modern Pindi' twist to it. Offering multicuisine delicacies, executive Chef Aniruddha Deshpande ensures that you have the signature Amritsari Thaali, influenced by the rustic flavours, in the afternoon before you are off to visit the Golden Temple. On the return leg, his out-of-thebox Keto salads including nacho crisps and a power-packed mix of green apples, microgreens and avocados get you all prepped up for the energypacked evening. Chef Deshpande's team ensures that their offering reverberates Amritsari taste in each bite of the food right from the chole kulche with khatti mithi chutney in the breakfast to the multigrain mathri served with inhouse keri achaar in the room.

Room for all Amritsar as a hospitality market is very cosmopolitan, in terms of brand presence, notes Sharma. There is a Hyatt and a Ramada branded hotel, while homegrown brands like Taj, Lemon Tree Hotels, etc, also here. Predominantly a pilgrimage destination, the city due to its proximity to Wagah border receives many visitors from across the country and also a fair share of FTAs, especially NRIs."Though ITC and Lemon Tree in the city opened a little while ago, we have our fair share of the business. ITC is well received, so are we, and Lemon Tree - a 64key hotel is doing 70 per cent of occupancy. Hence there is room for all when it comes to business,” he opines.

With all the unique offerings, and a strategic location, Courtyard by Marriott Amritsar witnessed 39 per cent occupancy in the first month of operations itself, depicting the high potential of Amritsar as a market for hospitality, points out Sharma. "The domestic travellers and NRIs rule here.

Corporate business for us is about 5-7 per cent, whereas 25 per cent of the business is through international traffic which comes in. Our hotel's room inventory distribution is heavily dominated by OTAs.

As far as the performance is concerned, the city occupancy sat at 61 per cent in 2018, and the ADR was hovering at Rs 4100. With the opening of Kartarpur Corridor, I believe that the occupancy in 2020 will further grow at least by 5-6 per cent more in the city," he voices.

The average length is 1.8 nights. So mostly all visitors stay for two nights. “Weekends are heavy while weekdays Monday to Thursdays are weak due to lack of corporate movement, as there is no corporate service base in the city itself. There is some movement of PSUs and some services sectors but not as a big chunk,” informs Sharma about the occupancy dynamics in the city.

Although the city sees a good supply of branded room supply, Sharma informs that the reason behind lesser occupancy in the city lies in poor air-connectivity and lesser direct flights from the key metros due to which the destination remains underserved for long now. "Limited direct flights from key metros too has affected the corporate segment from travelling to the destination. Moreover, the train timings - especially Shatabdi Express - don't match that of check-in and check-out timings, for which we receive requests for early morning check-ins and late evening check-outs," adds Sharma.

The top clientele in Amritsar are from Delhi, Mumbai and surprisingly South India too which is also a dominant market in the city. "People from South India en route to Vaishnodevi, do a pilgrimage tour which includes Golden

Temple on their list too.

Ahmedabad from pharma's point of view is a good market in Amritsar. Then there are ancillary markets that include footfalls from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc," voices Sharma about the profile of the patrons that the hotel receives.

“In 2020, by the time we touch 60-65 per cent occupancy, the city will drive ADR. The city has the potential to drive more ADR. I hope we close around 66 per cent occupancy with Rs 4200-4300 ADR," he envisions.

Speaking about his leadership mantra, Sharma concluded by saying, "Having spent 20 years in the industry, the look of the industry is very easy and glamorous from the outside, but it demands a lot of technical expertise over time.

It is a highly demanding industry. The challenge - work-life balance goes for a toss. The best thing about the industry is, it humbles you down. If you are adaptable and are ready to unlearn to learn new things, this industry will open gates to multiple levels. In such a kind of setting, usually, 60 per cent of a hotel's business is driven by the rooms while the remaining is by F&B. My vision for the hotel is to keep it 50-50 for both. We want to provide even the non-resident guests with culinary experiences that might make them visit time and again whenever they are in Amritsar. For that, we are devising a full-fledged plan. I have always believed in the mantra that big is not beating the small but fast is beating the slow. You should be fast to learn, adapt, and to change.

Only that way you can survive."

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MOVEMENTS ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road

The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat With an illustrious career spanning over 20 years in the hospitality industry, newly appointed executive chef Vivek Kalia brings a dynamic and innovative energy to The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat’s eclectic culinary scene. The chef’s strong values of promptness, creativity in gastronomic traditions have been stepping stones

ibis and Novotel Bengaluru Outer Ring Road has appointed Vikas Mittar as director of finance at Novotel & ibis Bengaluru Outer Ring Road. An industry veteran, Mittar brings across a rich experience in the hospitality of 15 years and overall experience in finance of over 19 years. A seasoned hotelier,

Vikas Mittar

Over the last 15 years his deep understanding and command of domain experience in Accounting & Financial Management through SAP, OPERA, Control Gap Analysis and Supply Chain Management will be an asset to the dual property.

He has also previously held the role of multi-property director of finance with the Marriott International in Kerala as well as director of finance for hotels at Eros Group prior to that. His wealth of experience of the hospitality industry is critical to his role as the director of finance at the business hotel.

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel A zealous and dynamic personality, Celebrity Chef Gautam Mehrishi has been appointed as the new executive chef of Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel & Lakeside Chalet – Mumbai, Marriott Executive Apart-

Gautam Mehrishi

Tanveer Kwatra

Sergey Gabrielyan

ments commencing January 2020. Groomed with an extensive experience of over 23 years in the hospitality industry, with immaculate knowledge and expertise in the culinary field, Chef Mehrishi is the epitome of curating and stimulating, personalised and memorable dining experiences by creating unique and gastronomical flavour combinations for all guests. In his expansive career span, Chef Mehrishi has handled culinary operations for leading hotels, resorts and restaurants while exploring opportunities globally with various brands and hotel groups including the Taj Group of Hotels, InterContinental Eros Hotel, Sun-N-Sand Group of Hotels, The Southern Franchise Company LLC, The Claridges Hotel and standalone restaurants.

chef, during his stint at Le Meridien Gurgaon. He then moved to the pre-opening team at W Goa as EAM overseeing culinary and F&B operations.

ice manager, banquet service manager to assistant director of F&B, Gabrielyan subsequently moved to Uzbekistan at the Hyatt Regency Tashkent, enhancing his profile of managing the culinary section as the F&B manager.

Vivek Kalia

of his exponential success. In his current role, his responsibilities include harnessing the newest trends in Kolkata and curating the best and most innovative food offerings in catering. His aim for The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat is to take the F&B offerings to greater heights, and aim at positioning the signature outlets at the property as the best in the city.

Andaz Delhi

Grand Hyatt Goa

Tanveer Kwatra has been appointed as the EAM - F&B at Andaz Delhi – a luxury lifestyle hotel by Hyatt in Aerocity, New Delhi. Kwatra brings along more than 14 years of enriching experiences owing to his various roles in culinary and F&B functions across the globe. Born in Agra, he started his career with Grand Hyatt Melbourne as a kitchen steward. His passion and dedication took him to great heights across several reputed international hotels and brands. He was one of the youngest chefs at the age of 25, to become an executive

Grand Hyatt Goa has welcomed aboard Sergey Gabrielyan as the new director of F&B to spearhead the food and beverage operations across the resort. With over 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Gabrielyan has been playing various roles across the Hyatt Group of Hotels internationally. Originally from Russia, Gabrielyan started his career as a guest service front desk clerk at Park Hyatt Moscow in 2003. He moved up the ranks quickly owing to his great managerial skills, engaging personality and efficient management. Sifting through the roles of room serv-

52 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

Khushbu Gujadhur has been appointed as the learning manager at Andaz Delhi.

Having completed her graduation in Commerce from Sydney Institute of Business and Technology and Macquarie

Khushbu Gujadhur

University, Sydney as well as the CHRP Certification from the American Certification Institute (ACI), she started her career as a management trainee with the The Palm Hotel in Dubai. In 2014, she moved to the Royal Mirage Hotel, Dubai, as HR manager.

Gujadhur moved to India with Hyatt Regency Delhi as learning manager of the landmark hotel before joining Andaz Delhi.

Courtyard by Marriott Pune, Chakan Courtyard by Marriott Pune, Chakan has appointed Vikas Mittal as the director of sales.

He brings over rich 17 years of experience with international hotel chains like Marriott International, Accor, Radisson, Moevenpick, Lalit, ITC and Taj. He started his career in front office and post that worked with catering sales, mice vertical, leisure segment and various roles of sales and marketing with a different chain of hotels. His last assignment was with Four Points by Sheraton Whitefield Bengaluru.

Vikas Mittal

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WEEKEND

Scene and Heard With Marcellus Baptista

Art-felt hotel

G

allery Sutra at the splendid art hotel Le Sutra was the venue for model-turned-actor John Abraham to walk in with his parents on on World Braille Day for the unveiling of the braille edition (Hindi) of the book Karma Sutra - Cracking the Karmic Code written by Hingori. John Abraham is the brand ambassador of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) in India and he commented that his parents would remind him where he should be to support a good cause. Karma Sutra, you learned, explains the Indian doctrine of karma and serves as a do-it-yourself (DIY) manual for those who want to harness the invaluable wisdom of spiritual masters. And John had one more comment: he does not believe in supporting a social cause just a day before the launch of a film!

John Abraham and parents at the braille book launch at Gallery Stura at Le Sutra

Action again!

T

he European Gothic interiors catch your attention when you enter the relaunched and recreated R-Adda, the contemporary space spread on the sixth floor of Hotel Ramee Guestline in Juhu. Cuisine-wise you have a mix of modern Indian, pan-Asian, continental and comfort food that go very well with the crafted cocktails, wines, beers and spirits. The place, spread over 3,000 sq ft, is ideal for guests to relax over a drink and snack after work. Later, R-Adda transforms into a high-energy space with performances by in-house as well as some guest DJs playing house, hip-hop, electronic, techno, commercial and Bollywood music. There is ample standing room and comfortable seating with high and low-top tables and couches. The tabletops are lit and the couches go well with the dark and warm setting of the club.

Another Social

I

mpresario Handmade Restaurants started 2020 with a bang by bringing Social to Navi Mumbai. It was the launch of Vashi Social, the 26th outpost of the iconic chain, located in Inorbit Mall. Riyaaz Amlani, CEO & MD, Impresario Handmade Restaurants, was there to warmly welcome the many guests. The new outpost is a stark contrast to the glitz and glamour of the other Social outlets with the area shielded with pixilated glass and convex mirrors that distort how we look at things traditionally. The rusty, warm edges of the furniture indicate dilapidation but showcase an appreciation for beauty in imperfection. Vashi Social offers iconic breakfast trays, Death Wings, Awesamosas, China Boxes and cocktails like Trip on the Drip, Old Smoke and Thai Maalish. Of course, the 1000ml Longest Long Island Iced Tea (L.L.I.I.T) is on the menu.

Rizwan Amlani and Riyaaz Amlani at the launch of Vashi Social

In fine tune

M

Ariah Agarwal at the relaunch of R-Adda at Hotel Ramee Guestline

usic filled the air as Mansion Bar & Lounge ended the year with the No Request and New Sound music platforms, conceptualised by Nisha Haraale. Around 60 DJs had an opportunity to play during the year. At the New Sound underground music event many young artists were seen in action along with headliner Nikhil Chinapa, Asad (freeaatmah) and Beyond120. The No Request Bollywood event, on the other hand, saw contest winners playing with headliner artists Aman Nagpal and Jaya. The No Request rap battle was the platform for the launch of many artists with the contest yet to announce the share of winners. The winner will release a music track with music producer Ishq Bector and Bollywood super singer Shibani Kashyap. Sounds good!

Asad, Nikhil Chinapa, Nisha Haraale and Beyong120 at Mansion Bar & Lounge

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February 2020

WEEKEND

COLOURS OF THE REPUBLIC Pullman New Delhi Aerocity launched an exquisite art exhibition ‘Colours of the Republic’ that celebrates 70 years of the Indian republic through beautiful illustrations of paintings and sculptures

FUNNYMAN'S BOOK LAUNCH Merak, the newly launched urban oasis at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru hosted one of country’s leading comic act personality, Papa CJ. The funnyman was in town to make his debut as an author through his autobiography ‘Naked’

YEAR OF THE RAT The Hong Kong Club at Andaz Delhi recently hosted a four-course set menu specially crafted by Chef Yu Fuhai and his team of regional chefs all the way from Hong Kong to commemorate the Chinese New Year 2020

FITNESS LEAGUE FitZup recently announced the launch of India’s first Fitness League christened as ‘Alpha Fit Games’ for the first time in Mumbai. Sunny Arora along with Neeraj Mishra launched their new venture at The Westin Mumbai Garden City

MADE IN MEXICO Made in Mexico was a tantalising food festive hosted by Renaissance Mumbai at the Lake View Café. Chef Tania De La Torre Tovar had flown in specially from Mexico, the land of salsa, folk dance, culture and tequila and its incredible food bursting with flavours. Hailing from the heart of Latin America, Chef Tovar created a diverse and dynamic range of delicacies for the exotic food festival

58 EXPRESS FOOD & HOSPITALITY February 2020

JAYANTI Following the success of his solo exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai in November 2019, New-York based artist Raj Shahani was commissioned to create a sculpture for the Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort in Mcleodganj - the first five star, luxury hotel in the region. The artist unveiled his 17-foot sculpture Jayanti at the ever-popular tourist destination following several months of meticulous planning

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