Fhrai magazine August Issue

august 2013

magazine A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE

Vol 13 Issue 08 Pages 72 `50

By DDP Publications

Looking

West

Uttarakhand

relief

Scope & growth of hospitality in some cities of Maharashtra

`52 lakh

donated by FHRAI, HRANI, SIHRA and HRAWI

Pride

in the City of Joy Pride Hotel Kolkata capitalises on New Town development

48th FHRAI Annual Convention ‘Sustainable & Responsible Tourism’ Kochi, September 18-21

Supported by

August 2013 Cover Story

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Looking west The western region of the country has always been the harbinger of the economic activities and growth. For the hospitality sector too, the Mumbai-Pune corridor exemplifies numerous hotel properties. A ‘Special Feature’ on Maharashtra cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai on the occasion of the 17th HRAWI Regional Convention in Pune, to be held during August 23-24, 2013 Picture on the cover: The Leela Mumbai

48 Cover Story

contents THIS MONTH

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

7 9 10 28 62 64 66

FEATURES 34 F&B: It’s9 Bakery Café, New Delhi

Online 32 Connecting right partners Searching distributors online is now easy with ‘GetDistributors.com’ which connects businesses with their potential distributors to market their products in different regions F&B 34 For a healthy appointment ‘It’s9 Bakery Café’ offers freshly baked products that club with an extensive menu having a health conscious tag

38 Dine Out: Pandit’s, Kanpur

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Dine Out 38 Promoting vegetarianism profitably With a concept of pure vegetarian food having ‘no onion and garlic’ has made ‘Pandit’s’ in Kanpur a revered brand.

The restaurant has matched the city’s progressive aspirations

explore

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beverage

president’s message

Dear fellow members,

ast week, a delegation from FHRAI called on the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Vijay Bahuguna in Dehradun and handed over a cheque for `52 lakh for the CM’s Relief Fund, representing the combined contribution of FHRAI and three of our Regional Associations – HRANI, HRAWI and SIHRA. In my letter to the Chief Minister, while expressing our profound sorrow over the massive devastation caused by the recent floods, I have also assured the state administration that FHRAI will steadfastly continue to assist the ongoing relief and rehabilitation operations in every possible way.

I am thankful to the Hon’ble Union Minister of Tourism, for his proactive efforts to channelise funds and other essential resources to support Uttarakhand’s tourism sector, which has been adversely impacted by this natural calamity and its continuing aftermath. The Ministry of Tourism will shortly be convening a high-level meeting of various stakeholders from the industry, to deliberate on a revival plan for tourism in the state.

FHRAI will be raising certain immediate concerns confronting the state’s hospitality industry and reiterate our proposal for a comprehensive financial package from the Central Government to aid a sustainable recovery of this sector, which is a mainstay of the state’s fragile economy.

In recent years, the rapid evolution of India’s hospitality and tourism industry as well as its growing economic and strategic importance for the country, has necessitated that the Government’s role in the sector transform from being a regulator to that of a catalyst. Our policymakers are increasingly focussing on integrated tourism development and planning by forging effective partnerships with the private and social sectors. FHRAI has been at the forefront in supporting this endeavour by facilitating the use of our industry’s rich reservoir of innovative ideas, experience and expertise to help accomplish the vision of making India among the world leaders in tourism.

A visible embodiment of the Government’s commitment to collaborative decision-making has been the setting up of the National Tourism Advisory Council. NTAC is a unique think-tank constituted by the Ministry of Tourism and comprises of noted experts from various fields, representatives of leading industry associations as well as Ministries of Finance, Railways, Culture, External Affairs, Urban Development, Road Transport and Highways and Planning Commission. NTAC is mandated with advising the Government on various aspects of tourism promotion and development in the country.

I attended a meeting of the NTAC and also the National Conference of State Tourism Ministers which was held last month under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Tourism Minister. On behalf of the industry, I strongly emphasised the imperative to adopt a holistic policy perspective and address various structural bottlenecks and constraints, especially considering the fact that the macroeconomic environment for the sector continues to be extremely challenging. I have articulated our view that granting ‘infrastructure’ status to all hotels across the country, can be a game-changer by allowing the industry to viably commit the

requisite long-term investments and make us more globally competitive.

I also raised other key issues such rationalisation of the sector’s multiple taxation structure, institutionalising a uniform and streamlined licensing regime for the hospitality industry, relaxing CRZ norms to develop tourism-related infrastructure in coastal areas, measures to strengthen the safety and security of foreign tourists etc.

I welcome the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) to grant approval to the upcoming hotels in Delhi International Airport’s ‘Aerocity.’ These hotels, many of whom are either ready for commissioning or in advanced stages of construction, had been facing inordinate delay in securing certain mandatory clearances. I had vigorously pursued the matter with the Central Government at the highest level and met with the Union Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Ajit Singh and the Union Minster of Tourism, Dr K Chiranjeevi, and sought their urgent personal intervention in this regard. I stressed that any prolonged and unwarranted uncertainty on receiving final regulatory approvals would not only cause colossal financial losses to the individual developers but also put in peril, the vision of establishing a world-class hospitality district, which was conceived as an integral component of the ambitious modernisation program of the Delhi International Airport.

I firmly believe that prestigious projects such as the Aerocity must be leveraged as a showcase for the vivid potential inherent in our hospitality sector so as to incentivise further domestic and foreign investment which will be required to fuel the industry’s envisioned growth and expansion.

I am indeed grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and Senior Cabinet Ministers for expeditiously accepting FHRAI’s request on this matter.

Our members would have already received their delegate registration forms for the 48th Annual FHRAI Convention scheduled to be held at the Le Meridian in Kochi from 18th-21st September, 2013. For your convenience, the Convention Organising Committee is also offering the facility of online registration. I hope all of you have blocked these dates on your calendar and are finalising your travel plans to join us in Kerala next month!

The Convention will focus on the broad theme of Sustainable and Responsible Tourism. FHRAI is proud to have played a seminal role in changing the perception of tourism from being an ‘elitist’ industry to today being acknowledged as a pivotal catalyst of inclusive and sustainable economic, social and environmental value-creation. In fact, this very view has now been enshrined in the Government of India’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) and has thus become an indispensable part of our national policy for promoting pro-poor socio-economic development. Therefore, the choice of this theme is certainly apt.

You will agree that each year, the FHRAI Convention has succeeded in setting higher benchmarks of innovation and impact. I am confident that with your encouragement and enthusiastic participation, our forthcoming Convention in Kochi, will add yet another glorious chapter to this event’s illustrious history.

With warm regards, Vivek Nair President - FHRAI

FEATURES Explore 42 Pride of Kolkata Pride Hotel in New Town (Rajarhat), Kolkata aptly addresses the needs of the IT hub for quality accommodation and conference facilities, in addition to quality food that it serves Equipment 46 Addressing staff turnover and standardisation Rational has completed four years of its operation in India and its growth story continues, as the prospects of Rational SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency charts newer heights

42 Explore: Pride Hotel, New Town (Rajarhat), Kolkata

Analysis 59 Indian hospitality’s way forward The ‘2013 Hospitality Development Summit’ was held in Mumbai recently, providing an in-depth analysis of the Indian hospitality sector and the way forward Supplier Talk 60 Divide and rule The new age partition board is not only an option for interior needs but also compliments the need of exteriors.

This is a tensile, long lasting and environment-friendly product

64 Products & Services

Chairman Publications Sub-committee Vijai Pande - vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in

Advertising Gunjan Sabikhi - gunjan@ddppl.com Asst. Vice President – Marketing

Editor Deepa Sethi - deepa@ddppl.com

Delhi Prateek Sahay - prateek@ddppl.com Senior Manager – Marketing (+919650911388)

Assistant Editor Sanjeev Bhar - sanjeev@ddppl.com sub-Editor Ramya JS D’Rozario

Udit Pandey - udit@ddppl.com Senior Manager – Marketing

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

creative Design Ruchi Sinha

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

Advertisement Designers Vikas Mandotia Nitin Kumar Aarushi Agrawal

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

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

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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.

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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secretary’s message

Regional members give FHRAI its strength Vijai Pande Honorary Secretary FHRAI vijaipandit@yahoo.co.in

Conventions on cards  17th HRAWI

Regional Convention

Theme: Tourism: Awakening the Sleeping Giant

Pune, August 23-24, 2013

 48th FHRAI Annual Convention

Theme: Sustainable & Responsible Tourism

Kochi, September 18-21, 2013

 2nd HRANI

Convention

Theme: Hospitality Industry - Shaping the Future Growth

Gurgaon, October 27-28, 2013

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or the first time, FHRAI took an initiative their strategic planning programmes for the State. to approach their regional counterparts This will result in proper representation of the and meet over dinner in Kolkata, where tourism sector and thereafter, more help will flow people participated with open hearts & in for the flood affected people of Uttarakhand. put forth their view points. Everybody desired that Besides this, a special drive to restore the natural the tourism sector should get recognition based beauty of Uttarakhand should be started; tree on their labour, ability & revenue generation by plantation and management of water movement way of taxes. The regional association expressed need special attention. The rehabilitation and their desire to work with FHRAI that would development programme should be naturedefinitely give a new dimension and the vision friendly. The universal issue of global warming of the hospitality industry will change. It was the and the remedial steps also need to be initiated. view of regional members that the regional association has the The State Govt. is widely benefit of having experienced, publicising through electronic able & senior members, and media regarding their so-called with their coming forward, the rehabilitation programme in The State Govt. is solidarity of region & industry will Uttarakhand. We expect the State widely publicising become more stable. Members to speed up the initiating actions through electronic are confident that due to efforts in this direction so that the faith of media regarding of FHRAI at the Kolkata meeting the people & business community their so-called certain improvements will be may continue regarding such rehabilitation visible and the Government will initiatives. programme in also give cognisance to them.

Uttarakhand. We FHRAI is going to organise its expect the State FHRAI and the Regional annual convention in Kochi to speed up the Associations have donated an covering various topics relevant initiating actions amount of Rs 52 lakh for the to hospitality industry. Every in this direction so Uttarakhand victims. Over a member is requested to participate that the faith of the thousand crore rupees has been in the convention and learn various people & business given for this cause by other new areas related to the hospitality community may sectors from all over the Country. sector from their counterparts in continue regarding Now we expect the Government Kerala. These areas can be used such initiatives to take steps for rehabilitation of by the members for the benefit the hotel industry in Uttarakhand of their customers. Everybody which is the worst affected sector. has assured their participation in the Kochi Convention to make Further, there are many places it a grand success. Participants in Uttarakhand which were not affected by the appreciated the efforts put in by FHRAI in floods, but the hotel industry lost business due to this direction. fear amongst the tourists. We expect the Govt. to provide wide publicity to this fact so that tourists Keeping in mind the forthcoming conventions, may start coming to these places which are safe. this issue has specially focussed on the western, Recently, the Uttarakhand CM met the Finance eastern and northern region by covering the Minister for granting exemption in Service Tax for market scenario. We plan to identify the regional Uttarakhand’s Hotels & Restaurants. Surprisingly, progress of the southern market in the FHRAI the State Govt. has not announced any tax relief Convention special issue next month. I am getting yet. If real rehabilitation has to be implemented, positive feedback from members who are now a concrete programme with a time bound strategy getting the magazine regularly and liking the has to be evolved. content. I am happy with the efforts put in by FHRAI in this direction. Those members who The State Govt. should invite members from are not yet receiving the magazine regularly, may FHRAI and experts from all over the country in kindly intimate me.

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Offering a helping hand

FHRAI and its regional associations HRANI, HRAWI and SIHRA contribute `52 lakh towards Uttarakhand Flood Relief

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r Vivek Nair, President, Federation Umakant Panwar, Secretary - Tourism, Government of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of of Uttarakhand, a delegation led by Garish Oberoi, India (FHRAI) proposed to its regional President, HRANI and Vice President, FHRAI along associations to come forth and lend a with Praveen Sharma, Jt. Hon. Secretary, HRANI, helping hand in order to support the cause of restoring the MD Kapoor, Secretary General, FHRAI and Sandeep state of Uttarakhand back on to its foot and to revive its Sahni, Member, Uttarakhand Tourism Development tourism again. His appeal brought results and along with Board, Shailendra Karanwal and Shri Manu FHRAI, its regional associations HRANI, Kocher met Shri Vijay Bahuguna, “The Hon’ble Chief HRAWI and SIHRA made a contribution Uttarakhand Chief Minister to present Minister has been of `52 lakh towards the Uttarakhand the cheque to aid the relief work in the requested to give a tax disaster-struck State.

Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

relief to the affected tourism industry in the State”

flood relief

Additionally, the Hon. Secretary of Commenting on the situation in the FHRAI, Mr Vijai Pande appealed State, Garish Oberoi said, “Our hearts to the State Government to create a go out to the bereaved families and those Mrs. Amrita Rawat website where details of places that are Tourism Minister, Uttarakhand who have been displaced from their safe with respect to tourism could be homes due to the tragic natural calamity uploaded. Mr Pande requested the Chief Ministers of all in the state of Uttarakhand. We remember them in our the States to spare their helicopters for rescuing people thoughts and prayers. The nation now faces the task of trapped due to floods. Also, he remarked, it is a time rebuilding and reconstruction in Uttarakhand, while when the State is going through a tough time and it is vital continuing to provide relief and care to those who are to restore its economy as soon as possible. Considering still suffering under the impact of this tragedy. We, at the tourism & hospitality industry is an employment the association, are committed to playing a role in nation provider to so many people, it is vital that the sector is building by providing assistance to those most in need of exempted of all taxes for one year. In the presence of Mrs a helping hand, through our own initiatives as well as in Amrita Rawat, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister and Dr partnership with the Central and State Governments.”

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A noble gesture FHRAI acknowledges the generous contribution of `1 lakh made by our member, Mr. Ashwani Khurana, President - Karma Lakelands, to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund through FHRAI. The gesture is to support rehabilitation efforts in the State of Uttarakhand, in response to FHRAI’s appeal to the hospitality fraternity in this regard.

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Kerala Calling!

48th Annual FHRAI Convention

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48th fhrai annual convention kochi, september 18-21, 2013

he 48th Annual FHRAI Convention will be held from September 18-21, 2013. Slated to be held at the Le Meridien Resort & Convention Centre, Kochi, the Convention this year is themed on the very relevant topic of today, ‘Sustainable & Responsible Tourism’. The Hon’ble Union Minister of Tourism, Dr. K. Chiranjeevi has been invited to inaugurate this prestigious event.

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The convention will witness the participation of a veritable who’s who from the hospitality and tourism sector, besides a number of dignitaries from the highest echelons of the Central and State Governments.

Through diligently structured and interactive business sessions, delegates will have a compelling opportunity to engage with key policymakers, industry icons, renowned experts Jose Dominic and inspirational Chairman FHRAI Convention Organising entrepreneurs, Committee on wide-ranging issues of contemporary interest to the sector. Delegates will have ample occasions to network and bond with peers from the hospitality fraternity, in a leisurely and congenial atmosphere.

Another highlight of the Convention will be the Hospitality Expo, which will showcase products and services of utmost importance to the hospitality industry. Designed

by Hosts, India’s most comprehensive hospitality trade show, the Hospitality Expo will also feature a unique Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Pavilion, which will see the participation of exhibitors from across India.

Focus Segments: Responsible and Sustainable Tourism initiatives MICE Online marketing Investment opportunities in the Hospitality Industry Franchisee model of business in restaurants Defining standards in hospitality

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Event Highlights: l Keynote & plenary sessions, panel discussions,

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interactive sessions and open house Awards and recognitions Hospitality exhibition A unique pavilion for responsible tourism products Cultural evenings and informal networking sessions Post-event tours

Delegate Profile: l Hoteliers & restaurateurs l Decision-makers from Marketing, Reservations, F&B and Housekeeping divisions of the Hospitality Industry l Tour operators and travel agents l Hospitality service providers l Government officials To register for the convention, visit: www.fhrai.com/events.html To enable delegates & their families to combine

participation in the convention with an exciting holiday in Kerala, a host of tour packages have been put together at very attractive rates. To see these fabulous packages and to pick your holiday option, visit: www.fhrai.com/events.html A glimpse into the packages: ‘Better Living Through Health Care Tour’, ‘Classic Kerala’, ‘Eco Smile’, ‘Sounds of Waves & Day Excursions’: l Floating dreams in the backwaters l Pilgrimage tour (Half Day) l Cochin culinary trail l Malls of Cochin

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HRAEI Members

Welcome Dinner for

EC Meeting

Kolkata

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FHRAI EC Meeting held in Kolkata

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Photos: Biltu Banerjee, Kolkata

n July 19, 2013, a welcome dinner was hosted

by Mr Vivek Nair, President, FHRAI and Mr SP Jain, Managing Director of Pride Group of Hotels in Pride Hotel Kolkata. Various members from the eastern region, i.e., HRAEI members, participated in the dinner to discuss issues with the Executive Committee members of FHRAI. The members of the eastern region vowed their active cooperation and participation to FHRAI. Talking about the Annual Convention, Vivek Nair said, “We are going to hold our Annual Convention in Kochi for the first time ever and I welcome the members from the eastern region.�

The following day, the EC meeting of FHRAI was held at the same venue.

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Scope of Kolkata hospitality is increasing l Nitin S Kothari Sole Proprietor Peter Cat Restaurant

With rentals and property prices rapidly rising, the new restaurants are located in malls and are mostly fast food and semi fast food. There is perhaps a great untapped market potential in Kolkata.

In the last 10 years, we have seen a huge rise in the number of restaurants. With the increase in the IT sector in Kolkata we are belatedly seeing an increase in double income families and lesser time being devoted to cooking at home. The practice of eating out is increasing out of compulsion. With a growth in the middle class income, they are keen to explore diverse experiences and this has a direct impact on the food service business. I am extremely positive of the growth in Kolkata.

l Ashoke Singh

City Focus – Kolkata

Managing Director AV Hotels

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It will take some time for the Kolkata hospitality market to come up in a big way. That said, the market does have a great potential for the hospitality sector. It is definitely on the path of growth. I would like to see that the government liberalises the policies that will help this sector to proliferate. They need to have more land banks in order to lift the sector and specifically for budget hotels. There are lots of hurdles, especially political interference, that need to be done away with.

For example, the metro corridor that is connecting Garia to the Airport is progressing very slowly and should have been on a fast track development. New Town, which is the hub for the new IT industry and the corporate sector are still developing at snail’s pace. It should have been developed three years back.

The drainage and electricity still presents a dismal picture.

Nonetheless, I am hopeful that the situation will change.

l Sandeep Sehgal

Owner Utsav Hotels & Banquets

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Even though the hospitality sector of Kolkata has been slow, there is something to be happy about. In fact, the potential is immense for tourism. The city occupancy is approximately around 60 per cent which is quite good. Also, the rate appreciation has been good in comparison to earlier. The rack rate for four and five star hotels is going up and being kept at around `6,0007,000 and `7,000-8,000, respectively.

I am coming up with a four star hotel in Salt Lake sector 5, which is developing beautifully. We are expecting to be operational by end of 2015, and that would be an appropriate time when various companies will also open their shops as it is being developed as a business district.

Further, the city has a tremendous potential for medical tourism. In the last five years, around 10-12 hospitals have opened up which are all super speciality medical centres. I think the State Government should look at these signs to capitalise on the future.

l Sudesh Kumar Poddar

Director Manthan (A unit of Satya Hotels) I have seen the eastern market from up close. I have a four star hotel in Dibrugarh with 45 rooms and a three star hotel in Kolkata. Looking at the way the government is developing Rajarhat, I am optimistic about the city’s hospitality future. Though the development has remained a bit slow, but a span of two years could see the scope and prices going up.

On the other hand, the state of Assam has fewer opportunities in the hospitality sector, majority of which could be found in Guwahati. The city has only four 5-star and five 4-star hotels. This is surprising but true. This number will go up as many hotel chains are now venturing into the city. For the last 20 years, the market has remained untapped.

Overall, the State Governments have to attract the opportunities to create hospitality infrastructures by giving incentives and also creating avenues for increasing tourist visits into the states.

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HRANI Annual Convention October 27-28, 2013 in Gurgaon

region Focus - north

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he 2nd Hotel & Restaurant Association (Northern India) – HRANI – Annual Convention will be held during October 27-28, 2013 in Pullman Gurgaon Central Park. We have received the consent of Shri Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana, to be the chief guest for the event.

Shri Parvez Diwan, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has consented to join us at Convention and Dr K. Chiranjeevi, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism is expected on the inaugural day. It will be one and half day event which will be followed with Presidential Dinner and a cultural evening. The theme of the convention is - ‘Hospitality Industry: Shaping the future growth’ - will focus on taxation issues and expect 400-500 delegates to attend the Convention.

At the event, we are going to talk at length regarding the ground reality of tourism in the northern states and a major talk point would be on the crisis management.

We plan to propose for a crisis management team within the ambit of the Tourism Ministry, Government of India that will address many communication related issues.

It will help in streamlining the relay of communication about correct information during any adverse situation promptly. This will help tourists as well as the industry to remain updated, and will put a cap on any rumours or wrong information that hampers the usual business. As

disaster management is a State subject, it becomes difficult to manage certain crisis, which was evident in the case of Uttarakhand flash floods.

Garish Oberoi President HRANI

During the Uttarakhand tragedy, NGOs came forward in a big way for the rescue operations apart from the Armed Forces. I visited the affected area personally and found that even the taxi drivers pooled in money to ferry passengers from one point to other. They received credits from petrol pumps for fuel. The chemist shops were distributing medicines free of cost. It was estimated that a total of 4,000 villages were totally cut-off. That made a complete sense, once again reiterating the fact that a collaborative approach is the only way to tackle obstacles. Why we can’t show that similar approach towards tourism? We need to see the larger picture in order to hold our future intact.

I take this opportunity to share my opinion to have a core committee on Disaster Management System in FAITH, with participation both from the industry as well as tourism ministries that would coordinate directly with the respective local administrations to prepare for unforeseen eventualities.

Lucknow to be UP’s model city

statE Focus - UP

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f late, the Uttar Pradesh Government has been quite active in taking measures to improve the prospects of tourism. It has made a mark in setting up good connectivity through roads, especially the Yamuna Expressway that connects Lucknow with Agra in about 4 and a half hours and Delhi in about 6 hours. There is a proposal for a wildlife park at Etawa offering safari activities. In the city of Lucknow, metro transportation has also been given a go ahead by the State Government Cabinet.

Lucknow charm

The State has now taken Lucknow as a model city for development of tourism. It has Awadhi cuisine, arts & crafts, heritage architecture, etc., to boast about. The noted film director, Muzzaffar Ali, who spoke at an event organised by the Indian Heritage Hotel Association, highlighted the State’s potential for utilising heritage Surendra Kumar Jaiswal hotels for tourism. He talked on the subject President of tourism in Uttar Pradesh. Maharaja Gaj Uttar Pradesh Hotel & Restaurant Association Singh of Jodhpur, who is also the President of Association, said, “It’s undeniable that UP has immense potential for heritage tourism. I don’t think that there is any other place in India with such diversely rich royal I am very happy that the Chief Minister of the State, heritage. But tourism becomes a reality only when Shri Akhilesh Yadav is taking keen interest in chief ministers lead the project.” UP plans to unveil its tourism. The Heritage Hotel Association of India heritage tourism policy, yet to be declared by the Chief headed by Gaj Raj Singh, held a conclave in April in Minister during the event. Lucknow is the capital of the the State to talk about the heritage hospitality that the State and has also been the cultural flag bearer for ages.

State can get involved with. continued on page 24...

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Kanpur hospitality can grow further

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City Focus – Kanpur

eing the only five star hotel of Kanpur, makes The Landmark Towers a vital link between the people travelling to this city looking for luxury accommodation. It is this place where all dignitaries prefer to stay when they visit the city. We are close to the administrative block and District Magistrate office and cater to the food requirement of all vital events. In fact, the Hon’ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee visited the city in July to speak at IIT Kanpur and we were mandated to make all the vital arrangements for his visit.

Further, all food onboard helicopters, chartered flights, etc., from the city to the airport is taken care by us.

I am associated with the hotel for the last seven years.

The hotel has 125 rooms, one restaurant offering

Challenges in Kanpur  Electricity  Infrastructure  Yamuna Expressway is not helping the

Kanpur market as much as it was perceived

 Dial-a-cab is still absent in this market  Upkeep of the city (Civic body has to be far more active)

 Flight timings in Lucknow need to be given

consideration so that people get ample time to explore Lucknow as well as Kanpur

Chinese and Thai cuisines and another all-day dining multi-cuisine restaurant.

Performance Kanpur is not an expensive city. The spending power of customers is considerably less compared to metro cities. In our hotel, higher designated corporates like MDs, VPs and GMs stay with us. I even expect that with the talk of escalating the Buddhist Tourism Circuit, the leisure profile of the city Vinay Dhir & General Manager might improve. Seven years AVP The Landmark Towers, Kanpur ago, we were getting an average occupancy of 29 per cent. A few years back, we reached an annual occupancy of 45 per cent and it is growing further. For a city like Kanpur, we have been doing extremely well. Our ARR stands at `5,000. We have renovated the hotel rooms and public areas. In fact, owing to the demand we have created a recreational centre with a bowling alley which has become a hotspot for the public, especially the youth. By August end, we will have a full-fledged spa in operation too.

(Vinay Dhir started his career from The Oberoi Delhi. He has over 34 years experience in the industry and has held senior management positions in India and abroad.)

Lucknow hospitality changing dramatically

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City Focus –Lucknow

e have been in the hospitality business for many decades, having started in 1950 with a dhaba serving the basic necessities to travellers. It was at Charbagh in Lucknow. Later by 1958, we started adding many services and renamed it, Hotel Mayur.

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But today, the city’s hospitality has changed dramatically.

The State Government can do much more to increase the number of tourists to the State. But unless meaningful effort is not put in, there will never be any progress.

The competition in the hotel Shyam Krishnani industry is increasing, since Director Hotel Lineage, Lucknow tourist numbers are rising in the same proportion. At present, the city occupancy average is just 50 per cent. We, ideally, should have more IT Parks, corporate opportunities so that the hotel business becomes economically viable. With hotels

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still under construction, the actual demand will be surpassed. The hotels that are due to open are primarily international chains. I am disheartened by the fact that the plans the Government talks about, gets restricted on paper. It has to see the light of the day. Rules and regulations are too tough. For example, there is no single window clearance till now. FAR needs to be increased to make projects viable, as cost of land is so high. The Circle rate is high and so are the auction costs.

Even electricity costs are quite high for small hoteliers to operate business.

About Hotel Lineage We opened a new hotel in 2012, Hotel Lineage in Gomti Nagar. It has 90 rooms with provision of MICE business.

We have a banquet hall that can cater to 300 pax. In addition, there is another hall that can accommodate 80 pax, and an adjoining lawn can be used for functions catering to 150 people. We have a specialty rooftop restaurant – Urban Terrace. The rooftop gives a brilliant bird’s eye view of the city.

City Focus – Lucknow

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Uttar Pradesh has come to the forefront of tourism

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hen we talk about hospitality Further, heritage walks are already being in Uttar Pradesh, the first organised regularly for the tourists and thing that comes to mind is enthusiasts in the city. It is quite good the polite dialect and nawabi and UP Tourism is promoting it through tehzeeb. Lucknow, the city of Nawabs, is innovate pamphlets and brochures. Of late, known for its Awadhi cuisine, Chikan/Zardozi Uttar Pradesh has come to the forefront art and historical monuments, even though of tourism as the State has aggressively Agra has remained the fulcrum of tourism in marketed the Kumbh Mela, Taj Mahal and the State. I am quite upbeat on the proposition other events taking place in the State.

Chopra about the second ‘golden triangle’ of Agra, Rishi GM Varanasi and Lucknow. Also, the Mahabodhi Vivanta by Taj Lucknow is primarily a corporate destination.

Gomti Nagar Lucknow Conclave in Sarnath that took The prospects are high as business houses place last year in September has identified are coming up in the city, and there have been major the scope of the Buddhist Circuit and the emphasis on infrastructure development. Upcoming State is taking the lead. With beautification Lucknow-Agra highway, metro rail network in the The last few undertaken at the Taj Mahal, a lot of city and the new airport are all indicators of Lucknow years, the average positives have been generated. emerging as a major destination for business and leisure. occupancy of the city has seen a Lucknow charm Our proposition marginal growth, For a city like Lucknow, which has been We have 110 rooms and we focus on the MICE market while ARRs have known for its cultural ethos, another which is an emerging segment in the city. We get around seen a steady rise. area where we can explore and develop 20 per cent of tourism related business while the rest There is a demand is ‘heritage tourism’. I am hopeful that is from business travel. The last few years, the average for more rooms, and after the heritage tourism meet that took occupancy of the city has seen a marginal growth, while many hotels are place, this land of Nawabs will get its ARRs have seen a steady rise. There is a demand for coming up in the share of tourism. We have lots of palaces, more rooms, and many hotels are coming up in the city. city interesting monuments and wonderful In the next couple of years, we will be able to cater to hotels for tourists. In fact, there are many the growing demand and Lucknow will be able to host small 10-40 room hotels which can be run large residential conferences which we presently lose as heritage hotels. out to Delhi or Agra.

...continued from page 20

According to Ali, a creation of the Delhi-Jaipur-AgraLucknow circuit will benefit a lot, i.e., a tourism quadrangle. Also, Varanasi and Khajuraho need to be taken into consideration to club more options for tourists to stay longer in the State and then venture to visit neighbouring states. The process of branding Lucknow in new light is on track. Hence, UPHRA is taking keen interest in introducing modules, which would highlight the role of the private sector. In the second phase, Lucknow’s food and the cuisines available can be promoted followed by its handicrafts. We, as UPHRA, will continue to offer inputs and suggestions to the State Government to achieve the goal of boosting UP tourism.

Private sector should come forward The State is gearing up to better its road inter-

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connectivity between Agra-Lucknow-Allahabad and other cities, which has been identified by the Government. Another area where the UP Government should emphasise is on infrastructure development.

It has taken some crucial steps of late, and we as the hospitality industry should push for business and look for creating increased tourist inflow.

We, as service providers, give our best results, the government will be forced to take up our issues which hinder the progress of tourism. Taxation is a burden for us; VAT, Service Tax, Luxury Tax and all put us under a lot of pressure. The positive point is that the Government has listened to us and is looking at all possible solutions. Looking at the vision of the Government, UPHRA wishes to extend its full support.

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Design accolade in France for Dawaam Hotel Lucknow

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et to come to light, Dawaam Hotel, Lucknow has already won an award for the sheer design it will bring forth. Expected to be operational by 2016 end, the hotel’s architecture has won the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes

in 2013. I am very proud of the achievement, which has never been won by any hotel in India. We have been awarded this for the leisure property we are coming up with at Shaheed Path in Lucknow having 125 rooms.

The hotel is the new venture Rajesh Singh Managing Director of Dayal Group and will have a Dayal Group of Companies capsule lift based on innovation.

In fact, the way we are going about the design is very futuristic. We are spending atleast `30 crore in design only for this `200 crore project. Nobody is ready to invest much in design, and therefore, the design element is getting lost in hotels. We wanted to do a design-based hotel. It will be spread over 1 lakh sqft. It will address corporate as well as leisure segments. The hotel is being designed by Sanjay Puri Architects.

market view

We have one operational hotel in Lucknow by the name of Dayal Paradise having 55 rooms. There is a club we are operating as well, that is spread over 4-5 lakh sqft.

‘We need to market the state well’

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he hotel industry is not in a good shape. Looking at the macro view, there are number of hotels coming up day-by-day in all segments, approved and nonapproved. The problem is the unorganised sector which is spoiling the reputation of the industry and market scene. There is no service standard that they follow and only do business based on price and commissions. The supply is more than the demand which is forcing stiff competition.

to look any further. Personally, I do not feel there is much scope for further investment and create a burden on ourselves through loans and raising debts. Only those who have their own land are coming up with hotels, though constructions are getting delayed.

On the other hand, Lucknow too is not far behind; the supply of rooms is more than the existing demand.

My viewpoint is that the associations should give clear prospects of the industry so that investors, builders know the true picture and chalk out plans for future.

Due to over supply, occupancy is decreasing. The only hope is the MICE business. The ROI is very low in hotel business to an extent of not making a profit. We operate 70 rooms and the situation pinches us. We have been in the industry for over 40 years, but it is so difficult for us

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In the tourism scenario of the city, some positive developments have taken place like creating scope for heritage walks for tourists. More initiatives are desired to attract investors in tourism projects which could create an atmosphere to induce more foreign transit into the city and state. We need to showcase Uttar Pradesh better with aggressive marketing. Infrastructure of tourist spots need improvement and that has to be taken into consideration beyond the Taj Mahal. There are many historical places, markets, buildings, etc., that could be promoted on the lines of European countries.

Only then will we be able to change the outlook of Uttar Pradesh for this world to explore.

Vachaspati Agarwal Director Mohan Hotel

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Weak Rupee to aid wellness tourism

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ndia will host the 7th Annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit for the first time in October 2013.

The wellness segment has been given emphasis among various other niche segments identified by the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), highlighted Girish Shankar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at FICCI’s 5th Wellness Conference on ‘Wellness in India-Sustainable Growth & Future Roadmap’.

“Wellness Tourism is one among our priorities when it comes to promoting niche tourism segments. In fact, we have been promoting India as the best wellness destination in strategic overseas markets. People at times get confused between medical tourism and wellness tourism,” said Shankar. “Medical tourism in India is a growing segment, which also opens various opportunities for selling wellness tourism. Presently, due to the devaluation in rupee, India is better positioned to sell wellness tourism competitively. The three Cs required to promote wellness tourism are competitiveness, credibility and consistency,” he added.

Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) for the first time. It will be held in Gurgaon from October 4-8, 2013, bringing international experts and other leading stakeholders to deliberate on various business possibilities with their Indian counterparts. He also invited FICCI to partner GSWS in India.

In fact, as per the findings of the FICCI-PwC report released by Shankar on ‘Imperatives for Growth - The Wellness Industry’, it is expected to touch `1 trillion by 2015, growing at CAGR of 15-17 per cent, from `700 billion in 2012.

Also present at the inaugural event were Dilip Chenoy, MD & CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Naina Lal Kidwai, President, FICCI, Sandeep Ahuja, Chairman, FICCI - National Wellness Committee and MD, VLCC Healthcare and P Rashmi Upadhya, Associate Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Shankar also said that MOT extends support to accredited wellness centres to attend various wellness-oriented shows and events under its market development scheme.

India will be hosting the 7th edition of the Annual Global

Girish Shankar Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India

Photos: Simran Kaur

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Budget hotels see an uptrend in sluggish times

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oots Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), which manages budget hotel brand Ginger Hotels in the country, is in a ramping up mode. The Ginger Hotels, which currently has 28 operational properties in India, is looking at unveiling 43 hotels in the next three years. Talking at the opening of the 28th Ginger property in India, P K Mohankumar, Managing Director & CEO, Roots Corporation feels Ginger has a huge potential within big cities. The group is thus, looking at tying up with family-owned non-branded hotels and corporates to manage their guest houses in these areas.

are looking for tie-ups. “We could also look at a large number of incomplete projects by putting in our equity, besides management contracts with builders as well as lease opportunities. The company is also looking to tieup with corporates such as IT companies to manage their guest houses,” he added.

Talking about the performance of the company in times when the hospitality sector is not doing well, he affirmed, “The entire sector has shown a decline but budget hotels have shown an upward trend.

We want to penetrate the market by volume route. Ginger is all in the volume game. Our Q1 results are encouraging. On a year-onyear basis we have grown by about 6 per cent in terms of revenues, largely due to our well balanced ARRs averaging around `1,700. The entire range is from `1,500 to 2,500. The increase in ARR has, however, P K Mohankumar been very slow.”

Managing Director & CEO

“We are looking at ramping up operations.

What we have achieved in the last seven years we want to do it in the next three years. Thus, we are looking at 28 hotels now to 70 hotels in the next three years. We are receiving a whole lot of investor interest and management contracts. We will expand through all the Roots Corporation channels,” Mohankumar said at the recent launch of According to Mohankumar, though the eventual growth the property. Located in Sector-63 Noida, the 83will happen in tier-I and tier-II cities, the company is room Ginger Hotel Noida is the fifth Ginger property focussing on faster scalability in near to mid-term in in the Delhi NCR, with the others being Ginger New the key metros. “Budget hotels require an average 80 Delhi, Ginger Faridabad, Ginger Manesar and Ginger per cent of occupancies around the year. That can only East Delhi. Designed as per the ‘Smart Basics’ design happen in the key major cities, which receive not only concept of the Ginger brand, it features a multi-cuisine domestic but also international corporate travellers. It is restaurant, business centre, gymnasium and free Wi-Fi. the mid-level executives who travel the most and hence, Ginger has a huge potential within these big cities,” he The Group is also looking at family-owned non-branded pointed out. hotels that might be facing difficulties in operating and (By Megha Paul)

expansion

Svenska Design Hotels targets 10 hotels in India by 2020 The Sweden-based company will invest approximately `25-40 crore per property in the Indian market

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eadquartered at Stockholm in Sweden, Svenska Design Hotels plans to expand pan-India and have 10 hotels in the country by 2020. Svenska Hotels, a lifestyle product is a collection of boutique, design hotels having a room inventory of less than 100.

Zia Sheikh, CEO & CMD, Svenska Design Hotels said, “Currently, Svenska has two hotels operational in India in Mumbai and Bengaluru and four are under development in Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. We believe that we will reach our target of 10 hotels across the country before our goal of 2020.

We are also looking for further properties in the Indian market to either own and develop or manage for third parties.” Elaborating on Svenska’s plans to engage with the travel trade, Sheikh said, “OTAs are an important segment for us. Our smaller inventories mean that

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we have not had extensive dealings with the traditional travel agent. However, we do work with travel agents and tour operators who deal with FIT clients.” He also said that despite 2012 being a rather Zia Sheikh subdued year for the tourism CEO & CMD Svenska Design Hotels industry in India, in the middle and long-term he was bullish about the potential of the tourism industry. Sheikh revealed that Svenksa would be investing approximately `25-40 crore per hotel in the Indian market for its target of 10 hotels by 2020, and that each property would definitely be less than a 100 keys per hotel.

(By Lyandra D’souza)

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Clarks Inn opens in Moradabad

ith a wish list of having 100 hotels under its Prem Chunariya Hotels that has 50 rooms and would management umbrella by the end of 2015, cater to primarily the captive base of city that boasts Clarks Inn’s latest venture - MB Greens Clarks business transit. “The city is known for the industrial Inn - was formally opened in Moradabad on base and the State Government too has been July 7, 2013. It aims to trap the business promoting it. MB Greens Clarks Inn, as the transit potential of the industrial city. The hotel has been branded as, would thrive on hotel is being positioned as a mid-segment its catchment area that has industrial units of business hotel that clubs leisure activities as glass, brass and export houses of different it has a water & amusement park alongside kinds. In fact, there are a lot of international it. Talking about the prospect of a mid arrivals for business purpose, and hence, segment hotel in the UP industrial city, we will tap the business transit taking place SN Srivastava, Executive VP, Clarks Inn to this city. Here, travel agents will play a Group of Hotels, said, “Increasingly, we critical role and we will be tapping them to SN Srivastava have been moving towards smaller & lesser Executive VP market our property,” Srivastava informed. approached cities that later on attracted Clarks Inn Group of Hotels The hotel has a banquet hall of 9,000 sq ft the attention of big chains. We opened 10 properties with a seating capacity of 800 people in a casual set up in 2012 and are consistently adding more properties. plus a boardroom with a capacity of 70 pax. Though very Now, we are on track to open 15 properties in 2013 business centric, the city attracts a lot of leisure traffic in places like Pune, Mathura, Garhmukhteshwar, from other nearby places. The 10 acre land plot where the Allahabad, Panchkula, Phagwara and many more.” At hotel has been built shares its place with an existing water present, the Group operates 22 hotels including the one & amusement park. “This park adds up as a recreation at Moradabad. The hotel is a management tie-up with facility to boast the hotel’s leisure proposition,” he said.

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Connecting

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Now searching distributors online is easy. ‘GetDistributors.com’ connects businesses with their potential distributors who can market their products in different regions. SANJEEV BHAR

F

or long time in the Indian ample knowledge and expertise we hold, hospitality, foreign companies to take it forth.” The company is looking would come to India to find at hospitality as one of the most critical an opening into the market to businesses which can make use of this promote their product in order to test medium to enlarge their horizons. the acceptance. Then based on the acceptability, they would Vishal Grover, General look out for the right agents to Manager - Marketing of the market their products. With company says, “Conventiongrowth, they would eventually ally, SME businesses have turn to regional or exclusive grown through inorganic distributors to expand their approach by having distribureach in the country. But this tors in various locations entire process would take time to empower their reach. from one to two years… and Companies used to search for Bikky Khosla time is precious. Thus, there potential distributors during CEO, Infocom Network was a scope for an online space events, trade fairs, through that could address this need for hospitalvarious database, etc. But now, they have ity and beyond. an option readily available online through GetDistributors.com.” According to him, Hence, GetDistributors.com was this is a platform waiting to be explored launched in mid June 2013 as a tradeinand has now created a lot of uproar in the dia.com initiative, which will only take various business segments as the initial the lengthy offline search for distributors feedback comes in. He says, “Putting it to an online platform. Bikky Khosla, simply, this is an ideal online platform for CEO, Infocom Network that owns companies and individuals who are looktradeindia.com says, “Internet is not ing forward to expanding their business just changing the way but also shrinking by appointing or becoming a distributor, boundaries of doing business. Businesses franchisee or sales agent.” are embracing it in tier II & III cities as Scope well. Hence, our reach will score as the The scope of online application is immense biggest advantage. Also, GetDistributors. following its reach. According to Khosla, com has its share of advantage as it is in any business, marketing and selling of a tradeindia.com initiative. So there is

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products or services effectively in different markets demand extra effort and is a crucial step. Thus, reaching out to a large potential audience becomes easy online.

Also, the fact that Asian countries are the hub of large scale manufacturing and have become sourcing destinations for most global brands, make it a more viable option,” he adds. Further, Indian companies are also growing overseas. They have similar demands. This tool takes away the hassle of going through potential business partners and then finalising one where

Talking numbers GetDistributor.com prospects are based on…  Total database of SMEs in India - 15 million (estimated figure)  Target areas - Manufacturing, Export, Import, etc., comprising 2-3 million companies  The portal currently has registration of around 4,500 companies  In the next three months the figure is expected to reach 7,000 and by 2013 – 10,000  Tradeindia.com has 12 lakh SME data, which is growing at 15 per cent year-on-year

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GetDistributors.com

was launched in mid June 2013 as a tradeindia.com initiative, that will only take the lengthy offline search for distributors to an online platform

the interests match. Grover says, “Global companies will have access to our refined database to select partners best suitable for their business needs.”

But how does one offer assurance to the people searching for distributors whom they have never met? Grover says, “It is not difficult. We have made the task

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simple and secure. Our way is to have a new distributor/ database, as we are planfranchisee/sales agent in a specific ning, will have companies region, etc.” having their online credit report which will be He also points out the company verified by a third party. is not limited to SMEs. It will There will also be a rating primarily help medium and largemechanism carried out by sized setups to reach out to interthose who have worked ested companies to appoint them Grover with them. This way, the Vishal their distributors/franchisee/sales General Manager - Marketing rating will be credible. agents.

We are working on the modalities for a Today’s scenario strong tool.” This step will build credDepreciating rupee value is everyone’s ibility and create further scope for people concern today in the economy. But will to use this online service. this situation pose as a blessing to proStrong database mote this online tool? Not necessarily, In order to promote a sound distributor believes Khosla. He explains, “The online network in India to the companies across medium is always a viable option for the world is a challenging proposition. companies to reach out to foreign marBut the company is confident. Grover kets, as Internet is the most easiest and says, “We have a massive verified datainexpensive mode of spreading business. base of companies based across India.

Growth of trade online has created a lot Also, the concept of GetDistributors.com of avenues for people in India and outis such that it will attract companies toside. People have been able to reach out wards it, as each company wants to grow to expand in countries which were earlier their business, and the most potential simply not possible to connect with.”

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For a healthy appointment In the heart of Delhi’s diplomatic area Chanakyapuri, ‘It’s9 Bakery Café’ has given a proposition of freshly baked products that club with an extensive menu having a health conscious tag. The café has established a rapport with its catchment area by customising orders as well as delivering the same, right at the doorsteps of corporate offices and diplomatic centres. SANJEEV BHAR

N Menu options The menu card shows a variety ranging from all-day breakfast, sandwiches, It’s9 wraps, burgers ‘n’ hot dogs, soup, pizzas, pasta, salads, vegetarian, fish, lamb, sizzling zone, chicken, shakes & smoothies, cold beverages, hot beverages…

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obody expects a café to have an elaborate dining option.

But the menu of the ‘It’s9 Bakery Café’ defies all logic.

Lucidly called It’s9, the café’s menu can put many fast food joints to shame. Over the past decade, the Capital has seen a remarkable rise in the liking towards bakery, and It’s9 is probably an elaborate extension of the same right in the bureaucratic hub of Diplomatic Enclave at Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri. Savoury, confectionery and designer cakes apart, the various sections that the menu reads make this café a good proposition for an

affordable meal during lunch and dinner.

It also offers an assortment of desserts to pick from.

The 45-cover outlet is quite popular with a theme of ‘nine’ that starts serving from 9 am but remains open till 11 pm.

The look and feel is quite vibrant. The sofa arrangements allow a dining set of six covers, and there are six additional options of a four-chair seating plan.

The outlet is adorned with beautiful pictures, one of which is a sketch of various elements that constitute Delhi; Parliament House, India Gate, Qutub

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Minar, Delhi’s auto rickshaw with the categorical mix of green and yellow colours and so on.

Healthy courses The outlet has a display of a variety of confectionery and snacks. A separate section of breads is also on display.

PK Taneja, Owner of the café informs, “People have got into the habit of eating healthy, and whole wheat breads are preferred a lot. We get a lot of requests from corporate and diplomatic offices in the vicinity for breads and other meals. In fact, during weekdays, officegoers prefer our café as an option during lunch, dinner and otherwise.”

Keeping up with the health facts, salads find a special mention in the menu.

The Slimmer’s Special salad is a quick snack and perfect for summers. Various tastes have been concocted with a basic lemon dressing and vegetables to make it refreshing. The Cottage Cheese (or tofu) Shashlik with BBQ sauce that comes to

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and sweet treats you with chunks of cottage cheese like muffins, tarts, or tofu and delectable vegetable doughnuts, cakes skewers served with dollops of and pies are much BBQ sauce can be tried. The menu in demand. There is is quite elabore distinctly marked an in-house kitchen Veg 9, Non veg 9 and an interesting where everything is category, Spicy 9. The daily special freshly prepared. The is chalked out on a board like freshness of Paneer summer coolers, flavoured cold PK Taneja Puff is evident. The coffee (like mojitos), etc. Taneja Owner crust is made flaky says, “We have introduced a few with soft puff and is slightly spicy. The festivals also. For example, we held a freshness of the products draws in a ‘Cheese Festival’ serving a variety of lot of crowd. Fresh breads are kept options to our customers to gorge on for a maximum of three days and then cheese. Further, people get discounts on disposed off, whereas cakes have a displayed savouries and confectioneries shelf life for a week. People can order during happy hours post 9 pm. Following to customise their requests for cakes customers’ response, we have planned to and breads. According to Taneja, “We come up with two more outlets in Delhi get an average walk-in of 500 people by next year.” every day. Opened some months back, the outlet has been widely accepted Baked goodness as we do get orders on phones as well The baked goodies are the signature as people visit till late to pack their dishes of It’s9. The sumptuous crispness food.” The soft rock music in Hindi and of patties, the freshly baked croissants, English keeps the atmosphere of the café Danish, quiche, loaves, baguettes, brimming with energy at all times.

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Promoting vegetarianism profitably With the concept of pure vegetarian food having ‘no onion and garlic’ being a difficult proposition, ‘Pandit’s’ in Kanpur ventured into opening the outlet in June 2013. However, the restaurant has been received well and created its own benchmark by matching up with the city’s progressive aspirations. SANJEEV BHAR

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K

anpur, known as the industrial city of Uttar Pradesh, is also a progressive one. Its education sector is improving, and the roads and jazzy malls reflect the upwardly moving condition of the city’s denizens.

There is something in the air that amplifies this city’s efforts in pushing its boundaries to emerge and breakthrough from the ‘tier III’ tag. Pandit’s, the new restaurant of the city, probably reflects the setting in a perfect way.

Look & feel The restaurant, having 75 covers and 30 staff, runs from 8am till 11pm. Located close to Kanpur Railway Station, it gets its apt positioning. The vibrant yellow and light green colours of the sofas brighten up the space. The tables having maroon table tops with small stylish chairs set the mood for a nice dining experience.

Based on self-service, Pandit’s boasts

something that the city people demand; modernity and ethnic flavours. The company has two food courts with an approximate area of 4,000 sqft each. It targets to cater at least 300 guests at a time.

Concept food The restaurant offers a personal touch and with varied cuisines, it is emerging to be a hotspot for the youth as well as those who fancy tradition enveloped with modernity. Talking about it, Vibhav Pande, Director – Marketing of the

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Prabhav Pande CEO

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Vibhav Pande Director – Marketing

restaurant says, “We thought of the restaurant to be a mix of modernity in outlook with food that is very saatvik, i.e., with no use of onion and garlic.

Though we were not completely confident, yet we ventured into it. We sensed that the city needed something that matches its growing aspirations with traditional integrity.”

The food offered ranges from authentic

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Indian recipes to Chinese to savouries, sweets and Indian fast food.

Interestingly, Pande says, even the Mohit Pande Chinese Director – F&B Production food is made without onion and garlic keeping up with the tradition of the restaurant and people like it. “We are also proud of the fact that people appreciate our emphasis on using mineral water and desi ghee only in our food,” he informs.

Prabhav Pande, CEO of the company says, “We are the only 100 per cent pure vegetarian restaurant of Kanpur serving

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Indian, South Indian, Continental, Chinese and authentic Marwari cuisines for 40 years. Our thali meal does particularly well and we consciously introduce new recipes periodically, including international cuisine in a 100 per cent pure vegetarian manner. Also, we invite recipes from our guests through mailers.”

Quality matters The group believes that whatever is served should be pure and sanctified.

“Our guests are repetitive and share a special bond with us, who vouch for our quality and standards. We take their feedback and suggestions to challenge ourselves to improve consistently,” Prabhav Pande adds. The company has developed a personal quality control lab which takes care of the quality of raw

Red FM recognition – people’s choice Red FM organised a competition to find out the best eating joint in the city of Kanpur. Based on voting, they finalised three restaurants and eventually, Pandit’s emerged as the winner following public voting as the favourite choice of dining out in the city. “We are quite proud of this fact that we were the only restaurant in the contention which was completely vegetarian. Due to our effortless services and food standard, the public chose us over the others and that was the best recognition we could ever have,” says Vibhav Pande.

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materials procured and finished products ready for sale. “Quality, Service, Hygiene and Cleanliness (QSHC) are an integral part of our work system,” he asserts.

Going back to the roots Most of the Indian cuisine that the Pandit’s offers is either something that people do not see or hear about. Prabhav Pande claims to offer food that has reached a level of non-existence. “Many cuisines cooked in our homes have rarely received recognition. We try to keep that nostalgia alive by bringing them forward to this era of junk food through our restaurant. We try to highlight authentic Indian cuisine and push them to our clients through innovative ideas,” Mohit Pande, Director-F&B Production emphasises.

The restaurant targets all age groups with its lively presentation where chefs cook food on a live counter. Prabhav Pande says, “We try to convey that the Indian cuisine is rich and presented

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Aligning purity with tradition Pandit’s Group started in 1977 with a small restaurant and hotel in the heart of the city, in General Ganj (Cloth Market) of Kanpur. With good food and personalised hospitality, it became a friendly name in the area. Founder Late Pt. Tara Chand Pande and Late Ajay Pande along with his brothers had a committed idea to serve ‘Sanskarit Veg Indian Food’. Over time, the company has created brands in the food business like ‘Chokho Marwar’ - a palace restaurant which opened as a speciality restaurant in 2008. It serves Marwari and other Indian cuisines apart from a spread of Continental recipes in a royal setting.

The restaurant has authentic Rajasthani palatial interiors with live folk music during the evenings. The major

in the most appealing manner, with a health quotient. Our approach is simple.” Nonetheless, initially the company was apprehensive of introducing cuisines without onion and garlic. But, now it has become the USP

attraction is the ‘Royal Thali’ served in silver crockery viz., Shahi Thal and Shekhawati Thal. The restaurant has also catered food to major VIPs and dignitaries such as the former President of India, Late Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, former Chief Election Commissioner - TN Seshan, former Prime Ministers - Late Indira Gandhi, Late Rajiv Gandhi and Late Chandrashekhar. The restaurant has also served the three former Chief Justice of India - MN Venkatachaliah, JS Verma and VN Khare, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh - Mulayam Singh Yadav, former Civil Aviation Minister - K Pallam Raju, Members of Parliament Amar Singh and Hema Malini, former Defence Ministers - George Fernandes and KC Pant, Cricketers Robin Singh and Mohd. Azharuddin and many Bollywood celebrities.

of the group and that’s how Pandit’s is recognised as. “We follow the principle of - ‘initiate to make your own road’.

That guides us to happiness. We have sailed through all challenges,” he sums up.

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Pride of Kolkata

In the heart of the IT hub of Kolkata, Rajarhat, Pride Hotels opened its 12th property last year. This hotel has not only created an apt venue for corporates to stay in or hold conferences, but also to look forward to fine dining that the location was looking forward to desperately. SANJEEV BHAR

W

hile one can find a place to be in tune with the self as the lovely strings of Sitar plays during the morning hours or the notes of the Piano drifts in the air during lunch time at the lobby, Madonna’s effortless voice energises the bar zone. This 12th property of Pride

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August 2013 I www.fhrai.com I

Group has a lot more to offer than that. Now one year old in operation, Pride Kolkata has remained upbeat about its future. Located in the newest progressive hub of the city – New Town (Rajarhat), it is one of the few hotels which are getting the advantage of the corporate businesses that have started

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their operations. Located at a distance of a 20-minute drive from the airport makes it ideally placed for an apt business trip stay in the city.

SP Jain Managing Director Pride Group of Hotels

“

Since the rest of the city is saturated, Rajarhat is the upcoming space that would have great infrastructure which is developing day-by-day

Kenneth Scott General Manager The Pride Hotel, Kolkata

“

We have done pretty well for the beginning year. The hotel is new and the catchment area is yet to develop completely. At the moment, we have revenue share ratio for room to F&B at 70:30

On entering the hotel, the large lobby space welcomes one with a distinct gurgle of a water fountain. This small water body inside divides the lobby from the Café Treat, the all-day dining area.

The eclectic design of the decor reflects the creative Kolkata impression. The warm feeling continues as one enters the room which is spacious for the base category. And even though the weather was overcast, the room service menu providing an assortment of Bengali desserts ranging from Mishti Doi to Sandesh brightened up my stay.

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Catchment development According to SP Jain, Managing Director, Pride Group of Hotels, the Rajarhat region of the city has a great future in store for the hospitality market.

“The metro line connectivity is getting ready that will link the south of the city to the north at airport. Also, lots of new developments are taking place here; corporates are lining up establishing their offices like ONGC, insurance firms, companies ranging from finance to manufacturing to service oriented. Since the rest of the city is saturated, Rajarhat is the upcoming space that would have great infrastructure which is developing day-by-day.”

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The 153-room hotel encompasses a swimming pool, spa, four conference halls, all-day dining restaurant, lounge bar, gymnasium, boardrooms, meeting rooms and a specialty restaurant is scheduled to open soon which will serve Indian cuisine. The rooms are located on the sixth, seventh and eighth floor, and have been categorised into superior (39 keys), premium (16 keys) and deluxe (93 keys) categories. Apart from this, there are four suites and one Presidential suite that are extravagant. The sixth floor has the meeting rooms, bar, gymnasium, spa and the swimming pool.

The hotel has been intricately decorated exuding a warm, affectionate feeling to stay in.

The soft opening was held in January 2012 with 40 rooms to begin with.

Kenneth Scott, General Manager, The Pride Hotel, Kolkata says the business to be at 53 per cent occupancy for the April 2012-March 2013. For the same period, the hotel has scored an ARR of `4,300. “We have done pretty well for the beginning year. The hotel is new and the catchment area is yet to develop completely. At the moment, we have revenue share ratio for room to F&B at 70:30. In fact, our F&B has done well, beyond expectations. The banquet department has performed well too. In the current financial year, we expect to become 60:40.” The Rajarhat area at the moment commands `6,000 ARR for hotel rooms. “But considering that we are new, we have done well and expect to scale up the ARR to `4,750

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in 2013, and take it further to `4,8005,000,” Scott adds.

Business strategy The hotel group follows a smart strategy to have a commercial space along with the hotel which is sold off to generate short term returns. Even in the Kolkata property, a part has been sold that is next to the hotel’s premises for office space, making it a structurally mixed use development. Nonetheless, the office spaces have a different entry altogether

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and the hotel doesn’t share any approach from within. The Pride Group has also developed in many cities where other hoteliers remained skeptical about. “In most of the cases, you will see that we have ventured into a tier II or III city and other big chains have followed suit.

For example, we came up with the Nagpur property way back. There was an incident during the Cricket World Cup matches that the city hosted and we found ourselves completely sold out.

One day during the tournament, I had to give away my room to accommodate

Food & Wellness  W Spa: The hotel’s spa offers life-enhancing therapies. A trained team of therapists provide a wide range of treatments, facials, therapies and body wraps that help to de-stress with holistic and natural techniques.

It addresses the concerns of customers by offering Ayurveda to European indulgence as part of its menu. Some of the prominent treatments are ‘Apricot & lemongrass skin refinement’, ‘Herbal Skin refinement’, ‘CoffeeFrance – Foot Reflexology’ and ‘Bali Age Smart Facial’.  Café Treat: Located at the lobby level overlooking the Express Highway, Café Treat with its 84 covers offers a relaxed ambience for all-day dining. On the menu is a delicious mix of international, local and pan-Asian flavours with plenty of healthy choices to suit every palate. The buffet provides a breakfast spread of Western and Indian dishes. It is complemented by fresh baked goodies, fruits, teas and freshly brewed coffee.  Conference facilities Imperial

Ground Floor Level

262 sqm

2819.12 sqft

Imperial-1

Ground Floor Level

131 sqm

1409.56 sqft

Imperial-2

Ground Floor Level

131 sqm

1409.56 sqft

Pre Function Area Ground Floor Level

108 sqm

1162.08 sqft

Further, there are four more meeting rooms at the sixth floor of the hotel with spaces having - 392 sqft, 349 sqft, 581 sqft and 836 sqft.

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the Cricket officials, and had to stay somewhere else,” Jain remembers fondly. He also raises the point that the development of hospitality in Gujarat and Maharashtra has been good, which West Bengal should adopt to increase the pace of development for marketing tourism better.

Corporate focus The hotel is focussing on the corporate segment and also events that could take place inside the property. As per Scott, wedding is a big business apart from the majority of large corporate transient traffic. “We also get repeat business of about 40 per cent. We have a strong sales team and the key feeder cities are Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Gurgaon. In fact, we will focus on long-stay (3-6 months) guests because there are no serviced apartments in the vicinity.” The hotel is also focussing on its e-channel to market the property.

“The direct booking with the hotel has increased to 8 per cent and we expect it to grow to 12 per cent. We also get around 4 per cent walk-ins,” he informs.

The hotel is promoting various packages such as during Durga Puja for long-stay and spa, they are offering a variety of therapies and massages to choose from.

“Today, wellness has become an integral element even in a corporate mindset.

It is something that in-house guests look forward to while attending their conferences and meetings, and hence, it is as important as it is in a leisure property,” Scott sums up.

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Addressing staff turnover and standardisation It has been a journey of four years that Rational India was set up. As the growth story continues, Reinhard Banasch, Chief Sales Officer of Rational and Pinaki Banerjee, Managing Director of Rational India talks about the prospects Rational SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency holds in the Indian food business. SANJEEV BHAR

Q

to be?

How do you perceive the growth of Rational in India

Reinhard Banasch: Four years ago we

Reinhard Banasch Chief Sales Officer of Rational

“

Approximately, 1,80,000 end customers visit us each year and 70,000 companies, the potential customers, are expected to join the ‘CookingLive’ programme”

started our India operations. Earlier, the product was being imported by dealers and now, the company has grown to have 62 dealers across the country. Also, at the moment we have 20 people in Rational India ably guided by its captain Pinaki Banerjee. Our focus has been to understand the Indian kitchen, and accordingly guide it towards acquiring a better expertise through adopting Rational SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency.

Pinaki Banerjee: In fact, we have now

become a private limited company which also reinforces our commitment towards the India market.

Q

Pinaki Banerjee MD of Rational India

“

In India, the performance of Rational has been over 100 per cent. In 2013 alone, we have sold over 750 units. According to us, the potential demand in the market size is about 3000 units annually”

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Your product is tipped to be a success story. And this success story has resulted in duplications in the market that are doing rounds. What do you have to say about it?

Reinhard Banasch: Worldwide, around 60 competitor companies are copying our product style but none have been able to deliver the service and quality output that we do. We are providing solutions. We are a service company.

Our approach is about reaching out to our end customers. While competitors are providing pre-set programmes, we are working on processes that directly navigates one to extremely satisfying food recipes output. For example, our product can prepare 2 million varieties of egg preparations. Different regions will have different styles of cooking and different

textures, which emerge perfect based on the programmes used. Our programmes can be downloaded from our website and can be installed in the Rational unit to be used effortlessly.

Q

Training has always been found lagging behind when it comes to after sales services, especially in the equipment segment.

How did you approach this issue?

Pinaki Banerjee: Training has been a critical area of our success. We have established 25 live kitchens in India. In fact, in Delhi, we carry out live cooking 5-6 times every week, i.e., ‘CookingLive’.

It is so much in demand to understand the product and that has been our best advertisement. We are setting up an activity centre in Bengaluru considering it is an emerging metropolitan city. We will continue to carry out live kitchen activities with our partners, where we showcase core recipes one can prepare in the unit.

Q

How is direct involvement of potential customers in your activity centres helping your cause?

Pinaki Banerjee: Extremely! In fact, 50 per cent of all people coming to our ‘CookingLive’ event eventually buy our product within six months. Our slogan is – ‘Activity, Activity and Activity’.

Reinhard Banasch: Approximately,

1,80,000 end customers visit us each year and 70,000 companies, the potential customers, are expected to join the ‘CookingLive’ programme. The in-house research and development is extensive as well. Around 25 tonne of food is prepared (invested) only in our R&D to achieve refined results.

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Pinaki Banerjee: In order to further

connect with the customers, we compiled a cookbook with 10 recipes, which we launched this year at the AAHAR show. We have now 25 more recipes which we would look forward to document again.

Q

Looking at the various geographies, how do you tackle the language barriers?

Reinhard Banasch: Language plays an important role, and the preference of medium would vary not only according to the language but also according to their preference to texture subtlety involved in a cuisine.

Q

What is your selling strategy for the India market?

Pinaki Banerjee: In India, the performance of Rational has been over 100 per cent. In 2013 alone, we have sold over 750 units.

According to us, the potential demand in the market size is about 3,000 units annually. Our product is ideal for those establishments which prepare over 30

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meals, such as farmhouses or hospitality units, hospitals, etc.

Reinhard Banasch: We are focussed

on customising the approach but not customising the product. Therefore, we have designed a one-day training for chefs. Once a unit is sold, we get back to the customer after six months to get feedback on the way they have been utilising the unit.

Q

Any new initiatives that you have taken of late?

Pinaki Banerjee: We introduced a service line helpline with a 4-hour response time. Recently, we have even introduced a ‘chefline’ where people can call up to get any opinion or suggestion from chefs if anything goes wrong in food while cooking in the Rational unit. This will help an immediate rescue for the people operating the unit.

Q

What has been the overall market response to your product?

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analysis

Pinaki Banerjee: When we went to

meet near 800 chefs to talk about our product, we also asked them about their apprehensions in a kitchen. According to them, in India, the major challenges for an industrial kitchen are staff turnover and standardisation. And interestingly, we have been able to address both these concerns. We have been growing with credibility that is getting established in the market. In fact, just to ensure that chefs use the product first for about 30 days as part of our free demo programme has worked wonders. We have given the product free of charge for operations.

We have seen that people who have used the product for this long have bought the unit. Approximately 47 per cent of our total sales come from those who have used our product.

There is a positive buzz about this innovative futuristic unit from Rational in the market. We hope to change the way India cooks.

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west

Looking

Special

HRAWI Convention

The western region of the country has always been the harbinger of the economic activities and growth. For the hospitality sector too, this region has been in the forefront and more so, the various cities in the Mumbai-Pune corridor exemplify numerous hotel properties. As the 17th HRAWI Regional Convention in Pune, to be held during August 23-24, will ponder on awakening the tourism giant, i.e., India, FHRAI Magazine takes a look at the growth of some prominent cities of Maharashtra as part of a special feature. Sanjeev Bhar

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P

une... people relate this city with education. It is also the cultural city of Maharashtra with immense importance being given to fine arts, performing arts, etc. And, it has emerged as the IT hub of the State taking it to the future. Moreover, the city now flaunts its own hospitality culture giving its sister cities in the State a run for money. Or is it?

Has it really lived up to the expectations it raised a few years back? Is it still growing?

Is there more scope to be explored for the hospitality sector? There are many questions, and hospitality professionals from this city feel that there is more scope yet to be explored, and the sector is robust.

It is growing. The rising incomes, higher weekend trips and its emergence as a business destination contributed to the existing scene. The IT boom has been great that helped hospitality, while the lopsided development with high cost of land is a detriment to the scope. The hotels’ ARR has

August 2013 I www.fhrai.com I

dropped to `5,000 bracket which could be due to the supply coming in. Yet the city is charged up, and is of the belief that a lot is on cards…

Others are not behind Simultaneously, some other cities apart from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, are emerging as interest areas for hospitality.

This ‘Special Feature’ on HRAWI Regional Convention takes a look at this region starting with Pune, followed by the cities of Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai to get a sense of the hoteliers about the scope and expectations to make the most of hospitality.

To begin with a Q&A with HRAWI Regional Convention Organising Committee Chairman, where he gives his viewpoint on the region and the event itself that is being looked forward to.

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Q&A

‘Irrational taxation policy is curtailing hospitality growth’ Hotel & Restaurant Association (Western India) is going to hold its Regional Convention 2013 in Pune during August 23-24, 2013. The Chairman of the Convention Organising Committee, Dilip Datwani has high hopes from the convention which has been themed – ‘Tourism: Awakening the Sleeping Giant’.

Q

What are the critical challenges that the western region is facing in hospitality today?

We, in the western region, are facing humongous problems along with low occupancy due to the irrational taxation policy of the Government.

For long, we have been demanding the grants of industrial rates for electricity instead of commercial rates. The governments of Goa and Odisha have offered this benefit since 1999. But other states like Maharashtra are yet to actually confer the benefit though notification for granting ‘industry status’ for water, power and electricity.

Also, all municipalities should remove hygiene and sanitation monitoring regulators in view of

Q

How many delegates do you expect to participate in the convention? At present, how many members does your association represent?

We expect a total number of 250 delegates to participate in the 17th Regional Convention. At present, HRAWI has a total number of 1,300 plus members. The numbers are increasing as each day passes.

Q

Any suggestion to the State Government…

I would like to convey to the Government to kindly look at our industry as a part of the country’s development programme. It is this industry that generates employment, brings huge foreign exchange and promotes India’s heritage and colourful culture as a goodwill ambassador.

Special

Q

India FSSAI Act, as this is resulting in duplication of process. Another demand is rationalisation of Excise Duty, bar timings and entertainment tax on bars and lounges, which have live performances by musical bands, magicians, etc. The classification of hotels by the Tourism Department, Government of India has to be rationalised and the department has to act proactively. Further, amendments to the existing norms should not be seen in retrospective, as it makes the age old properties difficult to comply with.

HRAWI Convention

Do share the aim that HRAWI wishes to achieve through its 17th Regional Convention…

Our aim is to give a thrust to the process started by our dynamic Chief Minister of Maharashtra who has taken the initiative to look into the problems faced by our industry in the State.

He has constituted a high power committee, appointed an able agency like Accenture to list out the impediments coming in the development of tourism and provide practical solutions to overcome them. They are also in the process of revamping the archaic process of licensing and offering a solution towards a single window clearance.

Dilip Datwani Chairman HRAWI Regional Convention Organising Committee

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The silver lining of MICE

City Focus – Pune

Special

HRAWI Convention

Mohammad Labban General Manager Hyatt Regency Pune

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Pune hospitality

Critical numbers

Pune’s hospitality has enjoyed robust growth thanks to rising incomes, higher weekend trips and city’s emergence as a business destination. While opportunities are immense, there are numerous challenges associated with it. The industry is sensitive to the economic cycles. Also, it has indirectly gained momentum from the IT boom in Pune. Certain issues like poor infrastructure, high cost of land procurement and multiple licenses as well as levies definitely affect the development.

Despite this, the hospitality sector in Pune is expected to soar. The next one or two years may be a phase of building, before the high growth trajectory emerges.

A sudden increase in international brands has resulted in severe competition amongst all hotels.

This is the real cause of unhinged ADR in the city.

We are on similar city average on both rate and occupancy of around 60 per cent and a market average of `6,000. In comparison to the previous year, our occupancy is growing at a good pace. In addition to taking over Ista Hotels and re-branding them to Hyatt, we have recently opened Hyatt Regency Pune Residences offering extended stays.

By the fourth quarter of this year, a third Hyatt will be opening ‘Hyatt Place’ located in Hinjewadi area.

What is driving the business?

Due to IT, automobiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial hubs emerging in city outskirts, the clientele is largely corporate. The city is becoming a preferred destination for meetings, incentives, conference & exhibitions (MICE) and it has given a silver lining to the existing economic condition of the hotel industry.

We intend to continue focussing on the FIT corporate business in addition to having a fair share of MICE business in the city, primarily through weddings and medical conferences. With the introduction of our 15,000 sqft convention centre, our capacity to absorb big conventions has greatly increased.

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Expectations The growth in the service sector, the emergence of new cities as business hubs and an increasingly affluent consumer base can all lead to a positive change in the hospitality industry. But the fact remains that we need to work more as an industry towards promoting tourism. Then how to get better infrastructure among other areas? With the tourist influx continually on the rise, adequate push from the government can do wonders for the hospitality business. Having an International Airport in Pune with flight access to both the east and west side of the world would naturally drive more business to the city and raise its profile.

Or, a fast train that connects Mumbai in less than an hour is also as good and would help attracting more tourists to the city as well as corporate and MICE business.

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Maintaining rate parity and integrity Pune Hospitality Hospitality development is a big challenge in the current scenario. The boom, which the industry saw from 2004 to 2008, was based on assumptions towards tremendous growth in the manufacturing, IT and automobile sector.

However, due to infrastructural reasons and some government policies, the big giants pulled off its investments. In the meantime, big hotel chains had foreseen the potential growth and had already invested in this market. The competition escalated and the demand-supply ratio became inversely proportional. The hotels were claiming an ARR of `8,000 to `10,000 during 2007-08 and today, it has dropped to `3,500 and `4,500. With entry of all the international brands in the city, the hotels had no choice but reduce room rates to attract business and sustain in this cut throat competition. This trend has continued since 2009 and development of the hospitality sector is a big challenge.

Market Spectrum

Performance The average occupancy in our hotel is 72 per cent.

Compared to last year, it has dropped by 5 per cent and the ARR is between `3,500 to `3,700, while the city averages around `4,200. I strongly believe that ‘business drives the business’. The simple way of tackling the competition is to not imitate the competitors. Rather one should go beyond to offer something even better. Also, it is vital in today’s scenario to maintain rate parity and integrity and most importantly, focus on the quality of services offered.

Vinay Chotalia General Manager Royal Orchid Golden Suites

Suggestions

Special

HRAWI Convention

Both, Central and State Government policies and decisions have a great impact on the business set up. The local administration can play a very important role in developing world class infrastructure like roads, transport, airports, etc., to attract potential investors from pan-India and abroad. Also, world class tourist attractions can promote hospitality and travel in the country.

Moreover, the Central and State Government should understand that hospitality is burdened with abundant amount of direct and indirect taxes. This situation will affect the growth of hotel industry across the country.

City Focus – Pune

Currently, critical traffic to the city is the corporate sector (manufacturing and service).

We being the serviced apartment hotel, long stay expatriates are the main source of our business.

The international traveller forms 60 per cent of our occupancy. The current ARR has dropped considerably forcing hotels to offer additional services like free airport transfers, office transfers, laundry services, high speed Wi-Fi, one meal,

etc. This is making survival more difficult. There is a potential to establish a strong GDS base and practice e-commerce. Pune being a tier II city has a lot of potential for online business.

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Pune hospitality growth has been tremendous Pune hospitality The development of hospitality in Pune has been tremendous. In fact, Pune has witnessed all the big names of the hotel industry in the past four years, leading to over supply of rooms. However, the development has drawn in the growth and opportunity for employment in this sector.

Neerav Panchamia Owner E-Square Hotel Pune

Market Scope

City Focus – Pune

Special

HRAWI Convention

The critical traffic of the city till date is corporate travel. Yet, I believe that Pune needs to have further developments in tourism that will have people coming to the city for leisure. As of now, leisure travel is diverted to Lonavala or

Vinay Chotalia President

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Mahabaleshwar as the city has very less tourist spots to offer. Our Sales & Marketing strategy for the year will be to focus on companies from around Pune, coupled with some great weekend packages in the leisure travel sector. The average occupancy that we are getting is 68 per cent with an ARR of `3,900.

Expectations We need a tourism boost for Pune with the Central, State and local administration promoting and developing tourist spots in the region. We also expect concessions in taxes from the Centre and State Governments, which will ultimately result in higher spends at hotels and restaurants.

Poona Hoteliers Association

Organises a lecture on ‘Updated Tax Structure for Hotel Industry’ On July 30, 2013, the 12th Annual General Meeting of Poona Hoteliers Association (PHA) was held at the Radisson Hotel, Kharadi, Pune.

The AGM was attended by many hoteliers who are members of the Association. The meeting was convened by Suresh Talera - President of Honour and was ably supported by Darius Buhariwala - the immediate past President, Vinay Chotalia – President (earlier VP), Sanjay Singh – Senior VP (earlier Hon. Treasurer), Neerav Panchamia – Vice President (earlier Hon. Secretary), Mahipal Singh - Hon. Secretary and C Behl – Hon. Joint Secretary of the Association.

The welcome and opening speech was given by Neerav Panchamia. This was followed by Vinay

Sanjay Singh Senior VP

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Mahipal Singh Hon. Secretary

Chotalia giving his Presidential speech. Members attended the AGM with a detailed analysis on the working of the Association in the last one year. Thereafter, PHA also organised a lecture on the subject – ‘Updated Tax Structure for Hotel Industry’ which was presented by Amol Majgaonkar, a Chartered Accountant.

PHA Goals PHA actively seeks better privileges and concessions for its members. PHA now has more than 70 members. “We believe that the growth of this industry also specially depends on the availability of trained manpower. To meet this demand we hold several seminars and training programmes on operational topics for the staff and executives of the member hotels which facilitate this cause. We are extremely proud to announce that on many occasions the knowledge bank from within the Pune hotels has been tapped, and we have conducted many seminars which have been conducted by the department heads and even general managers from our hotel members,” informed Vinay Chotalia. Sanjay Singh said, “We actively seek better privileges and concessions for our Members and are in pursuit of the latest trade related information and trends.”

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Hosting large conventions in the city Mumbai hospitality The hospitality industry in Mumbai has been growing year-on-year. The increase in commercial set ups within the city, especially in the Navi Mumbai belt, has fuelled this growth. With regard to upcoming hotels, both the international and domestic players are keenly exploring options across various brands in their portfolio to cater to multiple segments of travellers. Mumbai being the commercial capital of India becomes an ideal and preferred MICE destination. Additionally, the cosmopolitan character of the city makes it a preferred relocation option amongst expatriates.

With the growing infrastructure, better

connectivity and simplified visa processes the city attracts more and more travellers.

Luring MICE MICE continues to be an important segment for us through 2013. We have seen a robust growth in revenues from this segment till now. The queries for the rest of the year are currently being plugged in and Q4 seems to be in much demand. This segment is driven by demand from the domestic market and we have not seen many international conventions taking place this year. Improvising the offerings and pricing competitively is the market trend for 2013. As most of the queries coming to us are either through large corporate houses or associations, we are relying heavily on the Marriott network. Also, our sales force drives the bookings. The strength of our brand is also helping lure MICE business. Effective advertising and PR is another important tool to drive this segment.

Saeid Heidari General Manager Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

Successful Drive

HRAWI Convention

The Centre & State Government along with the local administration can continue to promote the various regions of the country for their unique offerings in terms of stay, sightseeing, travel, connectivity, etc., and promote the same aggressively to the key foreign markets. It is vital for the governments to work in tandem with the aviation industry to offer attractive and economical packages and increase the influx of foreign tourists. The need is to preserve our cultural and monumental heritage in order to continue to build on India as an exotic and complete tourist destination.

Special

Expectations

City Focus – Mumbai

The hotel has been consistently growing on market share this year. In an extremely competitive market, the hotel has been successful in driving occupancy at 70 per cent commanding a premium over competition. The hotel’s unique location, sense of space, exemplary service standards and an established reputation to host the larger conventions in the city makes it a preferred destination for guests.

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Nashik hospitality industry has not grown as expected Nashik Hospitality The hospitality industry in Nashik has not grown as expected over the years, especially the midmarket and luxury segments. This is mainly because the demand has not increased in recent years. As a matter of fact, Ibis Nashik is the only international hotel in the city. Manufacturing industries in the city have seen a dip in their production in recent years due to the economic slowdown and labour-related issues.

This is affecting the city’s growth in this industry, as we depend so much on the corporate segment for business. However, there has been a growth in the leisure segment due to weekend breaks.

Deka Ridul General Manager Ibis Nashik

Sales & Marketing Strategy

City Focus – Nashik

Special

HRAWI Convention

The corporate segment is still the major source of business for many hotels in the city. However, we can see a recent surge in MICE, weddings and leisure business in our hotel.

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We are looking at increasing our market share in the next few months by offering absolute valuefor-money. At the same time, our focus will be to maintain our international standards and make our property the most popular destination for discerning travellers.

Market Scenario City hotels have an average occupancy of 5560 per cent and we have been able to keep up with that pace because the demand is less. The competition for business has been growing in most places and Nashik is no different from that trend.

Our focus is always on maintaining our standards, guest services, building enduring relationships and overall maintenance of the property. We also, as part of the Accor Group, offer ‘15 minutes satisfaction guarantee policy’ to our guests as a commitment to quality and satisfaction.

Expectations Today, most of our guests complain about growing taxes on their hotel bills. I would like authorities to reduce the tax burden so that it becomes a win-win situation for everyone. I would also like the government to create an environment that helps which helps manufacturing industries to flourish their businesses. This will eventually help all other businesses associated with the hospitality industry.

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Aurangabad as an automobile and engineering hub Aurangabad Hospitality The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project is an ambitious project aimed at developing an industrial zone spanning across six states in India, and is being taken up in Aurangabad by the Government of India. It is being developed with Japanese assistance as part of the DMIC, and the Government of Maharashtra has decided to develop the Shendra-Bidkin belt in Aurangabad as planned industrial townships to act as a major investment node.

Leisure, FITs, corporates and wedding groups form the major business chunk of our hotel.

We are achieving a high occupancy of 70-80 per cent with an ARR of `3,500-4,000, while the city averages 50-60 per cent and `3,000-3,500, respectively. Retaining guest is our topmost

There is a need to seek assistance from MTDC on promoting Aurangabad as a destination for international tourists as well as domestic. The city also needs assistance from aviation in terms of more flights which will induce tourism.

Rupesh Singh General Manager Lemon Tree Hotel

Further, overall tax pressure including service tax, luxury tax, income tax and VAT comes to nearly 70 per cent. This challenges hospitality operations.

It is vital that tourists have information, incentives and capacity to spend more locally. There are many factors in the local environment which government, particularly the local government, can influence.

Creating scope for tourism Tourists’ spend is influenced by safety and security in the local environment, low levels of tourist hassle, easy money-changing facilities, easy transport to local sites, good places to shop and browse through having shade, sale of beverages, etc., and information about local products, or a ‘made local’ brand. If local products are not of good quality, no amount of marketing will help. Training to be an artisan through NGOs supported by government could be a solution.

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The government can support and oversee development of a ‘made local’ brand. This brand can be applied to a range of goods and services, giving higher value to products and giving more information to tourists. They want to buy products that are unique to the destination. The State Government and non-government agencies can work with producers to develop the places.

We have to ensure that tourists are well informed about what products to buy, where they are made, by whom, and how… as these add a significant interest among the tourists and value to the product, and thus a price as well.

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Market Scenario

Expectations

City Focus – Aurangabad

The industrial park is to come up on 8,400 hectares of land, i.e., 20,756 acres. The US firm, AECOM, has been roped in as a consultant for planning the township. The State has also decided to rope in a Japanese consortium to recommend use of technology for infrastructure upgrades in these areas. The State has plans to develop the Aurangabad belt as an automobile and engineering hub. An exhibition and convention centre is being developed at Shendra. Hence, the scope for several luxury and budget hotels in and around the city is immense.

priority. We are aggressively carrying out marketing & promotions, and PR exercises to promote our property.

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Navi Mumbai getting many new hotels Navi Mumbai Hospitality In the past two years, Navi Mumbai has seen the advent of many new hotels, domestic as well as international brands. There has been an addition of more than 650 rooms in this market. Many hotel companies have plans to open new properties in Navi Mumbai and a few of the projects have started moving this way.

City Focus – Navi Mumbai/Vashi

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HRAWI Convention

Sumit Kant Vice President & General Manager Four Points by Sheraton

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Critical Traffic Our hotel is a complete corporate entity having 95 per cent of our guests as corporates. Starwood Preferred Guest Loyalty programme helps the hotel in driving the business. The mix also comprises 85 per cent foreigners who come and stay for longer periods. The average length of stay has been around four days and these guests mostly arrive on project-based stay.

Our Sales & Marketing strategy emphasises on weekend and holiday business. I expect that very soon, since Navi Mumbai has the biggest International Exhibition Centre in Vashi which is located within a stone’s throw of the hotel. We are expecting the exhibition centre to be operational before November 2013, so that the peak exhibition period of November 2013 to February 2014 could be catered to. This will help in driving business for hotels during weekends and holidays.

Business Proposition The city commands an average occupancy of 60 per cent. However, our occupancy is way above the city average. We have a very healthy ADR

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and RevPAR, which is more than 30 per cent of the city average. We have done extremely well because of the location, the product and service complimented by the brand and its loyalty programme.

Expectations The State Government must rationalise the taxes.

The land must be made available on a cheaper rate for the development of hotels. There are many projects in the pipeline in Navi Mumbai like an exhibition centre, Mono Rail project, hopefully an international airport, etc. These projects need to be expedited and only then can Navi Mumbai be showcased on the travel map of the State.

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Indian hospitality’s

way forward

The ‘2013 Hospitality Development Summit’ was held in Mumbai recently, providing members of the industry with an in-depth analysis of the Indian hospitality sector and also charting the way forward for the industry. Lyandra D’souza

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n a bid to provide an insight into the Indian hospitality industry, the ‘Hospitality Development Summit’ held at the ITC Maratha in Mumbai laid emphasis on trends for the future, growth strategies, innovations, the key to sustainable growth, legal and regulatory issues, tax implications and the challenges and expectations of the industry. Over 200 executives across hotels, state tourism boards, hotel operators, real estate and finance sectors were present at the summit to analyse and discuss issues and possibilities of overcoming the challenges in the development and expansion of the Indian hospitality and leisure sector.

Prominent speakers at the conference included Lalit Bhasin, Advocate, Supreme Court, Chairman SEPC and Hon., Legal Advisor to FHRAI; Uttam Dave, President & CEO, InterGlobe Hotels; Ajay K Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels; Shane Kirge, General Manager, Ritz Carlton; Rajesh Punjabi, Vice Pres-

ident-Development, Hilton International and Zia Sheikh, CEO & CMD, Svenska Design Hotels among others.

Discussions One of the key topics discussed was ‘Opportunities and challenges present in the development of hospitality in Tier II cities’. Speaking on the panel for this topic, Dave opined, “Low room rates in Tier II cities make investment in properties not feasible. It’s the rule of 80:20 that we follow when it comes to establishing properties. Metropolitan cities always give profits. We’d rather build a hotel every 4 km in Mumbai than in a Tier II city.

However, Pune and Chandigarh are great Tier II markets, unlike Vishakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram and Vadodara.

However, Beni Agrawal, General Manager - Business Development, Key Hotels stated, “It is not a good idea to bundle cities under brands, instead owners need to build hotels in a way that their recurring costs go down. They should be careful not

to over-guild the hotel, instead develop functional hotels for the market. I believe that when more brands enter Tier II cities, room rates will correct themselves.”

Developing MICE opportunities

In the panel discussion on ‘Creating and Improving Opportunities for MICE in India’, Vikram Kamat, Executive Director, Kamat Hotels said, “The mindset required for MICE is not present in the country currently. We have world-class airports but no support for large conventions. The basic infrastructure required to support large conventions is almost nonexistent. Instead of aiming to attract international MICE events to India, we should begin by focussing on domestic exhibitions and conventions and solving the problems there.” Bakaya added, “There is tremendous opportunity and potential in the MICE segment within the country, as well as plenty of room for growth within India, especially in the conference segment.”

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rule

Creating partitions is an integral element in interior spaces. The new age Magnesium Oxide partition board is not only an option for interior needs but also compliments the need of exteriors. This is a tensile, long lasting and environment-friendly product.

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enturing out for the first time outside Europe, Megapan has established its presence in India. It is known for its partition boards i.e., of Megapan Base, a Magnesium Oxide type board and has tied up with Dalhoff Larsen & Horneman (DLH), a known brand in the trading of timber and wood products all over the world. By tying up with DLH, Megapan will approach the Indian market for

partition board needs by providing its expertise to different sectors with key importance to hospitality.

The option given by Megapan is positioned to replace wood, gypsum and cement based board products which primarily focus on decorating and creating space separations in the buildings. Christian Blicher Hansen, Regional Manager, DLH says, “Our

Christian Blicher Hansen Regional Manager DLH

Ranjit Kumar Singh National Sales Manager Panel Division, DLH

aim is to give a wide range of options through this friendly construction panel, suitable for both exterior as well interior applications.”

Strong characteristics Megapan Base is a technologically advanced building material that offers superior performance in every category when compared to traditional wood, gypsum and cement board based products.

Hansen adds, “The product is practically water resistant (diffuses water), fireproof withstanding A1 Class combustibility (800°C-1200°C), borer resistant (antitermite), termite and algae resistant and causes no harmful emissions like VOCs. It

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has very less carbon content and is a 100 per cent environment-friendly product.”

Chemically, it is a kind of board manufactured from a combination of Magnesium Oxide and Magnesium Chloride as its main materials. It is reinforced with alkali-resistant fibreglass mesh and a light modified mixture is used as a filling material. It takes six weeks to achieve the final products after natural drying during the manufacturing process.

The Belgium-based company, Megapan has established its production units in Turkey and China and takes three months to ship any order placed.

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Megapan panel dimensions  Megapan offers 16 varied options for particle board based on thickness that ranges from 3mm to 38mm.  The panel dimensions are – 2500mm x 1200mm, 2600mm x 1200mm, 2800mm x 1200mm and 3000mm x 1200mm.  Dimensional tolerances in accordance with EN 12467 – length (+/-) 5 mm, width (+/-) 3.6 mm, thickness (+/-) 10 per cent and perpendicular tolerance (+/-) 2 mm

Usability The product is expected to score on the flexibility it provides to users. “It is smooth on one side and textured on the other, which will allow it to be simply used with glue or cement bonding directly on the wall or floor. Though mainly used for exterior and interior wall partitions and ceilings, it can be used in different ways nonetheless,” explains

Ranjit Kumar Singh, National Sales Manager, Panel Division of the company.

The strength of the product is that it is apt for bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

Hansen adds, “We are going to target hospitality aggressively from high to mid scale hotels, convention halls, etc., apart from hospitals and housing societies.”

The product scores on convenience.

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Mounting of dry walls demands skill and Megapan particle boards are easier to mount on any platform. Its porous nature is good enough to take screws and nails apart from the option of using it having pre-drilled holes,” he says.

Replacing traditional board material is not an easy task. Hansen says, “The approximate market size for panel-based products in India is `15,000 crore. The organised players command only 30 per cent of the total market size. The fact that the cost of labour component is going up rapidly, is making brighter proposition for products that are easier to install and manage in the longer run like ours.” There is nonetheless competition in the international market.

“In comparison to other Magnesium Boards available in the market, Megapan is having a unique property which comes from a revolutionary production method as well as an in-house developed binding agent, which makes it superior to all other available Magnesium Oxide boards,” he concludes.

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movements

within the hospitality trade Sunil Pathania

Maahesh S Aiyer

Michel Koopman

Vice President Tux Hospitality

Vice President Operations Lemon Tree Premier

General Manager Leela Kempinski Gurgaon

Sunil Pathania has been appointed as the Vice-President of Tux Hospitality recently,and has over 17 years of experience in the hospitality industry. A Post Graduate in Business Administration, Pathania has worked as the Vice President, Operations and Development of Peppermint Hotels. He was responsible for the opening and operations of five Peppermint Hotels. In addition to planning, organising, developing, coordinating and over-seeing all operational activities, he has also been involved in brand positioning, revenue growth, general administration, leadership and corporate office relations.

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He holds exposure in the managerial cadre with his active engagement at the Ginger Hotels and the Shangri-La Hotel, New Delhi.

Lemon Tree Hotels has appointed Maahesh S Aiyer as the Vice President - Operations, Lemon Tree Premier. Aiyer has over 18 years of experience across Sales & Marketing and Operations with The Taj Group of Hotels, in India and abroad. He was part of the team that created the ‘Vivanta by Taj’ brand. His last assignment was as the General Manager at Vivanta by Taj-Whitefield.

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Aiyer holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Madras University and has furthered his academic pursuits at IIM Bangalore and Cornell Winter University. In his new position, he will play a key role in enhancing and implementing the operations strategy of Lemon Tree Premier.

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts announced the appointment of Michel Koopman as General Manager of The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon. Previously, Koopman was the Director of Middle East Operations at Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, United Arab Emirates and General Manager of Eastern Mangroves Hotel and Spa.

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Koopman has experience in hotel operations, food & beverage, multiple hotel unit management, organisational re-structuring and marketing. His successful stint with the leading global hotel groups includes Hyatt International, Hilton and InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG).

Ritu Chawla General Manager Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan Ritu Chawla is the General Manager of Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Chakan. With a career spanning over 16 years, she joins the Marriott Group in India with the opening of Courtyard property at Chakan Pune. She holds an executive MBA from SP Jain College, Mumbai. She has been associated with the Taj Mahal Palace & Towers, Mumbai and Vivanta by Taj, Fisherman’s Cove, Chennai. She will be responsible for designing, developing and implementing service architecture, brand management and positioning strategies for the hotel. She will also look into the strategy development & deployment, delivering the revenues and costs.

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Ranju Alex

Nishant Agarwal

Vivek Braganza

General Manager Goa Marriott Resort & Spa

Executive Assistant Manager Westin Mumbai Garden City

Director of Sales & Marketing Hyatt Regency Pune

Ranju Alex has been appointed as the General Manager of the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. She joined Marriott International in 2010 after being the officiating GM at the Oberoi Grand Hotel, Kolkata. She moves to Goa after completing a successful tenure with the first Marriott property in Pune as the GM of Courtyard by Marriott, Pune Hinjewadi. In her current role, Alex will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of operational and strategic management of the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa.

Nishant Agarwal has been appointed as Executive Assistant Manager at The Westin Mumbai Garden City. With over 14 years of experience, his prior assignment was with The Trident Nariman Point - Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Mumbai as Food & Beverage Manager.

Vivek Braganza has been appointed in the capacity of Director of Sales & Marketing at Hyatt Regency Pune. A Post Graduate in Business Administration specialised in Sales & Marketing from Indira Institute of Management, Pune, he started his career in 2003 with the Taj Group of Hotels as an Assistant Manager in Commercial Sales. He has handled various sales portfolios both at unit and corporate level. In 2008, he joined Marriott Hotels, India as an Associate Director of Convention & Exhibition Sales – India, in 2010 he was promoted to the Director of Sales position at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. His last assignment was with the Marriott International as a Director of Revenue Analysis – Pune Cluster, prior to joining Hyatt Regency Pune.

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In her earlier stints, she has served as the General Manager of Oberoi Grand Hotel, Kolkata. She is a diploma holder in Hotel Management, IHM Kolkata. She is also a gold medalist from the Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development (OCLD).

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His previous work experience includes Restaurant Manager at Renaissance Mumbai Hotel and Convention Centre, Mumbai. With travelling as a passion, Agarwal has completed his Diploma in Hotel Management from IHM, Pusa, New Delhi.

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Sridhar Sigatapu

Priti Sharma

Urvashi Malik

Executive Chef Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai

Corporate Training & Development Manager Tux Hospitality

Manager – Marketing Communications The Claridges New Delhi

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Sridhar Sigatapu has been appointed as the Executive Chef of Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai. He brings with him 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He did his Diploma in Hotel Management from the Indo-American Hotel Management Academy at Visakhapatnam. As Executive Chef at Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai, he will oversee all operations related to multi-cuisine restaurants at the property.

Priti Sharma has been recently appointed as the Corporate Training & Development Manager at Tux Hospitality. She brings with her 7 years of experience in the hospitality, media and tourism industry. With a Post Graduate degree in hotel management, she has experience in training and development execution of three pre-opening hotels in Dubai. She has also worked with Taj Tashi Thimpu, Bhutan as a Assistant Learning & Development Manager.

He has also worked with DoubleTree

by Hilton in London Heathrow and the Ramada at London Heathrow. He has diverse experiences of having worked with Indian and international hotels.

She will be involved in the training, planning and execution process, setting up training departments, developing departmental trainers, creating and developing SOPs and so on.

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The Claridges, New Delhi has appointed Urvashi Malik as Manager – Marketing Communications. She has over five years of experience in the hotel industry. In her new role, she will be responsible for driving PR & marketing campaigns, deciding marketing strategies, media planning & in charge of all the other marketing communications initiatives of the The Claridges New Delhi and The Claridges Mussoorie.

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She has been associated with the leading hotels like ITC Hotels, Hilton Worldwide India and The Park Hotels.

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Snaaan Venezia Collection by Fantini Snaaan Luxury Bathrooms is showcasing the Venezia Collection by Fantini at its stores. It entails a combination of attention to detail and high craftsmanship of Murano hand-blown glass that merges with a precise and rigorous geometry of shapes.

Designed by Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez, the mixers feature coloured handles encased in hand-blown Murano beveled glass. A contoured planar spout gives the design a sleek, streamlined appearance.

In addition to the three-hole basin deck mount, other selections in the series include a single-hole mixer, three-hole wall mount and a bath-shower mixer. The Venezia faucets are available in silver, chrome, nickel and gold finishes, while colour options for the glass handles include red, black, white or blue.

Ozone products Door Eye for security needs Ozone presents Door Eye with advanced features providing the perfect guard and safety for your homes. This highly functional Door Eye from Ozone helps you prevent any unwelcome elements from entering your doorsteps. It comes with a 200o angle view offering a much wider outer view, and thereby ensuring better safety and security of your place.

The product comes with glass lens along with a flap and has a Satin Nickel finish for better aesthetics.

This door eye can be easily fitted on all types of doors, even on existing doors. Ozone endeavours to provide the best safety solutions as per international standards for its discerning customers and Door Eye is another such product.

Automatic cloth drying rack Ozone@Homz has introduced Automatic Cloth Drying Racks for hassle-free and quick drying

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of clothes. It is applicable for drying all sorts of apparels with minimal effort, irrespective of the weather outside. The rack can be easily installed on the ceiling or can also be used in the cloakroom or laundry rooms without occupying much space.

It comes with a UV disinfectant function to prevent harmful germs and bacteria to grow in clothes due to moisture.

The product is easy to operate with a remote control and is absolutely safe even with 1800 V high voltage test. It is an energy efficient design as it consumes less power. It has four remote controlled aluminium poles which can be auto-lifted or brought down for use when required.

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Creambell introduces Paan Kulfi

Creambell has announced the launch of a new addition to its range - the new Paan Kulfi. The new kulfi on a stick presents the traditional taste of paan (betel leaf) in Creambell’s luscious and creamy texture.

Along with the Paan Kulfi, Creambell has also introduced another variant for Mango lovers – the Mango Kulfi. It packs the authentic flavour of mango with kulfi, allowing mango lovers to enjoy their favourite fruit throughout the year.

Talking about the launch of the new products, Nitin Arora, CEO, Creambell Ice Creams said, “At Creambell, we believe in constantly innovating and offering different experiences to our consumers with every new product. Kulfi is a favourite amongst Indians, and now with the addition of the exotic flavour of paan, the consumers can experience our trademark Kulfi in an altogether different avatar.”

Paan Kulfi and Mango Kulfi are priced at `15 per unit (40gm/50ml) and are available across Delhi/NCR, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh at all retail outlets and push carts.

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Electrolux Compact Combi Steam Oven The new Electrolux compact range of appliances - Designed to Inspire - has launched a new compact combi steam oven. The new range has a high quality stainless steel fronts that enhances any kitchen design, no matter how small. The compact range is big on performance and quality, offering the same high performance features of the full size models.

Manage cooking appliances through PC The Combi Steam Oven is designed to match other appliances in the range, touch key display puts all the functions one needs at fingertips, including a ‘MyFavourite’ button, nine pre-set cooking programmes, fast-heat-up function and14 heating modes. Further, multifunction combines Ultrafan cooking with other cooking functions, where one can choose the best setting to suit the cooking needs. A fan controlled defrosting is available too.

Analog CCTV Cameras For a premium solution in unobtrusive surveillance, CP PLUS TeknoLogix labs from CP PLUS has recently launched a new range of HQIS Analog CCTV Cameras under range of 600 TVL and 650 TVL, to capture high quality picture and accurate colours even in low light.

The HQIS technology is value-for-money from CP PLUS, making it more effective to any small or large security applications like hotels, banks, schools, offices, malls, etc.

The premium 1/3 HQIS series enables CP PLUS 600 and 650 TV lines to deliver images with utmost clarity pertaining to any scene with no jagged edges, even when detecting fast-moving objects. The cameras provide true day/night functionality that includes an IR filter that automatically switches to night mode in low light conditions. Under the 600TVL range, an array of 4 Array LEDs in CP-RAC-TC60VBA5 and 2 Array LEDs in CP-RAC-TC60A4 that automatically turn on in low-lighting are incorporated in the cameras for crystal clear night vision.

Rational has recently launched a new software that allows chefs to monitor and control their cooking appliances from their desk – the Rational KitchenManagement System.

With the Rational KitchenManagement System, cooking processes can be generated in seconds on a computer and automatically transferred to all connected units simultaneously. The best thing about this system is that chefs can even initiate, monitor and control cooking processes from their PC. All you need is a Windows XP-compatible PC with a USB port and network system connecting the units to the PC. “With our KitchenManagement System, cooking processes can be modified quickly and easily from a PC for different branches with up to 30 different units,” explains Jessica Braun, Product Manager at Rational. “This means that our customers can now organise weekly promotions, speciality days and all the occasions that require new processes centrally with minimum effort,” she adds.

In addition, HACCP data can be automatically transferred and displayed as tables or graphics on the PC at any time.

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Convenience Cooking J ust like ginger from the hills of Karbi Anglong district of Assam has been found to deliver the best aroma and flavour to Indian food due to its organic properties, it is the tomatoes from Bengaluru that imparts a richer colour to the dish.

Such and many more interesting facets of modern day Indian kitchen and the growing trend of ‘Convenience Cooking’ were revealed in an interactive session titled the ‘Changing Face of Indian Kitchen’, organised

by Dabur India at Hotel Park in New Delhi. Dr B L Satyaranyan - Food and Dairy Technologist and Pune

Chapter Vice President of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, Bocuse d’Or Award winning Chef Pankaj Sharma – Executive Sous Chef of Hotel Lodhi Aman, New Delhi, T Vijay Bhaskar Reddy – Head of Foods R&D, Dabur India and Praveen Jaipuriar, Category Head – Foods, Dabur India participated in the interaction. The session also saw a live kitchen demo by Chef Pankaj Sharma on ‘Convenience Cooking’ – the trend of cooking healthy and tasty food at home in a short time, a trend picking up in urban Indian kitchens.

p Chef Pankaj Sharma

p (From left) T Vijay Bhaskar Reddy, Chef Pankaj Sharma and Praveen Jaipuriar

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p Tropical Paradise

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p The Power of T - Nutrition talk by Typhoo

The power of ‘T’ T

ea is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world. An in-depth talk about this drink with healing powers was held at the Cha Bar last month by Typhoo with renowned nutritionist Naini Setalvad. She said, “We are all aware of the fact that antioxidants present in tea offer numerous health benefits including cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and protection against stroke and heart attack. But tea has more to offer and is one of the healthiest beverages available.”

Present at the occasion, Typhoo spokesperson Renu Kakkar said, “In today’s day and age, when there are unhealthy beverage options present, it is important to remember that tea while also keeping you hydrated offers numerous health benefits along with great flavour. Typhoo has 16 varieties to offer from its premium teas to its flavoured and green tea range. The best part is if one feels like having a

cold glass to quench thirst in the summer heat, Typhoo has a fruit infusion range free from sugar, caffeine, preservatives and artificial flavouring.” p Naini Setalvad at Typhoo’s Power of T event

p Guests enjoying Typhoo fruit infusions

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Meeting and greeting whisky lovers@Delhi Duty Free

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hyte and Mackay and Delhi Duty Free organised a whisky tasting and interactive session for Whisky connoisseurs. On the occasion, Whyte and Mackay’s world renowned Brand Ambassador for The Dalmore collection – David Robertson revealed the secrets of whisky blending, distilling and fermentation while taking the guests on a sensory journey to the very heart of the Scottish whisky.

The guests enjoyed different flavours of whisky being offered at the session including the 1981 and 1978 bottles from The Dalmore Constellation Collection and the popular Mackinlay’s Shackleton Whisky. David Robertson said, “India is a unique market. We have always seen a tremendous demand for our collection amongst Indian travellers and Delhi Duty

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Free is the perfect platform to engage with our Indian whisky lovers. I am very happy to be here today to meet and take the whisky aficionados through the journey of our brand, and I look forward to more such occasions.”

Antonio Dias, Head Purchase - Liquor & Confectionary, Delhi Duty Free Services added, “We are delighted that David is here to directly give consumers his fascinating insights on various Scottish malts and the distilling processes of Whyte and Mackay. Whisky and malts are the most popular product category at our duty free shops, and we are glad that we have been able to arrange such an important interactive session for whisky lovers with David.

I am sure that it has helped us all to get a sense of how much effort goes into making the world’s finest malts.”

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‘Hi Tea’

promotion

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p (From Left) Golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar and Brian Povinelli, SVP, Global Brand Leader Westin & Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts

‘Golf Clinic’ with Gaganjeet Bhullar

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estin Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Preferred Guest Members had an exclusive opportunity to take a swing with Gaganjeet Bhullar through SPG MomentsSM. On July 5, 2013, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programme from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide hosted an exciting evening at The Westin Gurgaon New Delhi with ace golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar followed by a wonderful comic act by known comedian Raghav Mandav.

Gaganjeet Bhullar earlier this year for Westin Hotels and Resorts.

Through this partnership with Bhullar, SPG gave its members a unique experience to swing along with the ace golfer.

The poolside of the hotel came alive with a mini golf course created where guests learned winning tips from the golfer himself.

“Our sponsorship of Gaganjeet Bhullar highlights our emphasis on promoting a healthy and Starwood Hotels & Resorts officially active lifestyle. SPG goes beyond announced a partnership with gaining and redeeming points, it’s about building a deeper relationship with our guests.

We want to offer our guests exclusive experiences that they are most passionate about. And through our collaboration with Bhullar, our members can connect with their passion for this entertaining world-class sport,” said Dilip Puri, Managing Director - India and Regional Vice President - South Asia, Starwood Asia p Ace Golfer Ganganjeet Bhullar and Dilip Puri, with SPG Pacific Hotels & Resorts. at the Golf Clinic at The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi

he Lobby Lounge at ShangriLa’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi brought an elaborate Hi Tea menu devised by three of its talented chefs - Chef Darren Conole, Chef Cedric Houze and Chef Ravi Kumar.

Hi Tea immediately brought in the memories of the British gentry, liveried bearers p English Hi Tea by Chef carrying silver Darren Conole trays replete with scones dripping with honey or jam, dainty wafer thin sandwiches filled with thin slices of cucumber, cakes with cream, pastries and p French Hi Tea by Chef crumpets, coffered Cedric Houze ladies with pinky fingers stuck up in the air and Victorian décor.

The event was held from June 15 - July 31, 2013.

Lobby Lounge’s English Hi Tea offers p Indian Hi Tea by Chef Ravi Kumar scrumptious sweet delights like Scones with Jam and Cream, Swan Cakes, English Dry Fruit Cake, crunchy Oatmeal Cookies and such savouries as Cucumber and Mint Sandwiches, Egg Custard Tart, Tuna Flakes and Eggs Open Face and Cheddar Cheese Straws, that will transport guests back to that era.

Moreover, Indian food can also be enjoyed with Indian traditional high tea, accompanied with Dhokla, Khandvi, Mini Masala Kachori, Papri Chaat, Cocktail Samosa, Mini Chutneywale Paneer ka Lifafa, Masala Aloo Tikki and Mini Bread Pakora.

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 12-08-2013