fhraimagazine March 14

march 2014

magazine Vol 14 Issue 3

Pages 96

`50

A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE

By DDP Publications

Aahar Special

Sugar

Sculptures

Food Safety&Standards Gearing up for FSSAI rules

March 2014

Cover Story

32 The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi

Getting the FSS Act right The Food and Safety and Standards Act holds deep implications for the hospitality industry. Members bring forth their qualms and concerns in this article.

Picture on the cover: Claridges Hotels

32 Cover Story

contents THIS MONTH

President’s Message Secretary’s Message FHRAI Desk News Updates Products & Services Appointments Events

8 14 12 24 60 76 84

26 News Updates

FEATURES Exhibition 48 29th Aahar 2014- larger and better Organisers of the fair, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), tell us more

Purchase managers 50 What to buy, What not to buy at Hospitality India & Food India Purchase managers share their expectations from the fair

28 News You Can Use

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March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

FEATURES Etcetera 62 A Pinch of This, a Handful of That Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal talks about her book and the inspiration behind it

Guest Column 64 The water-energy nexus Understanding the linkages between energy and water are essential to ensure the sustainable supply of both

72 Restaurant Review

culinary art 66 Art of Sugar Sculpting Chef Arti Thapa is passionate about reviving the rare and dying art of sugar craft

Restaurant Review 72 Savour Indian cuisine at Food First If you are craving for regional Indian cuisine, this is where you should go

66 Culinary Art secretary general M D Kapoor - sg@fhrai.com Editor Deepa Sethi - deepa@ddppl.com Associate Editor Kanchan Nath - kanchan.nath@ddppl.com sub-Editor Shubhi Tandon creative Design Ruchi Sinha

FHRAI B-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya House Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777 Email: fhrai@vsnl.com FHRAI Magazine is published, edited and printed monthly

by DDP Publication Pvt. Ltd. On behalf of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India and published from DDP Publications Pvt. Ltd. 72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001 Email: fhraimag@ddppl.com Tel : 91-11-23731971 Fax: 91-11-23351503 Printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt. Ltd. B 62/14, Phase-II, Naraina Industrial Area New Delhi 110028 This issue of FHRAI Magazine contains 92+4 pages cover

Advertising Gunjan Sabikhi - gunjan@ddppl.com Asst. Vice President – Marketing Delhi Prateek Sahay - prateek@ddppl.com Senior Manager – Marketing (+919650911388) Udit Pandey - udit@ddppl.com Senior Manager – Marketing (+919650399907) Shradha Kapoor - shradha@ddppl.com Senior Executive – Marketing (+919650196525) All information in the FHRAI Magazine is derived from sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly, opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or in interviews are not necessarily shared by FHRAI Magazine or DDP. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or more recognised authorities may hold different views than those reported. Material used in this publication is intended for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek specific advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use, and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances.

Contents of this publication are copyright.

No part of FHRAI Magazine or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in

54 Products Mumbai Harshal Ashar - harshal@ddppl.com Deputy General Manager (+919619499167) FHRAI - Marketing S.P. Joshi Production Manager Anil Kharbanda Advertisement Designers Vikas Mandotia Nitin Kumar Aarushi Agrawal any form without the permission of the publication in writing. The same rule applies when there is a copyright or the article is taken from another publication. An exemption is hereby granted for the extracts used for the purpose of fair review, provided two copies of the same publication are sent to us for our records. Publications reproducing material either in part or in whole, without permission could face legal action.The publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for material lost or damaged.

This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any specific product or services offered.

The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian and International Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure of an advertisement to appear.

Xxxxx president’s message

Dear fellow members, At the outset, I would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to all winners of the prestigious National Tourism Awards 2012-13. I am especially delighted that as always, a large number of FHRAI members have been recognised for their excellence and contribution to the promotion of tourism.

S.M. Shervani President

“

Independent restaurants are a vital and vibrant constituent of our industry and richly deserve due recognition for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and commitment to service excellence

“

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March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

National Tourism Awards are among the most coveted and credible awards in the sector and it is a genuine aspiration of all segments of the industry, to be considered for this distinct honour. FHRAI has been pleased to extend its enthusiastic cooperation to the Ministry of Tourism for the success of this endeavour. However, we have been disappointed to note that in the past few years, there has been one conspicuous omission in the award categories - ‘Best Restaurant (StandAlone)’. Everyone certainly concurs with the view that independent restaurants are a vital and vibrant constituent of our industry and richly deserve due recognition for their entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and commitment to service excellence.

Their inclusion in the awards will serve as a source of great encouragement and also provide them a valuable opportunity to benchmark themselves against their peers.

We have made an earnest representation to the Ministry of Tourism in this regard and hopefully, this category will be a part of the forthcoming edition of the National Tourism Awards.

The focus of this month’s cover feature of the FHRAI Magazine is one of the most portentous developments which will have a pervasive impact on the entire hospitality industry – the Food Safety and Standards Act. Last month, through FHRAI’s vigorous efforts, we were able to secure a major reprieve for the industry by convincing the FSSAI to further extend the last date for existing Food Business Operators to obtain the License / Registration under the FSS Regulations, 2011, by a period of six months. We have been assiduously engaging with the Government at the highest level, on various technical and regulatory aspects of the new Food Safety Law and demanded an extension of this deadline as it did not take into account the ground realities and practical constraints confronted by our industry.

It is pertinent to emphasise that FHRAI supports the progressive intent and basic tenets of the Food Safety & Standards Act, but we have strong reservations on certain procedural issues, punitive measures and enforcement mechanisms envisaged in the new law and its accompanying regulations.

We firmly believe that a sweeping reform of this nature can only be viably implemented by adopting a calibrated and consultative approach. Instead of arbitrary deadlines, the current focus must now shift to building greater awareness, particularly in the unorganised sector and allowing sufficient time to both the regulator (FSSAI) and our industry, to put in place robust internal systems, transparent processes and a pragmatic compliance framework.

Over the past two years, FHRAI has been meticulously involved in illuminating the wide scope and provisions of the FSS Act and dissemination of best practices, through an acclaimed series of nation-wide seminars and publications. At the same time, we have impressed upon the Government that the Indian food service industry largely comprises of micro, small and mid-sized enterprises, who will require the Government’s sustained support, guidance and forbearance, in their sincere efforts to conform to the radically overhauled regulatory edifice. Being a primary stakeholder, it is also imperative that the industry’s views should be given requisite credence in the formulation and enforcement of the revised rules and guidelines.

I wish to share with you some specific concerns and proposals which FHRAI has raised with the Union Government regarding the Food Safety & Standards Act.

Representation on the FSSAI Central Advisory Committee The Government has constituted a Central Advisory Committee of the FSSAI which is mandated to serve as a multistakeholder platform to oversee the effective operationalisation of the FSS Act, strengthen the standard setting and review process as well as identify priorities for long-term capacity building which is pivotal for the success of the new regulatory regime. FHRAI has requested that the hospitality industry must have representation on this Committee so that through a continuous and dynamic dialogue, we can proactively address emerging issues, challenges and apprehensions.

president’s message

FSSAI has launched a strategy to harmonise India’s food safety standards with CODEX and other global best practices. We support this ambitious initiative as an opportunity to update our current rules, taking into account the latest developments in food science, evolving food consumption patterns and recent innovations in food technology.

However, we have articulated that in seeking to align Indian regulations with international practices, there must be a candid assessment as to whether the standards being so prescribed are actually feasible to achieve within the Indian context. This process must also adequately reckon that India is truly unique, both in terms of its diverse geography and plurality of our population.

A holistic approach to food safety must incorporate multifarious aspects, such as better control over agri-practices, assured supply of potable water, integrated measures for pollution control, effective solid waste-management systems and a consistent focus on improving the general hygiene and sanitation levels across the country. In the absence of an enabling macro-environment, placing a disproportionately heavy responsibility and accountability, only on the food service industry, will neither be reasonable nor practical.

Enforcement of the FSS Act

The new Act seeks to usher a paradigm shift by moving away from an inspection and prosecution based regulatory mechanism towards an era of self-compliance by FBOs through Food Safety Management Systems, scientific/evidence-based standards, a risk analysis approach to conducting surveillance, tools such as graded penalties and ‘improvement notices’ to remedy shortfalls in compliance and fast-track adjudication of cases.

There is an exigent need that, through apposite training and supervision, this laudable vision should percolate to all echelons of the enforcement machinery, especially at the ground level. Any rampant and arbitrary use of discretionary powers by local officers to instil a fear of harsh penalties and prosecution for inadvertent operational lapses will be a throwback

to the discredited ‘inspector raj’ of the erstwhile regime and hence, must be strictly guarded against.

Food-testing Laboratories

The limited number of accredited food testing laboratories is a serious impediment. FSSAI has projected that during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17), it requires `5000 crore to set up cluster labs at the district level, upgrade existing public labs to accredited standards and establish referral laboratories.

As against this massive financial requirement, the Government has only allocated `2,350 crore. In this context, there is an urgent need to actively evaluate the strategic option of steadily scaling up the number of affordable and high-quality food testing laboratories in the country, through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

FHRAI has launched a pioneering initiative to catalyse the setting up a network of food labs in each of the four regions, which will be managed independently and professionally by a team of renowned experts and trained personnel. These labs will be equipped with sophisticated scientific equipment, adhere to stringent testing protocols and strive to offer the highest standards of quality assurance.

We expect the Government’s encouragement for such industry-driven efforts by way of notifying these labs under the FSS Act (Food Safety and Standards Act) in due course and offering financial incentives.

The new Food Safety Act is a landmark step towards safeguarding and reinforcing public interest. I am confident that the Government itself would not want this intended reform measure to merely add yet another layer to the already complex labyrinth of rules and regulations currently governing the hotel and restaurant sector.

Therefore, we look forward to constructively partnering with the FSSAI to ensure that all statutory provisions are implemented with a practical mindset and an industry-friendly approach.

Wishing you a very Happy Holi!

With warm regards, S.M. Shervani President, FHRAI

“

There is an urgent need to actively evaluate the strategic option of steadily scaling up the number of affordable and high-quality food testing laboratories in the country, through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model

“

Harmonisation of Food Safety Standards

Government Order

FSSAI Advisory on Extension of FBO Licenses F. No. 1/1/Enf-1/FSSAI/2012 Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare FDA Bhavan, Kotla Road, New Delhi-110002 4th February, 2014

STATUTORY ADVISORY

Subject: Extending time line upto 4th August 2014 for the Food business Operators seeking conversion/renewal of existing license/registration under repealed Orders.

The time line mentioned in the sub-regulation 2.1.2 of Food Safety and Standards

(Licensing and registeration of Food Business) Regulations, 2011 has been further extended upto 04.08.2014.

This issues with the approval of the competent authority.

(Sanjay Gupta) Assistant Director (Enforcement)

To 1. All Food Safety Commissioners of States/UTs 2. All Central Designated Officers

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fhrai desk

New Membership Applications as on February 28, 2014

HOTELS S. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Name of Establishment PARK RIDGE HOTEL J W MARRIOTT HOTEL NEW DELHI AEROCITY VIVANTA BY TAJ - GURGAON, NCR HOTEL BALSONS INTERNATIONAL PARK PLAZA DELHI CBD SHAHDARA BATRA HOTEL THE CEDAR GRAND HOTEL & SPA HOTEL CENTRA THE BASIL IKON

City Rewari New Delhi Gurgaon New Delhi New Delhi Srinagar Shimla Ahmedabad Bengaluru

Category 3 5 5D UC UC UC UC UC UC

No. Of Rooms 50 523 208 18 91 41 31 37 30 ******UC - Unclassified

RESTAURANTS S. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Name of Establishment DASTARKHWAN BANGLA FOODS LALIT BAR & RESTAURANT THE GRILL HOUSE PICANTE RISTORANTE HARD ROCK CAFE SHIRO RESTAURANT HALDIRAM’S PLANET FOODS MARKET CAFE

City Jaisalmer New Delhi Mumbai Bengaluru Mumbai Delhi Delhi Nagpur New Delhi

No. Of Seats 100 45 100 100 57 205 119 80 48

An innings well served

On January 31, 2014, Mr. Chander Singh retired after 23 years of dedicated service to FHRAI. Mr. S.M. Shervani, President-FHRAI, Mr. Rajindera Kumar, Past President-FHRAI and the staff of the FHRAI Secretariat, felicitated Mr. Chander Singh and wished him much joy and happiness in the years ahead.

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secretary’s message

The new tourist visa regime:

A game-changer for our industry Dear fellow members,

Vivek Nair Hony. Secretary

“

Even during the global slowdown, travel & tourism has been one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sectors in the world

“

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March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

In the past month, the Government of India has announced historic measures to significantly liberalise our country’s tourist visa norms. As per the new policy, India is poised to offer Tourist Visa-on-Arrival and Electronic Travel Authorisation to the citizens of 180 countries. The Government has indicated that it will take five-six months for the respective departments to put in place the requisite infrastructure, in terms of technology and trained personnel. Therefore, we are very hopeful that the scheme will be operationalised, well in time before the onset of peak tourist season in October this year.

As our members our aware, this had been one of the core policy areas of focus for FHRAI’s strategic engagement and intervention in the last two years.

Through our persistent and sedulous efforts, we have sought to impress upon the Government at the highest level, the economic imperative to adopt a modern visa regime, which acts not as an artificial barrier to entry but rather serves as a convenient and welcoming gateway for foreign tourists. When the Government had first indicated the broad contours of the proposed reform in October 2013, FHRAI had categorically called for E-Visas/ Electronic Travel Authorisation to also be included as part of the ambitious measures being planned to ease our restrictive visa rules.

Leveraging technology to simplify and streamline the tourist visa issuance process offers multiple advantages of speed, efficiency and flexibility, while minimising security related risks. Therefore, FHRAI is delighted to welcome and laud the Government’s final proposals, which have suitably incorporated our suggestions in this regard. We are profoundly grateful to the Ministry of Tourism, which has been unequivocal in its support for our industry’s perspective and efforts to pursue this issue and has actively spearheaded the quest to expedite the impending comprehensive reform.

India, with its captivating topography, scenic beauty, rich cultural diversity, peerless historical heritage and warm hospitality, is the veritable embodiment of a tourist paradise. However, we have been unable to convert these myriad natural strengths into being the source of a sustainable competitive edge for our tourism sector. In 2013, India was able to attract a mere 6.85 million foreign tourists, ranking 41st in the world. It is indeed disappointing to compare this performance

with some of our competing destinations: Singapore – 15.5 million, Malaysia – 25.7 million, Thailand – 26.7 million and Turkey – 35.6 million!

Over the years, various systemic impediments have hamstrung our sector’s ability to translate the country’s ample potential into a correspondingly high market share in world tourism. A major constraint has been our onerous visa application process, which is often fraught with long delays, excessive documentation and archaic bureaucratic procedures, thereby deterring potential tourists. It had thus become vital for India to urgently address the entrenched inefficiencies in its existing visa structure in order to position itself favourably against competitors.

Going forward, it will also be important for us to ensure a seamless and differentiated visa mechanism to reflect the individual requirements of specific market segments such as medical tourists, MICE visitors etc.

Even during the global slowdown, travel & tourism has been one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sectors in the world. Today, it represents 9 per cent of the world’s GDP, 30 per cent of the exports of services and one in every 11 jobs. The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide has already crossed the landmark figure of one billion and is projected by the UNWTO to rise to 1.8 billion by 2030, with emerging economies estimated to capture a 57 per cent share. Through forward-looking, decisive and timely regulatory reform, Indian tourism must aim to capitalise on this unprecedented opportunity and leapfrog to a higher growth trajectory. This would in turn, drive an expansion of economic output, large-scale job creation and increased foreign exchange earnings for our country.

In this context, we truly believe that the revised visa norms will be a game-changer for India’s tourism and hospitality industry in the days ahead and will certainly lend a strong impetus to accomplishing the bold vision of doubling our FTAs to 12 million within the next five years.

Wishing all our members a very happy and colourful Holi!

With warm regards, Vivek Nair Honorary Secretary, FHRAI

fhrai desk

Winners of National Tourism Awards 2012-13 The National Tourism Awards, 2012 -2013 were given away on February 18, 2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, was the chief guest at the function and gave away the awards to the winners.

Tharoor shared the dais with dignitaries, including Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary, MOT; Usha Sharma, Additional Director-General, MOT; Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, MOT and AK Gupta, Additional Director General, MOT. Representatives of the states and other travel and tourism organisations were all present to receive the awards.

List of Award Winners 2012-13 Best Hotel Five-Star Deluxe Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur Five-Star Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kottayam, Kerala Four-Star Vivanta by Taj, Kumarakom Three-Star Brunton Boatyard Cochin, Kerala

Best Eco-Friendly Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi Best Hotel Providing Best Facilities for the Differently Abled Guests The LaLit, New Delhi Best Standalone Convention Centre Leonia International Centre for Exhibition and Convention, Hyderabad

Best Maintained & Disabled Friendly Monument Golconda Fort, Hyderabad Best Responsible Tourism Project ‘The Ladakh Eco-Tourism Initiatives’ Department of Wildlife Protection, Leh, Ladakh Best Rural Tourism Project Sikkim

Two-Star Red Fox Hotel, New Delhi

Best Hotel Based Meeting Venue Jaypee Palace Hotel & Convention Centre, Agra

Best Innovative and Unique Tourism Project ‘Kochi Muziris Biennale Project’, Department of Tourism, Kerala

Best Heritage Hotel Basic Gajner Palace, Bikaner

Best Tourism Film MPSTDC, TV Commercial ‘Rang Hai’

Best Film Promotion Friendly State Andhra Pradesh

Grand Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur

Tourist-Friendly Railway Station Bangalore City Railway Station

Best Airport (Class x cities) Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad

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fhrai desk

Food Safety and Standards Act The Food Safety & Standard Act, which was passed by the Central Government of India (FSSAI) on August 5, 2011, has seen two extensions, and was supposed to have become applicable from February 4, 2014.

However, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has once again issued a statutory advisory, dated February 4, 2014 whereby the last date for existing Food Business Operators for obtaining License / Registration under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Business Operators) Regulations, 2011 for extending by a further period of six months, i.e. up to August 4, 2014. Intimations regarding the same were sent to HRAWI members. HRAWI hopes that all the association members are geared up to meet the requirements specified under this new FSS Act. The association, along with FHRAI, had been vigorously engaging with the Government at the highest level, on various technical and regulatory aspects of the new Food Safety Law and demanded an extension of this deadline as it did not take into account the ground realities and practical constraints faced by the industry.

Therefore, HRAWI welcomes the Government’s decision in this regard.

The association members were made aware of this new FSS Act, which has converged all existing food related laws into one FSS Act. All the existing FDA licenses should by now have been converted to FSSAI license.

This new FSS Act is ambitious and stringent, also makes it mandatory for all Food Business Operators (FBO’s – HRAWI members) to have their food samples tested at regular monthly intervals at accredited FSSAI Food testing labs.

A meeting was held with Ms. Sharda Raut, DCP – HQ 1, on January 9, 2014 and members discussed with her contents mentioned in the letter which had earlier been handed over to the Dr. Satyapal Singh, Police Commissioner, on December 20, 2013, listing some current Laws / Rules and the association’s suggestions and reasoning in streamlining them, which would be beneficial to all. This meeting was attended by Mr. D.S. Advani, Mr. R. S. Bedi and Mr. M. Narang.

Executive Committee Meeting

HRAWI

HRAWI Executive Committee under the Presidentship of Mr. D. S. Advani, for the first time held its January Executive Committee meeting on January 24, 2014, in the renovated meeting room of the Association’s office premises. The renovated premises were very well appreciated by all the Executive Committee members present. The renovation of the HRAWI office premises had been done in two phases, being initiated during the tenure of the immediate past President, Mr. Kamlesh Barot, which was being spearheaded by Mr. Sudhir Bahl, Mr. Vijay Shewakramani, past Office Matters Chairman’s and the current Chairman Mr. Chetan Mehta.

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Single Window Clearance

A meeting was held with Mr. Sumit Mullick, Principal Secretary, Tourism, on January 30, 2014 to ascertain the status of the proposal regarding the implementation of the ‘Single Window Clearance’. Mr. Mullick informed that a presentation of the recommendations had been made to the Maharashtra Cabinet and hopefully it should get cleared shortly. Present at this meeting were Mr. D. S. Advani, Mr. Kamlesh Barot, Mr. Gogi Singh and Mr. M. Narang.

March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

fhrai desk

Hospitality industry subject to excessive taxation

S

SIHRA

outhern India, comprising of the four States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and the union territory of Puducherry, is well placed in the tourism map of India with multi- optional tourist spots be it beach tourism, heritage tourism, temple tours, wildlife sanctuary, to name a few. The region enjoys tourists coming from abroad during October to March and the continuing domestic tourists during April to September.

Presently, the demand recession due to the sudden increase in the number of hotel rooms both in the metros as also the Tier II & III cities has led to a skewed supply situation. With occupancies being lower compared to last year and yields having fallen compared to the previous year it has had an escalating detrimental effect on the financial positions of hotels who are already suffering an unequal pricing. The hospitality industry is also subject to a number of central and state levies such as Service Tax, VAT, Excise Duty, Luxury Tax etc. These multiple and inequitable tax structures have an unfavorable effect on price competitiveness between the states as tourist destinations. Year after year, each of the regional associations lobbies with their State

Governments to consider measures to rationalise these tax structures and adopt concessions specific to the region. Some of the outcomes are: The Tamil Nadu Governments’ order of levy of retrospective VAT on sale of liquor by TASMAC from 01/04/2013 was challenged through a Writ petition in the High Court of Madras and interim stay passed providing relief to the effected members of the association in the State.

The Kerala Government proposed a 5 per cent cut in Luxury Tax in Hotels during the lean monsoon season commencing June. It is also proposed a 10 per cent cut in luxury tax for convention centres and auditoriums having rent of more than `20,000.

The Karnataka Government, while marginally raising excise duty on liquor, particularly that of beer (122 per cent to 135 per cent), and license fee for liquor shops, has proposed a reduction in the value added tax on liquor (from 12.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent) sold by bars & restaurants operating in urban areas and clubs, lodging houses and star hotels.

HRAEI gets new Secretary General r Partha Pratim Dutta has been appointed as the new Secretary General of HRAEI. He can be contacted by e-mail: hraeik@gmail.com, hraei@airtelmail.in, Phone: 033-22881742/4, 0334003-5993. The quarterly newsletter of HRAEI has been sent to all the members in the month of January. 12 new members have joined HRAEI in the last three months.

The HRAEI Membership Directory 2014 is scheduled to be published in the month of April.

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Proposal to abolish Dry Days

Food Testing Laboratory

State Budget Proposals

HRAEI is in the process of locating premises for a Food Testing Laboratory to be set-up by Dr. V Pasupathy in Kolkata.

HRAEI

Extending support to ‘Garbage Free India’ (GFI) movement

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HRAEI supports the initiative taken by GFI to use ‘Kolkata Book Fair’ platform for an awareness generation campaign against mindless littering and dumping of garbage in public places. Details have been sent across to their Kolkata members for their support and cooperation.

March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

In a recent article in a local newspaper, it was reported that the Government of West Bengal is contemplating in doing away with dry days at certain tourist spots in the state which it wants to hard sell to foreign tourists.

HRAEI supports this initiative and has written to the Minister of Tourism to extend this to the whole of the state or to keep the dry days to a very minimum in a year.

HRAEI has asked for feedback from Managing Committee members of different states to send suggestions/ inputs for consideration in the state budgets. HRAEI can write directly to the respective state governments regarding the requests received and the inclusion of the same in the forthcoming budgets.

EC Meeting of FHRAI

HRAEI will be hosting the next Executive Committee Meeting of FHRAI on the March 8, 2014 in Kolkata.

The next Managing Committee Meeting of HRAEI is scheduled on the March 6, 2014.

fhrai desk

Sh. B.K. Gupta receives Lifetime Achievement Award

H

The Uttar Pradesh Hotel & Restaurant Association (UPHRA) presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Sh. B.K. Gupta during the Annual General Meeting of the Association in Lucknow. Sh. B.K. Gupta, Founder of UPHRA was the former President of FHRAI & HRANI. The award recognises Mr. Gupta’s highly significant contribution to UPHRA with a focus on his exceptional achievements in developing the hospitality & tourism in Uttar Pradesh. The award also acknowledges his substantial and outstanding work for the upliftment of the Association. In addition, Sh. B.K. Gupta was recognised for serving UPHRA in its formative years and providing much need guidance, all of which have inspired an entire generation of visual professionals.

p Mr. B.K. Gupta (L) receiving life time achievement award from Surendra Jaiswal, President, UPHRA (Centre) and Mr. Garish Oberoi, President, HRANI

Seminar on Environmental Concerns of Hospitality Industry

G

reen Hospitality, Environment and Sustainability have become a significant and mandatory feature of Hospitality & Tourism Sector. Taking cognizance of pollution from hospitality industry, National Green Tribunal, New Delhi vide its order dated January 8, 2014 & February 6, 2014 had invited objections /suggestions from the industry on the report of the Committee constituted by the Tribunal vide order dated September 25, 2013.

To help their members and fraternity, HRANI has already filed an impleadment application and some observations before the tribunal on February 6, 2014.

>> Topics to be covered

>> Programme 1430 hrs

– 1500 hrs :

Registration

1500 hrs

– 1515 hrs :

Inaugural Session

1515 hrs

– 1615 hrs :

Technical Session

1615 hrs

– 1715 hrs :

Q/A Session

1715 hrs – 1730 hrs :

Closing Session followed with Tea / Coffee & Snacks

The objections comprised of issues like high consent fee and levy of same in retrospect, Installation of ETP/ STP and other issues. These objections have been well received. The application filed by HRANI was allowed by the Tribunal and the next date of hearing has been fixed for March 26, 2014.

» Applicable Environmental Laws and its Compliances

HRANI

» Procedure for obtaining consent from Pollution Control Board (Consents & Authorisation)

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» Advanced Pollution Control Technologies and Options » Internalising Green

March 2014 I www.fhrai.com I

To take it further, HRANI is organising a half day seminar during 29th AAHAR International Food & Hospitality Fair 2014 at Pragati Maidan to discuss and gather any specific points which maybe required to be placed before NGT. The seminar will be addressed by Sh. I. K. Kapila, M.Tech. (Env. Engg.), LLB, who has over 35 years of experience in environmental matters and other technical experts.

news updates

Heritage Online

Google unveils 360-degree online imagery of Indian heritage sites across the world to see and explore our magnificent heritage, to take a walk at the Rock Cut Jain Temple, to marvel at the Nagarjuna Konda Buddhist Stupas and to relive history in Fatehpur Sikri. With the release of these new panoramic images, we aim to create a dynamic, immersive online experience by which people within India and around the world can understand and engage more of India’s diverse cultural heritage,” said Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Union Minister of Culture.

P

eople around the world will now be able to explore the Taj Mahal and other national Indian monuments online through Street View. With the support of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Google is releasing the first 360-degree online imagery of 30 iconic Indian heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Agra Fort on Google Maps and the Google Cultural Institute.

The ASI and Google are unveiling panoramic imagery of these 30 sites as part of their joint initiative to help make 100 of India’s most important heritage sites more accessible for the world to experience. The Indian monuments are now live on Google Maps and Cultural Institute are all over 100 years old, and by allowing people to virtually explore them online, Google aims to help share more of Indian culture and heritage with people at home and abroad.

“Today, this partnership with Google makes it possible for billions of people

“Google is deeply committed to helping preserve and showcase cultural heritage across the world. India is unique in terms of the sheer wealth of heritage and iconic historical monuments, and it has been our privilege to work with the ASI in collecting new 360-degree photos of 30 Indian heritage sites.

We hope the imagery will help make India’s heritage and culture more accessible to people at home and abroad,” said Rajan Anandan, Vice President and Managing Director, Google India.

“The images coming online today through Google Maps and the Google Cultural Institute provide a new way for people around the world to view, interact with, and learn about some of the most important heritage monuments in India. We hope this new way of exploring national treasures such as the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Qutub Minar will help share more of India’s diverse culture with new audiences, and help preserve this part of India’s identity for generations to come,” said Pravin Srivastava, Director General of the ASI.

Neemrana Hotels founder Francis Wacziarg passes away

Francis Wacziarg

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Co-chairman and founder of Neemrana Hotels, Francis Wacziarg, who pioneered the idea of heritage hotels in India, passed away in New Delhi on February 19. He had been battling blood cancer for the past eight years. Originally from France, Wacziarg arrived in India 40 years ago, fell in love with the country and decided to stay on. Just a day before his death, Wacziarg along with Aman Nath, had been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ministry of Tourism for their work in promoting heritage tourism. Their transformation of the 500-year-old Neemrana Fort Palace from ruins to a flourishing property has inspired several heritage owners to do the same.

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news updates

Expansion

Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai adds residential facility

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heraton Park Hotel & Towers adds a new dimension to its offering with the launch of an exclusive residential facility - ‘THE TOWERS’.

The expansion and renovation of the Sheraton Park has been planned as an enhanced luxury space with the vision that ‘THE TOWERS’ will create an exclusive destination for global business travellers. “This strategic extension cements the Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers positioning as a leading five-star hotel in the city,” says R Bhandari, VP-South, ITC Hotels.

N Krishnan, General Manager said, “the refurbished ‘THE TOWERS’ is an aristocratic new addition to the city’s long-standing iconic landmark, Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers. The contemporary design theme of the structure aims to attract the business globe trotter and create an extraordinary and contemporary experience. Complete with the Sheraton class of service and facilities, this new destination is sure to earn distinction with business and leisure travellers. With ‘THE TOWERS’, we will continue in our endeavour towards providing authentic hospitality to guests.”

Culture

Promoting Indian art and culture

“F

eel India” – A Cultural Extravaganza, is an initiative of Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism and the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to showcase the myriad shades of culture to the tourist. The event was formally launched

by Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the Amphitheatre, The Ashok with the launch performance ‘Classical Dances of India’ led by Yogi and Danseuse Reela Hota with Narmada Cultural Association, Swati Sinha and Group and other eminent artists. The next two day’s performance

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Envisioned as a comfortable lounge, where one can enjoy a delectable array of Hors d’oeuvres from the patisserie the Atrium is the focal point of ‘THE TOWERS’. The Atrium’s relaxed communal atmosphere and comfortable seating combined with the ability to remain connected to the world through the Link @ Sheraton makes it a uniquely designed social destination for guests to interact. For resident guests, the upscale Towers Club, houses an exclusive Lounge and an elegant Bar providing a more intimate setting for a social rendezvous.

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consisted of ‘Heart touching notes on Electric Hawaiin Guitar by Anil Mishra’ and Susmita Das, noted Oriya Singer’s musical performance.

ITDC has been promoting art and culture in the country by organising cultural events at its different Hotels located across India. ITDC hotels also exhibit Indian art and culture in their decor along with providing modern and luxurious amenities to the guests. Cultural performances organised by the Corporation are further aimed to promote artists and Indian art forms.

news updates

Brand study

Breakaway brand award for The Taj Group of Hotels

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he Taj Group of Hotels emerged as the frontrunner in the breakaway brand category according to Young & Rubicam’s annual brand study – BrandAsset Valuator (BAV). The study, which is Rediffusion-Y&R’s proprietary brand diagnostic tool, is India’s largest study of consumer sentiments with respect to brands. The BAV study surveyed over 10,000 consumers across 16 cities and covered 1,400+ brands from 100+ categories that ranked The Taj as the No. 1 breakaway brand in India. The Taj was rated as the No.1 breakaway brand ahead of global heavyweight Facebook (No.2).

The BAV study evaluated brands on more than 70 different metrics such as imagery, usage, preference, consideration, knowledge, etc. On each of these parameters, the Taj was rated better and more favorably than its peers. An overwhelming percentage of consumers positively rated Taj on all the key metrics that resulted in the brand’s topmost ranking in the country.

Commenting on the achievement, Raymond Bickson, MD & CEO, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces, said,“It is a privilege for us to be recognised as the No.1 breakaway brand by Young & Rubicam’s Brand Asset Valuator Study, which is one of the most reputed brand studies globally.

The Taj brand, built over a century, is world renowned for its impeccable service. It is one of the most respected and

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admired brands in the hospitality industry and is growing rapidly in our desired key markets. This recognition is yet another testimony to the deep levels of engagement that our guests experience with the Taj brand.”

“Our commitment to deliver exceptional service quality and surpass our own benchmarks in global hospitality,resonate with the high expectations of our guests world over. We are honoured to be recognized as the No.1 breakaway brandand are delighted that both our brand stature and brand strength are amongst the highest. This recognition is an acknowledgment by our guests and continues to motivate us to deliver exceptional and memorable experiences to our guests,” said Deepa Misra Harris, Sr. Vice President, Global Sales & Marketing, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces.

“Brands that satisfy customers’ expectations in a unique yet practical way by deeply understanding the customers’ needs, will always rise above the competition. Taj has been able to achieve this which reflects in its Brand Asset Scores being significantly higher than the rest of the category. The strength of the brand reflects not only on the brand health and asset but also on preference and loyalty which are key metrics affecting the bottom line of any brand,” said Gautam Talwar, Chief Strategy Officer, Rediffusion Dentsu Young & Rubicam.

news updates

Golf

Incredible India Golf Tourism Summit from October 2014

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he first ever international event on golf tourism called ‘Incredible India Golf Tourism Summit 2014’ has been scheduled to take place from October 8-10, 2014 at The Lalit in New Delhi. This was formally announced by Parvez Dewan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism at a curtain raiser event recently held at FICCI House, New Delhi.

Parvez Dewan Secretary Ministry of Tourism

The summit will culminate with an Incredible India Golf Tourism Award, Incredible India Golf Tournament and FAM trips to golf courses for the hosted golf tour operators from across the world.

The Ministry of Tourism will extend all support to the industry people to promote inbound golf tourism

The Curtain Raiser event was also addressed by Jyotsna Suri, Sr. VP, FICCI and CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group; Anand Kumar, JS, Ministry of Tourism; Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI; SC Sekhar, MD, Landbase India & Sr. VP, ITC Hotels; Sanjeev Rampal, VP-Operations, Jaypee Green Golf Resort; Greesh Bindra, VP & GM, Crowne Plaza; Padamjit Singh Sandhu, Director, Professional Golf Tour of India and Chitranjan Bakshi, Business Head, Pash India.

MOT for Buddhist circuit development

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he Ministry of Tourism (MOT) attempts to identify integrated tourism circuits based on India’s unique civilisation, heritage, and culture including Buddhist Tourism in partnership with States, the private sector and other agencies. The MOT has identified following circuits to be developed as Buddhist Circuits with the help of Central Government/State Government/Private stake holders: Circuit 1: The Dharmayatra or the Sacred Circuit - This will be a five-seven day circuit and will include visits to Gaya (Bodhgaya), Varanasi (Sarnath), Kushinagar, Piparva (Kapilvastu) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal.

Circuit 2: Extended Dharmayatra or Extended Sacred Circuit or Retracing Buddha’s Footsteps - This will be a 10 to 15 day circuit and will include visits to Bodhgaya (Nalanda, Rajgir, Barabar caves, Pragbodhi Hill, Gaya), Patna (Vaishali, Lauriya Nandangarh, Lauriya Areraj, Kesariya, Patna Museum), Varanasi (Sarnath), Kushinagar and Piparva (Kapilvastu, Shravasti, Sankisa) with a day trip to Lumbini in Nepal.

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The Summit will be jointly organised by MOT and FICCI, in association of India Golf Tourism Association. The Summit will present Golf Tourism Awards and offer Exhibition and B2B meeting facilities.

Parvez Dewan Secretary Ministry of Tourism

In his speech, Dewan underlined huge potential of golf tourism market in India, thanks to the development of a significant number of world class golf courses in the country. According to him, India is capable of wooing a huge number of international tourists by offering combined packages which include golf and

tOURISM CIRCUIT

other tourism products for up-market segment. “The Ministry of Tourism will extend all support to the industry people to promote inbound golf tourism,” said Dewan.

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Circuit 3: Buddhist Heritage Trails (State Circuits) n Jammu and Kashmir - Ladakh, Srinagar (Harwan,

Parihaspora) and Jammu (Ambaran) n Himachal Pradesh - Dharamshala, Spiti, Kinnaur and

Lahaul n Punjab - Sanghon n Haryana – Jind (Assan), Yamunanagar (Sugh) n Maharashtra - Aurangabad (Ajanta, Ellora, Pithalkora

n n n n n n n

Caves), Pune (Karla Caves), Mumbai (Kanheri Caves), Pune (Bhaja Caves) and Nashik (Pandavleni Caves) Andhra Pradesh - Amravati, Nagarjunakonda and Vizag (Borra Caves, Salihundum Caves) Madhya Pradesh - Sanchi, Satdhara, Andher, Sonari and Murulkurd Odisha (Dhauli, Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, Udaygiri, Langudi and Khandagiri) Chhattisgarh – Sirpur West Bengal - Kolkata (Indian Museum) Sikkim - Rumtek, Enchay and other Monasteries Arunachal Pradesh –Tawang and Bomdila

cover story

Getting the

FSS Act FSS Act

right

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently took the decision to extend the last date for obtaining License / Registration by existing Food Business Operators by a period of six months till August 2014. The FSS Act holds deep implications for the hospitality industry. In conversation with FHRAI members, we find out more.

Kanchan Nath

Photo Credit: Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida

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Photo Credit: The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi

FSS Act

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Industry doubtful about preparedness of stakeholders À Dr. V Pasupathy, Food Scientist and Expert

The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical, keeping in mind the Indian context.

Dr.V Pasupathy What is your comment on Food Scientist and Expert the same?

Has FSSAI been successful in communicating to other agencies that they cannot interfere with operators on food safety or standards? Has FSSAI answered or attempted to answer our queries on pesticide residue limits, etc? Many state government laboratories are not accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) but they are accepted by the Act. Why then prescribe NABL as a standard for operators? NABL ironically doesn’t accept FSSAI as a reference standard till date in food reports. FSSAI has convened meetings with its state commissioners. One of our main concern has been lack of civic amenities which are non-negotiable, if the new law has to be followed. But we see conditions worsening in many states, not improving. Many physical and chemical standards mentioned in the FSSAI for raw materials of food do not exist in India.

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In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs / international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

The industry has a skeleton representation in the various committees of FSSAI. No act will reach its ambition if the operators have not participated with their experience. The industry is not against safety or standards but we are doubtful about preparedness of all stakeholders. Economics should never be a consideration when assuring food safety to citizens of any nation. But impracticality of an enforceable law can be a thorn in the flesh of both the enforcement and operators. **** **** ***** *****

New entrants will be deterred by the Act À K. Syama Raju, President, South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA) The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian context.

What is your comment on the same?

Due to diversity in operations across India because of various

K. Syama Raju President, South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA)

cover story

factors such as state laws, local cultural diversity, differences in size and economics of operations, etc. a uniform standard especially as stringent as being proposed, will only have a detrimental effect.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs / international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

Yes, in fact new entrants into this industry will be deterred by the spate of laws proposed by the various agencies apart from the FSS Act. Additionally, there is no guarantee of continuous operations especially for international chains because of regional sentiments as also limited sphere of activity. **** **** ***** *****

We have to meet international standards À Sushil Gupta, CMD, Asian Hotels (West)

Photo Credit: Simran Kaur

FSS Act

The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian context.

What is your comment on the same?

I don’t have an issue on standards, however, as far as fines are concerned, any law

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Sushil Gupta CMD, Asian Hotels (West)

which gives arbitrary draconian powers to the inspector is bad, in context of our country.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs/international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

End of the day, we have to meet international standards and this should not be deterrent to any newcomer. **** **** ***** *****

The regulation lacks clarity

Ă€ Deepak Puri, President, Hotels & Restaurants Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian context.

What is your comment on the same?

Deepak Puri The FSSAI regulations are President, Hotels & indeed stringent and lacking Restaurants Association of Eastern India (HRAEI) in clarity. The regulation is a mere copy of food safety laws prevalent in developed countries, completely overlooking the ground realities in India. We should reconsider the norms in the developed countries as our infrastructure does not permit its implementation in its present form.

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In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs/international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

The Government of India is yet to lay down the practical specifications and standards as far as quality control and purity content under Indian conditions, viz., farming, manufacturing, packing, transportation, storage and selling of the products. The standards are too high given the quality of raw materials available in the market. **** **** ***** *****

Set-up costs for establishments will go up À Nitin S Kothari, Senior Vice President-HRAEI

Photo Credit: Simran Kaur

FSS Act

The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian context.

What is your comment on the same?

Nitin S Kothari The law should be the same for Senior Vice President-HRAEI everyone. Organised sector and the licensed places should not be the only ones targeted. We also need to educate the unorganised sector i.e., the cottage industries and all street food vendors including, vegetable sellers, roadside eateries, dhabas, sweet shops, canteens, caterers, etc.

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about the basic norms of hygiene and food handling.

Refrigeration and some of the stringent rules as defined in the FSS Act may not be possible for implementation in the unorganised sector. Even the trucks and other vehicles transporting food items will have to procure a license.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs/international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

It will also act as a deterrent for foreign chain of restaurants wanting to come to India. It will push up costs at the time of setting up a new establishment. **** **** ***** *****

Mechanism to check unorganised sector absent À Rajiv Gogia, Honorary Secretary, HRAEI The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian context.

What is your comment on the same?

Punishment for deliberate avoidance endangering the consumers should be dealt with strictly. A stockist or

Rajiv Gogia, Honorary Secretary, HRAEI

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a person using goods in which he has no hand in manufacturing or producing cannot be held responsible for violating the FSSAI standards.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs / international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

It is a good move from the consumers’ point of view.

However, the mechanism to check the activities in the unorganised sector like the milk vendor, edible oil units, grocery shops, religious places distributing food, etc. has not been spelt out in the guidelines of FSSAI. **** **** ***** *****

Penalising the industry should not be the approach

FSS Act

Ă€ Garish Oberoi, PresidentHotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI)

Photo Credit: Kanchan Nath

The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in

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Garish Oberoi, President- Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI)

mind the Indian context. What is your comment on the same?

We acknowledge that the intent of the FSS Act is to strengthen and safe guard the public interest, but at the same time the guidelines and standards need to be more user-friendly for all kinds of operators apart from centralising numerous Acts like PFA, FPO and others into one as it will also create accountability for all stakeholders across the food supply chain.

As already submitted the approach should not be penalising the industry with exuberant fines but rather more hotel industry specific rules, standards and penalties considering the cultural diversity as well as socio-economic situation prevalent across all regions of the country is required to be formulated and emphasised.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs / international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

The development may slow the `8,000-crore organised food retail segment in the country, which is growing 20-25 per cent a year, but it’s a necessary move in the right direction. The operating costs for existing units are expected to go up by 3-5 per cent. This may not impact pan-India chains but small stands and unorganised players will be hit. **** **** ***** *****

cover story

Law makers have lost credibility The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in mind the Indian Gopal Aggarwal, context. What is your EC Member, FHRAI comment on the same?

The government departments are not ready to receive applications and issue licenses.

There is a lack of food inspectors in all districts of India.

Government representatives have made a tool to start inspector raj by imposing fine of five lakh. This would give the unscrupulous elements a chance to take bribes and forceful extortion for implementing the Act. Water is supplied from municipality and checking report is a serious problem due to lack of checking laboratory. The fine amount must be maximum Rs 25,000 & not Rs 5,00,000 as business people cannot afford such big penalties.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs/international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

The economic downturn and the challenges being faced by the food industry can be easily overcome if there is political will to take appropriate measures against food being sold on the streets. These food stalls have no licenses, pay no taxes, illegally steal electricity, have no parking requirements and have no waste or garbage disposal systems. Obviously when faced with such competition hotels with their high tax rates and establishment costs cannot be cost effective.

In view of the above, the economic downturn and challenges being faced by the hospitality industry, will this be a thorn in the side of newer entrepreneurs / international chains wanting to enter the restaurant and hotel business?

The provisions are good but it will take some time to implement these. The problem with law makers is that they have lost credibility. Impractical stringent steps have been introduced which cannot be implemented.

Photo Credit: The Imperial, New Delhi

FSS Act

Ă€ Gopal Aggarwal, EC Member, FHRAI

business to continue without any problems. A cursory glance while walking down any street in our cities will show the proliferation of food stalls selling food in unbelievably unhygienic conditions. If the government is not willing to take action against these types of food vendors today, nothing convinces us that merely by having an act under the pseudonym of FSSAI will make any change to the situation.

**** **** ***** *****

Need political will to take appropriate measures À Bharat Malkani, Managing Director, Hotel Transit The main constraints as a result of the FSSAI regulations are the stringent standards and exuberant fines, which are not practical keeping in Bharat Malkani, mind the Indian context.

Managing Director, Hotel Transit What is your comment on the same?

The FSSAI is impractical for one reason alone. We are not geared up in this country for such regulations. This act will penalise legitimate hoteliers and restaurants while allowing illegal food

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Another restaurateur, under the cloak of anonymity stated that through the FSS Act, the exploitation and extortion by Food Safety Officers continues as they step into the position earlier held by Food Inspectors.

Food Safety Officers insist on taking especially the curd samples. They also always take the dal samples. Even if restaurateurs are using the best quality dals, the dals sold in the market all have polished grains, so that as such is the responsibility of the manufacturers.

They also feel that another problem is that the areas for the Food safety officers in a particular city have not yet been specified. In case of the Municipal Corporation there are wards, however, in case of the Food safety officers, no area has been defined within the city. For example if a city has nine inspectors, all might end up at your restaurant depending on your luck. Earlier, the regions for the food inspectors had been specified as North, South, East, and West in a particular city.

interview

First FHRAI food testing lab to start in Baroda FHRAI is continuing in its efforts in its dialogue with the government on FSS Act. In conversation with Pradeep Shetty, Chairman - Legal Matters Sub-Committee, FHRAI & HRAWI, we find out more.

What is your view on the new Food Safety Standards Act (FSSAI)?

The new Act is very progressive and ambitious.

This Act is for convergence of several different food related laws into one comprehensive law. The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has welcomed the new law which largely intends to make wholesome and safe food available to general public.

However, there are serious issues which need to be reviewed for effective implementation of the same.

document comprising of our aforesaid objections, supported by empirical data. FHRAI has also conducted more than 25 interactive seminars across the country to enlighten its members about every aspect of the law, so as to enable them to gear up for the implementation of this new Act. The implementation of the FSS Act has been deferred till August 2014, in view of the objections raised by FHRAI and various other stakeholders. FSSAI has also constituted a standard review committee to look into the objections raised by the stakeholders.

What are the initiatives undertaken by FHRAI for smooth implementation of the new law?

As mentioned earlier, we have conducted more than 25 seminars across the country to enlighten our members about every aspect of the law. The new Act also mandates that every establishment has to submit at least 12 food We have conducted sample test reports every year. We more than 25 have brought to the notice of the seminars across the authority that there is a shortage country to enlighten of Food Testing Laboratories in our members about the country to deal with this requirement. In as much as there the law. The new Act are a few MNC laboratories where also mandates that food testing charges are very high. every establishment Through The Federation of Hotel & has to submit at least Restaurant Associations of India 12 food sample test (FHRAI) its Regional Associations reports every year will be setting up Food Testing Laboratories across the country for its members. These laboratories will be independently operated by a technical team.

What are the serious issues with the Act, which FHRAI has objected to?

Pradeep Shetty, This Act has taken effect from the Chairman - Legal Matters Sub-Committee, FHRAI & year 2012 and The Federation of HRAWI Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) after detailed study has objected to the following: The standards prescribed in the Act are not compatible with the food articles/ raw materials found in different parts of India. As a result of which, all food samples are likely to fail the test of the prescribed standard. Global standards are being prescribed which are neither achievable nor enforceable considering the socio-cultural issues prevalent across the diverse sections of the country. Certain procedures are either irrelevant or impractical to the hotel industry. Stringent penalties and fines, a minimum of Rs.2 Lakh for even minor non-compliances, is also a matter of grave concern.

What is FHRAI doing to deal with the issues you have mentioned above?

FHRAI has on its Board, Dr. V. Pasupathy, who is a renowned Food Scientist and an advisor to FHRAI in FSSAI matters. FHRAI has submitted a comprehensive

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The first Food Testing laboratory is likely to be operational sometime in the first week of March 2014 at Baroda, Gujarat and more are slated to open at Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Delhi, Chennai and Cochin. Labs will be independantly operated by an NGO with experience in the related field.

tax

Kerala cuts tax rates for off-season Industry leaders feel the highlights of the budget -- five per cent reduction in luxury tax on hotels during the three-month non-peak season from June, steps to promote MICE tourism and allocation of `206.65 crore for development works and marketing of the destination—will go a long way in promoting Kerala. Megha Paul

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ith the Kerala government announcing major tax concessions for the state tourism industry in the state budget 2014, God’s Own Country is poised to become a ‘roundthe-year destination’ for travellers and an important centre for international conferences. The budget, presented in the state assembly on January 27 by finance minister K M Mani, offers several tax concessions to the tourism industry. The major announcement includes a reduction in luxury tax to five per cent on hotels from June to August to promote off-season tourism. The step is expected to help reduce tariff in hotels and resorts in the state’s major backwater and hill destinations.

The recession in Europe, competition in traditional markets and from Sri Lanka and a host of other factors had earlier hit tourist arrivals to the state According to AP Anilkumar, Tourism Minister, Kerala, the tax concessions announced in the budget will certainly help the tourism industry, which plays an important role in the state’s economy. The concessions will give a new fillip to the tourism industry in Kerala and help the state discover new avenues of growth for the important sector, which has received several international awards and recognitions.

>> The tourism breather » 5% reduction in luxury tax on hotels for three months » `50 crore for prime tourist destinations » Sea-life leisure park at Varkala » One crore rupees for Idukki rural tourism project

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The government has also reduced luxury tax on convention centres and auditoriums with a daily rent exceeding INR 20,000 to 10 per cent from the existing 20 per cent, in a bid to promote MICE tourism, a niche category for facilitating national and international conferences, conventions and seminars.

Other announcements for the tourism industry relate to substantial increase in allocation for marketing destinations and implementing special tourism projects.

The cut in luxury tax in the off-season is expected to increase the number of tourists arriving in Kerala during the off-season months from June to August.

Suman Billa, Secretary, Kerala Tourism said, “Kerala has always been a destination for travel throughout the year. By making luxury tax on hotels and resorts during June-August only five per cent, the government is helping the state tourism Billa, sector in a big way to promote Suman Secretary, Kerala Tourism monsoon travel.” The luxury tax cut for convention centres and auditoriums is expected to directly help the tourism sector in Kerala through MICE tourism. The reason quoted by many companies for not coming to Kerala for organising international conference, seminars and conventions was high tax. Now with the lowering of taxes, the state will attract more MICE travellers and companies from abroad, he affirmed.

“High taxation in segments like MICE and hotels has been the major bottleneck in the growth of the tourism sector in the state. The recession in Europe, competition in traditional markets and from Sri Lanka and a host of other factors have hit tourist arrivals to the state. The last season was bad compared to last year. Thus, we welcome

EM Najeeb, Chairman-Kerala Chapter, IATO

tax

The state has remarkably demonstrated how tourism can be a vital catalyst for community participation, empowerment, inclusive development and ecological preservation the government’s decision for the sector and their decision to reduce luxury tax on hotels and convention facilities,” EM Najeeb, Chairman-Kerala Chapter, IATO informed.

According to Jose Dominic, MD & CEO, CGH Earth, Kerala is a success story in terms of tourism and hospitality based on responsible tourism focused on three key principles - sustainable, inclusive and local. The state has remarkably demonstrated how tourism can Jose Dominic & CEO, CGH Earth, be a vital catalyst for community MD Kerala participation, empowerment, inclusive development and ecological preservation. “The government’s announcement of developing destinations

such as Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Fort Kochi, Munnar, Wayanad and Vagamon and creation of rural tourism project in Idukki are proactive steps,” he added.

As per Saji Joseph, GM, Le Meridien Kochi, this is generally the leisure off season period and any value addition given to the domestic customers will only encourage more visits and generate the visibility and viability of the destination.

Talking about boosting Kerala as a MICE destination, he added, Saji Joseph, “This is important for Kerala as GM, Le Meridien Kochi all these MICE events generate extension of holidays to all the destinations in the state and create an overall development for all stakeholders.”

exhibition

29 Aahar 2014 – Making the fair bigger and better th

Aahar, one of the largest fair on Food & Hospitality Sector in India will cover two separate but concurrent exhibitions. ‘Hospitality India’ which covers Hotel & Restaurant Equipment and Supplies and ‘Food India’ which covers Foods, Processed Foods, Food Processing & Beverages. We got in touch with show-makers of the fair from India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) to find out more.

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elling us about her role in the fair, Rita Menon, CMD, ITPO said, “This is my third year running in this position. I inherited a fairly strong fair. Due to the Divisional heads that I have seen in front of me, namely Dalel Singh, we have had an induction of several new ideas. We have made the event more intense and have made our efforts to make the experience for the business person to come in, much more pleasant. The toilets are cleaner, the conservancy is stronger, the security more humane and the parking is better.”

Telling us about her expectations from the fair, she said, “I am hoping the fair sees the maximum numbers of buyers. We are expecting about 30,000 business visitors. I hope to see 100 per cent zero tolerance arrangements in Pragati Maidan.”

Rita Menon CMD, ITPO

About other international food shows she said, “All this also feeds into the seven international food fairs that we are participating in abroad. These include 1) Africa’s Big Seven/SAITEX (June 22-24, 2014) 2) Summer Fancy Food Show, New York (USA) (June 29- July 1, 2014, 2014) 3) Saudi Agro Food, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) (Sep7 to 10, 2014) 4) Food and Hotel Thailand (FHT) Bangkok, (September10 to13, 2014) 5) Food Expo, Hong Kong (August 14 to 18, 2014) 6) World Food Fair, Moscow, (Sept 15 to 18, 2014) 7) SIAL Paris, France(October 19-23, 2014). In addition to these seven specific food fares, there are going to be eight multi-product shows inclusive of India shows. Food element is going to be a major part of our display.”

She added, “I think the entire reform process, the entire food and beverage that we serve, as in the Book fare has gone up in a multiplier manner. The conservancy has gone up in a multiplier manner too.” Talking about the change she has seen in the fair, she said, “I would say firstly Aahar has become larger.

Secondly quality-wise it has become better. The area of the fair is increasing, the quality of the exhibitorship is improving, and the experience for the buyer/ business visitors is getting better and better. Perhaps this time we I am hoping the fair will introduce LED screens. This sees the maximum will have a multiplier effect in numbers of buyers. people’s knowledge as well as the perception of how the fair has been We are expecting organised.” about 30,000

Wine cheese and organic food Talking about newer elements she said, “We have also brought in new elements like we are trying to bring in wine. I think this year we are going to succeed in the wine corner or have a wine segment

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along with tasting. Dalel Singh is trying to bring Indian cheese to the forefront. Our smoked cheeses are as good as anywhere else. Plus we have this huge domestic market. There is also a huge market abroad where NRIs prefer Amul to blue cheese. We are also putting across a market for organic food which catches the eye of several markets especially many fastidious markets like Canada, Japan.”

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business visitors. I hope to see 100 per cent zero tolerance arrangements in Pragati Maidan

Even as the industry is passing through a rough patch there seems to be more demand for space. Talking about the same Dalel Singh, GM, ITPO said, “In fact as far as Aahar is concerned, we find that the demand for the space is rising and we are not being able to accommodate the requests. In fact new companies, for example Jindal steel requested for 250 sq. mtrs space but we were able to give only about 100 sq. mtrs. Many companies are not participating because we were not able to give the space that they wanted.”

Talking about the showcase windows for products, he said, “Most of the people that enter the fair from gate no.

7. So, along the road we created show

exhibition

windows. For allocating the show windows we created some rules. Who can get it. One who has an innovative product one who has environmental friendly product and who is disadvantagely located in the hall (location not prime). They are very moderately priced at `5000. This year we have increased the number. The unique concept was introduced last year. Last year we had 30 of them.”

Talking about the different segments, he said, “Imported food seems to be growing fast.

The sectors which we have not been able to bring in and wish to bring are the fine food segment cheese and wine. In case of wine it is because the Dalel Singh GM, ITPO movement of wine bottles from one part of the country to another is quite problematic. Food additives and food processing machinery are other sectors we are aiming to add on over the years. In food additives, India has enormous strength in products like guar-guns and E-cottonii, a Seaweed.”

Telling us about the impact of the slump in economy on the fair, he said, “I feel Aahar acts as a powerful market place. So even if you are going down, you feel you must be present, you might get buyers, you might get more business. Therefore, trade fair business is not impacted that much by the market place situation. This is the most cost effective marketing tool. Last year we had 24,000 business people. Where else can you meet domain specific 24,000 people in five days. The visits include a cross section of buyers, sellers and consultants.

I say a trade fair is a temporary market place and as this temporary market place gathers strength, everybody wants to be there. Aahar today is so strong that almost 90 percent exhibitors are repeat participants.”

Talking about where the fair is going to be moving he said, “Developing a fair is not an easy activity.

Businessmen who are very important, who make the fair a success, are very choosy about where they go. Since Aahar Delhi is internationally very well-established, we have decided to move this brand to different region of India. The Southern edition of Aahar has been started and shall alternate between Bengaluru and Chennai.

This year it will be held in Chennai and in 2015 in Bengaluru. It takes a lot of time to build a specialised business to business trade fair. Now for example this is the 29th edition of Aahar. In the first four-five years it was a very small fair. Now it appears in the calendar of most important international food and hospitality buyers and suppliers. The future plan is to move to Mumbai and then to the Kolkatta area. The biggest pull is the demand. If we get the right buyers, then exhibitors are easy to find.”

purchase managers

What to buy, What not to buy at Hospitality India & Food India Aahar, one of the largest fair on Food & Hospitality Sector in India will cover two separate but concurrent exhibitions. ‘Hospitality India’ which covers Hotel & Restaurant Equipment and Supplies and ‘Food India’ which covers Foods, Processed Foods, Food Processing & Beverages. We got in touch with few purchase managers for their expectations from the fair. À Nitin Shankar Nagrale

Founder and General Secretary, Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF), Director of Procurement- Sofitel Mumbai BKC What are your expectations from Aahar 2014?

Aahar is the biggest and best trade show for Hospitality Industry in India. I look forward to meeting, networking and interacting with the various national and international suppliers, and my fellow colleagues from different parts of the world who will be present there. I have noticed in past that there are more than 650 exhibitors every year which gives me an opportunity to keep me updated about latest developments in the hospitality industry.

Which new products/brands will you be on the lookout for?

What do you have to say about the FSSAI regulations?

The government needs to set down clearer guidelines for the same. It should not be that once we receive the products they are rejected due to certain unclear norms. There are hundreds of shipments being held at several ports in India due to non-conformity with new FSSAI regulations. People are wondering how to resolve the issues as lakhs of rupees are wasted due to lack of knowledge. We need expert advice from the government which would ease the imports of food and beverage items in India.

À Malcolm Sequeira,

like to see new and easily available creative items in terms of props and especially local food and non-food items which will be at par with imported items.

What are your expectations from Aahar 2014?

Aahar has always been successful and innovative for last so many years and I expect that this year it will again showcase all types of hospitality products all under one roof with multiple choice of vendors in each category.

Also I feel every year Aahar is getting more response in terms of buyers and sellers.

What do you have to say about the FSSAI regulations?

FSS Act introduced by the government could be in the long term beneficial to a buyer and customer to get the best food at reasonable prices together with the safety quotient taken care of, the hygiene factor and nutritional values mentioned. But I would suggest that it could have been implemented in a phased manner where an importer, the buyer and the customer would get time to get accustomed to the strict norms laid down by FSSAI body. I feel at the moment the prices of imported items are sky rocketing due to the gap in high-demand from customers towards short supply and delay in clearance from importers due to the FSS Act.

Corporate Head, Purchase and Control, Foodlink Services India

Which new products/brands will you be on the lookout for at the Expo?

At present me being in the Catering segment, I would

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Specifically I will be on the lookout for devices in the category of development in IT and Engineering.

New-age products that help to save energy yet provide necessary utility. I will also be on the lookout for latest designs in regular products in cutlery, crockery and glassware. This year I would also want to know if there are any vendors with unique storage facilities and solutions.

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purchase managers

Ă€ Sanjay Verghese,

Director, Materials, The Imperial New Delhi What are your expectations from Aahar 2014?

I have been visiting Aahar religiously from 1989 onwards when I was a management trainee with the Taj Group of Hotels, and I am a witness to the evolution of the event from an ordinary small-scale food exhibition of local Indian suppliers to the present mega exhibition covering 42000 sq mts of floor space, with international participation from numerous countries. I find ITPO as a very forward thinking and dynamic organisation taking the lead in exposing the economic possibilities to the world at large through these events and have displayed their commitment to the hospitality industry too. Latest additions of Culinary Art events, food supply equipments and the latest focus on creating a green corridor for display of environment friendly and organic products in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint is very laudable.

Which new products/brands will you be on the lookout for at the Expo?

Being a responsible hospitality player, The Imperial always has been conscious of its carbon footprint and has been taking all possible steps to reduce it. I will be looking for 1) Organic and Health Products, 2) Building, Construction, Air Conditioning, 3) Laundry & interior and House Keeping, 4) Air & Water – Pollution Control Equipment & Accessories, 5) Guest Room products and 6) Fabrics, Textile, Made Ups. Along with this any new product in the following categories will be a bonus - 1) Meat and Poultry Products, 2) Processed Foods, 3) Non-Alcoholic Beverages, 4) Food Ingredients, 5) Fine Food and 6) Food Preservatives What do you have to say about the FSSAI regulations?

This is a true gamechanger and is very essential for improving the hygiene standards and food safety in the country and the food industry in particular. However, rather than a knee-jerk reaction to the Act, the industry standards have to evolve and there should be just the right traction and flexibility for the FOBs to achieve the laid down standards. Its good that we have begun the journey, but definitely we have long way to go as a nation. We, at the Imperial, have set up a special Food Safety & Hygiene Standards Dept and are now preparing to launch an integrated program covering food safety aspect from procurement from vendors to the plate of the guest, and all other allied areas for effective hygiene monitoring be it the wet areas in the guest rooms, spa, or the cars being used by our guests.

products

Strength lies in constant innovation

I

n the Indian refrigeration market, the name Elanpro is a by-word for quality, reliability and innovation and value for money. Over the past half decade, the company has earned its reputation as one of the most influential standard bearers - pioneering the use of environmentally friendly gases and developing an ‘intelligent’ range of refrigeration units which is now winning hearts and markets around the country.

machine based on market feedback and Blast Chiller for the Beer Retailers.

Elanpro sees business growing, thanks to diverse range of products, their price competitiveness and their world class quality. They pride themselves on their ability to offer OEM buyers a unique and diverse range of refrigeration solutions, due to their strong and resourceful linkages worldwide. Elanpro’s other great strength is its constant need to evolve and to innovate.

Elanpro works with select partners to develop innovative and efficient refrigerators and freezers for the professional market. Elanpro creates customerdriven, energy efficient solutions with their partners in cooling technology. They provide high value for money by offering the right solution with low operating costs for their customers – and their customers’ customers.

In close cooperation with the customers, they turn innovative ideas into efficient refrigerators and freezers.

This is how they define being ‘The preferred partner’.

Technology: Elanpro focusses on product design and development. The company continuously works with partners for new technological developments to lead the Commercial Refrigeration markets.

Design: Elanpro has its credentials by developing a variety of products like Battery Freezer also capable of working with solar panels, small countertop Ice Cube

Ecology: Elanpro continously works with its partners to develop new technologies to offer environmentally friendly products using recyclable materials and making efficient use of the energy resources.

The Preferred Partner

Laboratory refrigeration: Elanpro has reliable and user-friendly solutions for laboratories in research institutions, universities, pharma and hospitals.

Merchandising Solutions: Innovative and exciting solutions for brand presentation of soft drinks, energy drinks, juices and beers.

Professional Kitchen Refrigeraion: Solid, hard working Reach-Ins, under counters Minibars for Room Refrigeration: A choice of Absorption and compressor minibars with solid doors and glass doors. Our absorption minibars come with CB, CE, UL and A rating certification.

Ice Cube & Ice Flaker machine: An excellent range of economical and sturdy Ice cube machines Wine: Niche and developing market segments like Wine: Professional Solutions for exclusive and reliable storage of Foods and Wines at Hotels, Restaurants and Retail shops.

Ready to Plug-In – Ease of usage

Elanpro believes that customers like equipment which is easy to Install, operate and maintain.

Elanpro products are Quality tested and Ready for Professionals.

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products

Fine bone china crockery

C

lay Craft India, a Jaipur-based company is India’s leading fine bone china Crockery manufacturer.

It is now a well known brand across the country and in the international market among hotels, caterers, restaurant for its wide range of tableware range, exclusive designs, best quality, timely deliveries, affordable rates and after sales service.

Deepak Agarwal, Director, Clay Craft India will be launching exclusive wide range of new designs and new range of tableware for hotels, restaurants and caterers in Aahar 2014, New Delhi. This new range will also include the premium and exclusive 22k gold-based designs, coloured crockery and crystal-studded crockery. Apart from this, Clay Craft also offers the option to the hospitality industry to customise their required crockery with their own logo or artwork. Clay Craft will

also be launching its new hotel-ware catalogue that will showcase its complete range along with full details relating to the products. With the new launches and introductions, the company is very confident to increase its market share through its innovative design and shapes and timely deliveries.

products

Get Italian ‘Nardi’ Outdoor Furniture from Sunrise Leisure Systems Nardi of Italy specialises in producing high quality outdoor and contract furniture from thermoplastic resin material ‘polypropylene’.

R

ecently, Nardi have made an alliance with Mukesh Vaswani, Director, Sunrise Leisure Systems, for developing their sales network in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal & Myanmar. Sunrise Leisure Systems have been the distributors for their products in India for the last five years. Their Aria range of furniture has gained popularity over the years.

frontiers of technology by proposing polypropylene in combination with aluminum, synthetic fabric and the glass or by combining and enriching new models.

They hold a deep understanding of Polypropylene, a thermoplastic resin to bring the highest levels of quality and style. Designers like Raffaello Galiotto have contributed to their product.

Nardi is one of the most dynamic names in the industry of furniture. Born in 1990 in Vicenza, Italy, today it distinguishes itself with products that combine innovative content with high standards of quality.

They have a huge variety for different kind of needs and environments. Their products are a perfect synthesis of aesthetics and functionality. They offer collections of tables and chairs in bright colours. They are not only, lightweight, easy to clean, highly resistant to atmospheric agents, but can also be practically stored away during winters.

Inclined to creative experimentation and understanding of the market changes, Nardi led to explore new

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products

Dishwashers pioneering in efficiency and ergonomics Top Performance – brilliant, fast, efficient

W

interhalter has long set the standards for pass-through dishwashers. The demands on the new generation were always going to be

>> Winterhalter » Simply brilliant - Unrivalled cleaning results » Superior speed - Minimal cleaning times with fast filling & heating » Guaranteed economy - Minimal consumption of resources & intelligent energy recycling

particularly high. The result is a new series of pass-through machines that surpasses all of its successful predecessors and is nothing short of pioneering in its efficiency and ergonomics.

The new Winterhalter Rack Pass-Through Dishwashers, the new PT Series, are available in three different sizes with a choice of special programs for dishes, bistro, glasses or cutlery facilitates perfect wash results.

Customers can choose between different models, depending on the space available and the size of the wash items.

products

Durable, designer and customised outdoor furniture

V

etra has been a part of the outdoor furniture market for many years. Based on the changes in tastes and demand, they introduced the synthetic wicker line in 2008. They have supplied furniture to numerous hotels, restaurants, cafes and other public places around the world.

Since they are the manufacturers themselves, every particular desire and requirement can be customised and made according to your personal needs. They can match their craftsmanship with your décor. Their whole and soul mission is to add value to the place, where you unwind and relax.

The fibre used by them is dyed, high density polyethylene fibre which ensures that their furniture can sustain large temperature differences and change of seasons.

Materials used in the production of their furniture are totally environment-friendly and recyclable. The USP of their furniture is that it is maintenance free- just basic cleaning will keep it looking sharp for a lifetime. Our range is the epitome of quality, design and durability.

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>> Range from Vetra » Dining » Living » Poolside Loungers » Umbrella/Giant Umbrella » Cabanas/Gazebos » Accessories » Retractable Roof/Awnings » Prefab Cottages

Recently, they have introduced Hardwood teak and Strap and Rope furniture that will enhance the beauty of your outdoors. To add quality and glamour to your furniture, they have tied up with a leading US-based company called Sunbrella, which manufacturers fabric made of acrylic fibre that is excellent for the outdoors, requiring minimum care and maintenance. The company offers years of carefree warranty for its products against fading.

products

Get that Espresso Machine

C

rem International is amongst the world-leading manufacturers of coffee and espresso machines and entered the Indian market in 2007. The company’s leading brands are Expobar and Coffee Queen.

The company has seen a rapid and stable growth in India and has been expanding its reach to different parts of the country through its extensive dealer network in addition to establishing its own presence in New Delhi to support customers. Crem also provides end-toend customer service through its distributors for its products sold in India. The company takes pride in establishing, and significantly growing, its market presence in India over a very short span of time.

products

Green & clean sustainable dishwashing solutions E

lectrolux Professional has launched a new compact rack type dishwasher for Asia, thus enhancing the existing line of Electrolux green and clean sustainable dishwashing solutions currently available.

Developed to ensure that operators looking to clean up to 250 racks of dishes per hour are satisfied, the new Electrolux Professional compact rack type dishwasher is perfect for high productivity kitchens in hotels, restaurants where space is still a premium.

GREEN

Not only offering productivity and space saving benefits, the new dishwasher also presents cost reduction opportunities for operators of up to 19 per cent on running costs when compared to similar competitor models.

As with the rest of the Electrolux Professional green and clean dishwashers, the compact rack type comes equipped with the Electrolux Professional Energy Saving Device (ESD), a highly efficient water pre-heating system that recovers steam to create a comfortable working environment.

also come with ETL sanitation certification and thermal compliance.

CLEAN

EASY

The new dishwasher also boasts best-in-class hygiene, easy operation and unparalleled cleanliness with its automatic dump and fills process. This innovative technology utilises an independent pre-wash tank that uses low temperature water to avoid proteins sticking to wares.

SAFE

The dishwasher also has the Electrolux Professional WashSafe Control system which guarantees high performance rinsing with a constant temperature over 84.0 degree celsius, ensuring total detergent removal.

It also comes with market leading safety features, and some selected models do

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The dishwasher is optimised for visibility and easy operation with an LCD display incorporating icons and texts in multiple languages. The simple plug-in design also guarantees easy installation with fully external predisposal for water and chemicals. Importantly, operators will not need to open the machine to install water and detergents.

Riccardo Marzapani, Head of Dishwashing Category, Electrolux Professional, says, “We have engineered the compact rack type dishwasher with common kitchen frustrations in mind, and foresee it saving operators both time and money. The appliance is designed with reliability in mind, and works well even in the most extreme environmental conditions such as high humidity”.

“The control panel on the dishwasher is also incredibly easy to use because of the multiple languages available and clear animated icons. This can be a real advantage for high productivity kitchens with multinational staff and guarantees peace of mind for those in charge,” he added.

products

Posture Sense Mattress

K

ing Koil, an internationally acclaimed mattress brand has ushered in its latest range of premium mattress ‘Posture Sense’. Posture Sense by King Koil is the most widely available balanced coiled support system mattress, with a unique dual comfort feature. To ensure, an ultimate sleeping comfort, this uniquely designed and patented technology mattress, has been launched, for the first time in the Indian mattress market.

The Posture Sense Mattresses are made from the finest materials in the most appropriate mix and provides an unrivalled comfort and support to the human body. The firm side is created by using heavy density REBOND foam; where as the soft side comes with two luxury layer options i.e Ultra PLUSH Foam and CELLULAR MEMORY Foam. All the mattresses meet our highquality standards of proper support, comfort and longlasting durability.

Excited about the unique addition to the portfolio of King Koil, Archit Gupta, Managing Director said, “Our Company is well-known for providing Innovative Designs and Patented technology mattresses. As a sole licensee of King Koil for the Indian Market, I am sure it will help us to redefine the sleeping solutions.”

Products&Services

products & services

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Hi-tech AV solutions for your events

H

ighbrow is a leading service provider of comprehensive AV & Event Production Services and a one- stop shop for all audio-visual requirements. Since its inception, Highbrow has provided AV solutions for various prestigious Conventions, Conferences, Social Events, Live Shows and Trade Shows by offering a total event management solution for audio visual, staging and styling and multimedia content through digital event services such as webcasting. Highbrow’s forte lies in its focussed AV services such as Sound, Lights, Projection, Video, Congress, Systems, Electrical, Rigging, Staging and Decor - together making it a one-stop service provider of customised AV and event production services.

Long-lasting aesthetic tiles

K

ajaria Ceramics has presented a range of beautifully designed, full body vitrified tiles called the ‘Technica 60x60 cm collection’. It is especially crafted for commercial spaces like malls, airports, railway stations and other areas prone to high pedestrian traffic. The collection is available in seven plain English colours and embodies strength and durability like never before. This range is yet another addition to the leading tile manufacturer’s

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bounty of cutting edge products that merge a sense of aesthetics with superior functionality. The use of advanced and contemporary material in manufacturing these tiles, make them wear and tear resistant without compromising on their classy look.

They are non-slippery and have excellent scratch and abrasion resistance, which gives them an edge over ordinary tiles, also making them a perfect choice for any commercial space.

products & services

Get stylish and comfortable with Carlton luggage

T

he English luggage brand Carlton announces the launch of its new ranges in India. Carlton has been in the business of catering to the needs of the new- age traveller keeping the trend, style and convenience quotients high for over 35 years now.

Carlton’s luggage collection has carved out a niche in the luggage industry because of its one-of-a-kind appeal attributed to its sophisticated designs, organization ease, high level security that meets international standards and the convenience of being lightweight.

etcetera

A Pinch of This, a Handful of That Looking towards her ancestors for the best recipes in food, Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal, food consultant and blogger, gives us her book ‘A Pinch of This, a Handful of That’.

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he book begins with a chronicle of Rushina’s growing years and the early influences on her palate, and goes on to explore recipes she encountered with the various people she’s met. It includes popular and lesser-known dishes, as well as her own creations — Gujarati Undhiyu, Sindhi Kadhi, Curry Leaf Fish, Goan Sausage Pulao, CloveScented Lamb in Red Wine, and Chindian Manchurian — that cross barriers of community and region to become part of the colourful whole that is Rushina’s kitchen.

What was your inspiration behind writing the book?

The jumpstart to this book came through a conversation about our culinary inheritance. For a person with a rich and varied background in Kutchi / Gujarati / Pahadi food, it started becoming important to document and preserve this legacy for my children and others. Since childhood, food has been strongly associated with certain people in my mind. For instance, if I see Goan sausages, I will always think of Lora mentioned in my book (pg 210), who made the best Goan Sausage Pulao ever! This was also true vice-versa. I would meet my nani, and in my mind, I would remember drinking her chaas and marvelling at the way she got the flavours the same every

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single time (pg 52). Personally too, I have accumulated food memories, some of which I have shared here.

After blogging for so many years, how easy or difficult was it to pen down, ‘A Pinch of This, A Handful of That’ as a memoir of your food journey?

While it is true that as a food consultant, I had a lot of notes and recipes collected over the years, my initial manuscript spanned three different cities and almost three decades of my life. Therefore, the challenge in writing the book was to reduce a manuscript of 1.5 lakh words to the final book version that it is today. I also had to ensure that they were stories and recipes which people have not heard or read about before in any of my previous blog posts or projects.

Having a rich and varied background in Kutchi / Gujarati / Pahadi food, it was important to document and preserve this legacy

Which is your favourite recipe among the different recipes in the book?

That would have to be my Star Anise Scented Orange Chicken Pot Noodles (pg 262)! I still remember the first time I made this. I had just returned from a tasting session and the flavours of orange and star anise really stood out for me. I rushed home and prepared this dish that also became a very popular blog post. It is a wonderful dish with a subtle interplay of the orange and star anise.

guest column

Niranjan Khatri General Manager, Environment Initiatives, ITC Hotels

The Water-Energy Nexus Understanding the linkages between energy and water are essential to ensure the sustainable supply of both.

A

considerable amount of water is required for cooling in thermal coal-based power plants. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 87 per cent of water is used by the thermal power industry in India. The development of oil and gas resources produces large volumes of waste water that must be disposed of or treated to allow for its reuse. A significant amount of energy is needed to extract water from the aquifer - the transport of tanker water being a common sight in Indian cities. In urban areas, the treatment of used water requires a lot of energy.

Understanding the linkages between energy and water will therefore be essential to ensure the sustainable supply of both. Moreover, in a country short of both resources, a drop of water saved is energy saved! A good method to sensitise and simulate the requirement of energy for the purpose of handling water can be demonstrated in training classes in hotels, by requesting all associates to lift a 20 litre bucket of water to height of three feet, two-three times!

Approximate rainfall yields in litres for various terrace sizes and rainfall amount in mm Terrace or Roof area in Sq feet 500 750 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000

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25mm

50mm

100mm

150mm

200mm

1174 1762 2349 3523 4698 5872 7047 8221 9396 10570 11745

2264 3396 4528 6792 9056 11320 13584 15848 18112 20376 22640

4670 7004 9339 14009 18678 23348 28017 32687 37356 42026 46695

7075 10613 14150 21225 28300 35375 42450 49525 56600 63675 70750

9339 14009 18678 28017 37356 46695 56034 65373 74712 84051 93390

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There are many semi-arid, desert and high mountainous regions of the world, where dew is harvested and used with great care for drinking purposes. Yet in the plains of India, where we have 600 mm of rainfall on an average, millions of homes have not resorted to rooftop water harvesting. The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) water harvesting table alongside illustrates how much water can be harvested from rooftops.

The paradox of buying tanker water, as opposed to rainwater harvesting, therefore emerges. “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.�

Albert Einstein (Views expressed in the article are that of the author, Niranjan Khatri, General Manager, Environment Initiatives, ITC Hotels)

In the Guest Column, FHRAI Magazine, February 2014 issue, Green IT to reduce carbon footprint, 23.0 degrees was printed as 230 degrees. 18.0 degrees was printed as 180 degrees. 22.0 degrees - 24.0 degrees was printed as 220 degrees - 240 degrees.

culinary art

Art of Sugarg Sculptin Q

What was your inspiration behind your career choice?

Which mentor has inspired you?

Though I landed up in this career by chance not by choice but after joining I found it immensely interesting and full of creativity and I feel strongly, it is the best choice for a person like me. I have always been inspired by Chef Manjit Gill who has also been a guiding force in my career.

Chef Arti Thapa, is passionate about reviving the rare and dying art of Sugar craft.

She was recently conferred the award of ‘Best Lady Chef’ at the National Tourism Awards, 20122013, by Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Government of India. In a tête-à-tête with FHRAI Magazine, she tells us more.

Kanchan Nath

culinary art

Q

Which panic situation have you handled in the kitchen and how did you overcome it?

In 1998 when I was a Management Trainee in the Kitchen, at The Ashok New Delhi, the staff went on strike and there was a bulk order of breads. I took up the challenge and started with 30 kgs of dough. Looking at me handling it alone, the staff started joining in one by one without bothering about the strike and we delivered the order in time.

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Q

How has the love for bakery items risen over the years in

India?

India has witnessed customers’ change in tastes and growing inclination for bakery products. Over the years people have started opting for baked products rather than fried. The love for foreign flavours has tremendously led to a rise in consumption of bakery products in India. Nowadays customers are opting for low calorie, gluten free and healthful confections.

Q

Tell us about your sugar sculptures? How did the journey begin? How do you manage to keep the creativity alive?

I have always been fascinated towards this art, I used to read about it and got curious to see the glassy shiny creations.

My journey began when I attended a Sugar craft workshop by Korean chefs in New Delhi. There was no looking back thereafter. I started practicing and achieved perfection only after practicing hands-on with World Champion Chef

culinary art

Ewald Notter during the Asia Pastry Forum in Malaysia where I received International certification in sugar craft and chocolate showpieces too. Every time I work with sugar I try to create a structure that I have not tried yet, so the creativity is kept alive.

Sugar craft is though about 200 years old art but it is vanishing in our country.

As a sugar artist, I plan to conduct demonstrations pan India and teach the sugar sculpting techniques. I will be imparted training in techniques of pulling ribbons, making flowers, casting and even advanced techniques including blowing, air brushing and painting sugar sculptures.

As a sugar artist, I plan to conduct demonstrations pan India and teach the sugar sculpting techniques

I feel it is a great thing for young chefs to learn this sugar craft. It makes the job of being a chef more interesting and also increases the employability of a chef who knows sugar art as a skill. I also want to try more complex pieces this year using a combination of Isomalt (a sugar substitute), pastillage (sugarpaste ) and other unique forms of sugar like bubble sugar and rock sugar.

Q

What new equipments have recently been added to your kitchen to optimise the resources available? With new techniques are coming into cuisine development, how important equipments have become to showcase perfect food?

I have got new sugar craft equipment like sugar lamp, silicon moulds, blow pumps, dehumidifier etc. When we talk about

culinary art

new techniques into cuisine development, equipment plays a major role in helping chefs to showcase perfect food. Modernist cuisines with Sous vide and Molecular gastronomy has brought revolution in food trends but depends solely on special tools.

Q

What food trends are there that we can look out for in the future globally and in India?

The trend of Sustainable cuisine is going to hit globally. People are coming back to basic, healthy and organic food.

What job skills does one need to be a pastry chef?

A pastry chef has to be creative, organised and detail oriented. Patience is definitely a virtue for a pastry chef. He/ she should be patient and should be able to work with a team.

» Do you have guilty food pleasure when no-one else is around?

I don’t crave for anything that I should not be enjoying » What are your favourite flavour combinations? What ingredient do you think is underutilised?

Dark chocolate and orange is my favourite flavour combination. I feel chefs are under utilising tofu in India for deserts. Sugar art has become rare in India

Q Chef Arti Thapa

» Your favourite destination to travel to for food in India and abroad? Your favourite restaurants?

Kerala in India, abroad, it is Italy and Mexico. My favourite restaurants are Indian Accent and Dum Pukht » Your favourite cuisine?

South Indian » Your last meal?

Lemon rice, with traditional ghee and gunpowder, beans poriyal, rasam. For desert, I had éllan neer payasam followed by filter coffee

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Your idea about perfect food and what adds lure factor to it?

Food that is presented beautifully keeping in mind all aspects is perfect. I feel perfect combinations of flavours with micro greens and edible flowers add to the lure.

Q

>> RAPID-FIRE

» What is the one trait that you think is imperative for a person who wants to be a member in your kitchen?

Patience

Q

What is your pastry philosophy?

I feel to be a good pastry chef; you need an understanding of the scientific principles behind your craft. You’ll be using perishable and fragile foods and will need to understand the biology of food safety. There’s a chemical basis for the way certain foods are combined. You need a good understanding of nutrition and of human physiology. You also need to know the basics of design—how to create visually appealing desserts.

There are many skills you’ll acquire as you learn to be a pastry chef. How to measure correctly? How to mix and blend? You would also learn specific food preparation techniques. How to make food visually appealing? Plus people skills, management skills and business skills— all necessary skills for the pastry chef.

restaurant review

Savour Indian cuisine at Food First T Craving for regional Indian food? If you are in Mumbai, then do visit ‘Food First’ restaurant. As the name suggests, it offers signature dishes from across India, where the flavour of the food, resides in the core of the place from where the dishes actually originated.

he idea for the restaurant Food First was the brainchild of O.P. Saboo, who apart from his career as CMD, First Flight Courier is passionate about food and cooking.

His tryst with the restaurant business started in Singapore initially. He started the restaurant ‘Songs of India’ there, almost six years ago which now has three branches. These branches are on Scotts road, Serangoon and Marina bay. Looking at the potential of the Indian market, he decided to start a restaurant here. He has invested almost `15 crores in Food First.

He plans to invest another `100 crore in his hospitality venture in India. In the pipeline, he also has plans of opening a restaurant chain in all major cities in India.

Debashish Roy, General Manager, Food First met him at a conference in Orissa.

Roy has worked as the Executive Chef in many national and international hotels.

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restaurant review

About Food First, he says,“My idea was to promote Indian food, specifically pan Indian cuisine. In India, we have so many food varieties it never ceases to amaze me! French cuisine is considered one of the richest cuisines but if you consider all the cuisine like Punjabi, Bengali, Konkani, Marathi, Andhra, Chettinad, Oriya, Kashmiri, Hydrabadi, Lucknowi, Goan, they will be much bigger than any other cuisine in this world! We have a vast food variety as well, from prawn moilee to prawn malai curry, from prawn do pyaza to Goan prawn curry. We started a pan Indian restaurant where you get signature dishes from all over India.”

Telling us about the USP of the restaurant, Roy says, “As we are being backed up by a courier company, we have the facility of collecting the best raw material from all over India, like saffron from Kashmir, sweet water fish and gandharaj lemon from Bengal, spicy chilly from Nagaland, alphanso mango from Ratnagiri, strawberry from Pune, tea from Darjeeling,

We have a vast food variety and have started a pan Indian restaurant where you get signature dishes from all over India

restaurant review

We don’t buy readymade masalas, we buy them whole and grind them in-house

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kokom from Kerala, attar from Lucknow (flavouring agent for biryani), the list is quite big. We don’t buy readymade masalas, we buy whole masalas and grind them in-house and use them. I think there is nothing called good service, I believe in the word ‘personalised service’ - for example, when a guest comes and generally orders a particular drink with three ice cubes on the rocks, serve him the same drink in the same manner, before being asked, the next time and he will be your loyal, regular guest. I believe in giving small personal touches in service.”

restaurant review

The restaurant has a capacity of 159 covers and is located in the atrium of the building. One side is entirely made out of glass. This provides a lot of light through out the day.

Roy adds, “There is no need of light in the day time. When it rains it become very romantic, the ambience is a total wow! The restaurant has 108-inch by 72-inch wall display TV, this is the largest TV in any Mumbai restaurant! We have a bar lounge, with excellent collection of imported wine and liquor, we offer more than 40 varieties of wine on the menu.

Two beautiful artificial water falls inside the restaurant add to the ambience. The interior is modern smart Indian and the seating arrangement provides ample leg space to sit comfortably along with providing privacy.”

The popular dishes of the restaurant from different regions include: North – chicken tikka, methi butter masala, South – chicken chettinad, West – pomfret gassi, East – prawn malai curry, goal bari mutton. Most popular dishes include jaipuri tikki, sunehare murg, bharwan tangri, hara subs, kheer sagar.

appointments

new faces

appointments Farhat Jamal

Manish Garg

Rakesh Mitra

Area Manager and General Manager Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi

General Manager Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum

General Manager The LaLit Great Eastern Kolkata

Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi has appointed Farhat Jamal as Area Manager and General Manager. Jamal joined Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in May 2009, and was initially posted in Beijing. He later moved to Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore after which he was the General Manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Mumbai and also the Area Manager for India, Sri Lanka and Maldives from 2011-2012. Jamal started his career at Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces where he spent about 30 years. Previously, he has also worked with Bharat Hotels.

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Manish Garg has been appointed General Manager for Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum.

Garg brings with him over 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has held several positions in Food and Beverage Operations as well as Conference and Events with Four Seasons and Marriott Hotels & Resorts in India, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Garg joined Hilton Worldwide in July 2011 as the Director of Operations for Hilton Chennai. He successfully launched Q Bar - the rooftop bar and grill and Ayna, the Indian restaurant, effectively positioning the hotel as one of the preferred food and beverage destinations in the city.

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Rakesh Mitra is the new General Manager of The LaLit Great Eastern Kolkata. His experience in the Hospitality Industry spans over 17 years, which includes five cities and two continents, India and Australia.

Prior to joining The LaLit Great Eastern Kolkata, he was associated with several other properties under The LaLit Suri Hospitality Group, such as, Intercontinental The LaLit Mumbai, Intercontinental The Grand Goa Resort and The LaLit Temple View Khajuraho. He was also associated with The Leela Goa, Sarovar Park Plaza Hotels in Goa, Chennai and Bengaluru and the Raffles Merchant Court Hotel in Sydney.

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Piiyush Kapoor General Manager The LaLit Jaipur Piiyush Kapoor has been appointed as the new General Manager of The LaLit Jaipur. His experience in the hospitality industry spans over 21 years. Prior to this, he was associated with hotel chains such as InterContinental Hotel Group IHG, Wellworth Hotels, ITC Welcome Heritage, Jaypee Hotels, Hyatt Regency and many more. Kapoor is a management generalist with vast experience in managing accommodation, food management operations, sales and marketing and food retailing. In his new role, he will uphold The LaLit’s brand position in Rajasthan region and will carry forward the innovations in services and F&B section of the hotel.

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appointments

Arun Kumar MANIKONDA

Shiv Bose

Ayuko Suzuki

Hotel Manager Radisson Hotel Khajuraho

Executive Assistant Manager Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park

Director of Spa & Fitness The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore

Arun Kumar Manikonda has been appointed the new Hotel Manager for Radisson Hotel Khajuraho. Manikonda brings with him 11 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Prior to joining Radisson Hotel Khajuraho, he worked as the Hotel Manager at Radisson Blu Hotel Metropolis Rudrapur. He joined Carlson Rezidor as an executive housekeeper and moved on to the rooms division manager position followed by hotel manager within three years. Previously, he has worked with hospitality brands such as Carlson Rezidor, Fortune Park Hotels, Golden Tulip Hotel and Taj Hotel Group.

Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park has appointed Shiv Bose as the Executive Assistant Manager. Bose comes with over a decade of experience in the hotel industry, with his most recent and successful stint at Starwood Hotels & Resorts as Operations Manager- South Asia. He began his career as Guest Service Associate at JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai and held different positions in the eight years he has been with the Group - from being a Marriott Executive trainee to a Resident Services Manager.

Previously, he has also worked with the Trident Hotel, Mumbai and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.

Ayuko Suzuki has recently been appointed the Director of Spa & Fitness at The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Bangalore. Suzuki brings with her 11 years of experience in the spa and hospitality industry and has worked across eight countries. Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, she has worked with many international luxury resorts and spa brands and led the spas to win prestigious international awards. She is a qualified Clinical Aroma Therapist as well as an internationally recognised CIBTAC certified practitioner. She will manage and lead the operational, strategic and financial performance of the spa in Bangalore.

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Chef Roberto Zorzoli

Chef Karumariappan Sundarajan

Chef de Cuisine Focaccia, Hyatt Regency Chennai Chef Roberto Zorzoli, a native of Milan, Italy, joins the Hyatt Regency Chennai family as Chef de Cuisine for the signature Italian restaurant Focaccia. Zorzoli brings with him an experience of over 15 years of creating authentic culinary delights inspired from his grandparents’ kitchen. His initial tryst with cooking happened when he was a kid and used to visit his grandparents during vacations, his passion for creativity soon became his chosen profession as well. A stickler for fresh ingredients and sobriety in the recipe combinations when in the kitchen, Roberto is a keen sports and fitness enthusiast during his leisure time.

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Chef Sameer Luthra Executive Chef Aloft Bengaluru, Cessna Business Park

Pastry Chef Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum Chef Karumariappan Sundarajan has been appointed as Pastry Chef for Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum. With 18 years’ experience in baking, production and catering, Sundarajan is skilled in the art of baking and pastry. He joined Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum in October 2013, as part of the hotel’s core pre-opening team. Previously, Sundarajan was the Pastry Chef at the popular French bakery, La Boulangerie, in Adyar, Chennai. Previously, he has also held various positions at Hilton Chennai, Taj Coromandel and Norwegian Cruise Line.

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Chef Sameer Luthra brings his vast culinary expertise to the newly launched Aloft Bengaluru Cessna Business Park. Appointed as Executive Chef of the hotel, Luthra is a seasoned chef with over 12 years of experience serving in various hospitality, food and beverage positions around the globe. He started his career in 2001 as a Management Trainee with the Taj Group of Hotels.

Previously, he has also worked with hospitality brands like Novotel Hyderabad International Convention Centre as Sous Chef, Westin Pune Koregaon Park as Chef de Cuisine and the Starwood Group of Hotels.

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chef talk

Chef Francesco Apreda, is the Executive Chef of the legendary hotel, Hassler Roma, Rome, Italy.

FHRAI Magazine caught up with the Michelinstar chef, during his visit to Travertino, the Italian restaurant at The Oberoi, New Delhi.

n a i l a t I g n i t a i t Sa taste buds Q

How did your love for food begin? What was the inspiration behind your career choice?

I was 14 years old when I first started making pastries in my hometown, Naples.

I got a lot of appreciation for them and realised I could make a living out of it!

I started working as a Commis at the Hassler Roma, which has a history dating back to five decades. I was lucky to be working at such an iconic hotel at only 19 years of age, serving an internationally acclaimed clientele. Within a year, I became the Chef de Partie and since then there has been no looking back.

Q

How difficult was it to get your first Michelin star?

Getting a Michelin star is the ultimate dream for any Chef and it is indeed a difficult journey. It’s not just the recipe that we have to bear in mind, we also have to make sure that the service is

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chef talk

efficient, the table layout is perfect, and the dish is served at the right temperature, etc.

Q

What is your personal opinion on the rating of restaurants by the Michelin Guide? What has been the highlight of your career?

The Michelin Guide is the best restaurant reference guide in the world. People like to visit a Michelinstarred restaurant and the rating also helps to improve the business, as you attract fine-dining customers. The highlight of my career was when I earned the Michelin Star in 2009.

Be passionate about cooking! Don’t limit yourself to mastering just one cuisine

Q

How is the food in Italy? What is the favourite dish of the masses?

Italian food is authentic and creative. It is based on research, memories, imagination and taste. The favourite dish of the masses in Italy is pasta.

Q

How do you come up with your signature dishes and menu?

My signature dishes on the menu are a mix of

chef talk

Rapid-Fire À Do you have a guilty food pleasure when no-one else is around?

Buffalo mozzarella À An ingredient you can not live without when preparing Italian dishes?

Basil À One trait you think is imperative for a member in your kitchen?

Be professional and sincere À Your favourite destination to travel to for food?

Japan À Your last meal?

Spaghetti with tomatoes and basil

traditional Italian, prepared using new innovative techniques, with a modern concept.

Q

Currently, what food trends are you witnessing globally? Do these trends influence your cooking?

Asian food is the trend globally! I also try to give an Asian twist to some of my dishes, especially a Japanese twist.

Travertino’s menu offers a variety of fresh home-made pastas including gnocchi, ravioli, fettuccini, lasagne, polenta and classical Italian specialties

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Q

What advice will you give to Indian chefs who aspire to be like you?

Be passionate about cooking! Don’t limit yourself to mastering just one cuisine.

Be precise about the ingredients and always taste the dish. No matter how much recognition one receives, we should always stay grounded, to benefit in the long run.

Q

What do you think are the finer points of the Travertino restaurant?

It is very difficult to find a fine-dining, authentic Italian restaurant, outside of Italy, but Travertino is a classical Italian restaurant in a different country.

The culinary essence of Travertino is traditionally and authentically Italian with a strong, creative element. The menu offers a variety of fresh homemade pastas including gnocchi, ravioli, fettuccini, lasagne, polenta and classical Italian specialties. To get an authentic

flavour and taste, most of the ingredients used at the restaurant are sourced from Italy. The restaurant also offers an extensive Italian wine selection from the Enoteca wine cellar.

Q

How popular is the Indian cuisine in Italy?

Indian cuisine is popular around the world, including Italy. We have Indian stores, Indian restaurants and people find the rich culture of this country intriguing and want to visit it.

events

4th IIHTTRC held at BCIHMCT

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ourth India International Hotel Travel and Tourism Research Conference (IIHTTRC) was held at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (BCIHMCT), New Delhi recently. In his key note address at the event, Dr. Therdchai (Ted) Choibamroong, Foundation Dean and Director, Centre of Integrated Tourism Management Studies, National School of Development Administration, Bangkok, Thailand, highlighted the need for ‘Creativity’ in tourism products. Predicting the future, Dr. Ted mentioned the components of tourism in the form of 5 ‘E’; E for Entertainment, Excitement, Education, Expertise and Experience; and 5 ‘S’; S for Security, Safety, Service, Sanitation and Satisfaction model.

Dr. Vijay Reddy, School of Tourism, Bournemouth University, UK gave a key note speech on Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism and Hospitality. He gave his insights on, ‘Transition to Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism and Hospitality’.

Transition in sustainable development, Challenges and Targets due to climate change, Tourism Opportunities, emerging issues and challenges for tourism in Green Economy, Adaptation and Mitigation as well as capacity building and awareness raising were the topics discussed by Dr. Reddy.

He further explained the “Bioregional” approach of tourism as a challenge, which stands for creating stronger linkages with local economy and embedding within local natural and cultural heritage.

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Celebrate Holi at The LaLit Temple View Khajuraho

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he LaLit Temple View Khajuraho has designed a special Holi stay package for the long weekend. The celebrations will include a riot of colours and delectable food, with traditional performers who will add to the festive spirit. Khajuraho - a UNESCO world heritage site, is a city of beautiful temples that date back to 950 AD. The hotel embellished with inspirations from its rich and exotic locale, overlooks the Western Group of Temples famed for their intricate sculptures. The luxurious couple stay package is for 2 nights and 3 days that also includes a complimentary stay for 2 children. The package is valid from March 16 - 18, 2014.

Exploring recipes with Chef Saby

Z

ee Khana Khazana hosted a workshop with Chef Saby to promote Zee Khana Khazana’s driving show ‘The Urban Cook’ at Godrej Nature’s Basket, Delhi.

During the workshop, Chef Saby interacted with the audience and wowed them with his sharp humour. Chef Saby prepared Salmorejo, Egg Spanish Tortilla and Spanish Omelette for the audience. The workshop concluded with a tasting session of all the dishes. The workshop was conducted at Godrej Nature’s Basket, who are the ingredients partner for the show.

events

Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad wins accolades

H

oliday Inn Express Ahmedabad was awarded the Best Development of the Year Award (Mid-Scale segment) at the Hotel Investment Forum India (HIFI) 2014. The award was presented by A J Singh, Professor Michigan State University and was received

by Naveen Jain, President, Duet India Hotels and Rajiv Sharma, Vice President Development, IHG, South West Asia.

The hotel was recognised for setting a new standard for the mid-market segment, by integrating international design trends with unique, elements of Indian culture. The hotel went through a stringent selection process and was one of three finalists in the running.

Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad was honoured with the award because of its aesthetic and functional design

innovations. The efficient use of space means that there is a lower gross floor area per key while its use of doubleglazed glass conserves electricity spent to cool the hotel and its rain water harvesting and on-site sewage treatment plant helps to conserve water usage. The hotel was also recognised for its smart use of technology, leading to reduction of costs without compromising the guest experience.

On receiving the award, Jain said, “It is indeed a moment of pride for us that Holiday Inn Express Ahmedabad has received this coveted award. The honour bestowed on us has been made possible by the efforts of the motivated design team and project implementation team.

I accept this award on behalf of the entire team who worked passionately to deliver a product which is efficiently designed and has world-class operating standards.�

guest column

Sanjay Goyal Vice President – SCM Del Monte, Field Fresh Foods

Changing strategies in supply chain management The world is changing at a fast pace. In the process of change management, Integrated Supply Chain and Strategic Sourcing will be the key drivers for the organisational success in the intensely competitive business environment.

T

he world is changing very rapidly. In the process of change management, the new workplace will be a different place altogether, with new sourcing organisational structures, key sourcing features, evolving role of procurement, evolving processes, skilled resources, strategic sourcing and separation of sourcing from purchasing. Integrated Supply Chain and Strategic Sourcing will be the key drivers for the organisational successes in the intensely competitive business environment.

global commodity teams adds to organisational complexity. Increased global sourcing requires the coordination of worldwide purchasing activities. A shared service model requires an umbrella organisation to oversee activities across business units.

An integrated supply chain perspective will result in new executive positions with responsibility for overseeing and coordinating supply chain activities.

The e-procurement systems will place purchasing authority at different levels and locations throughout the organisation.

Professionals from other functional groups will be increasingly accepting assignments in procurement.

Integrating the Supply Chain

Sourcing Organisational Structures

Developing the right organisational structure will become ‘more chaotic’ because of the convergence of many factors. Commodity sourcing experts will increasingly be dispersed around the globe at business units or geographic buying locations (with coordination). Sourcing personnel will increasingly have dual reporting relationships. Greater use of

Future organisational designs must recognise the need to achieve integration across the supply chain. º IT systems that facilitate information sharing º Cross-functional project teams with supplier and customer involvement º Shared risk and reward projects with appropriate measures of success º Customer Advisory Boards with supplier involvement º Buyer-supplier councils º Supply chain strategy development involving key customers and suppliers

Procurement’s Changing Role

Higher-level outsourcing will begin to shift how procurement and supply organises its activities and responsibilities.

Separating Purchasing Authority

A separation of purchasing activities will occur as organisations structure themselves to pursue strategic sourcing.

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guest column

º Greater responsibility for non-traditional purchasing º Involvement with cross-enterprise negotiations º Manage integration activities with suppliers and the rest of the organisation º Become process managers that oversee strategic and tactical responsibilities º Segment sourcing strategies to match requirements with an appropriate strategy

Strategic Sourcing Activities º Manage strategic relationships

º Develop company-wide electronic systems

The canvas of procurement and supply chain is changing at a very fast pace from processes to practices. Global best practices are increasingly becoming part of our professional life, as the distances are reducing and knowledge sharing is becoming more easier today.

º Develop and manage alliances and partnerships º Develop company-wide contracts º Manage critical commodities

Transactional Activities

º Execute transactions with strategic suppliers º Use e-systems to obtain standard or indirect items through catalogues º Source items that are unique to the operating unit º Generate and forward material releases º Manage accounts payable and material control Source: Moncska, Trent, and Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, Southwestern College Publishing, 2002

Sourcing’s New Look

The design and structure of the sourcing group will change significantly. º Smaller professional staff º Minimal involvement with day-to-day operations or transactions º Act as an internal consultant and problem solver º Responsible for managing alliances and other critical relationships

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In the new wave of e-commerce, efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain, sourcing and logistics functions will be the key differentiator It is happening across industries from hospitality to foods processing and other service sectors. In the new wave of e-commerce, efficiency and effectiveness of the supply chain, sourcing and logistics functions will be the key differentiator and will not only provide cost effectiveness but also give a competitive edge over others. Even manufacturing sectors are increasingly looking into reviewing their processes and practices. They are also introducing professionals to international best practices so that the businesses are not only competitive, but also learn to survive sustainably in a more compressed world.

Today, we are living in a Knowledge Economy and it is important that the Procurement and Supply Chain quickly align to the changing environment to stay relevant and gradually move into a more strategic position to align itself to the business strategy.

(Views expressed are that of the author, Sanjay Goyal, Vice President – SCM, Del Monte, Field Fresh Foods)

products

Smoking cabins for hotels and restaurants

T

hese smoking cabins are ideal for hotels, restaurants, bars and pubs, shopping malls, multiplexes and other public places. They make socialising between smokers and non-smokers enjoyable without the risk of passive smoking and in turn increase the beverage sales.

Smoke Point is the only solution that works 100 per cent in airconditioned areas as it stops the spread of harmful nicotine and annoying foul odour by converting smoke filled air into 99.9 per cent pure air instantly. Since there is no ducting required, there is no need to throw this air in the atmosphere and the

treated air, after purification, is re-circulated in the same area.

Smoke Solution India, all India distributors of indoor smoking technologies by Smoke

Solution Denmark; have recently installed their smoking cabins at: Yauatcha, Ambience Mall, New Delhi.

Yauatcha is a new Michelin Star rated restaurant chain by KA Hospitality which also has restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru and many other cities. The smoking cabins have also been put up in Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in the city of Nagpur. Also at Convergys, which is a multinational company and an industry leader in the field of BPO / KPO. They are being used by ITC Maurya, ITC group’s flagship hotel in New Delhi, for their new bar which is opening shortly.

MICE

10 Park Plaza th

opens in Zirakpur

104-key full service, upscale hotel is the Sarovar Group’s 67th property in India and fifth property in the state of Punjab.

p (L to R) Puneet Saigal, GM, Park Plaza Zirakpur, Anil Madhok, MD, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts and GS Virk, Owner, Park Plaza Zirakpur

O

ther Sarovar Hotels in the state include two hotels in Chandigarh - Park Plaza and Hometel, and two properties in Ludhiana - Park Plaza and City Heart Sarovar Portico.

The hotel is strategically located, at a distance of six kms from the Chandigarh airport and nine kms from the railway station. It is located on the Ambala Chandigarh National Highway – 21, which also connects Zirakpur with Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Zirakpur - wedding capital for Punjab

Anil Madhok, MD, Sarovar Hotels and Resorts, speaking at the launch, said, “We intent to look at MICE market, convention market and product launches.

We cannot let the weddings go away, which is one of the biggest business in Punjab. Zirakpur is a rapidly developing satellite township of Chandigarh. In addition, Zirakpur is also known as the wedding capital of Punjab and Park Plaza will offer the largest banqueting facility in the tri-city.”

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Talking about the other Sarovar properties in Punjab, he said, “In both the hotels that we are running in Chandigarh, we find that banqueting is doing very well and is an extremely important market.

Our Hometel brand as such does not have banqueting, but we added the same in Chandigarh, though that is not a part of our Hometel concept. I think in Punjab, banqueting is very big business.”

Puneet Saigal, GM, Park Plaza Zirakpur said that the hotel has 104 keys with three categories: Deluxe suites, Superior rooms and residential suites. Multiple on-site dining options include - ‘Essence’ - all day dining restaurant serving cuisines from across the world; ‘Zaranj’ - the Indian specialty restaurant and ‘Free Spirit’. We have a capacity to handle 10 guests to 3000 guests. The USP of the hotel are the largest banqueting space in the tri-city i.e. Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. It has available 15,500 sq. ft. pillar-less hall banqueting facilities with an additional 3500 sq. ft. pre-function area. Also 60,000 sq. ft. of lawn area is being developed. The hotel offers 80,000 sq. ft. of banqueting

space, that can accommodate more than 1800 guests and over 60,000 sq. ft. wellmanicured lawns that can hold a gathering of upto 3000 guests.”

Talking about the current hospitality scenario, Anil Madhok said, “Five years ago, even the guest houses in Delhi were charging 350 dollars at the time of boom when people all over India, started building hotels. Now the scenario is different, a lot many projects have been shelved, for instance certain cities are doing very badly. Occupancies are there but the rates have come down, since continuously there is new supply.

Once the economy picks up the balance will come in since we still have very few hotels in India. I do not think overall there is a situation that should worry anybody.

With just 100,000 rooms, we really are nowhere near the saturation point.”

GS Virk, Owner, Park Plaza Zirakpur, said that its been a three year journey for them to build the hotel and said that the hotel has been built at a cost of `75 crore, minus land cost.

RNI No. DELENG/2000/1230 Posting Date 15-21 (Every Month) Postal Reg. No. DL-(C)-01/1294/2012-2014 at MBC-1 Date of Publication 12-3-2014