fhrai magazine October 13

magazine Passing the octoBer 2013

Vol 13 Issue 10 Pages 72 `50

A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE

By DDP Publications

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Vivek Nair, C & MD of Hotel Leelaventure, hands over the presidency of FHRAI to S.M. Shervani, the Managing Director of Shervani Hospitalities, for 2013-14

Sustainable & Responsible Tourism Reaffirmed at 48th Annual FHRAI Convention in Kochi

October 2013 Cover Story

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Issues Affecting Hospitality in Challenging Times Some of the pertinent issues affecting hotels & restaurants were discussed in the business sessions of the 48th Annual FHRAI Convention held in Kochi. The Convention focussed on tourism for inclusive growth and urged the hotel and restaurant sector to adopt sustainable practices to ensure long term development.

Picture on the cover: Photograph by Simran Kaur, Photographer, DDP Publications at FHRAI’s 57th Annual General Meet in New Delhi

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contents THIS MONTH

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

52 Chef Talk

7 9 10 43 64 66 68

FEATURES Concept That personal touch 48 called Concierge The Head-Concierge of Fairmont Jaipur shares her views on the evolution of concierge service in India Guest Column Steering business towards sustainability 50 The rise in food prices, water shortages and higher energy costs are becoming an uncomfortable reality

20 Incredible India

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43 News you can use

Chef Talk Explore Hidden Recipes in Indian Households 52 Chef Manish Mehrotra opines on how Indian food would become more popular if we share our secret recipes

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amply reflected in FHRAI’s advocacy and thought leadership initiatives. We all agree that it is the small and medium entrepreneurs who are invariably the real risk-takers and pioneers of change and innovation in our sector. It will be FHRAI’s strategic focus that their entrepreneurial vision and perseverance is encouraged and rewarded with a conducive policy environment and adequate institutional support.

Through FHRAI’s persistent efforts over the years, we are now making visible progress towards achieving some key pending demands of the industry, such as ‘infrastructure’ status, access to low cost funding, single window clearances and a liberalised visa regime to attract more foreign tourists.

S.M. Shervani

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It is the small and medium entrepreneurs who are invariably the real risk-takers and pioneers of change and innovation in our sector

Dear fellow members,

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s a hospitality entrepreneur and an active member for nearly 30 years, it has always been enormously gratifying for me to witness the multifaceted role which FHRAI has played in supporting the growth trajectory of India’s tourism sector.

Therefore, to be now entrusted with the leadership of this venerable organisation, especially during such an exciting phase for our industry, is both a profound privilege and a stirring moment of personal pride. I am sincerely thankful to everyone in the fraternity for their generous support and encouragement and for the overwhelming confidence which has been reposed in me.

Being the leading voice of an industry as vibrant and dynamic as ours, FHRAI can never remain satisfied to rest on its past laurels, but must continuously look forward to the myriad challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We have to keep pace with the rapid evolution of our own industry and also anticipate the impact which an increasingly complex and fluid external environment will have on the sector as a whole.

The priorities, concerns and aspirations of all our members, irrespective of the region or market segment they operate in, must be

As and when these welcome and longawaited policies fructify, proactive follow-up on our part would be equally imperative to ensure that these incentives and concessions percolate uniformly to the entire industry. For instance, the intended benefits accruing on account of being accorded ‘infrastructure’ status must be applicable to budget and mid-scale hotels as well, since the most critical shortfall in terms of hotel room supply is projected to be in the affordable accommodation segment.

All hotels, irrespective of their category, are inherently long-gestation projects and should be entitled to loans with tenures of at least 15-16 years at low rates of interest, in order to be financially viable. Similarly, ‘industry’ status for hotels should translate into lower tariff on inputs like power and water, eligibility for interest subvention schemes, exemption from certain local levies, etc. It is also important that existing establishments are incentivised with soft loans, capital subsidies and tax breaks to modernise their properties and upgrade the services and amenities offered to guests.

The most vexatious impediment for the hospitality and tourism industry is without doubt our multiple tax structure, which has been further compounded by the imposition of Service Tax on hotels and airconditioned restaurants. In addition, we have an anomalous situation existing in many states wherein Luxury Tax is charged on published room rates and not actual tariff.

Conceptually, the proposed GST regime has the potential to alleviate a majority of the continued on page 12...

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FEATURES Etcetera 57 Savour top recipes from Delhi’s favourite restaurants In an effort to recreate her favourite dishes from the best restaurants of Delhi, Shubhra Krishan collates recipes in her book ‘Top Secret!’

Dine out 58 It’s time to go Dutch!

Offering Dutch and European cuisine in New Delhi, the thematic restaurant, Amsterdam Kitchen & Bar serves a massive variety of delectables

58 Dine out: Amsterdam Kitchen and Bar, New Delhi

Design 61 Pampering for wellness Pampering, the word itself creates a desire to indulge, to gratify all our senses and to spoil oneself. But sometimes, this pampering ignores the need of wellness Supplier Talk 62 Setting new benchmarks Winterhalter, an owner managed company that designs and manufactures efficient warewashing systems, launches its new PT series pass-through dishwashers 57 Etcetera secretary general M D Kapoor - sg@fhrai.com Editor Deepa Sethi - deepa@ddppl.com Associate Editor Kanchan Nath - kanchan.nath@ddppl.com sub-Editor Ramya JS D’Rozario 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 68+4 pages cover

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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

64 Products & Services Mumbai Harshal Ashar - harshal@ddppl.com Deputy General Manager (+919619499167) FHRAI - Marketing S.P. Joshi Production Manager Anil Kharbanda

Shradha Kapoor - shradha@ddppl.com Senior Executive – Marketing (+919650196525)

Advertisement Designers Vikas Mandotia Nitin Kumar Aarushi Agrawal

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

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.

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FHRAI President’s Address At The 57th Annual General Meeting In New Delhi On 30th September, 2013 sector earned valuable foreign exchange to the tune of about $18 billion for the country and its share in the total national capital investment rose to 6.2 per cent.

From being considered a peripheral or an elitist activity till a few years ago, tourism is now deservedly recognised as a catalyst for inclusive and equitable growth.

Vivek Nair

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We have resolutely stayed focussed on pursuing those strategic and policy issues which can strengthen the global competitiveness of our industry, and lay the foundation for its next phase of sustained growth

Dear fellow members,

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t is my great pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to all of you at the 57th Annual General Meeting of FHRAI. You will be pleased to note that under the able guidance of the Executive Committee and with the steadfast support and cooperation of our esteemed members, the Federation has continued to take giant strides in pursuing its mandate to safeguard and promote the vital interests of our industry.

Since its inception in 1955, FHRAI has played a seminal role in facilitating the growth of India’s hospitality and tourism sector. Over the years, the organisation has been remarkably successful in dynamically aligning its vision with the evolving needs and aspirations of our diverse and ever-growing membership base. We are proud to serve as the leading voice of a vibrant industry which has emerged as an indispensable growth engine for the country’s economy. Today, tourism generates sustainable livelihoods for over 53 million people and contributes 6.7 per cent of India’s GDP. In 2012, the

However, our sector’s performance remains constrained on account of various systemic issues such as excessive and multiple taxation, infrastructure bottlenecks, a complex licensing regime, project delays caused by a long-drawn approval process, etc. In the past few years, the industry has also confronted a very challenging external environment due to extreme volatility in the global economy, geo-political uncertainties, sluggish domestic growth, high inflation and rising interest rates. In this scenario, a key priority of FHRAI’s agenda has been to proactively raise those issues with the Government and other regulatory bodies which can alleviate the impact of this difficult macroeconomic situation. At the same time, these transient challenges have not diminished our confidence in the long-term potential inherent in the Indian tourism sector. Therefore, we have resolutely stayed focussed on pursuing those strategic and policy issues which can strengthen the global competitiveness of our industry, and lay the foundation for its next phase of sustained growth.

Through our persistent efforts and followup, FHRAI has been able to secure various concessions and incentives for the industry from the Ministries of Tourism, Finance, Home Affairs and agencies such as FSSAI. With the commendable support of our Regional Associations, we have also taken up major issues with individual State Governments. Whenever necessary, FHRAI has actively taken legal recourse to protect the collective commercial interests of our members.

As you are aware, the State of Uttarakhand had recently suffered massive devastation on account of torrential rains and floods.

Tourism is the mainstay of the state’s continued on page 12...

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Passing the Baton After the 57th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) held in New Delhi, Mr. S.M. Shervani has been elected as President for 2013-14.

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r. Shervani has previously been the President of the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India (2010-12), Vice-President of FHRAI (2010-11 and 2011-12) and Honorary Treasurer of FHRAI (2012-13). A highly successful hospitality entrepreneur with over 25 years of rich experience, Mr. Shervani is the Managing Director of Shervani Hospitalities Ltd., which owns and operates a chain of boutique hotels and the iconic ‘Rodeo’ restaurant.

He is an alumni of the prestigious Pusa Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi and presently serves on the institute’s Board of Governors. He is also a member of the Hotel & Catering International Management Association (HCIMA), U.K. On behalf of the industry, Mr. Shervani has been at the forefront in actively pursuing various policy and regulatory issues impacting the tourism sector, with the Central and State Governments.

After his election as President, Mr. Shervani said, “To be entrusted with the leadership of an august organisation such as FHRAI is indeed a distinct privilege and a profound responsibility. I express sincere gratitude to all my colleagues for the confidence which has been reposed in me and look

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forward to the continued support of everyone in the fraternity for the ambitious agenda which we have envisioned for the year ahead. The Indian hospitality and tourism sector today faces unprecedented opportunities as well as some equally serious challenges. Successfully mitigating the myriad risks posed by an uncertain economic environment and urgently addressing certain systemic impediments which have often constrained our industry’s quest to achieve its full potential, would require all stakeholders to work in unison. One of FHRAI’s key strategic priorities will be to effectively articulate and reflect the concerns and aspirations of our small & medium entrepreneurs, whose vision and dynamism is truly the future growth engine of our industry.”

At the first meeting of the new FHRAI Executive Committee held in New Delhi, the following Office Bearers for the year 2013-14, were also elected: 1. Honorary Secretary – Mr. Vivek Nair 2. Vice-President – Mr. Deepak Puri 3. Vice-President – Mr. Dinesh Advani 4. Honorary Treasurer – Mr. Garish Oberoi 5. Joint Honorary Secretary – Mr. Nitin Kothari

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...continued from page 7

Another key challenge which we confront is the widening demand-supply gap of skilled and trained manpower industry’s concerns with regard to taxation. FHRAI will constructively engage with the Central and State Governments at the highest level, so that this ambitious and progressive initiative results in a transparent and streamlined tax system, which can help make India a globally competitive tourist destination.

Another key challenge which we confront is the widening demand-supply gap of skilled and trained manpower. If India is to reap the promised benefits of its demographic dividend, the intrinsic capacity of employment-intensive and high-growth service industries such as hospitality and tourism must be leveraged to promote skill development, and thereby expand socio-economic empowerment among our

country’s youth. FHRAI is committed to collaborate with the Government and other stakeholders in the social sector to facilitate innovative mechanisms which can effectuate this laudable goal, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Today, the tourism sector has emerged as a veritable powerhouse for the Indian economy, serving as the largest generator of sustainable livelihoods for our citizens and a pivotal driver of GDP growth. On behalf of the industry, FHRAI will steadfastly strive to shape and influence significant matters of public and economic policy so that the sector’s growth momentum further accelerates.

As we prepare to execute the multifarious agenda which we have envisioned, the FHRAI Executive Committee, my distinguished team of office-bearers and I look forward to the active participation and guidance of all our esteemed members across the country!

Warm regards, S.M. Shervani President

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economy and has been especially hit hard by this Yechury, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing natural calamity and its continuing aftermath. FHRAI Committee on Tourism, Mr. K.C. Venugopal, is committed to supporting Uttarkhand’s hospitality Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Government of industry in this time of unprecedented crisis. FHRAI India, the Hon’ble Tourism Ministers of Kerala and and three of our Regional Associations, have made Karnataka and several other eminent dignitaries. a contribution of `52 Lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund towards flood relief and Dear Members, your Executive rehabilitation in the State. We are Committee had reposed their faith and working with the Ministry of Tourism confidence in me by electing me as and other stakeholders to chart a revival President of FHRAI for the year 2012FHRAI and strategy for the tourism sector in 13. I have served you and this venerable three of our Uttarakhand. organisation with utmost sincerity and Regional dedication during the last one year. I Associations, have The 48th Annual FHRAI Convention am grateful to our members across the made a contribution was held in Kochi from September country, my colleagues in the Executive of `52 Lakh to the 18-21, 2013. This was the first ever Committee and the FHRAI Secretariat Chief Minister’s FHRAI Convention to take place in for the unwavering co-operation that Relief Fund Kerala and it received an overwhelming was extended to me. On behalf of towards flood response from delegates, sponsors FHRAI, I also gratefully acknowledge relief and and the media. The theme chosen the support and co-operation that rehabilitation in for the Convention was ‘Sustainable our Federation has received from all Uttarakhand and Responsible Tourism’. Through Government Ministries, Departments, interactive business sessions, keynote Agencies and other stakeholders for our speeches and panel discussions, this initiatives and endeavours during the prestigious event witnessed a vivid course of this year. I would conclude discourse on the tourism sector’s by conveying my personal best wishes intrinsic capacity to be a driver for social, economic to each one of you and once again thanking you for and environmental value-creation. The Convention your presence. was graced by Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of India, Mr. Sitaram Vivek Nair

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FHRAI Executive Committee Members 2013 - 2014 MEMBER OF HONOUR

Mr. Ajit B. Kerkar Chairman Tulip Star Hotels Ltd. Mumbai abkerkar@vsnl.com

OFFICE BEARERS

Mr. S.M. Shervani President

Mr. Deepak Puri Vice President

Mr. Dinesh Advani Vice President

Managing Director Shervani Hospitalities Ltd. New Delhi md@shervanihotels.com

Partner Trinca’s Restaurant Kolkata trincasrestaurant@gmail.com

Jt. Managing Director The Shalimar Hotel Mumbai md@theshalimarhotel.com

Mr. Vivek Nair Hony. Secretary

Mr. Garish Oberoi Hony. Treasurer

Mr. Nitin S. Kothari Jt. Hony. Secretary

Chairman & Managing Director Hotel Leela Venture Ltd. Mumbai cmd@theleela.com

Partner Hotel Uberai Anand Bareilly oberoifoundation@gmail.com

Sole Proprietor Peter Cat Restaurant Kolkata nitinkothari47@vsnl.net

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Mr. Sushil Gupta Owner Asian Hotels (West) Ltd., New Delhi sushil.gupta@asianhotelswest.com

Mr. Gurvinder Singh Juneja Partner Pashthun Restaurant, Chandigarh juneja@khyber.co.in

Mr. Surinder Jeet Singh Executive Director The Maya Hotel- Jalandhar abel@mayahotelsindia.com

Mr. Sanjay Sood CEO The Devico’s Rest, Shimla smlsanjay@gmail.com

Mr. Arun Sharma Managing Director Hotel Nandan, Guwahati nandan1@sancharnet.in

Mr Rajiv Gogia Director Ashoka Restaurant & Bar, Kolkata rajivgogia1@gmail.com

Mr. Gopal Das Agarwal Partner Hotel Balaji, Howrah hotelbalajihowrah@gmail.com

Mr. Ashoke Singh Managing Director A.V. Hotel Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata ashokesingh7@gmail.com

Mr. Bharat Malkani Managing Director Hotel Transit, Mumbai bharatmalkani@gmail.com

Mr. Kamlesh Barot Director Revival Indian Thali, Mumbai kamleshbarot@revivalhotel.com

Mr. Pradeep Shetty Director Maharaja Restaurant, Mumbai pradeep@maharajaessence.com

Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli Jt. Managing Director Pritam Hotel & Restaurant Mumbai gogisingh@pritamhotels.com

Co-OPTED MEMBER

Mr. M.P. Purushothaman Chairman Empee Group of Hotels Ltd., Chennai mppurushothaman@empeegroup.co.in

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Mr. T Nataraajan Chief Executive Officer GRT Hotels & Resorts Chennai nataraajan@grthotels.com

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Mr. Subir Bhowmick Director – Planning & Development TAJGVK Hotels & Resorts Ltd. Hyderabad subir.bhowmick@tajhotels.com

Mr. K. Nagaraju Director The Atria Hotel Bangalore knr@atriahotel.com

Mr. Suresh Kumar Chief Executive Officer Fortune Park Hotels Ltd. Gurgaon suresh.kumar@itchotels.in

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57th Annual General Meeting of FHRAI

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ost the 57th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) which was held in New Delhi, Mr. S.M. Shervani has been elected as President, FHRAI for 2013-14.

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n evening of outstanding cultural extravaganza was held on the 18th of September, before the formal inauguration of the 48th Annual Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) Convention. The programme showcased the different dance forms of Kerala and ended in a heartwarming applause from the viewers.

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Welcome address

by Mr. Vivek Nair at 48th Annual FHRAI Convention Hon’ble Union Minister of Tourism, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr. Sitaram Yechury Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Kerala, Mr. Anil Kumar Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, Mr. R.V. Deshpande Distinguished Guests Ladies and Gentleman,

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responsible tourism

n behalf of the FHRAI Executive Committee, I am delighted to welcome all of you to the beautiful and vibrant city of Kochi for the 48th Annual FHRAI Convention. Over the next two days, we would have an unparalleled opportunity to benefit from the incisive insights and eloquent perspective of a galaxy of luminaries, the Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of India and other representatives from the highest echelons of the Central and State Governments, industry veterans, technocrats, renowned global experts and accomplished entrepreneurs.

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The FHRAI Convention enjoys the distinction of being among the most eagerly anticipated and widely attended events of our industry. This year, the Convention is even more special for the reason that it is for the very first time that this venerable event is being held in the enthralling state of Kerala. The state’s unique model of community-based responsible tourism and its pioneering initiatives in destination marketing and promotion, have firmly established ‘God’s own country’ Kerala as a global super brand in the travel & tourism industry. This admirable success has deservedly been recognised through a plethora of coveted national and international awards and accolades, and has also been enshrined in the Government of India’s 12th Five-Year Plan as an example for other regions to emulate.

The choice of the theme of our Convention – Sustainable and Responsible Tourism - is a tribute to this very philosophy which prioritises leveraging tourism as an instrument for generating economic, social and environmental value for local communities.

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I wish to express our sincere gratitude to the eminent dignitaries who have magnanimously spared time from their busy schedules to join us for the Convention’s inaugural session today. FHRAI applauds each of these outstanding leaders for their dynamism, statesmanship and steadfast support for the hospitality and tourism sector. Their gracious presence here is a source of immense pride and encouragement for us.

FHRAI was founded in 1955 by the late Rai Bahadur M S Oberoi. Since then, the organisation has diligently built on this rich legacy and pursued our mandate to serve as an effective voice for every segment of India’s hospitality industry. We are indeed proud to have made a seminal contribution in shaping the growth of the Indian tourism sector.

From being considered a peripheral and elitist activity till some years ago, tourism is now recognised as a growth multiplier and a vital catalyst for equitable and sustainable socio-economic development. The sector, directly and indirectly, supports the livelihoods of 53 million people, which is nearly 10 per cent of the country’s total workforce.

In the present scenario, when a widening current account deficit is the key macroeconomic challenge and attracting foreign currency inflows becomes imperative, tourism has earned $18 billion in valuable Foreign Exchange for the economy and attracted over $3 billion in FDI within the last year alone.

A country with such vast resources and inherent potential cannot remain satisfied with a mere 6.5 million Foreign Tourist Arrivals and a paltry 0.64 per cent global market share in tourism, especially when competing destinations such as Turkey are able to attract 35 million international tourists, Malaysia 25 million, Thailand 22 million and Singapore 12 million!

The Government of India’s 12th Five-Year Plan has accorded tourism high priority and identified it as a critical driver of not only future GDP growth, but even more significantly, pro-poor, inclusive and sustainable growth. In accordance with this bold vision, the Ministry of Tourism has envisaged an

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ambitious growth trajectory for the sector for the next five years, which includes doubling the number of our Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) as well as Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs), and thereby create employment for an additional 25 million people.

To accomplish this goal, the hospitality industry is poised to commit capital investment of a staggering `1,25,000 crore to augment the current inventory of 1,20,000 hotel rooms by an additional 1,80,000 classified guestrooms.

It is very pertinent to note that in July this year, the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala has declared the levy of this tax as ‘unconstitutional’, and has ruled that any payments which have already been deposited as tax are entitled to be refunded.

Diversifying our present tourist product portfolio through a focus on niche segments such as beach tourism, MICE and wellness, targetting newer geographies as source markets and giving an impetus to foreign tourist flows by expanding the ambit of schemes such as Tourist Visa-on-Arrival to cover nationals of all the countries from which a majority of our FTAs actually originate, should be some of our immediate priorities. With the guidance and support of the Hon’ble Minister of Tourism Dr. Chiranjeevi, we were recently able to recently convince the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to extend the VoA facility to five additional international airports.

Similarly, FHRAI will be working closely with the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Environment and Forests and individual State Governments, to identify suitable coastal stretches where the CRZ norms can be relaxed for sustainably developing tourist facilities and accommodation infrastructure.

This would enable coastal states such as Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman & Diu, etc., to benefit from the global buoyancy in the beach tourism segment.

As we all know, the past couple of years have been extremely challenging for the industry. Exorbitant land prices and high inflation have stretched capital outlays and sharply pushed up input and operating costs. In several cases, commissioning of underconstruction projects has been inordinately delayed on account of difficulty in securing timely clearances/ licenses. A rapid rise in interest rates has made the cost of borrowing prohibitive. At the same time, continued volatility in the global economy, geopolitical uncertainties and a domestic slowdown, have resulted in a demand-supply mismatch, thereby further straining the industry’s revenues.

As an industry, we must make customer-centric innovation our new mantra and proactively embrace global best practices to ensure that we are able to consistently offer the highest standards of quality and service excellence. At the same time, we must be mindful of our obligations as a responsible industry, and step forward to actively collaborate with government agencies and civil society organisations on a range of national priorities such as promoting skill development, ecological sustainability, heritage conservation and capacity-building for rural and marginalised communities.

From the Government, our sector’s expectations are for a holistically conducive policy environment, modern regulatory framework and substantive measures to address key impediments such as inadequate infrastructure, excessive tax burden and a complex and long-drawn approval process.

In particular, we have been stridently asking for the withdrawal of Service Tax which has been imposed on hotel accommodation and air-conditioned restaurants.

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In the past year, FHRAI has also proactively intervened to seek redressal for the industry’s genuine concerns and grievances through agencies and regulatory bodies such as TRAI, TDSAT and FSSAI.

We are a capital intensive industry and our projects have a long gestation and payback period. As such, in view of the industry’s large-scale job creation potential, FHRAI has been emphasising that we should be entitled to fiscal concessions and access to sources of low cost long-term finance.

To insulate the industry from the adverse impact of economic cycles and incentivise the massive investment which the sector requires to achieve the growth targets envisaged by the Ministry of Tourism for the 12th Plan Period (2012-17), the Government should accord ‘infrastructure’ status uniformly to all hotels throughout the country by including them in the RBI’s Infrastructure Lending List. I am happy to inform you that after our persistent and vigorous pursuit of this issue with the Planning Commission, RBI, Department of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Finance, the matter is now under active consideration at the highest level in Government. You will agree that a favourable policy decision in this regard will be a game-changer for the industry.

I would like to conclude my remarks, by once again expressing gratitude to all the dignitaries, our eminent panel of speakers, friends from the media and all delegates for your presence and participation.

As FHRAI President, I must also place on record my deep appreciation for the members of our Executive Committee and the Convention Organising Committee for their tireless efforts to make this event a grand and memorable success. I wish all of you a pleasant and productive stay in Kochi.

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Dr. K. Chiranjeevi extends support to hospitality fraternity at 48th FHRAI Convention in Kochi Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Tourism, Government of India, stated that the ministry has initiated 29 mega tourism projects across 22 states.

The emphasis is shifting now more to off-beat destinations and unique experience based itineraries.

The Indian travellers are seeking to explore the most exquisite travel destinations. This trend has further opened up the scope of the hotel industry to remote areas of the country. The Government has tried to accelerate growth with liberalisation in the regulatory framework, investment-friendly schemes, and extensive support for creating a worldclass infrastructure, initiating better air and land connectivity. He added, “Currently our government is exploring the PPP model for growth. We are focussing beyond the traditional tourism avenues. We are looking at new tourism initiatives like Medical Tourism, Sports and Adventure, Religious Circuits, Wildlife safaris, Rural Tourism, Eco-Tourism, Cruise Tourism and Wellness Tourism.”

atithi dev bhava

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Dr. K. Chiranjeevi

ppreciating the efforts of FHRAI, Dr K. Chiranjeevi, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Tourism, Government of India, thanked the Association’s team of 3,800 members for their valued service to the industry, while typically reflecting India’s unique identity of atithi dev bhava. He added, “It is the hospitality and service industry which is comforting the visiting tourists through its excellent service, in turn promoting our India’s rich cultural heritage, traditions, food, architectural monuments, etc. The hospitality industry is providing over 17 million direct jobs, besides significant contribution to Foreign Exchange.”

Further, in his inaugural address, the Minister added, “To explore the untapped geographical resources of the country, the Ministry of Tourism has initiated 29 mega tourism projects for implementation across 22 states.”

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He stated that the tourism industry has been witnessing an upswing for the last few years mainly due to an excellent Incredible India campaign. It is expected to increase to upto US$ 431.7 Billion by the end of 2020. FTA may register a growth of over 8 per cent by 2020. On the other side, significant economic growth and increase in disposable incomes is also fueling domestic tourism. The occupancy and the hotel rates have seen continued gain both for the domestic and international traveller in business and leisure segments.

FHRAI states that India currently has over 200,000 hotel rooms spread across hotel categories and guest houses. They are still facing a shortfall of 100,000 (1 lakh rooms). The demand-supply gap of the hotel rooms is very real and there is need for more hotels across India. The shortage is especially true in the budget and mid-market segment of the industry.

Therefore, there is a need for budget and mid-market hotels in the country as travellers look for safe and affordable accommodation. Many domestic and international brands have made significant inroads into this space, and more are expected to follow as the potential in this segment becomes more obvious.

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India’s tourism potential remains under-utilised: Yechury Create a curiosity in the minds of the people to come and visit India; make the tourism packages holistic. that there is an acute shortage of well trained guides in India, he said that both central and state governments must do something to increase the number of skilled manpower.

Sitaram Yechury

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uest of Honour at the 48th FHRAI Convention in Kochi, Sitaram Yechury, Member of Parliament and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Tourism, Culture, and Transport, made strong statements in his key-note speech. He stated that India’s tourism potential has remained “underutilised.” Going on to talk about ‘What tourism should be all about and not what it is’, he said, “A superior human being is one who understands, an inferior human being is one who knows to sell. Tourism is not something to sell, it is not a ‘product’ we have to sell.

Rather, you need to create that ‘curiosity’ to try and understand what India is all about. Create curiosity about India in the minds of people and they will come and visit.

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There is a need to protect the cultural, social, environmental integrity of the tourism destinations, otherwise the tourism will not survive for that long.

He referred to the havoc created in Uttarakhand recently. The tourist inflow was beyond the carrying capacity of that region. The haphazard way of infrastructure creation and development activities undertaken in those areas were not that ‘responsible’.

The result, we all know enormous loss of life, loss of infrastructure and tourism as such came to an end, atleast for a few years.

Skilled and efficient human capital is the backbone of the tourism industry. According to Government sources, there is a shortage of 2 lakh trained manpower in the hospitality sector. He also stated

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Lauding the Kerala model of inclusive tourism, Yechury said that, “A good place to visit should be a good place for local people to live in.” “Tourism should be part of a holistic development and not isolated islands,” he stated. No tourism can thrive unless there is connectivity. Tourism can thrive only with “synergy” in different segments of road and surface, shipping, civil aviation and culture.

He added that Kerala is the leader in terms of Responsible Tourism.

Sustainable and responsible tourism should eliminate poverty. The 12th Five Year Plan stressed that tourism should act as a means to reduce poverty and generate employment. Responsible tourism implies a proactive approach by tourism industry partners to develop market and manage the tourism industry in a responsible manner, so as to create a competitive advantage. It implies the responsibility to respect, invest in, and develop local cultures and protect them from over-commercialisation and over exploitation.

It also implies the responsibility of local communities to become actively involved in the tourism industry, to practice sustainable development and to ensure the safety and security of visitors. Responsible tourism also implies responsibility on the part of the tourists themselves to observe the norms and practices with respect to the environment and culture of the destination/country.

Whenever developmental activities are undertaken, originality of nature, environment, culture, etc., are maintained and preserved, otherwise it will lead to degradation and destruction. Always keeping mind that inequality and poverty should be removed and use tourism as a tool for that.

Jose Dominic, Chairman, FHRAI Convention Organising Committee, said that tourism development in Kerala was not because of a large inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), but because of the efforts of the local entrepreneurs. He added that Responsible Tourism in Kerala is the way of life for the people and that is why it has been so progressive.

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Resolutions adopted at th The 48 Annual FHRAI Convention

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he 48th Annual FHRAI Convention unanimously adopted the following 10 resolutions which represent the collective expectations, concerns as well as commitment of our fraternity on key contemporary issues: 1. FHRAI urges the Ministry of Finance to include all hotels throughout the country in RBI’s Infrastructure Lending List so that long-term capital investment in the industry is insulated from cyclical economic volatility and the projected shortfall of 1,80,000 classified guest rooms can be viably bridged.

2. FHRAI proudly endorses the visionary roadmap envisaged by the Ministry of Tourism for the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), particularly the ambitious target of doubling our Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) as well as Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) and placing a renewed emphasis on promoting pro-poor tourism.

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3. To provide the Indian hospitality industry with a level-playing field to compete with our global peers, it is imperative to rationalise the industry’s complex multiple taxation structure by withdrawing the Service Tax imposed on hotels and restaurants, and introducing a uniform and moderate rate of Luxury Tax across the country, applicable only on actual and not published tariff.

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4. FHRAI calls on all State Governments to prioritise and incentivise the hospitality and tourism sector by facilitating a holistically conducive policy environment, including measures such as granting ‘industry’ status, so that hotels can avail industrial rates on inputs such as power and water as opposed to paying high commercial tariff and constituting an empowered state-level Hospitality Development Promotion Board (HDPB), under the chairmanship of their Chief Secretary to function as an effective single-window mechanism.

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5. The Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, should rationalise its rigid CRZ norms in accordance with the progressive recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee, and thus pave the way for sustainably developing identified stretches of our rich coastline as special tourism zones by building accommodation infrastructure and other amenities.

6. Our Federation will constructively engage in the FSSAI’s standards harmonisation process launched this year, and robustly represent the industry’s views and apprehensions on this farreaching regulatory initiative.

7. FHRAI will continue to agitate on the unreasonable and coercive approach which is often adopted by broadcasters and agencies such as PPL/IPRS, and take all available legal recourse to safeguard the hospitality industry’s legitimate interest therein.

8. We request the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to expand the ambit of the popular Visa-on-Arrival scheme to cover the nationals of 30 additional countries, and thereby give a strong impetus to increasing foreign tourist inflows.

9. On behalf of the industry, FHRAI steadfastly supports the tenets of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism and will focus on leveraging tourism’s inherent potential to generate economic, social and environmental value for local communities.

10. We express complete solidarity with our fellow citizens in Uttarakhand and reiterate FHRAI’s resolute commitment to assist the State’s tourism sector in overcoming the adverse impact of the colossal natural calamity in the region.

M.D. Kapoor Secretary General

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Glimpses of the 48th Annual FHRAI Convention held in Kochi The 48th Annual Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) Convention was inagurated

by Dr. K. Chiranjeevi, Union Tourism Minister, Government of India. The theme of the Convention was ‘Sustainable and Responsible Tourism’.

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otels and h g in t c e ff a s e u s tinent is ns of Some of the per discussed in the business sessio i. The restaurthants were HRAI Convention held in Kochowth the 48 Annual Fssed on tourism for inclusive gr pt Convention focu tel and restaurant sector to ado pment. and urged the hoices to ensure long term develo sustainable pract Kanchan Nath

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Tourism for Inclusive Growth

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his was the topic for the first session of the convention, and was combined with the topic ‘Hastening the pace of growth of tourism in the regions’.

Moderated by S. M. Shervani, MD, Shervani Hospitality, the panel included Anand Kumar, IAS, Jt Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Vipul Mitra, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Government of Gujarat, Ashish Kumar Singh, IAS, Secretary to Chief Minister, Maharashtra and Mohammad Pervaiz, GM, ANIDCO (Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Limited).

Lauding the efforts of the state of Kerala, Mitra said that Kerala is in itself an inspiring story. Talking about

p (L toR) S M Shervani, MD, Shervani Hospitality,Vipul Mitra, Principal Secretary (Tourism), Govt of Gujarat,Anand Kumar, IAS, Jt Secretary, MoT, Govt of India, Ashish Kumar Singh, IAS, Secretary to Chief Minister, Maharashtra at the convention in Kochi

Tourism is not an elitist service. On the contrary, it’s a pro-poor service industry.

It is essential for every stakeholder in the tourism industry to realise this.

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Gujarat, he added that for many years they were contemplating how to hasten the growth of tourism. He said, “We tried to combine three basic factors - Policy, Infrastructure and Promotion. This is the PIP approach which Gujarat has embarked upon for the past three to four years. Tourism is a tool in the hands of the government which can bring about development and growth of the common man, and it can also help in branding of the state.

It all started with the year 2006 being declared as the Year of Tourism. The budget for tourism at that time was about `30 crore, and today it is `500 crore in about a period of six years and still increasing. The second major turning point was when we decided to take Amitabh Bachchan as Brand Ambassador in 2010, and the rest is history.” He also added that the setting up of GUJTOP (Gujarat Tourism Opportunities Limited) was very important. The role of the company was to get private investors to look for land for them, conduct viability studies, get financial closure and to advocate to the state government. Due to this, they have got 39 projects in the State in the last two years.

For Singh, coming to Kochi was a memorable trip as he started his career from Kochi 25 years ago. Talking about Maharashtra, he said, “We have concentrated on building the necessary infrastructure, and results are evident

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in the fact that nearly Regulation Zone (CRZ) five million tourists norms (no development visit Maharashtra should take place within Andaman and every year. In terms 200 mt of the High Tide Nicobar Islands of domestic, it is Line (HTL)), were taken have the potential 1.1 crore, which up with the government. to be the most highis also a substantial Recently, we got it end eco-tourism number. We have amended to 50 mt. destination in the about 72,000 hotel We hope the projects country following rooms in the State which were delayed can the Sustainable today. We have been commence now. Taj and and Responsible basically concentrating Good Earth are some of tourism principals on upgrading the the projects which are infrastructure. We coming to the islands.” hope the new airport will start by the end Anand Kumar explained of this year. There is the session’s topic also the metro, new roads and many ‘Inclusive Tourism’ as ‘included in other projects that are in the making, Tourism’, which means ‘we grow including those of water transport, together’. This was the name of the coastal road, etc.” tourism policy which the Government of India brought out in 2002. It talked Mohammad Pervaiz said, “Andaman about all-inclusive economic growth and Nicobar Islands have the potential through employment generation and to be the most high-end eco-tourism taking care of remote and backward destination in the country following the areas as well. He went on to say, Sustainable and Responsible tourism “Tourism is not an elitist service. On principals. The islands have world the contrary, it’s a pro-poor service famous beaches and tropical forest. industry. It is essential for every It is the best destination for scuba stakeholder in the tourism industry to diving, and we have 20 scuba diving realise this, if they keep the interests of operators, operating from the islands. the poor in their mind they will never The main problem which remains is fail in serving our nation. It should be of connectivity. However, many tour carried on keeping in mind the carrying operators are making packages for capacity of the specific region. For the country like MakeMyTrip which benefits of tourism, the need is to think has increased the number of tourists of long term sustainability for long term coming to the island. The Coastal tourism inclusive growth. There is a

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p (L to R) Pradeep Shetty, Director, Maharaja Restaurant,Advocate Jayawanth, Kerala High Court, Dr V Pasupathy, advisor to FHRAI and Nitin Putcha,VP, Operations, ITM - FHRAI Institute of Hotel Management

need for good entrepreneurs, who with their leadership and entrepreneurial spirit will take tourism to better heights. Enhancing the status of women and bringing into the mainstream, the marginalised, and giving the right skill sets to people. We must strive for an optimal tourism growth which does not compromise our future.�

Service Tax

Session Two was on industry updates, moderated by Pradeep Shetty, Director, Maharaja Restaurant.

Advocate Jayawanth, Kerala High Court, gave an update on the recent judgment passed by the High Court of Kerala on the writ petition filed by the Kerala Bar Hotels Association and other hoteliers across the state, wherein the levy of Service Tax on two services namely: 1) Tax on AC Restaurants and 2) Tax on Hotel accommodations was struck down, the same being beyond the legislative competence of the parliament. He asked all to read articles 246 and 366, clause 29 A of the Constitution. He advised that business owners should collate the practical difficulties they face because of the taxes, try to find a practical solution, and then try and look at the legal viability for the same. As of now, you cannot levy service tax in the restaurants in Kerala, however, when the case reaches the Supreme Court

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one does not know what the judgment will be. He suggested that all regions should go ahead and file separate writs in their respective areas with regard to the same.

four parts, and the fourth part should be sent to a laboratory of their choice.

Technically since the standards have not yet been resolved, the Government cannot file a case based on standards, since standards are under review.

Food Safety and Under FSSAI, one sample needs to be Standards Act India tested every six months. Another aspect Giving an update on implementation is that of Food Safety Management of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Audit. All restaurants will be expected 2006 (FSSAI), Dr V Pasupathy, to have a Food Safety Management advisor to FHRAI on matters pertaining System Plan (FSMS). This is being done to FSSAI, had the following to suggest to encourage audit from multinational to restaurant owners: companies to prove that the restaurants are hygienic. For this, there is a need The law pertaining to anything related to make a self governing food safety to food in this country audit system. Other is for the present FSSAI. problems include high Time has been given penalties. He said that till February 4, 2014 all restaurants need FHRAI has for implementation to maintain relevant already started pilot of Regulation 1.2. documents, for example projects to establish (Enforcement of one cannot say pest laboratories in Standards). Minimum control is being done Mumbai, Delhi and time required to get arbitrarily. Also, one Noida. Furthermore, the license is 30 days must make sure that the such labs will also be before the said date. pest control person has set up in other areas.

Associations are mainly Form 6 from the state Getting food samples worried about two agricultural department, tested here will be priced just at aspects, substandard food otherwise the work `300 per member as and residues in food. carried out by him will compared to `3,000 He recommended that not be valid. when done externally when they give their food samples to FSSAI With regard to the authorities, they must same, Pradeep Shetty divide the samples into said, “FHRAI has already

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started pilot projects to establish laboratories in Mumbai, Delhi and Noida. Furthermore, such labs will also be set up in other areas. Getting food samples tested here will be priced just at `300 per member as compared to `3,000 when done externally.”

Sustainable Environment Practices for Hotels & Restaurants and Ethical Sourcing Moderator for this session was Jose Dominic, CEO, CGH Earth Group.

The session was opened by Niranjan Khatri, General Manager, Welcome Environ Initiatives, ITC, Welcome Group, who said, “ITC group has managed to increase the forest area by 1,45,000 hectares and watershed area by 1,16,000 hectares.” He urged FHRAI to focus on management of food waste, and to take inspiration from the dabba walas in Mumbai. He added that since resources of the country are finite, and with the presence of

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conflicting needs, the industry must be nature sensitive. He added, “It is our duty to guide the guests that come to visit us towards responsible tourism.

Waste is a lost resource and there are means by which even smaller hotels can make use of the same.” He said that while we are always comparing India to China, China is in a precarious situation today because of the fast trajectory it has taken. Its emissions have increased from 2 billion to 9 billion. Today, China is spending `25 billion annually to clean up its act.

Abhishek Jani, Executive Director, Fairtrade Foundation of India stressed on using ethical sourcing as a way of transforming business. It has the means of ushering a new era of PPP in hospitality sector which stands for Profit with People and Planet. There is a possibility of a balance between the social and commercial dimension.

Fairtrade is one of the largest sustainability initiatives in the world.

They help connect small and marginal

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farmers to mainstream markets. Today, a growing segment of travellers are looking at places that source ethically.

Switching to ethical sourcing can be a step-by-step process. All ethically sourced products have the Fairtrade mark. It stands for those farmers who have met the environmental standards.

Future Technologies in the Hospitality Industry

The moderator for this session was Deepak Puri, Partner, Trinca’s Restaurant. Talking about the future, Raman P Rama, VP and CTO/ CIO, JHM Hotels, Global President of Hospitality Financial Technology Professionals (HFTP) said, “The consumer of the hospitality industry is changing. The Gen X, Gen Y and Gen Z are the future customers and we need to get ready to cater to them.

When you are getting new construction in place, get the infrastructure ready where new technologies can easily be incorporated. If you do not respond to negative reviews on the social media

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websites, you will lose out on business.

The second trend is cloud computing.

Passwords, therefore, are extremely important and should be guarded.

Thirdly, it’s about bringing your own technology as you move from hotel to hotel, so as hoteliers we should be ready for the same. Social media is revolutionising. Youngsters want instant information and it is the media they are using, and that is what you need to leverage. What we are used to using in our homes, we look for the same things when we go to hotels.”

Taking about harnessing the power of the internet, Avijit Arya, Founder and CEO, Internet Moguls said, “Whenever we meet hoteliers we find that people are in different stages of adopting the internet, especially in India. The customer is evolving; we need to know what the influence factors are for them.

Those born before 1985 are digital migrants and those born after 1985 are digital natives, born in the digital era.

These are the people that we will be catering to.” He added that the medium itself was new and evolving. For those hotels embarking for the first time, it would be most advisable to go in for a marketing agency specialising in hotel and restaurant marketing. Best practices around the world suggest hiring an e-Commerce manager for the hotel. This would keep the digital data

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information in-house, which is very important.

He would also be able to co-ordinate better with an external PR agency.

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Best practices around the world suggest hiring an e-Commerce manager for the hotel. This would keep the digital data information inhouse, which is very important.

“Another important aspect is that key deliverables need to be clearly laid out to the marketing company.

Are they going to handle your website?

Will they do Search Engine Optimisation for you? Will they handle Facebook and Twitter? Will they manage the OTA marketing? Who is going to do your reputation management? If budget is limited you could start small, start with two to three of the smaller exercises.

You could go in for search engine optimisation and SCM campaigns depending on what works for you,” he opined.

On Communications Technologies for Hospitality Sector, Devdas Krishnan, DGM, Mobility Data Products said that people today are focussing on the core business. “The kind of data the hotel industry generates, especially MICE, is extensive. When data is sent to distant devices, communication technologies come to the fore. Without the

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communication channel, everything is as good as dead. Privacy is gone; security of the system is gone.

Big data analytics are happening.”

Suresh Menon, Sr Manager, Operations, Securus First underscored the need to be aware of cyber crime, since today all it takes is the click of a mouse. Cyber crime is all about expecting the unexpected. Sometimes, people do not even realise their systems are being hacked. Crimes could include identity theft and denial of service.

There remains no jurisdiction in cyber crime; beyond the internet, the person is anonymous. Citing another example, he said, “Whatever phone calls and SMS you make in a radius of 2 km in this very conference can be hacked. All you need is pirated software from China, that too for just `80,000.”

He also cited the example of Kasab, the terrorist. “The attacker can be foreign.

Consider Kasab, a class four failure. He used a satellite phone, GPS, Google Maps and even Skype. They used technology to the fullest.” He warned

p (From left) Deepak Puri, Partner,Trinca’s Restaurant, Raman P Rama, Global President, HFTP,Avijit Arya, Founder and CEO, Internet Moguls, Devdas Krishnan, DGM, Mobility Data Products, Suresh Menon , Sr Manager, Operations, Securus First at the Annual FHRAI Convention in Kochi.

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hoteliers that if they are not able to keep the personal information of their clients classified, they will have to pay large sums as penalties.

Innovative Financing of Hotels and Restaurants

The session was moderated by Dinesh Advani, Jt Managing Director, The Shalimar Hotel. Risk in insurance for hotels and restaurants were also covered. “Innovative financial tips are the need of the hour,”said Vijay P Thacker, Director, Crowe Horwath Hotel Consultants. With RBI issuing a circular on September 18, which includes some larger degree of hotel investment in the automatic approval norms for external commercial borrowings, comes as good news.

Earlier, only automatic approval for external commercial borrowings for 3 star hotels outside cities with a population of more than 10 lakh was allowed. But now they have allowed external commercial borrowings if the investment in development excluding

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land is atleast `200 crore, and in case it is for a convention centre then the limit would be `300 crore.

This atleast, brings hotels within the ambit of infrastructure.

“Infrastructure definition needs to be extended to bank finance in India, so that we can get extended payment terms which are sorely needed,” he added.

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to the infrastructure status.

We also plan to set up a dedicated bank under the license provisions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The tourism industry needs a specialised bank, wherein the funds can be raised at a cheaper rate

B.M. Gupta, Chief Financial Officer, Tourism Finance Corporation of India Ltd., (TFCI) said, that TFCI has so far funded over 750 tourism projects in the country. With the help of TFCI, more than 40 per cent of the total room capacities in the authorised hotels have been created. Now there are issues, particularly with regard

He also said, “We are attempting to set up a tourism infrastructure company — a 100 per cent subsidiary under TFCI to help smaller projects raise External Commercial Borrowings (ECB). We also plan to set up a dedicated bank under the license provisions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The tourism industry needs a specialised bank, wherein the funds can be raised at a cheaper rate. The focus would be on financing medium and small projects at the initial stage, and bigger projects at a later stage,” Gupta said. He added, “The Corporation is hopeful of a favourable decision by the RBI on its application, and would be able to set up the bank by 2016.”

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Leisure Inn Grand Chanakya opens in Jaipur new opening

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ustralia-based hotel management group, StayWell Hospitality Group forays into India with the launch of the Leisure Inn Grand Chanakya Jaipur, Rajasthan.

The group which emphasises on location, valuefor-money offerings and personalised services could not have had a better start to their India operations, with this brand new contemporary hotel located on M.I. Road Jaipur at an ideal focal point for both the business and leisure traveller.

The opening of the hotel saw the re-launch of the iconic Rajasthani specialty restaurant – Grand Chanakya. Café Viva will provide all-day dining options, whilst the rooftop ‘Arya Bar & Grill ‘will provide an open air ambience with a wide selection of food & beverage offerings.

Simon Wan, CEO & Group Managing Director, StayWell said, “We are pleased to expand our portfolio in one of the biggest emerging markets in the world. With the launch of Leisure Inn Grand Chanakya in Jaipur our growing reputation and brand presence will place us well for further property developments not only in India but also globally.”

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Capt. CP Krishnan Nair conferred Honorary Doctorate

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admabhushan Capt. CP Krishnan Nair, Founder Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Literature for his exemplary contribution to the hospitality industry and business management by Jodhpur National University, at the University’s 2nd Convocation Ceremony. The ceremony was attended

by Amitabh Bachchan, Dr. C. Rangarajan, Chairman, the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, dignitaries from Jodhpur and around the world, and hundreds of graduating students. Capt. Nair, the recipient of several accolades, including the Global 500 Laureate Roll of Honour by the United Nations for his untiring efforts in environmental conservation, received the prestigious honour along with Amitabh Bachchan, who was also awarded a Doctorate in Literature for his exemplary contribution to Hindi cinema.

Shri Kamal Mehta, Chairperson and Chancellor of the University, awarded the Doctorate to Capt. Nair for his inspiring leadership, outstanding business acumen and unwavering commitment and exemplary contribution to the Indian hospitality industry and establishing The Leela as one of the leading hospitality brands in India.

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CRS Technologies participated in FHRAI

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ith much pomp and grandeur the 48th annual meet of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) was held in the commercial capital of Kerala, Cochin. FHRAI, the world’s third largest association of Hotels and Restaurants was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Tourism Dr. K Chiranjeevi on 19th this month at Le Meridian. Various genre of hospitality sector flocked towards the convention centre of the hotel.

The event upholds the theme ‘Sustainable and Responsible Tourism’.

The Hospitality Expo with numerous stalls was conducted as part of the annual meet displaying different products and services of the companies related to the hospitality industry. CRS Technologies, one of India’s leading software and service supports to travel and hospitality industry showcased new products with cutting edge technology. The convention fetches big benefit to the company. The products like Unilogin for hotels, WebCRS FB, WebCRS Payit, etc., were displayed in the stall

during the event. The response to the new products of CRS Technologies gives an affirmative result.

The three-day event was concluded on 21st September. The forums and sessions conducted during the meet were thought provoking and discussed numerous problem faced in the hospitality industry. Doyens from hospitality industry, experts, policy makers and politicians participated in the event and aired their views that lead to change the face of hospitality industry.

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HRANI to host regional conference in Gurgaon The conference will be inaugurated by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana, while Parvez Dewan, Secretary-Tourism, MOT, will be the Chief Guest at the Valedictory.

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he Hotel & Restaurant Association of “The HRANI delegation recently visited various Northern India (HRANI) will organise its affected areas of the state. The Association has also regional conference at Pullman Gurgaon collected `11 lakh, and the combined contribution of Central Park on October 27 and 28. This the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant information was shared by Garish Oberoi, Associations of India (FHRAI) — `51 President, HRANI. According to him, lakh — has been handed over to Vijay the conference will be inaugurated by Bahuguna, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand,” Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, he added.

Haryana, while Parvez Dewan, SecretaryRegarding the growth of the FHRAI Tourism, MOT, will be the Chief Guest chapter, Oberoi said, “A lot of work has at the Valedictory. The theme of the been done in the last couple of years to conference and the business sessions is yet revitalise the regional chapter in all the to be announced. Around 500 hoteliers nine member states and HRANI would Garish Oberoi President, HRANI from the Northern region are expected to continue to work to strengthen the participate in the conference. association in future. HRANI is the largest regional Talking about the drastic impact of the recent chapter of FHRAI in terms of membership base.

Uttarakhand calamity on the hospitality sector of the We have over 1,500 members.” The Association region, Oberoi said the Association is taking keen has added at least 300 new members in the last two interest in the activities of the state government for years. “We are hopeful of increasing the membership rehabilitation of the floods-affected Uttarakhand. by another 20 per cent in two years,” he added.

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JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts enter Bengaluru

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he luxury 5-star property features 297 rooms and suites, including an ultra-luxurious Presidential Suite. The JW Marriott Bengaluru was designed to redefine luxury for the

modern business and leisure traveller. It overlooks the plush 300-acre Cubbon Park, offering a coveted combination of incredible views, architectural splendour and warm hospitality.

“JW Marriott Bengaluru reflects the sophistication and elegance travellers have come to expect from the JW Marriott brand. Our offerings suit the refined tastes of our international and domestic guests,” said Rajeev Menon, Area Vice President – South Asia for Marriott International. “Our operations in Bengaluru are an integral part of our growth strategy and we hope to set a benchmark of excellence in service with the JW Marriott Bengaluru.”

“The JW Marriott Bengaluru offers one of the city’s largest MICE facilities along with world-class dining, entertainment options and luxurious guestrooms – it is the ultimate choice for a well-travelled leisure or business guest,” said Parul Thakur, General Manager.

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The Treehouse Group forays into leisure

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he property, Anuraga- A Treehouse Resort, will be a full service five star hotel, restoring one of Ranthambore’s oldest hotels, the Anuraga Resort into a modern complex with a traditional inheritance.

This marks the group’s entry into the destination travel experience with an upcoming premium property at Ranthambore, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.

The hotel, which renders authentic Rajasthani architecture and construction styles, is beautifully done up with distinctive motifs across the rooms, lobby and public areas. It will have 40 rooms, four suites, a banquet hall, swimming pool, gardens, conference facility, spa and gym as well as restaurant and bar. Slated to be operational from October this year, visitors will also get a chance to visit Shabri Farm and Dairy, one of the most successful

appointment

Rajendra Mittal appointed President of AIACRA for two years

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Rajendra Mittal President AIACRA

organic farms in Rajasthan. Richa K Singh, EVP, Treehouse Group further elaborates on the association, “The Treehouse Group has had a successful stint in the management of fully serviced hotels. Anuraga-A Treehouse Resort at Ranthambore is another landmark for us, as it takes the group to one of the most popular destinations in the country for travellers on business or leisure.”

ajendra Mittal will be President of All India Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Association (AIACRA) again from 2013 to

2015.

He has made a few notable announcements, the prominent one being moving into a new wholly owned office of the Association. Also on the agenda is to have more frequent General body Meetings and in different cities. The President is proactive in understanding the problems of the Association members for the betterment of the Industry as a whole. The new President also plans to take a delegation to AHR Expo (USA) as well as ChillVenta (Germany) for furthering business associations within the USA and Europe. Sharing of industry information amongst members is an important part of an association which the President wishes to take up as a special point in the agenda.

Rajendra Mittal is a person with more than 45 years of experience in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration business. He has been the President of All India Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Association (AIACRA) from 2004 to 2009. During his earlier tenures, was instrumental in starting a newsletter of the AIACRA Association to be sent out to the members with information of various activities of the association. He initiated delegations to Germany, China, Korea and Thailand. The result of this visit was the signing of MOU’s with two Chinese Associations, one MOU each with Korea, Thailand, Turkey and Pakistan.

The President was instrumental in taking 10 delegations in a row to China with strength of 30 to 100 members. Collection of funds has increased to a new high and the association boasts of a very healthy fund situation.

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That personal touch called Concierge Gungun Girish, Head-Concierge, Fairmont Jaipur, member of Les Clefs d’Or India and the first woman concierge in Rajasthan, shares her views on the evolution of concierge service in the country Megha Paul

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ith the choice of myriad new hotel chains now, what we really need today is a personal touch. The valuable experience that marks the difference between a barely satisfied guest and a repeat customer is what we call the Concierge.

Traditionally thought of as the go-to person for guests looking to score play tickets, tips on everything from the best restaurants to the off-theGungun Girish Head-Concierge, beaten-path Fairmont Jaipur attractions and shopping deals, the concierge’s role has emerged to become more central and critical than ever.

According to Gungun Girish, HeadConcierge, Fairmont Jaipur, concierge provides the personal service that can make a visitor want to return. A concierge acts as a physical medium between the guest and the hotel,

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in terms of connecting them with a range of services and facilities, which otherwise may not be easily available or possible, due to time and/or location constraints.

Regarding the USP of a brilliant concierge, Girish points out, “Sometimes it is not just about finding the nearest 24-hour chemist

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or local flight schedules. An effective concierge always endeavours to go the extra mile and even surprise and delight the guest, thus enriching the brand experience and contributing immensely to guest satisfaction and repeat business.” It is critical to understand the psyche of a traveller on vacation or on a business trip. “A clear understanding of the brand’s

Fairmont Jaipur hosted the 7th Annual General Meeting of Les Clefs D’Or India Les Clefs d’Or India recently concluded its seventh Annual General Meeting and Pinning Ceremony of the Golden Keys at Fairmont Jaipur. This was the first time when a non- metro city was selected for the ceremony and Fairmont Jaipur served as the perfect venue owing to its established traditions of bespoke services. Birgit Zorniger, GM, Taj Lands End was the guest of honour for the event which was conducted on September 20 -21.

Atul Lall, General Manager, Fairmont Jaipur, inaugurated the ceremony by extending a warm welcome to all the delegates present from across the country. This was followed by regional presentations and discussions

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on constitution by the committee members. Announcement of the new executive committee for the year 2013 to 2015 was made by election officer Naveen Vaishnav, Accommodations Manager, Clarks, Jaipur.

During the pinning ceremony, 35 new members received Adherent membership to Les Clefs d’Or India and 16 Adherent members were upgraded to Full membership status.

Last year, Gungun Girish, Chief Concierge, Fairmont Jaipur received the full keys and became the first woman Les Clef’s d’Or India member in Rajasthan. This year, Fahad Khan and Ajith Thrikandiyoorkallath, Concierges, Fairmont Jaipur also received adherent membership.

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objectives and positioning in the market, as well as against other competition, is the most important element required for a concierge.

Since every hotel has a concierge, it is the brand representation that acts as a differentiator where training plays a pivotal role. However, nurturing a team requires a more result-oriented approach. It is imperative to develop a strong team spirit with a common goal towards delivering service and promptness,” she points out.

As the only women concierge in the entire region of Rajasthan, Girish is a member of the Les Clefs d’Or. “The association with Les Clefs d’Or prepares us for challenges that may not even take place, but have been tackled elsewhere with a particular guest. Being a member of Les Clefs d’Or India has given me access to more than 200 concierges across the country, which not only helps me prepare as a concierge but also deliver better service. This strong domestic and international network strengthens our worldly knowledge about people, culture and their preferences,” she adds.

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Steering business towards sustainability Niranjan Khatri

With the current trend in population growth and subsequent resource depletion, a looming catastrophe of spiralling food prices, water shortages and higher energy costs is quickly becoming an uncomfortable reality.

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he World Resource Institute (WRI) in Washington has conducted a global survey and come out with a report which states that with regard to resource use, the planet is running on a 40 per cent overdraft. According to WRI, iron will last for approximately 800 years, followed by coal for 500 years and oil for approximately 50 to 150 years.

Against the backdrop of the disaster in Uttarakhand in July 2013, it is important to realise that the demand for resources cannot be met at the cost of the ecosystem

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These statistics are not encouraging, and the message being delivered is clear - that we have to promptly and urgently rethink how we produce, consume and recycle every resource.

In India, rich mineral resources like coal, limestone and other metals are deeply imbedded in our limited forest cover of 11 per cent. As the demand for resources from an exploding and wealthier population continues to grow, finding resources to match this demand is becoming increasingly challenging and putting this finite supply of resources under threat.

The dire impact of rapidly depleting resources is already being seen in India. Against the backdrop of the disaster in Uttarakhand in July 2013, it is important to realise that the demand for resources cannot be met at the

cost of the ecosystem. Unplanned construction and urbanisation will take its toll on the delicate balance of the ecosystem. If forests are sacrificed for coal, iron and other metals, it will reduce water availability which has already reached the stressing point. The definition of water stress is that the water availability is less than 1 lakh litres per person per annum. In India, the water availability per person per annum is currently 1.7 lakh litres, according to TERI. China is experiencing the negative impacts of rapid development with Beijing and Shanghai experiencing heavy smog, leading to pollution-led holidays!

Eco-design is a methodology of bringing environmental sustainability into any human activity to help reduce resource consumption. There are examples of waste being converted into other products, being used as a source of fuel or for making useful materials for the construction industry. For example, fly ash from the thermal industry is being utilised by the cement industry for making cement. The cement industry in turn is accepting the waste of the municipality for the generation of power and heat. Another example of a practice is burning plastic in the cement industry at a

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Prospective Material Consumption of India 25

past

Projection*

n metals

20

billion tonners

n fossil fuels 15

10

n non-metal minerals

5

è increased during 1980-2008 from 2.6 up to 4.5 billon tons è until 2050 it is expected to be 4-5 fold

n biomass 0 1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

2040

2050

* Main assumptions: India follows typical material use pattern during development process economic growth rates of about 8% p.a until 2030. Thereafter around 7% p.a. until 2035 and 5% p.a. until 2050.

Data sources: Dittrich, 2012, SERI, 2011, TERI, 2012, UNData, 2012, Worldbank, 2012

high temperature which does not release harmful dioxins. Our cities are littered with waste. Approximately 50 per cent of waste in landfill sites constitutes of wet garbage and waste from food selling establishments, 40 per cent construction debris and the rest constitute plastic, packaging and others. Many industries have already started using wet waste to generate power in the form of biogas which costs `20 per kg as against `45 for conventional cooking gas.

It is well established that change does not occur easily. It is an outcome of various permutations, whether it is regulation, scarcity or calamity.

The city of Surat cleaned up after it suffered a plague in the 1990s.

Similarly, a large quantity of food waste is now being recycled by individuals and in colonies, as the Bangalore Municipality is unable to handle the same.

A few months ago in March 2013, Bengaluru, the leading IT capital of the country was in the throes of a garbage crisis with fears that the city would be engulfed in its own garbage, a mammoth 3,500 tones a day. To address the situation, the

municipality has now made segregation of waste at source mandatory for all citizens as a starting point to address the crisis. It is a question of time before biogas technology becomes more sophisticated and then it will be mandatory for individuals with a particular size of a plot of land or gated colonies to generate gas for its residents.

With the weakening of the rupee and $140 billion already being spent on importing fossil fuel, the burden to meet the demand for resources is only going to increase. In this context, it is in the interest of the country to hasten and popularise such alternative sources of gas so that cities become cleaner and take a step towards becoming sustainable. Through these measures, it is possible that in the next seven to eight years, the pressure on land -fill sites will also reduce.

Simultaneously, new cities which are emerging can be designed in a manner whereby landfill sites do not exist and people follow good practices right from the design stage.

These insights have made ITC Hotels construct buildings that right from the design stage ensure that source

Source: Dittrich et al., Material Flow Analysis

efficiencies are enhanced, thereby reducing pressure and dependence on the natural resources of the country.

Approximately six years ago, ITC Hotels started composting all its food waste in an organic waste converter for 11 days, thereby reducing congestion and emissions in the city. There is an urgent need for the Government of India to consider setting up a waste matrix index which will give details of industries located across the country with their respective waste streams. This information should be in the public domain and displayed for other industries to take into account for their process needs.

Currently, the transportation of interstate movement of waste is not allowed. The law must be reassessed and revisited so that certain waste materials are allowed in the larger interest of the country, keeping in mind questions of hygiene. Doing so will truly make the Incredible India Campaign successful both in letter and spirit.

(Views expressed are that of the author, Niranjan Khatri, General Manager, Welcomenviron Initiatives, ITC Hotels)

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Indian food would become even more popular across the world if only we all are willing to share our secret household recipes, says Manish Mehrotra, Executive Chef, Indian Accent.

In a freewheeling conversation with FHRAI magazine, he tells us about food trends and promoting culinary tourism in India.

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Q

What is the main specialty of Indian Accent Restaurant?

I started this restaurant four and a half years ago, and today, we are mostly fully booked for lunch as well as dinner.

In these four years, we did not do any advertising as such for this restaurant.

Word of mouth, food-reviews, guestreviews on TripAdvisor have helped to popularise the restaurant, and guests come to this restaurant from all over the world.

When we started the restaurant, the idea was to open an Indian restaurant with a difference. It has been called a fusion restaurant, modern Indian restaurant and even a contemporary Indian restaurant. First and foremost, the food needs to be presented in a beautiful manner without compromising on the authenticity of the food. Second thing is incorporating aspects from all over the world. As the name suggests, ‘Indian accent’ refers to taking an Indian dish and giving it a foreign accent. Or take a very classical foreign dish and giving that an Indian accent.

Q

How do you maintain authenticity of the dishes in fusion foods?

Let me start with an example of the way we make our non-vegetarian starters. ‘Foie gras stuffed galawati with strawberry green chilli chutney’. So we make ‘galawati’, a delicacy with the authentic recipe. The only thing is that we are serving it with the French, ‘foie gras’, that is goose liver, another delicacy. Without hampering the authenticity of ‘galawati kebab’, we are adding this, which enhances the texture even more. The soft and velvety texture of ‘galawati kebab, is enhanced with the soft and velvety texture of goose liver.

Or for example, another signature dish is ‘meetha achaar hilean spare ribs, sun dried mango, toasted kalonji seeds’.

The dish is based on the sweet chilli ribs or pork ribs of Thailand or China.

Again this is a very classical dish from that part of the world. We are doing everything in the classical way, but instead of sweet chilli sauce, we toss it

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in the homemade, Indian mango pickle and guests love it.

Q

Do you think the kitchen is one of the most creative parts in hospitality?

Joining a hospitality college was a career decision for me. There I realised that the kitchen was one place where you can do something of your own. In the other sectors that is front office, housekeeping, etc., there are certain scripts you need to follow; you have to greet the guest in a certain way as

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‘Indian accent’ refers to taking an Indian dish and giving it a foreign accent. Or taking a very classical foreign dish and giving that an Indian accent

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per the specific hotel policy. Kitchen is the one place you can do things your own way. You can do your own menu, create your own dishes and the bar is another place where you can do thousands of innovations. That is why I chose the kitchen and I am happy that I chose the kitchen.

Q

What are the factors that contribute to high revenue at Indian Accent Restaurant?

In the beginning the restaurant was not that popular. Menu was such that people used to come, read the menu and walk out. They would read the menu and not understand what was written, they would say its English but its alien English, and we do not understand what the dishes are. Then we started training our waiters and our staff about the dishes and how to tell the guests about the dishes.

Then with the quality of food and quality of experience, it became popular. I feel all individual factors can carry the restaurant to a certain stage.

Good food can carry a restaurant to a certain stage, good service can carry a restaurant to a certain stage. Good dĂŠcor can carry a restaurant to a certain stage. However, if everything put together is good, then the restaurant turns out great.

Q

What is the trend you foresee taking shape in the Indian diet pattern/cuisine culture?

Now more and more people are aware of food. Knowledge has improved manifold because of the reach of the

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media, be it television or the internet.

Twenty years back, nobody knew what pizza was till the time Nirula’s started selling pizzas. It was in 1984, I think that maggi launched their noodles, when I was in class three or four. They would distribute free packets of maggi with a contest, and the first prize was a fiat. Before that, noodles were not known and now children want noodles.

So now new things will keep coming as people are more aware of different kinds of cuisines. So a pizza can have a thin crust, thick crust, deep pan, different types of cheese and varied toppings - so even the knowledge of the consumer is changing. Hence, now they are experimenting with more exotic toppings such as shell crab toppings on pizzas, etc.

Earlier people used to eat out only on a particular occasion, but now the frequency has increased. People are travelling a lot more. And not just

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Rapidfire Manish Mehrotra Executive Chef, Indian Accent

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

Anything sweet, which is chocolaty, gooey and which can be heated in a microwave. À What ingredients can you not live without when preparing Indian dishes?

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

Good attitude À Which is your favourite destination to travel to, for enjoying food?

London À What was your last meal?

White rice, yellow dal and ‘sukhe aloo’

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Recipe Khandvi Ravioli For 4 Portions Ingredients For Khandvi Sheets l Gram Flour (Besan) l Corn flour l Sugar l Salt l Turmeric powder l Yellow chilli powder l Curd l Water

- - - - - - -

110 gm 50 gm 25gm 5 gm 2 gm 2 gm 10 gm 800 ml

For Mix Cheese Mash l Goat cheese - 75 gm l Cottage cheese - 15 gm l Chopped bell peppers - 10 gm l Roasted Cumin, crushed - 2 gm l Black pepper, crushed - 2 gm l Fresh mint leaves, chopped - 2 gm l Butter - 10 gm l Ginger julienne - 5 gm l Green chili julienne - 2 gm l Cherry tomatoes - 15 gm l Fried pine nuts - 15 gm l Khakra - 1 piece For Beurre Blanc l Fresh cream - 15 ml l Butter - 5 gm l Garam masala - 1 gm l Salt - To taste Method l For making khandvi sheets, mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl using a whisk and mix well to make a smooth mixture. l Strain through a fine sieve into a kadhai. l Start cooking the mixture on slow flame, stirring continuously to avoid any lump formation. l Gradually the mixture will start thickening; keep on stirring. l Cook for 10 minutes. The mixture will become thick, shiny and ready to spread.

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l Pour the mixture on a clean table top and spread using a dough scraper evenly and thinly of 1 mm thickness. l Let it cool and set for 5 minutes.

Trim off the edges and cut into 5 inches sheets. l Carefully roll the sheets, cover and refrigerate.

For Mixed Cheese Mash l Grate goat cheese and cottage cheese in a bowl and mix in bell peppers, black pepper, roasted cumin and fresh mint. Refrigerate.

For Khandvi Ravioli l Spread the rolled khandvi sheets on the table. Cut round discs of 3.5 cm using a round cutter. Cut around 35—40 discs. l Place about 4 gm of mix cheese mash on half of the discs. Cover it using the remaining discs making a ravioli l Cover and refrigerate keep till use.

For Beurre Blanc l Heat cream in a non-stick pan and add butter, garam masala, salt and water to adjust consistency. Remove from flame. Keep in a clean bowl.

For Finish l Heat butter on a non-stick skillet, sauté ginger and green chilies. l Add cherry tomato halves and turn the flame off. l Place the ravioli carefully without over lapping. l Turn on the flame on slow, cook for 30 sec and flip the ravioli. l Add pine nuts and arrange the ravioli on the serving dish, topping with the cherry tomatoes, green chilies, ginger and pine nuts. l Finish with beurre blanc and serve with crushed khakra.

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regional restaurantsI think every middle class family has at least been for a three to five day trip to South East Asia. In India, I feel more regional restaurants will come to the fore. South Indian does not only mean idli, dosa and sambhar.

Just as fashion trends keep changing every year, there are food trends.

For example, this year Siracha sauce and popsicles have become popular and popular food destinations are San Paulo, Vietnam and Marrakesh.

Q

How can culinary tourism be developed in India?

Whenever a tour package is made for a specific destination, it is essential to include the local cuisine. When they take them to see the Taj Mahal in Agra, people should know about Agra ki Chaat, and dal moth. When they take them to Tirupti or the South Indian temples, they should make them eat the temple food, which even we Indians do not know about. People should try the food you get in temples and gurudwaras. If you are taking them to Bikaner, tell them about the different dal moths and Bikaneri lassi. When you are taking them to Gujarat tell them about Farsaan, tell them about authentic Gujarati food and not only what Gujarati restaurant food is.

Q

How difficult or easy is it to constantly keep innovating with food?

You need to keep yourself updated.

In Indian cuisine, the repertoire is so vast that there is always something new to learn. Even if I did five dishes every day, I will not be able to finish the entire range of Indian cuisine in my lifetime. There are so many hidden recipes in Indian households. The recipe is hidden among family members or within the community, and not made available anywhere else. Like my grandmother used to make something called ‘imli ki kaddi”, ‘kaddi’ made with just ‘imli’ and ‘besan’. There is no curd in this kaddi, which is very unique.

I have not eaten that kaddi anywhere else. Similarly, there are many such dishes in many families in India, and slowly they should come out.

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Savour top recipes from Delhi’s favourite restaurants In an effort to recreate her favourite dishes from the best restaurants of Delhi, Shubhra Krishan managed to collate ‘Top Secret!’

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he book gives a journalist’s perspective on what are the super-hit recipes from Delhi’s ‘hottest restaurants’.

It is a good reference to the dishes that one can order and enjoy at these restaurants. While with the recipes handy in the book, you could always try cooking in your kitchen and savour them at leisure.

Most of the chefs whose recipes have been taken, hold impressive degrees and experience. Most of these culinary luminaries have roamed the globe and won awards.

More importantly, they have spent hours, indeed years, mastering their considerable skills. With their secrets in this book, you would do justice to the content by trying your hand at the contents.

About Shubhra Krishan Shubhra Krishan is a journalist, prolific writer and an internationally published author of several self-help books. Her earlier cookbook ‘Thinner Dinner’, also published by Westland, has won a Gourmand Cookbooks Award for 2012 in the Best Cookbook Design for Professionals category.

Like a sumptuous menu, these pages are filled with recipes for dishes you have loved or not yet tried. And there is so much to choose from: New Zealand Lamb Shanks and Punjabi Raan, exotic carpaccios and traditional Kerala curry, risotto and biryani, exotic mushrooms and Malabar paranthas, etc. Basically, bestsellers from the best kitchens in Delhi.

What was your inspiration behind writing the book?

Top Secret was a fun idea that germinated from my own love for food.

Each time I ate out at a restaurant, I

would try and guess the ingredients that went into the delicious dish. If I really liked something, I tried making it at home. One day, I thought, “How nice it would be to have a book that contains all my favourite restaurant recipes!”

Since there was none, I decided to write it.

One day, I thought, “How nice it would be to have a book that contains all my favourite restaurant recipes!”

Which is your favourite recipe among the many in the book?

While each recipe in the book is a dish I have tried, cooked and love; the three that I consider closest to my heart are Olive Beach pizza, Paneer Makhni from HavMore at Pandara Road, and Haaq from Chor Bizarre.

What is your criterion behind choosing these particular restaurants and chefs for the book?

I chose restaurants purely on the basis of taste. If the food was great, the restaurant made it into my long list.

From among them, I whittled down to the final list, choosing recipes that were either hot sellers or the restaurant’s signature dish.

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o g o t e m i t s It’

! h c t u D

dam Kitchen & er st m A i, h el D New ut isine to Indians in cu n ea p that is on offer, b d ro o u E fo d e th an h st tc ju u t o D it’s n Offering delectables. And f o y et ri va ve si ozario Bar serves a mas Ramya JS D’R l. el w as ce n ie er an entire exp

A

s you enter the restaurant, a wall covered with wooden clogs (shoes), native to The Netherlands, greets you.

This is a sure-shot sign that the restaurant is a one-of-its-kind in Delhi. With a near shady ambience and splash of neon lights, the thematic restaurant, Amsterdam Kitchen & Bar attempts to recreate the city’s famed red light area in India’s capital, complete with its small cafes and restaurants in dingy nooks and corners. They have also borrowed the infamous peep show doors and windows to keep the feel of Amsterdam going.

Covering a total area of 1,700 sq ft, the restaurant is located on

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the ground floor in DLF South Court Mall, Saket. The kitchen covers 300 sq ft, and seating and operations is spread over 1,400 sq ft with 48 covers.

It’s all about food Earlier, knowledge of European cuisine was limited greatly to steak, mashed potatoes and/ or French fries. People did not travel much and their awareness of the cuisine was equally less, restricted largely to Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisines. “These days people started travelling more rapidly around Europe, and explored the food and culture there. They have now started adapting to it, and when they came back to India, they craved for it. So it gave us (restaurants), a new dimension to look at and cater too,” says Sanuj Birla, owner.

The range of appetisers and main course are extensive, which will keep both vegetarians and non vegetarians happy and satisfied.

Whether it’s the bruschetta

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topped with tomatoes, garlic and feta, baked mushrooms or beer battered prawns, there is something for everyone. Pizzas, pastas, risottos, burgers, grills, lasagna, steak and shepherd’s pie are the mainstay of the menu.

Bringing the flavourful food of European and Dutch cuisine to India was the aim. “The reason for bringing European

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cuisine was simple, as there was not a single place which was serving the authentic European dishes and with the European environment. The feel of sitting in a small café in middle of the red light district of Amsterdam gives you a sense of excitement and adventure.”

It took months of research and numerous experiments, that

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the chef was able to successfully mould the otherwise low seasoned European food to suit the spicy Indian palate. “Well, we as restaurateurs need to twist the taste a little bit to suit the Indian palate, but still kept it pretty authentic. The one thing we did is to serve the food in a very stylish high end fine dining way in a very casual chilled out environment so as to make the customers realize that we take our food very seriously and its not to compare us with the other restro bars

which just serve average food and concentrate on alcohol,” he added.

Spunky Décor The décor of the restaurant is refreshing and exciting to the eye. The restaurant is much more than just brightly painted walls, pop coloured lights and clogs on the wall. Attention has been paid to the smallest of detail. So you have massive pictures of pop lips on the wall, Andy Warhol style, and cute delftware blue and white mini windmills, kissing couples and decorative plates grace the shelves near the peep show windows.

The next big thing - the peep show windows. A la the style of Amsterdam, these digital screens display rustling curtains, gloved hands and that’s all I saw! Old world lamp pole, sturdy low,

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wooden tables, plush-looking sofas with eye-popping stickers on the tables assure that the customers not only enjoy the food, but every detail put in the restaurant. The cutlery is even served in a real blue-white clog.

The wall full of wooden clogs is called the birthday wall, where friends can write something about the birthday girl/boy. This type of personalised memory wall is truly unique in Delhi.

Mall location: Pros & Cons Located near Select City Walk with affordable rent, the restaurant is situated in one of the most popular malls in South Delhi, as of now.

Regarding the pros and cons on having a restaurant in a mall, there are ample examples supporting either side. “The mall offers ample parking space, consistent foot fall, convenience to guests, security, more variety available for customers, power backup and hassle-free maintenance, and most importantly, ease in getting licenses and clearances in a mall as opposed to a standalone,” Birla states.

The negative aspects are equally numerous, with the mall management rules being very strict. The code of conduct is so rigid, it can’t be bent and amended.

Air conditioners provided by the mall are not sufficient and mall management takes a long time to give permissions for any activity, as every request must go through the head office.

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By word-of-mouth “We are taking it slow and working on word-of-mouth marketing and social media marketing.”

Social media has brought about a big change in the field of advertising, and is one of the most used medium for advertising now-a-days. Facebook and Twitter in particular, helps one promote for free, and even if paid promotions are carried out, the options of targetting specific clients help in focussing on the people one wants to target, which is not possible when it comes to a magazine or a newspaper ad.

Each customer is unique, and hence, must be dealt with utmost importance and care. “We at Amsterdam make sure that our customers have a very pleasant and a comfortable experience. I as a owner, whenever available, make sure I go and interact with the customers and take their inputs, and the same practice is done by my staff. We make sure if our guest didn’t like something we change it and don’t even charge for it. Every now and then, we give freebies to our customers from complimentary shots to desserts and cocktails. This makes them feel special, which is most important. We attend to our potential clients with the same warmth and passion and personalisation, as we do with our existing clients.”

Thus, in keeping with the enthusiasm already generated by this specialised upscale restaurant, the management plans to work on a franchisee model and open outlets in other metropolitan cities. And the customers will keep coming back just not because of the food, but the décor as well.

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Seema Nanda Promoter and Director Provado Spa Private Limited

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Pampering for wellness Pampering, the word itself creates a desire to indulge, to gratify all our senses and to spoil oneself. But sometimes, this pampering ignores the need of wellness.

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ow with the changing market dynamics in the hospitality and spa industries, most of the hotel chains worldwide are taking good care and attention when it comes to pampering their guests by providing them with options where they can relax and rejuvenate too.

first hotel opens in Manhattan in 2014, and the company expects 100 properties in development in its first five years. Interestingly, and certainly with an eye to cost, there’s a whole lot of wellness going on.

The healthy hotel trend now involves a key inversion, instead of the hotel having a ‘spa’ and ‘gym’, the spa and A first-mover was Westin (231 global gym essentially have a hotel now. properties) with its multifaceted And established brands are now re(and heavily branded) wellness menu tooling around wellness. Take Las spanning everything Vegas’ MGM Grand, from its ‘Heavenly’ for example. They beds, ‘Heavenly’ recently converted their spas, SuperFoodsRX numerous rooms into menu and ‘Westin ‘Stay Well’ rooms, The healthy Workouts’. And packing in 16 health hotel trend now InterContinental Hotels amenities, including: involves a key Group is about to take personalised spa menus, inversion, instead the wraps off its ‘allwake-up light therapy, of the hotel wellness’ brand EVEN, air purification and having a ‘spa’ revolving around ‘the aromatherapy, vitamin and ‘gym’, the spa four pillars of a healthy C-infused showers and and gym life: eating right, wellness videos from essentially have exercising, productivity The Cleveland Clinic a hotel and rest’. and Deepak Chopra.

According to EVEN, notably, the fitness centre is ‘not an afterthought, but the hallmark of the brand’. EVEN guests will encounter experiences like personalised fitness and food regime scheduling at check-in, wellness experts at the gymnasium— and even clever touches like coat racks that morph into pull-up bars. EVEN’s

In-room wellness amenities are also spawning. For example, Westin allows you to book a room with a treadmill or stationary bike, while Hilton Worldwide is now testing ‘Yoga Rooms’ with a dedicated area to practice and mirrors to check poses.

And more hotels are partnering with fitness experts to create in-room

workout programming, like 45 Park Lane’s Matt Roberts-designed fitness programmes, which allow guests to continue workouts at home via the hotel’s website.

Far more hotels are partnering now with local trainers/practitioners to offer classes like daily ‘boot camps’ or ‘yoga in the yard’. The Beverly Hills Hotel and Hotel Bel-Air (California) just introduced the ‘Get Fit, Feel Good and Have Fun’, programme designed by fitness guru, Scott Crawford, where guests work one-on-one with coaches leading them through yoga, hikes and horseback riding.

It is just a matter of time when this latest trend will capture the attention of Indians who are established players in hospitality industry. Not every traveller will embrace the concept, wedded to those endless happy hours and breakfast buffets. But millions globally already demand it, and many millions more will.

The health-conscious hotel will become mainstream because, as PKF Consulting’s hospitality expert, Andrea Foster, argued at the 2012 Global Spa & Wellness Summit 5, vacations and business travel that make people even more unwell are ultimately irresponsible and unsustainable.

(The author Seema Nanda is the Promoter and Director of Provado Spa Private Limited)

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Setting new benchmarks Founded in 1947, Winterhalter is an owner managed company that designs and manufactures efficient warewashing systems for the catering and hospitality industry. With its new PT series pass-through dishwashers, the company seeks to create new benchmarks, as its innovative functions guarantee top performance for cleaning results, speed and efficiency.

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he parent company, Winterhalter Gastronom GmbH, headquartered in Meckenbeuren, Germany is the world’s leading Commercial Dishwashing Systems manufacturer.

Winterhalter’s dishwashing innovations focus on energy saving, environment and user friendliness. They deliver total dishwashing solutions to Hotels, Restaurants, Industrial Canteens, Educational Institutes and Corporate Office canteens with a concept that covers machine technology, water treatment and accessories, professional planning, consultancy and engineering services to fulfil customer specific requirements.

Winterhalter India, headquartered in New Delhi, a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Winterhalter Gastronom GmbH, provides a complete range of Winterhalter products and professional sales and service support across India.

The washing machines of Winterhalter’s

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new PT Series are available in three different sizes. Customers can choose between PT-M, PT-L and PT-XL, depending on the space available and the size of the wash items. Thanks to the differing dimensions, dishes, pizza dishes and trays as well as GN 2/1 pans or Euronorm standard crates can be washed with ease. For the first time, Winterhalter’s pass-through machines are available with different software features. A choice of special programmes for dishes, bistro, glasses or cutlery facilitates perfect wash results.

The variable washing pressure adjustment, VarioPower sets the pressure to suit the items being washed and the degree of soiling. The elliptical wash fields in the machine deliver perfect results whilst carefully handling wash items. All the other elements responsible for the cleaning process (temperatures, time, detergent and rinse aid) are adjusted automatically.

The new full-flow filtration system guides 100 per cent of the water

through a fine-mesh and highly efficient filter. Assisted by the tried-and-tested Mediamat, which removes the finest of particles, as well as a clouding sensor, the new PT Series delivers brilliant wash results.

Better speed for fast results

The PT Series ensures perfect washing results in the shortest space of time.

For the first time, the pass-through dishwashers are equipped with an active energy management system.

This optimally distributes the available

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energy, which helps to prepare the machine for operation and reduces the duration of each wash cycle.

Winterhalter is the first manufacturer to supply its new series with a heat recovery system as standard.

EnergyLight uses the energy contained in the waste water to heat up the cold inlet water. This reduces the time required for heating and increases the rack capacity up to 77 racks per hour.

Efficiency with energy saving

Energy saving and resource conservation play a significant role in ware washing technology. The waste water heat exchanger installed as a standard, EnergyLight saves valuable energy with each wash, ultimately reducing operating costs. The PT Series has an EnergyPlus model as an option, where the standard waste water heat exchanger is replaced by a larger one.

An air heat exchanger is also added to ensure maximum efficiency for commercial washing areas. Standard dishwashers require fresh water to rotate their wash arms. The PT-L and PT-XL are available with a magnetically driven rinse system. This reduces the rinse water usage, cuts chemical and

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energy consumption and significantly reduces operating costs.

Optimum ergonomics The PT Series is controlled by a language-neutral, intuitive touch screen. The exhaust air heat exchanger reduces the warm steam vapour and improves the cryptoclimate.

Ergonomically shaped hood handles and automatic hood opener make operation even more convenient and ease the work of dishwashing staff.

PT-500 The basic Winterhalter pass-through machine is the PT-500 which delivers maximum reliability and exceptional washing results. There are three different washing programmes that are selected using the LCD control panel. An active energy management system guarantees quick heat-up times and short wash cycles. Elliptical wash fields featuring specially developed jets ensure washing power throughout the entire machine. The optional integrated softener uses ion exchange technology to deliver soft water at all times, without requiring any extra space. An effective quadruple filtration system combined with a Mediamat guarantees bright results.

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Colourful gifts from the Orient An extravagant range brought by Villeroy & Boch, the individual collections share a number of key characteristics. High-quality standards penetrate every aspect of the product, from material (premium porcelain or premium bone porcelain) to valuable packaging. The design too, has been finely honed to perfection in a time-consuming, creative process that renders the porcelain articles a unique characteristic. Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan.

This historic trading settlement is situated directly on the Silk Road. Villeroy & Boch has drawn inspiration from this exotic city of oases and bazaars to develop a particularly decorative tableware collection of premium bone porcelain. The colours of the décors – rich ruby, restrained aquamarine, fine cobalt blue and a warm mandarin – are as firmly rooted in the mythenshrouded Orient as the animal motifs on the breakfast plates. Equally popular are the new Samarkand accessories, like the ashtray and the three variously sized square dishes.

King Koil unveils ‘Posture Sense’ mattress To ensure ultimate sleeping comfort, this uniquely designed and patented technology mattress has been launched for the first time in the Indian mattress market. Posture Sense comes with one side as a softer support layer to the body for luxurious and plush feel and on the other side of the mattress an option of comparatively firmer feel to the body. With the unique high coil count of pocketed spring core, the firm side is created by using heavy density REBOND foam; whereas the soft side comes with two luxury layer options, i.e., Ultra PLUSH Foam and CELLULAR MEMORY Foam. All the mattresses meet high-quality standards of proper support, comfort and long-lasting durability. Posture Sense mattresses are available across all leading stores of India, the price ranges from `15,000 to 46,000.

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Luxurious sleep with Kurlon India’s prominent mattress company, Kurlon brings forth its new premium mattress - LuxurinoEurotop. The latest product promises to elevate the experience of good sleep to the next level.

Made with the latest Motion Sensor Index (MSI) technology, Luxurino is nothing short of a piece of craft. The technology allows one to have a peaceful sleep with no disturbance even when your partner changes his/her sleeping posture. This innovation comes with another international feature - the Visco Elastic Foam, also known as Memory Foam which creates a mould to support the body in any sleeping position, thus enhancing one’s comfort.

Springfit introduces the new improved roll-away bed Springfit, the pioneers of pocketed spring mattress and sleep system in India, introduces a new and advanced model of Roll Away Bed. This product is unique, as unlike any other bed it can be folded and has sturdy wheels which can be used to roll it into the next room.

Now puff away in a special cabin Smoke Solution India/S.N. Global, New Delhi, markets Smoke Point smoking cabins developed by Smoke Solution, Denmark.

It is the only solution that works 100 per cent in air-conditioned areas as it converts the tobacco smoke into clean air and stops the spreading of harmful nicotine and annoying foul odour. The guests can smoke in an air-conditioned area without the need to go out for a smoke in unpleasant weather, which increases the beverage sales considerably.

The cabins are equipped with a fireproof ashtray that can take up to 3,500 cigarette butts thereby reducing the load on the

housekeeping staff. Smoke Solution India has recently launched a model specially designed for existing smoking rooms to remove the foul smell from them.

Smoke Point has won the Award for Excellence for Best Product in Indoor Air Quality by ACREX. The cabins are installed in hotels such as Radisson Blu, New Delhi and Ghaziabad, Sarovar Hotels, Fortune Select Hotel, Westin Hotel, premium bars such as Rockman’s Beer Island, F Bar, Underdoggs and Beer Cafe in NCR region, malls like Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, Infiniti Mall in Mumbai and Mantri Mall in Bengaluru and also at Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Nagpur Airports.

Its robust design featuring a sturdy folding frame, heavyduty metal legs, cross support and smooth rolling wheels makes it very stable, secure and durable.

It can be easily rolled into the bedroom along with the mattress.

The leg extends automatically when the bed is lowered. Ideal for use in the guest bedroom for the hospitality industry, and it saves precious space when not in use.

Space and comfort is the ultimate reason why your guests choose your hotel, time after time. This unique bed can be stored in lesser space during the day. At night, you can open it out for your guests. It can be completely made up with blankets, sheets and pillows. When the guest arrives, all they have to do is pull the bed down, extend it on wheels and set it up on the floor. It is completely ready for the weary traveller for a great night’s rest.

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Imperial Culinary Club celebrates 2nd Anniversary of Nostalgia, 1911 Brasserie

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his exclusive culinary session demonstrated classic European cuisine from 60s and 70s, revealing the well kept secrets of western delicacies.

Vijay Wanchoo, Sr. Executive VP and GM, The Imperial New Delhi and Chef Ashish Dhar, Chef De Cuisine Nostalgia, 1911 Brasserie, dished out the live cooking lesson with their creative culinary accents and taught the techniques of making authentic recipes filled with divine inclusions which have been famous forever. The audience experienced vintage culinary skills and

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the fine ingredients for all time favourites like Fresh Mushroom ‘Gousse D’ail’, Lobster Thermidor, Coq Au Vin, and Crepes Suzette. Resorting to these tried and tested old timers have always been satiating for the simple reason that they are wholesome, delicious and unmatched.

“We started the concept Nostalgia at 1911 Brasserie in 2011 while paying tribute to the centenary year of Delhi.

The endeavour was to present the city with a selection of traditional European fare and typical old world dishes like Salad Layonnaise, French onion soup, Ratatouille, Duck a L’orange amongst others,” expressed Wanchoo.

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Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar celebrates Blu Day

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or the third year, the success of the brand identity was celebrated on Friday, September 27, 2013 by turning the hotel, guests and activities ‘Blue’.

This campaign marks a new milestone for the Radisson Blu brand, as for the first time Carlson Rezidor is investing in a global campaign that will see the brand reaching out to customers around the world. This campaign is part of the Asia Pacific’s three-year brand investment strategy to encourage travellers to ‘Discover Radisson Blu’. “We aim to drive our guests’ preferences to the brand and winning the battle by making them say ‘BLU IS FOR ME’, says Preet Inder Singh, General Manager, Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar.

The guests became a part of this celebration as they were made to experience Blu right from their entrance to the hotel with traditional welcome with Blu tikka and by making them enjoy the huge Blu cake in the lobby, complimentary Blu drinks and more.

Hospitality students battle it out at Ensemble

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handiwala Hospitality Ensemble 2013 brought together Hotel Management students from across the nation to take part in various competitions in the 3-day long Ensemble.

Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BCIHMCT) inaugurated the 12th Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble on September 25, 2013 at the Institute auditorium to a crowd of hospitality

students, industry experts, trade media and faculty members.

The chief guest for the inauguration ceremony was Gopal Rao, Regional Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Inter Continental Hotel Group, South West Asia and Guest of Honour, Jag Pravesh Chand Gupta, Training Manager, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi declared the event open. Rao, addressed the gathering and boosted the morale of the participants

through his encouraging words. Speaking at the Award Ceremony of the 12th Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble on September 27, 2013, the Chief Guest Rajan Bahadur - Chief Operating Officer, The Grand New Delhi in his witty and relatable speech, recounted to his audience two very important things his life & profession has taught him - i) importance of dignity of labor & ii) importance of becoming a balanced professional to be able to achieve success.

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within the hospitality trade Sami Nasser Senior VP, Operations, Middle East, Africa and India Fairmont Raffles Hotels International

Sami Nasser has been appointed as the Senior Vice President, Operations, Middle East, Africa and India, FRHI. He will be responsible for providing leadership across the Middle East, Africa and India for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtels Hotels. In this new role, Nasser will also be instrumental in developing strong relationships with key partners and owners in these regions.

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He brings over 25 years of hospitality experience to his new role, having held several roles within numerous international brands across a diversity of countries both in Operations, Sales and Distribution.

Previously, Nasser was Senior Vice President Operations, Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean for Sofitel.

Ashish Kumar Rai

Ranjit Shankar

General Manager The Leela Mumbai

General Manager The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai

Ashish Kumar Rai has joined as the General Manager of The Leela Mumbai. Prior to joining The Leela, Rai was the General Manager of Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur.

In his new role, Rai will oversee the general operations and management of the hotel.

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He began his career with The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts as a management trainee in 1998 and went on to lead the Front Office Department at The Leela Palace Bangalore, and thereafter at various luxury hotels as Rambagh Palace, Jaipur, Taj Bengal, Kolkata, Taj Land’s End, Mumbai, and most recently as General Manager at Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur.

The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai has appointed Ranjit Shankar as the General Manager of the hotel. Prior to joining The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai, Shanker has had an opportunity to lead teams as the General Manager of The Gateway Hotels in Surat, Mangalore and Madurai.

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His current stint at The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai is his fourth as General Manager.

Shanker has almost 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has always been associated with the Taj Group. He brings with him the experience of working in both, business and resort hotels.

Rajat Sethi General Manager, Radisson Blu MBD, Noida Rajat Sethi has joined the Radisson Blu MBD, Noida as the General Manager. He brings to this current position a holistic and rich hospitality experience of over one and a half decades. In his current position at the Radisson Blu MBD, Noida, Sethi looks forward to maintaining the hotel’s premium position in Delhi & NCR region and taking forward the innovations in services and F&B of the hotel. Sethi, has had successful stints with The Oberoi Group, The Taj Group of Hotels and Hilton Worldwide, bringing to each professional experience rich insight and acumen. He has expertise in pre-opening of hotels as well as prowess in the field of Revenue Analysis, Yield Management, Food & Beverage Management and Guest Service Management.

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Anang Chaturvedi

Kanchan Rizvi

Varun Ajmani

Director of Sales & Marketing Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport

Director of Sales and Marketing The Claridges Hotels & Resorts, New Delhi

Front Office Manager The Claridges, New Delhi

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Anang Chaturvedi has been newly appointed as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport. Chaturvedi brings with him 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. He started his career with the Marriott family at Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad as one of the core members of the pre-opening team, in 2010.

Kanchan Rizvi has been appointed as the Director of Sales and Marketing at The Claridges Hotels & Resorts. In her new role, she will be responsible for driving revenue and marketing strategies for The Claridges group, which includes The Claridges New Delhi, Atrium Surajkund, The Claridges Nabha Residence Mussoorie and other upcoming projects.

The Claridges New Delhi has appointed Varun Ajmani as the new Front Office Manager. His experience of 10 years spans across India as well as Europe with brands like Carlsons Hotels, Prestigious Mayfair London and Hilton Hotels India where he was a part of several key preopenings throughout the country.

During his tenure with Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad, he assisted the sales & revenue team with his expertise and helped them achieve marked recognition. Prior to working at Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad, he had a considerable stint with Courtyard by Marriott Chennai both in front office and sales, from 2006 to 2008.

With an experience of 13 years in the hospitality industry, Rizvi was associated with Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar since pre opening of the hotel, The Grand Hyatt Mumbai/Hyatt South West Asia Sales Office and The Oberoi Group.

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Vikas Pal

Hilton New Delhi/Janakpuri announced recently the appointment of Vikas Pal as the Executive Chef. He will be now responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations including the six restaurants at the hotel. With 16 years of experience in India and Europe, he brings a deep understanding of Continental, Oriental, Middle Eastern and Indian culinary culture with him.

Earlier, Pal worked as the Executive Chef at Radisson Blu Hotel Indore. Previously, he was with Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, Spice Quarter, Leeds and Smith’s Hotel, Gretna Green in United Kingdom.

In his new role at The Claridges New Delhi, Ajmani will be responsible for driving superior ‘Guest Experience’ and managing the smooth running of the Rooms Division operations.

Sandeep Pande

Executive Chef Hilton New Delhi, Janakpuri

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Brijesh Singh Executive Chef Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug

Executive Chef Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel Chef Sandeep Pande has recently been appointed as the new Executive Chef at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel. His skills lie in multiple cuisines like Mediterranean, Indian, Thai and English Pub. In a career spanning near 20 years, a larger part of it has been with The Oberoi Group.

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From 2001-2005 he was involved in various activities abroad like hosting MICE functions and trained in Michelin starred cuisine restaurants before returning to The Oberoi Group. He then lent his expertise at Le Meridien, Jaipur as the Executive Chef before coming on board the Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.

Chef Brijesh Singh has been been appointed as the Executive Chef of Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Alibaug. He has a culinary experience of 12 years after having worked with premium hospitality brands across the world, including Park Hyatt, Goa, Inter Continental Grand, Mumbai, Club Mahindra Holiday Resorts, Coorg, Hotel Ista, Bengaluru, Laurier Lounge - Canada, Lamana in Australia, and Royal Orchid Central, Pune.

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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 12-10-2013