Food & Hospitality World (Vol.3, No.15) April 16-30, 2015

I N D I A’ S F O R E M O S T H O S P I TA L I T Y P U B L I C AT I O N ER ST W H I L E E X PR E S S H O S P I TA L I T Y •

F O R T N I G H T LY I N S I G H T F O R T H E F O O D A N D H O S P I T A L I T Y T R A D E

April 16-30, 2015 Vol 3 | No. 15 | Pages 56 | `50

EDITOR’S NOTE

Change is in the air

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13 years and still growing strong. The Taj Group of Hotels is undoubtedly an institution that has given the hospitality industry human capital that has flourished both nationally and internationally. This group has witnessed a series of changes and challenges but has stood the test of time, continuing to give the world an Indian homegrown brand that is world class.

Like in the past, there has been a shake up at the top management of the group under a new leader with a new management mantra.

Rakesh Sarna, has taken a decision to move from the earlier brand wise structure to that of a region wise structure, a format reasonably visible in practice internationally.

The renewed business strategy is to have a clear cut region wise set up, divided into the Central, North and South zones respectively. The central zone will be headed by Farhat Jamal who will come in from ShangriLa. Prabhat Verma, who is currently chief operating officer of the Gateway brand, will

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April 16-30, 2015

“From development along the highways, to mid market brands making inroads into India’s upcoming industrial towns and cities,the playground is open to one and all”

take up responsibility down south, and Rohit Khosla will be back from Sri Lanka to take on the mantle in the North. Recently the group saw two of its senior members retire after 41 years and 39 years of service at the Taj namely Chef Hemant Oberoi and Veer Vijay Singh, COO of the Vivanta brand.

The Vivanta brand is scheduled to enter Guwahati and Amritsar in the future and our cover story this issue clearly states this fact that the future of hospitality seems visibly strong in India’s Tier II and Tier III cities. From development along the highways, to mid market brands making inroads into India’s upcoming industrial towns and cities, the playground is open to one and all. Further, there are brands, which are also solely looking at investing in pilgrim destinations of India.

REEMA LOKESH Editor

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CONTENTS CHEF’S PLATTER

Vol 3 No 15 APRIL 16-30, 2015

Chairman of the Board Viveck Goenka Editor Reema Lokesh* Assistant Editor Steena Joy Senior Associate Editor Sudipta Dev

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CONTENT TEAM Mumbai Kahini Chakraborty Rituparna Chatterjee New Delhi Archana Sharma Kolkata Joy Roy Choudhury DESIGN National Art Director Bivash Barua Deputy Art Director Surajit Patro Chief Designer Pravin Temble Senior Graphic Designer Rushikesh Konka Senior Artist Ratilal Ladani Kiran Parker Scheduling & Coordination Mitesh Manjrekar Photo Editor Sandeep Patil MARKETING General Manager Sachin Shenoy Marketing Team Dattaram Kandalkar Rajan Nair Ashwani Kumar Shukla Sreejith Radhakrishnan Prateek Sahay Yoginder Singh Ajanta Sengupta NATIONAL FOOD & BEVERAGE SALES Sasi Kumar G Keshav Barnwal INTERNATIONAL FOOD & HOSPITALITY SALES Soumodip Ghosh Dhananjay Makharia

HIGH SPIRITS

THE HOTELPIPELINE As the economy improves, domestic business, leisure and MICE travel is expected to grow rapidly in India. Many homegrown as well as international hospitality brands have been busy charting their expansion plans to grow their footprint in different locations across the country (26-30)

Manager Bhadresh Valia

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CREATING BRAND INDIA NIKHIL AGARWAL HIGHLIGHTS HOW INDIAN WINES NEED TO TAKE GIANT STRIDES GLOBALLY

EDGE

MARKETS

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RESORT RIO GOA TO EXPAND IN GOA AND ENTER MAHARASHTRA

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CG GROUP TO INVEST AROUND `50 CRORE INTO CONCEPT HOSPITALITY IN INDIA

P18: NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi

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JUMEIRAH GROUP TO ENTER INDIA MARKET BY 2019

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THE CHANNEL CHALLENGE EVALUATING WHETHER CHANNEL MGMT APPLICATIONS ARE CONNECTED TO TOP PERFORMING CHANNELS IS A MUST

LIFE

P19: PRODUCT TRACKER Pergo

P38: MOVEMENTS PRODUCTION General Manager B R Tipnis

LEAVING A LEGACY CHEF HEMANT OBEROI’S FOUR DECADES WITH THE TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS, IS A STORY OF GRIT AND DETERMINATION

Keys Resorts Ronil,Goa

P50: WEEKEND Scene and heard

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QUINTESSENTIAL KOTWARA KOTWARA INITIATIVES OFFERS MANY UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TO TRAVELLERS

Food & Hospitality World Published for the proprietors, Global Fairs & Media Private Limited, by Vaidehi Thakar at Express Towers, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, and printed by her at Indian Express Press, Plot EL-208, TTC Industrial Area, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Editor : Reema Lokesh* (*responsible for selection of news under PRB Act). @ 2012 Global Fairs & Media Private Limited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Reproduction in whole or part without the Publisher's permission is prohibited.

MARKETS

Phoenix Mills subsidiary Bellona Hospitality launches 9 restaurant brands Sudipta Dev Mumbai BELLONA HOSPITALITY, a new brand that has been set up as a 100 per cent subsidiary of Phoenix Mills, is launching nine restaurant brands, which is aimed at redefining F&B in malls. The company owns many malls across the country – High Street Phoenix in Parel and Phoenix Market City Kurla (Mumbai); Phoenix Market City in Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai; Phoenix United in Lucknow and Bareilly. “F&B plays an integral part in the whole mall experience. For a restaurant operator, one of the most difficult things to get is real estate, and as we have captive real estate, so we decided to set up our own hospitality division,” said Romil Ratra, group director Hospitality, Phoenix Mills. He

F&B plays an integral part in the whole mall experience. For a restaurant operator, one of the most difficult things to get is real estate, and as we have captive real estate, so we decided to set up our own hospitality division Romil Ratra

added that the company is looking at creating an integrated F&B dining lifestyle hub that has worked very well in most international markets.

Bellona Hospitality will be opening one outlet of each brand in the next five to six months. By July 2015, there will be nine outlets running.

Currently the company is

looking at Mumbai and Pune, followed by Bengaluru. The tier II locations will be sometime later. “Over the next 18 months there is a roll out plan for 15-20 restaurants. One of the key things in F&B business is location. Ours malls have been the most successful in all the cities where we are present. We attract a great

profile of customers, so we decided, why not go above and beyond the F&B experience as well,” stated Ratra.

The first restaurant, 212 All Day Cafe & Bar, was launched at Phoenix Market City Kurla a few months ago, followed by Sichuan House at the same mall. The next few weeks will see the opening of Amaya and

Asia Bar there. “There will be a hub of nine restaurants in the mall. We have a vision for each of these brands. We have been able to come up with a good set of brands and concepts, today dining is all about the experience, not just food,” mentioned Ratra. While 212 offers a chic dining experience, Sichuan House is an upscale Chinese restaurant, and Amaya focuses on cuisine from the North West Frontier Province. The other brands, that are yet to be named, will bring new concepts - a fun Asian bistro that will see an innovative way of presenting Asian food, a fun bar, a top class deli. The night club is also in final stages of completion.

Phoenix Mills also owns the Palladium Hotel in Mumbai, Courtyard by Marriott in Agra and an upcoming hotel project in Chennai.

Taj Hotels redesigns business from brands to regions - North, Central and South Reema Lokesh Mumbai THERE IS A LOT happening within the 113 year old setup of India’s hospitality giant the Taj Hotels. Under the leadership of Rakesh Sarna, the company will now have a clear cut region wise set up, namely Central, North and South. Till recently the long running setup of brand-wise break up will be replaced by

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a region wise demarcation.

The Central zone will be headed by Farhat Jamal who will come in from Shangri-La. Prabhat Verma, who is currently chief operating officer of the Gateway brand, will take up responsibility down South, while Rohit Khosla will be back from Sri Lanka to take on the mantle in the North.

Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World,

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Prabhat Verma said, “I am looking forward to these new developments. The big plan is in place, though the structure and the specific job responsibilities are yet to be chalked out. This will happen in the coming months.”

Recently, the hotel group saw two of its senior members retire. Chef Hemant Oberoi who has given the Taj 41 years of service retired on March 31, 2015 while Veer Vijay Singh,

COO of the Vivanta brand also retired on the same day after 39 years of service. While Oberoi will continue as a consultant to the group for a year, Singh will be with the group for approximately the next two months to hand over charges to Jamal.

While these internal changes are under process to streamline the business, the company is looking at expanding further, both nationally

and internationally. The plan is to add 10 more properties under the Vivanta brand in the next five years, with Guwahati and Amritsar scheduled to open in financial year 2015-16. These expansions will be a combination of lease, management and ownership formats. Internationally, the group has set its vision on more properties in the Middle East and African countries.

MARKETS

KitchenAid plans product launch for every quarter Archana Sharma New Delhi IN AN EFFORT to expand their product portfolio in India, KitchenAid, the Whirlpool's kitchen appliances brand, has charted out an elaborate plan to launch one new product every quarter of the year. Elaborating on the same, Mohit Jain, regional director, Asia Pacific, KitchenAid Small Appliances, stated, “Presently, the Indian market has only about 10 per cent of the global product portfolio, with around 20 products of different variety and design. And therefore, we are looking at launching at least one product in every quarter of each year, giving the product and our team ample amount of time to adjust to the Indian market.” During AAHAR 2015, KitchenAid launched its 14 cup food processor with Exactslice Innovation and a 6.9Lt Professional Bowl Lift Stand Mixer and professional Bakeware.

Talking about the various challenges and opportunities, Jain believes that even though the brand awareness isn't as much as they hope, KitchenAid is well known amongst the chef community in India. “We are also looking at tying up with various cooking schools and educating the consumers through digital mediums,” he said.

Jain also informed that home bakers and Tier II cities are the major source segment for the KitchenAid. “The major metro cities have innumerable eating out options unlike the smaller regions with limited options and venues and therefore, the focus is to target these segments more,” he stated. Launched in India in 2013, KitchenAid is available across 40 outlets in India at present.

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s k n Tha for

t r o p Sup

MARKETS

JW Marriott opens premier luxury business hotel in Mumbai Sudipta Dev Mumbai MARRIOTT HOTEL GROUP opened its 28th property in India, with the launch of its mega hospitality project in Mumbai – the 585 keys JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar. Located at a distance of just a kilometre from T2, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Mumbai, the second JW Marriott property in India's financial capital is positioned as a premier luxury business hotel.

The hotel, which is a `600 crore project, is the seventh JW property in India. Arne M Sorenson, president and CEO,

Marriott International, who was present during the launch, said, “The growth potential of the market in India is spectacular, as the number of rooms in India is not very big. The growth rates are the fastest where the local GDP and local middle class is growing the most. India will become one of the top five markets in the next five years.” For Marriott Hotels, majority of the guests (almost 60 per cent) are Indians travelling within the country, the second highest being US business travellers (just short of 20 per cent).

In India, Marriott Hotels & Resorts currently has 52 proj-

ects in the pipeline. “All the 52 hotels will include our seven brands,” said Sorenson. He revealed that early this year when he had accompanied US president Obama during the latter's visit to India, he had got an opportunity to meet the Indian prime minister. “We spoke to the prime minister about the licensing issue. As many as 70 licenses are needed to open a hotel in Mumbai, compared to six in Singapore. We requested him to take an inventory of licenses.

I know that the prime minister heard those comments,” he stated with optimism about positive development on this issue in the future.

Resort Rio to expand in Goa and enter Maharashtra Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai A FIVE-STAR LUXURY property, Resort Rio Goa is all set to expand in Goa by adding three properties to its portfolio in the coming years.

The new additions will include a 60 room Rio Royale (phase two of Resort Rio Goa) to open by October 2015 in close proximity to the existing property, followed by a 25 room Rio Boutique in 2016, located four km away from Panaji and, a Rio Convention Centre in Mapusa, having 250 rooms and a capacity to host 1000-1500 pax. The development of the convention centre will start by 2016 and is ex-

pected to get completed in two-three years' time. Moreover, the brand will also be foraying into Maharashtra with a property in Malvan, Sindhudurg. It will be spread over seven lakh sq m of land and is expected to be operational by 2020.

Speaking about this expansion, Tirthram Arondekar, chief financial officer, Resort Rio Goa stated, “We have purchased lands in Mapusa and Malvan, but their planning will take time since we are presently busy with the development of Rio Royale and Rio Boutique. We chose Mapusa for our convention centre since it has a centralised location and is close to the railway

10 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

Anup Shah

station. Companies coming with a budget can opt to host their conventions here.”

An approximate investment of `50 crore each have

been made for the Rio Royale and Rio Boutique properties, added Arondekar.

Resort Rio Goa, the brainchild of London-based lawyer Anup Shah and also his maiden hospitality project, has been positioned as a MICE and wedding destination from the time it came into operation in 2010. “Our focus is on the wedding and MICE segments which contribute 50 per cent to our hotel revenue in any given month,” mentioned Anup Shah, managing director, Resort Rio Goa, adding that, they have been getting domestic and international travellers from markets like Mumbai, Gujarat, New

Delhi, Europe, Russia, among others.

When asked about the Goa hospitality market, Shah opined, “There is massive competition in the market with many hotels being launched as well as international brands coming in. As a result, revenue is coming under pressure. Also with the charter business absolutely diabolical this year, the supply is outstripping demand. Despite this downturn, Resort Rio Goa has experienced 16 per cent growth in revenue over the year with profitability up by 50 per cent. This year we are targeting a growth in turnover of around 25 per cent.”

MARKETS

Starwood to expand Le Meridien portfolio in South Asia market Archana Sharma New Delhi WITH AN AIM to further establish the Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand in the South Asian market, the company is planning to launch 10 to 12 properties in South Asia and six to eight hotels in India by the end of 2015. Dilip Puri, managing director, India and regional vice president, South Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts informed, “The South Asian market will observe the maximum number of Le Meridien properties opening by the end of this year. Le Meridien Mahabaleswar Resort and Spa will open its doors by end of April 2015, while Le Meridien Dhaka will be opening on June 1 followed by Le Meridien Paro, Bhutan in July.” Puri also stated that Sheraton Dhaka Hotel and Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel will be announced by July 1, 2015 while another conversion property Four Points by Sheraton Vadodara will also be announced

by July 1, 2015. The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat would also be unveiled around October 1, 2015.

Puri was speaking on the sidelines of the launch of Le Meridien in Gurgaon following the re-branding of the existing Pullman Central Park Gurgaon hotel, which was earlier managed by Accor. Highlighting the significance of the newly launched property, David Hopcroft, general manager, Le Meridien Gurgaon, believes the location of the property to be the USP. “We are based in the middle of the Aravalli Hills in Gurgaon, which is going to be a dynamic and ever-growing business hub,” he opined.

Talking about the potential of the Indian market, Brian Povinelli, global brand leader, Westin and Le Meridien, stated, “We are committed to the Indian market and are looking at focusing on the meetings and weddings segments.”

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Contact No: 011- 41652020

MARKETS

CP Foods looks at 30 to 40% increase in Five Star Chicken outlets in India Steena Joy Mumbai

India to get more Novotel and ibis hotels Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai ACCOR, a French hotel management chain, will be adding more hotels under its midscale Novotel and budget ibis brands to strengthen its presence in the India market. In India, Accor presently operates 32 hotels across eight brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, ibis and Formule1. Speaking on this, Nikhil Dhodapkar, regional director sales and marketing, India, Accor stated, “In India, we have a robust pipeline and growth is taking place across our major brands, typically driven by Novotel and ibis.

Novotel is the only brand which is now present in all possible premier and mini metro cities of India like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, excluding Delhi, which will open by July/August this year. While

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Nikhil Dhodapkar

ibis has a strong pan India presence with Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, among others.”

Last year, Accor opened Hotel Novotel Kolkata Hotel and Residences, the first Novotel brand in the eastern part of India and is currently evaluating opportunities in regions like Guwahati and Shillong. As for ibis, plans are underway to open three in Chennai, one in

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Kochi and Goa. However, when asked about the expected dates for the property openings, Dhodapkar declined to comment. Accor has earmarked an investment of US$ 280 million towards property development in India across all brands for the next five years.

Meanwhile, opportunities are also being explored for expanding the Grand Mercure brand in markets like Mysore and Baroda. A Pullman hotel would be opening in July/August this year in New Delhi.

While the launch of MGallery in Chennai, scheduled to open last year, is still uncertain.

“MGallery's development is still very slow since the past two years' investments had been slackening. The overall luxury and upscale business division for Accor has been moved to Singapore since major developments in Sofitel, MGallery and Pullman are happening in this part of the world,” mentioned Dhodapkar.

CPF INDIA, a subsidiary of Thailand-based CP Foods (Charoen Pokphand Foods) which operates the Five Star Chicken small-format quick-serve retail chain, is looking at the India market aggressively and is aiming at a 30 to 40 per cent increase in outlets (around 300 to 400 outlets) in the next few years. Speaking to Food & Hospitality World, Sanjeev Pant, senior vicepresident, CP Foods, said, “We are looking at growing our food business in India and Vietnam. CP Foods, a part of the diversified CP Group, is a Thai multi-national conglomerate with US$ 35 billion businesses in agro-industry and food, retail and telecommunications. In India, the markets we are looking at are Maharashtra, Nashik, Pune, Ahmednagar, among others.

We already have 240 outlets, mostly in south India across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.” Pant added, “For our chicken supply, we use contract poultry farmers who only work with us through a formal agreement. We provide them with the chicks and they will raise them to our standards and then we buyback from them. We even supply the chicken feed which is manufactured by our own feed mills. We have

Sanjeev Pant

seven feed mills in India, the newest one opened in Ahmednagar three months ago.”

Elaborating on the market strategy, Pant stated that the brand uses a small footprint format. “A high format model incurs huge overheads which consumers have to bear. In a small footprint format, the rentals are lower, so are manpower costs (even three people can run a store). We want to go where the middle class lives.

Our target is the young population of India thats why we want to keep our price points low. We have the backward integration because of our feed mills so that helps us pass on the benefits to our consumers.

We also plan to tweak the products to suit tastes and local palates.”

The brand is looking at Turkey for expanding internationally as it already has a feed farm there.

MARKETS

CG Group to invest around `50 crore into Concept Hospitality in India Aims to achieve 200 hotels by 2020 and become a dominant player in the market Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai NEPAL-BASED Chaudhary Group (CG) Hotels and Resorts has taken a strategic decision to invest in Concept Hospitality, which owns The Fern Brand in India . While Concept Hospitality will manage hotels belonging to CG Hotels and Resorts, the latter will help all hotels under its umbrella by offering a broader platform and international reach. In an exclusive with Food & Hospitality World, Binod Chaudhury, chairman, CG Group informed, “We have a strategic alliance with The Fern brand. We would be investing a

great deal of approximately `50 crore in promoting the venture.

Apart from this we would actively invest in assets giving them a broader national and international reach. The group’s vision is to grow to 200 hotels by 2020 and play a dominant role in the hospitality space globally. We would reach this though acquisition, last mile funding and management of new assets.” He also added, “We want to actively expand and manage Fern in India and overseas and give them an international edge. We commit to the environmental values of Fern and aim to spread the word through our sustainable hotels.”

CG Hotels has several interna-

tional sales offices which will help promote all hotels (both under its in-house brand Zinc Hospitality and Concept Hospitality). All the brands will now come under CG Hotels and Resorts. Based on the market, type of product, the hotel will be flagged under one of its brands.

When contacted for further details on the alliance, Param Kannampilly, chairman and managing director, Concept Hospitality elaborated, “We have entered into a strategic investment for an alliance with CG Group and are quite excited about it. By 2017-18 CG Group is expected to buyout certain private equity shares from our

company. Through this association we are the management wing of CG Group, and by 2017 we will have 88 hotels in various locations. Together presently we have 53 hotels and offer eight brands- Glow by Zinc, Zinc Journey, Zinc Living, Zinc City, The Fern, The Fern Residency , Beacon Hotels and Resorts as part of our portfolio. Our aim is to operate 200 hotels by 2020. We are presently identifying areas for our expansion and we are creating a business development arm to help us identify locations to reach our vision of having the balance 120 hotels as required.”

Presently, Concept Hospitality has 1,500 room inventory and

with more number of the Fern brand opening by 2017 another 1,500 rooms will be added. Apart from India, through the alliance, there are plans to expand into East Africa and Kathmandu by the end of this calendar year. “In East Africa, we will have The Zinc, and in Katmandu we will have Zinc City, Zinc Journey and Zinc Living. If we find more suitable and good locations then apart from managing properties CG Group will also invest into them,” mentioned Kannampilly, adding that, “destinations like Chennai city, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Shillong, Siliguri, Sikkim could be looked at for our expansion plans in India.”

MP to develop hospitality infrastructure in smaller regions Rituparna Chatterjee Mumbai MADHYA PRADESH State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) is focusing on developing the hospitality infrastructure in smaller regions of the state with a view to highlight the destination's multiple tourism offerings and achieve higher tourist footfalls. Under this initiative, the corporation will invite private players to convert heritage properties into heritage hotels and subsequently give the properties on a 99 year management lease. Regions

selected under this PPP model include Orchha, Maihar, Datia, Pachmarhi, among others. Speaking exclusively to Food & Hospitality World about this initiative, Leena Karkera, resident manager, MPSTDC stated, “We are leveraging the PPP model for restoring our palaces by converting them into heritage hotels. These properties would be given to the private players on a 99 year management lease. This project is presently in our pipeline, but the time of its execution depends upon the new MD and other factors. Moreover, we would also be renovating

Wheat is an important part of our diet, and the government is bringing agriculturalists from abroad to help train farmers on the best practices. Plus, few international destinations have also expressed their wish to set up their agricultural offices some old hotels and constructing roadside inns with playgrounds for families travelling with kids.” Plans are also underway to develop

more accommodations near water bodies in the state, she added.

Apart from hospitality infrastructure, the corporation

is also focusing on improving air connectivity and tourism footfalls. Commenting on this, Karkera opined, “Things on which we can improve upon is our air connectivity. Secondly, wheat is an important part of our diet, and the government is bringing agriculturalists from abroad to help train farmers on the best practices.

Plus, few international destinations have also expressed their wish to set up their agricultural offices in states like MP, Gujarat, etc this year.

This will add value to tourism since many foreigners will be travelling to these states on work.”

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MARKETS

CambayTiger looks at pan India presence Plans to enter the US market Archana Sharma New Delhi IN AN EFFORT to diversify its footprint pan India, Cambay Tiger, a premium seafood brand, has announced its plans to expand into Tier II and Tier III cities. Elaborating on the same, Shivam Gupta, director, WestCoast Fine Foods, a frozen food manufacturer and distributor and the parent company of Cambay Tiger, stated, “We are looking at a pan India presence for Cambay Tiger and will soon be able to include cities such as Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Srinagar,

Shimla, Solan, Puducherry, Karaikal, Madurai and Cochin for distribution.” Moreover, the company also has plans to enter the US market and will set up a distribution office. Gupta also informed that they will be setting up an R&D facility in Surat.

Cambay Tiger caters to the Indian HORECA segment through its online portal www.horecaservice.in and exports raw shrimps along with a vast range of products globally.

The farm grown sushi quality shrimp is the front runner for Cambay Tiger. “We make avail-

able various fishes from across the world for our Indian consumers and even bring in exotic spices with the most recent one being Hake from Uruguay.

This year we're looking at creating a basket that should consist of Mahi Mahi, Grouper, Squid and Trout among others.” he added.

Talking about the frozen food industry and the various challenges, Gupta stated, “The frozen food industry is growing at 14-18 per cent per annum and India’s seafood exports have crossed one million ton mark for the first time, earning

The frozen food industry is growing at 14-18 per cent per annum and India’s seafood exports have crossed the one million ton mark for the first time over US$ 4.5 billion in 2013-14.

However, Indian exporters still face issues regarding cold chain infrastructure and government policies.” Cambay Tiger exports to over 30 coun-

tries and Western Europe is its top and largest market. Its products are also distributed pan India and are present across all modern retail and general stores.

Jumeirah Group to enter India market by 2019 Archana Sharma New Delhi DUBAI-BASED Jumeirah Group, a luxury hotel chain, is set to open its first property in India by 2019. Talking on the sidelines of the 11th Hotel Investment Conference - South Asia (HICSA) 2015, held in New Delhi, Gerald Lawless, president and CEO, Jumeirah Group, stated, "We have signed a management contract and by 2019 we will have our first operational property in Mumbai under the Jumeirah brand.”

Talking about their expansion plans, Lawless believes India is a potential market and people are already aware of the Jumeirah brand. “We are also looking at developing another property in Goa and are currently in discussions

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with our partner,” he stated.

On the plans to introduce their lifestyle brand, 'Venu', Sudhin Siva, director of development, Jumeirah Group, stated that they will be looking at both business as well as leisure areas for the brand. "Currently, we are looking at the Tier I and metro markets only, as Venu is a lifestyle brand and needs to target the urban clientele,” he stated. They are looking at locations like Bengaluru, Chennai, New Delhi among others for further development. Highlighting the potential markets for the Jumeirah Group in the South Asian region, Siva believes that apart from India, Sri Lanka is a potential market for expansion.

Following a management contract model, Jumeirah

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Group aims to have 75 Jumeirah-branded properties and 25 Venu-branded properties worldwide by 2025. Presently, Jumeirah

has operational properties in cities including Abu Dhabi, Baku, Dubai, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Maldives and London.

Lawless also informed

that there are several projects under development in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe.

MARKETS

Nature Bio-Foods to launch 20 products by end of 2015

New excise policy to affect SMEs in Haryana: HRANI Archana Sharma New Delhi EXPRESSING their concern over the new Excise Policy 2015-16, unveiled earlier in March 2015, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI), stated that it will result in reduction of sales and adversely affect the businesses of smalltime hotels and restaurants of Haryana. Elaborating on the same, S M Shervani, immediate past president, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), mentioned that it will be hard for the small-scale members to submit the fee even for the first quarter.

Asking for an equivalent tax regime, Manbeer Chaudhary, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Haryana (HRAH) and former president, FHRAI, stated, “We are not asking for complete renewal but want the annual license fee to be fixed at `7.5 lakh like the other districts.” While the li-

cense fee, under the new Excise Policy 2015-16, for Gurgaon and Faridabad has been increased from `six lakh to `12 lakh and `10 lakh respectively, it has been revised at `7.5 lakh for the remaining 19 districts.

According to Chaudhary, the main issues that will affect the hotel and restaurant businesses of Gurgaon and Faridabad are the increased license fee, permit fee for imported liquor and the broadened list of establishments which require licenses to include resorts and banquet halls which hold events and functions. “Banquet halls and resorts have to register themselves with the excise authorities and pay an annual fee of `25,000 to serve liquor at events. Additionally, they have to shell out `5,000 for each event that they host,” he added.

He opined that the same should not be higher than `2,000 since earlier the amount was kept at `1,500. Also, bars and restaurants which wish to keep their establishments open beyond midnight will have to pay an ad-

ditional fee for additional hours now.

Commenting on the repercussions of the policy, Luv Malhotra, president, HRANI, said, “The Gurgaon region has witnessed growth and development only in the last 20 years and imposing such heavy taxes will affect new businesses as well as the existing ones.”

Adding to the same, Chaudhary stated that the new policy will encourage roadside drinking and adversely impact the hotel and restaurant businesses of the region. “Never in the history of Haryana, the government has announced such a steep hike in the license fee. But they need to understand that in order to promote responsible drinking the fee should be kept less,” he added.

After meeting with Manohar Lal Khattar, chief minister, Haryana, on March 20, the HRANI and HRAH delegation is hopeful that the taxes will be reduced, if not rolled back completely and the notification will be issued soon.

Archana Sharma New Delhi WITH A DOMESTIC product portfolio of over 40 across 13 states in India, and with the support of their parent company LT Foods, Nature BioFoods (NBFL) exports to about 65 countries around the globe. However, in an effort to penetrate the India market further, NBFL plans to launch around 20 products by end of 2015.

Elaborating on the same, Vijay Deshwal, manager agri business, NBFL, stated, “Internationally, we have about 200 products, that are being exported to different countries but for the India market we are looking at launching sunflower oil, sprouted wheat flour, multi-grain flour and other variants of our organic products by the end of this year.” Few products are currently in the developmental stage but Deshwal is confident about their selection and approvals.

According to Mrinal Hans, senior executive, sales and marketing, NBFL, “The market presence of organic food is limited however with increasing international focus and awareness about healthy food products, the

NBFL is not only looking at targeting the metro cities but is also looking at increasing their presence across Tier II and Tier III cities through a distribution system India market is opening up.” NBFL is not only looking at targeting the metro cities but is also looking at increasing their presence across Tier II and Tier III cities through a distribution system. “We initially started our sales through exclusive stores which covers only the organic and health food segments.

But we are also hitting the various chain stores as only through them will we be able to create mass awareness about our products and brand,” added Hans.

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MARKETS

Bakers Shoppee targets small and midsegment market Archana Sharma New Delhi

Tropolite to expand product portfolio Archana Sharma New Delhi IN ITS EFFORT to bolster the presence of the brand Tropolite in India, Tropilite Foods (TFPL), the flagship company of Davars Group, has chalked out an extensive expansion plan. To begin with, the company plans to enter the frozen bakery segment and beverages industry apart from entering the consumer retail market for few of their products. Elaborating on the new products range, Abhishek Ahlawat, GM – marketing and strategy, Tropilite Foods, stated, “We are going to add another division to our bakery and confectionery section with a frozen bakery range of ready products in a frozen form with one year shelf life. Also, we are going to add a concentrate food juice line with the shelf life of 10 months.” The

16

frozen bakery range will be launched in April while the concentrated juice was launched at AAHAR 2015.

Talking about entering the retail sector, Ahlawat informed that after receiving a positive response for Flexi creme, their non-dairy cream product, launched about two years ago, for the institutional segments, they are looking at launching the same in smaller packs for the Indian retail market. “The non-dairy creme is a superior replacement of the dairy available in the market and is a completely unique product in India with zero cholesterol. Also with a shelf life of nine months, it provides a better solution across all segments,” he added. Tropolite will also be launching their pre-mixes and bakery and confectionery ingredients in the Indian consumer retail market through retail chains

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like Savemax etc. by June 2015.

Highlighting the need for the frozen bakery products, Ahlawat said, “In a lot of major cities, QSR's face issues of insufficient space and infrastructure for kitchens and therefore are looking for ready-made solutions.” Talking about the potential of this segment, Ahlawat believes the metro cities to be better suited for the frozen bakery range, however, with the advent of QSR's and international chains across tier II and III cities, he feels that the product will be widely distributed.

Talking about the distribution network of Tropolite, Ahlawat boasted of having more than 120 people in the marketing team and over 100 distribution channels covering almost the entire Indian market, even the extreme North Eastern region.

Looking to provide assistance to the small time and mid-segment market, Bakers Shoppee, importers of Bakery, Cafe & Fine Kitchen Equipment, is planning to launch a demonstration centre in Bengaluru in April 2015.

Elaborating on the same, BS Bhat, director, Bakers Shoppee, said, “We have already established a sales and service department in South India and are looking at setting up a network of dealers along with online and social media marketing. However, better awareness can be created only through live demonstrations.”

Talking about the various challenges faced by the industry, Bhat believes that opening a food manufacturing unit is a cumbersome and expensive process due

to high land costs. Also acquiring skilled and qualified workers to handle the instruments is tough. “At our facilities, the owners can utilise the labourers which are already trained and save on the cost as well as maintain high quality,” added Bhat.

Focusing on affordable but improved machinery, Bhat stated, “India being one of the most visited bakery and bread industry in the world and with the global exposure, there are a lot of opportunities to improve our technologies, upgrade and modernise our units.

However, even if we take an average the overall global visitors, it is still just around one per cent.”

Bhat believes that with their products and facilities they enable the small time and mid-segment entrepreneurs to have better quality while getting a value for money.

India being one of the most visited bakery and bread industry in the world, there are a lot of opportunities to improve our technologies, upgrade and modernise our units

MARKETS

Two more QSRs set to expand in India Archana Sharma New Delhi INDIA'S QSR SEGMENT, which has been already witnessing rapid expansions of many international and homegrown brands, will have two more brands expanding their footprint. Sbarro, a chain of pizza restaurants popular for its New York style pizza internationally, will be opening around 50 outlets by mid 2016.

Elaborating on the same, Akhil Puri, CEO, north and east India, Sbarro and CEO, Jyoti International Food, informed, “In the northern region itself, the company is planning to open about seven

stores by 2015. The brand has about 50 outlets in the pipeline to be operational by 2016, with around 20 outlets to be functional by the end of 2015.” With three regional franchisees in India for north and east, west and southern region, Sbarro opened their 15th outlet in March 13, 2015, in Bandra, Mumbai.

Also to provide the same quality standards across all their outlets, Sbarro will be soon launching training centres in all three franchise regions. “With one outlet in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi each to be designated as the training centre, the employees will be given six to eight

In the northern region itself, the company is planning to open about seven stores by 2015. The brand has about 50 outlets in the pipeline to be operational by 2016, with around 20 outlets to be functional by the end of 2015 weeks training.” Currently, Sbarro has training facilities in the US and Philippines.

Meanwhile, PizzaExpress will be opening 50 outlets in India in the next five years.

Elaborating on the same, Ramit Bharti Mittal, head, business development,

Gourmet Investments, stated, “Being in the premium casual dining space, and unlike a QSR or fine dining segment, we want to create a benchmark for our brand and quality casual dining pizzas.”

Gourmet Investments holds the exclusive master fran-

chise rights for the PizzaExpress brand in India and South Asia including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives. Talking about investment plans, Mittal informed that each outlet takes around `three crore due to its location and design.

Adrenaline Foods aims to become dominant player in QSR segment Kahini Chakraborty Mumbai SMAAASH ENTERTAINMENT is venturing into the F&B sector with Adrenaline Foods, part of AHA Holdings/ Smaaash, wherein the brand will be launching nine QSRs in India. The company plans to become the dominant player in India’s organised QSR business. Under Adrenaline Foods, the brand will offer six brands, out of which three brands- SholaaIndian grill and kitchen; Hiley Duley- Oriental stir fry and Copper pan- Indian curry house are already operational in Mumbai and Pune.

The other brands that are in the pipeline include: Malabar- South Indian delicacies; Nefris- Mediterranean

kitchen; Chaan- Mumbai street tava; MemoriesSports bar and lounge.

Speaking to Food & Hospitality World on the expansion plans, Srinidhi Rao, CEO, Smaaash said, “By 2016, the company plans to establish 50 outlets across India, and thereafter concentrate on its abroad expansion. We have set aside `five crore for this expansion through equity. Smaaash Entertainment has always been in the active lifestyle business and hence expansion into the F&B space is a logical step for us as 40 per cent of our revenue is generated through this sector itself. We are expanding in markets like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad. We will also be opening our brand in

Just as the company has always been in the active lifestyle business, the same philosophy applies for our F&B brands as well. We promised ourselves that all our food will be fresh and no commissary; and customers can decide on how he wants his food to be prepared Srinidhi Rao

Dubai by end of this year.

With the growth of the smaller cities, we are expanding into Baroda as well, and if that takes up well then we might enter Ahmedabad.”

Commenting on how the company positions its USPs, he opined, “Just as the company has always been in the active lifestyle business, the same philosophy applies for

our F&B brands as well. We promised ourselves that all our food will be fresh and no commissary; and customers can decide on how he wants his food to be prepared.”

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi THE TAJ GROUP has opened Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi, featuring 250 rooms including 17 designed suites and a Presidential Nirvana suite. The hotel offers a range of F&B outlets - Creo, The Indus Express and Caramel - the Deli. Guests can sample a mix of Vivanta signature cocktails at Tipple - the bar.

For those in search of relaxation can go to Jiva Spa. Guests can also enjoy Celsius, the pool and a fully equipped Fitness Centre. Vivanta by Taj – Dwarka, New Delhi offers more than 17000 sq ft of flexible meeting and event space.

Alila Salalah, Oman TGB Café and Bakery, Ahmedabad TGB CAFÉ AND Bakery has unveiled its another franchise outlet in Nehrunagar, Ahmedabad. Spread across an area of 400 sq ft of space with a seating capacity of 16 20 persons, this 100 per cent eggless bakery offers a range of designer and shape cakes, cupcakes, savouries like puffs, rolls, wraps, sandwiches, pizzas, beverages, coffees, sundaes. All products are made at the central bakery unit based at Changodar and supplied daily to all outlets. These are served as ready to eat products to the guests.

ALILA HOTELS AND Resorts has announced its plans to open its second luxury resort in Oman in Mirbat. Slated to launch in the second half of 2017, Alila Salalah will be a luxury destination resort, comprising 100 suites, 25 villas, fine dining restaurants and a spa Alila wellness centre.

The resort will distinguish itself by its contemporary Dhofari architecture. Interior design work will be overseen by BLINK Design Group to bring forth the Dhofari influence preserving the natural beauty of the region.

Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York STARWOOD CAPITAL GROUP has opened Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York, featuring 114 appointed guest rooms and suites and a modern French restaurant, Chevalier, overseen by Michelin-starred executive chef, Shea Gallante. New York restaurateur Charles Masson will curate style and service in Chevalier and in the hotel’s second-story lobby salons and bar. The Bar at Baccarat, just off the Grand Salon, is a space featuring barrel-vaulted ceilings, a 60 ft bar and an outdoor terrace overlooking the MoMA. The hotel also features a 50 ft indoor pool, an elite fitness training facility and the first Spa de La Mer in the United States.

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Sheraton Samui Resort, Thailand

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS Worldwide has opened Sheraton Samui Resort, a conversion hotel that features 141rooms situated on the Chaweng Noi Beach on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand. On-site recreational facilities include 24-hour access to Sheraton Fitness, tennis facilities, Glow Spa and also two salt-water swimming pools. The food and beverage choices include Coco Spice, Long Talay and Blue Monkey. In addition, guests can also visit the resorts’ lobby lounge bar for bite-sized international and Pan-Asian snacks. The resort features fullyequipped function and pre-function spaces totaling 156 sq m.

Tiger Trail,Hotel Royal Orchid, Bengaluru HOTEL ROYAL ORCHID, Bengaluru has launched its outlet - the Tiger Trail with chefs flown in from the region of Awadh to recreate the flavours of the North West.

The new restaurant is surrounded by manicured greens, lanterns and gazebos, which look like wooden shikari lodges.

PRODUCT TRACKER

Pergo PERGO HAS LAUNCHED its latest product- wood parquet. With the launch of Pergo Wood Parquet flooring, 14 different designs with the new manufacturing technologies like Brushed Surface, Sawcut and Dutch Pattern designer look are introduced. The product is easy to install and durable, which means it can withstand years of use and still look beautiful. The designs in this range are divided in six groups i.e. two decors in Svalbard, two decors in Gotland, four decors in Bornholm, three decors in Varmdo, two decors in Jomfruland and one decor in Dutch pattern. Formats available in this range are: 2200 x 220 x 14 mm, 1820 x 190 x 14 mm, 1820 x 145 x 14 mm, 2200 x 190 x 14 mm.

Sterling Generators STERLING GENERATORS HAS introduced its environment friendly new generation DG Sets powered by Perkins that offer a choice of 6, 8, 12 and 16 cylinder options to ensure that the exact engine suits specific power generation needs. The Perkins 4000 Series family of 6, 8, 12 and 16 cylinder diesel engines was designed in advance for today’s demands within the power generation industry and includes superior performance and reliability. This range of engines is between 750KVA – 2250KVA Prime.

Chemtrols Solar

MTR MTR FOODS HAS introduced Gulab Jamun and Rasogulla Single Serve Dessert Cups.

These packs are self-contained with a spoon offering two pieces of the sweet with a microwaveable cup and a shelf life of six months, from the date of manufacturing. These products are now available in select cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata along with Southern states at all leading retailers.

CHEMTROLS SOLAR has launched a range of portable LED based Solar Lamps and phone chargers, under the brand ‘Solarway’. All of the products are child-safe and non-hazardous with Lithium-ion or Alkaline batteries making these extremely lightweight.

These are portable, easy to handle, simple to operate, and offer longduration lighting after a single charge cycle, rendering it ideal for overnight outings, treks and for emergency and disaster relief applications. In addition to providing power, all Solarway products also have ports that enable easy charging of mobile phones. The company has laos introduced another unique product- the Homework light.

All That's Good LAUNCHED IN THE January 2015, AllThat’sGood are Tex-Mex flavoured nacho chips launched by Pelican Farm & Dairy LLP. The nacho brand has seven flavours, and is available in major cities of India. The nacho chips are oven baked and lightly fried. Ranging from a wide variety of flavours, be it the international NY Deli Cheese, Texas Smoky Bbq or the ones with a desi twist like Delhi Papdi Chaat, Paneer Bbq Masala, Sea Salt and Black Pepper, these chips are the perfect accompaniment for all kinds of dips, salads, salsas and any savories. The product is priced `60 for 75 gms and `95 for 125 gms.

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LEAVING ALEGACY

A name that is synonymous with the Taj group of hotels, Chef Hemant Oberoi’s four decades with the brand is a story of grit and determination that has put India on the world culinary map

Chef Hemant Oberoi (right) with his son, Chef Saransh Oberoi

EXPRESS EXCLUSIVE

A

PERFECTIONIST, a friend, a mentor and a culinary prodigy, Chef Hemant Oberoi's name will continue to remain synonymous with the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces for he has left behind him an unmatched culinary legacy. A specialist in contemporary Indian and Western cuisine, Chef Oberoi has developed and presented many innovative concepts to the culinary world including Cal-Indian cuisine, lemon grass cuisine among others. Though his innings with the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has come to an end after retiring from the position of the grand executive chef at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, and corporate chef for the entire luxury division of the Taj chain of hotels, his name will continue to remain associated with the brand as a consultant for a year. “I am still getting used to this change.

The Taj has been the first and only company I served in my entire culinary career,” opines Chef Hemant Oberoi sitting inside his Colaba apartment located opposite the The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. After working for 16 to 18 hours a day or even longer without taking a single leave in the past four decades of his tenure with the Taj, his retirement has indeed brought an unexpected change to his daily rigorous routine. But this is perhaps the beginning of another exciting journey, he chuckles, for he is flying to Melbourne, Australia to organise a sit-down dinner for 250 people and is thereafter flying to Hannover, Germany for another occasion.

Also in the pipeline, is his lifelong dream to open his own restaurant along with his sons.

Looking back Chef Oberoi's journey into the culinary field is quite remarkable, like the man himself, considering that he never aspired to become a chef but a doctor or an army officer. Even after his admission to the prestigious Insti-

can be gauged by the host of dignitaries, businessmen and celebrities he served including the Clintons, Obamas, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Bachchans, Ambanis, Tom Cruise, Laxmi Mittal, amongst others. Along with these fond memories, also embedded in his mind is the 26/11 terror attack at the The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. A constant reminded of this tragedy are some bullet shells that he found in his office. “That event made me a firm believer of destiny,” rues Chef Oberoi.

Following his footsteps

“I never wanted to become a chef in my life. But the moment I wore the apron and stepped into the kitchen, I was determined to become the executive chef of The Taj one day.” His determination bore fruit. It took him 12 years to climb up the kitchen ladder tute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi, he was reluctant to choose this career path. He carried this reluctant attitude to his interviews and much to his surprise, was appointed as a trainee chef of The Taj in 1974. “I never wanted to become a chef in my life. But the moment I wore the apron and stepped into the kitchen, I was determined to become the executive chef of The Taj one day,” adds Chef Oberoi.

His determination bore fruit. It took him 12 years to climb up the kitchen ladder and become the executive chef of The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai and much later the corporate chef for the entire luxury division of the Taj chain of hotels.

He was the brain behind launching a series of notable and award-winning restaurant brands of Taj including Zodiac Grill, the Masala series, Blue

22 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

Ginger, Souk, Wasabi by Morimoto and Varq. “I always try out different cuisines during my travels and if that cuisine leaves a lasting impression on me, I know that will become the cuisine of

Chef Hemant Oberoi

the future. I wanted the cuisines at The Taj to stay 10-15 years ahead of its time,” opines Chef Hemant Oberoi adding that, “When I decided to launch Souk at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai specialising in Mediterranean cuisine, everyone suggested that it wasn’t going to work, but it went onto establish its name and recently celebrated its 12th anniversary.” The story is similar with Wasabi by Morimoto as well. “When I went to Japan to understand its cuisine I realised it was not going to work in India for a significant number of my Indian guests were vegetarians. So I had to undertake extensive research and made it vegetarian,” reveals Chef Oberoi.

The chef's table at Chef Studio which he created in Mumbai is a culinary joint of the who's who in India and also those visiting the country. His popularity

He is an ideal mentor and a disciplined chef. This is how his sons describe him as. Following their father's footsteps, both his sons are employed with the Taj. While his elder son Sidhartha Oberoi is the F&B manager at St James' Court London, A Taj Hotel, his younger son, Chef Saransh Oberoi, is a sous chef with Taj Campton Place San Francisco. He completed his graduation from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. “I decided not to study and work in India because the pressure would have been more to perform since I was Chef Hemant Oberoi's son and also I wanted to grow and San Francisco was a familiar market for me,” opines Chef Saransh Oberoi adding, “I look up to him as a father and secondly as a celebrated chef. His guidance is backed up by a lot of love and mutual understanding.” Being Chef Oberoi's son has been a defining factor for him, he believes, for he is constantly pushed to know his own strengths and limits. But ask him what his dream is, he quickly adds, “I want to be bigger and better than him. This is a big thing to do.” Resonating the same feeling, Chef Oberoi states, “My son has to be better than me for in this business you need to be the best. Being on top for decades is not an easy feat.”

HIGH SPIRITS

Creating Brand India Indian wineries are not only competing for a larger domestic market share but are also aggressively targeting international markets. Nikhil Agarwal highlights how Indian wines need to take giant strides globally and create Brand India

T

O EVEN WRITE an article with this heading gives you some indication just how far we have come in such a short period of time. I am and have been an ardent supporter of the Indian wine industry for many years now having started my own journey almost 15 years ago with Sula Vineyards. Before I left I was in charge of Sula’s export market so I have been watching Indian wines grow overseas for some time.

For anyone paying attention, the revolution-taking place in the wine industry is visible for all

to see. To fairly summarise what’s happening with Indian wine internationally we first must first look at what’s happening with the industry domestically.

Things are not the same as when I joined the industry 15 years ago. At that time there were only three relevant wineries - Sula, Indage and Grovers.

Three wineries do not make a market; as I remember Rajeev Samant stating that for the industry to grow we need to have more wineries with a focus on quality.

In the last seven odd years

Nikhil Agarwal

The fact is that India is making good wine but we haven’t managed to make an industry of it as yet. Indian wine requires itself to make giant strides in the international market to be distinguished as a category.

More wineries need to be out there creating Brand India FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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HIGH SPIRITS

there has been a push on quality of wine due to many reasons.

More wineries have been set up and therefore there is more competition. We now have a more aware consumer base that is getting to be more confident in judging a good wine from a bad one with conviction. They may not be aficionados or wine enthusiasts but are sure of what their likes or dislikes are without thinking that it’s them and not the wine which is the issue.

It’s only natural that quality a once abandoned virtue by now unsurprisingly defunct wineries is the buzzword of the handful of wineries looking to change things around.

Producers like Vallonne, a small winery with a mighty heart and an uncompromising stance of quality and Fratelli, with its deep pockets, business acumen and more importantly an understanding of wine making through its Italian partnership have created an array of quality wines in the midst of nowhere.

Aggressive marketing These wineries are now not only vying for consumer attention domestically but are aggressively looking at the international market. This is an interesting time for Indian wine.

All Things Nice hosted a dinner in Hong Kong with Eddie Mcdougal who I met when Discovery Travel & Living filmed the Indian leg of The Flying Wine Maker. The feedback I got both before and after the dinner was astonishing. Before the

guests tasted the wine they confided in me that there were curious but had absolutely no expectations that Indian wine was just as much as a puzzle to them as India was. But when the wines were served they could not believe it. The wines from Grovers, Sula, Fratelli, Charosa, Myra and Vallonne were all appreciated so much that two of the wineries found themselves on their way into the markets of Hong Kong and China through an importer who attended the dinner.

Brand India The fact is that India is making good wine but we haven’t managed to make an industry of it as yet. Indian wine requires itself to make giant strides in the international market to be distinguished as a category. Sula, Grovers and now Fratelli continue to increase their presence internationally but lots more needs to be done. More wineries need to be out there creating Brand India.

So while those in the know have looked at India’s bourgeoning wine market and understand it's quality levels, the everyday wine consumer internationally has little knowledge that India even makes wine.

Within the trade internationally there is a buzz that is beginning to develop. For example, I have been invited to Shanghai to speak about the Indian wine industry at SIAL in May 2015, while Fratelli has been chosen as a showcase project at Hannover Messe

24 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

2015 with their wines being the official wine at the Indian pavilion. Recently Rajeev Samant spoke at the Masters of Wine symposium. It takes time to build a brand and as you can see, the efforts are on.

You also don't need to have the wines available internationally to understand what foreign palates prefer. The number of people from all over the world coming to cities like Mumbai, Delhi/Gurgaon and Bengaluru gives us enough of a pool to understand whether we measures up and the answer is yes because even our own Indian consumers who swear by the imported stuff wouldn't necessarily be able to tell the difference between an Indian and imported in a blind tasting.

For an industry that did not exist more than 20 years ago to where we are today, the journey is quite impressive. There is yet a long way to go and perhaps we should take this question up

again in the next five years. Perhaps we can be bolder and aggressive in our international approach collectively to get the ball rolling faster.

One thing is for sure, either we need to have one or two wineries that come up with break though quality that gets the worlds attention (like what Yamazaki has done for the Japanese whisky profile) or we need to raise the game collectively through all relevant Indian wineries. Indian wineries are adding awards left right and centre at global wine competitions and since wine enthusiasts tend to be inclined on discovering new wines and new regions I predict that Indian wine will slowly seep into international consumer mindsets as time goes on as long as we play our cards right.

(The writer is sommelier and director, All Things Nice)

cover )

THE HOTEL PIPELINE As the economy improves, domestic business, leisure and MICE travel is expected to grow rapidly in India. Many homegrown as well as international hospitality brands have been busy charting their expansion plans to grow their footprint in different locations across the country

BY KAHINI CHAKRABORTY

O

ver the last 50 years, India has seen a rapid evolution of the Indian hospitality industry as consumers are constantly being exposed to new international brands, concepts and trends. Extensive consumer researches have shown that Indian guests have become valueconscious and are increasingly expecting their hotel experiences to be locally relevant. Furthermore, with the rising middle class projected to reach 200 million by 2020 and more than double by 2030, it has become all the

more important to have quality hotels that cater to the growing segment of discerning travellers.

And hence with the positive market sentiment, the tourism and hospitality industry is anticipated to generate revenues worth US$ 400 billion by 2022.

Presently, the demand is less and supply is more in a number of cities. But within the period of 12 – 14 months the position may change with demand picking up against the supply. In the next five years, the demand is expected to surpass the supply and industry would do better. Domestic travel is strong and remains to be the demand bedrock of the industry, and as the economy improves domestic business, leisure and MICE travel

26 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

will grow rapidly spreading over to many cities and towns.

Where is the growth Overall the rise of middle class families who are willing to indulge in a weekend getaway or to visit their family in another city, as well as corporates focusing on off-sites are some of the trends that are leading to a growth in the secondary markets. This segment also seeks upper upscale hotels at upscale pricing. In addition, in-bound travel can grow sizeably and benefit the economy. However, the industry needs interesting and inviting destinations with attraction and quality. F&B and banqueting also remains a key business ingredient. SP Jain, managing di-

rector, Pride Hotels opines, “Metro and semi metro cities presently have more supply of room than the demand but there is definitely scope in Tier II and Tier III cities which are close to industrial developed areas.”

Taking cue from this analysis, many hospitality brands are expanding their portfolio by introducing their different brands to cater to every segment giving rise to micro markets. For example, InterContinental Hotels Group's growth is focused on the midscale segment which comprises of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands. Shantha de Silva, head of South West Asia, IHG says, “These two brands currently account for more than 85 per cent of our de-

velopment pipeline (by number of hotels) in India. The hotels are planned in Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and major metros and key secondary cities.

At present, we have nine Holiday Inn hotels and three Holiday Inn Express hotels and will grow this over the next three to five years as we open 24 Holiday Inn hotels and 17 Holiday Inn Express hotels across major metros and secondary cities in India.”

India continues to be a key market growth for Accor with strong demand across all segments. Jean-Michel Cassé - Sr vice president - Operations, Accor India highlights, “Accor is uniquely placed as the only international hotel chain in India with brands that span across all

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

segments from luxury (Sofitel), upscale (Pullman), leisure (Grand Mercure), midscale (Novotel) to economy (ibis) and budget (Formule 1). We currently have a network of 31 hotels and three convention centres in India.” Further stating, “Accor is committed to growing our network of hotels in the long-term substantially across segments here in India. We are looking to open 11 hotels this year along with the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) - South Asia largest integrated exhibition & convention centre. By the end of 2015, we will have approximately 42 hotels ranging from upscale, leisure, mid-scale to economy to be in full operation across key cities in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lavasa, New Delhi, Goa, Kochi and Nashik.”

While Wyndham Hotel Group currently has 24 properties with approximately 2,586 rooms open under the Ramada, Howard Johnson, Wyndham Grand Hotels and Resorts and Days Inn brands in India and 41 properties with approximately 4,561 rooms under development. Deepika Arora, regional vice president, Indian Ocean, EMEAI, Wyndham Hotel Group adds, “The brand also

Existing Supply Across Major Cities (2006/07 – 2013/14)

* Change in 2013/14 expressed as percentage of the figure for 2012/13 ** The 2012/13 data has been modified to include the performance of a larger sample set *** Delhi NCR data (Shaded Portion), rest Delhi (without Gurgaon, NOIDA and Greater NOIDA) data **** Other Cities (includes all other hotel markets across India) a - Supply tracked for Agra in 2013/14 is lower than 2012/13 due to the change in existing inventory in a particular hotel b - Supply tracked for Pune in 2012/13 is lower than previously reported, due to the removal of Lonavla and Lavasa from the sample set.

Source: HVS Research

has 28 operating properties in Indian Ocean with 2994 rooms which includes 23 Ramada, two Days Inn, one Wyndham Grand, one Ramada Encore and one Howard Johnson properties respectively. However, the other hotels in the pipeline to be opened this year include: Ramada Plaza Agra, Days Hotel Jalandhar Jyoti Chowk, Ramada Encore Lucknow Kanpur Road, Ramada Raipur VIP Road, Days Hotel Chennai OMR Road, Days Hotel Bangalore Whitefield, Ramada Trivandrum Palayam, Ramada Jammu City Center, Ramada Darjeeling Hill Cart Road. Tier II and Tier III markets are very important for the Wyndham Hotel Group to take the brands forward. The aim is to cater to Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets with strong industrial segments such as Panipat or Neemrana.”

Over the last decade, Silva points out, “ We have observed key economic developments in tier II cities such as Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Guwahati and Jaipur which include a boom in the real estate market and exciting development.

Cities such as Kochi, Goa, and Thiruvananthapuram are enhancing their tourism offerings with visa on arrival facilities, air connectivity, and ongoing development of hotel infrastructure in the mid-scale category. We are also seeing these cities enhance their meetings and events amenities to further increase its appeal as a destination for conferences and events.” Reports have also shown that tourist spots in Tier II states such as Gujarat and Rajasthan are increasingly being preferred by domestic travellers as holiday destinations for a short getaway. “We are ready to cater to the expected increase in visitors arrivals with the opening of 24 Holiday Inn hotels and 17 Holiday Inn Express hotels across major metros and secondary cities over the next three to five years,” says Silva.

While homegrown brands

“Metro/ semi metro cities have more supply of rooms than the demand but there is scope in Tier II and Tier III cities” SP Jain MD, Pride Hotels

“We have observed key economic developments in Tier II cities such as Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Guwahati and Jaipur” Shantha de Silva Head of South West Asia, IHG

“Monitoring and policing of pricing in the hospitality industry is an important issue” Deepika Arora Regional VP, Indian Ocean, EMEAI, Wyndham Hotel Group

FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD

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April 16-30, 2015

cover ) Top Twenty Hotel Brands by Existing Inventory – September 2014

“Carlson is now focusing on opportunities in East and South India through prospective strategic partners”

Taj

) it p p p ) ls al or ty rts rts rts rts rts rts rts ern tion tels une ger rou rou rou ote ion LaL tali Acc eso eso eso eso eso eso eso est Ho ora ort lG lG nat Gin spi eH dG The &R &R &R &R &R &R &R ice sF orp ote ote ter es Ho chi st W Tre e o n C r s s s s s s s H H d e t l l l l l l l I d h n t l u O p e e e e e e e r B l C t t t t o a lu tt o ot ot ot en inc yal nce Ho Ho Ho Ho inc ent zid rrio iH rH Lem s( s, H Ro Co opm att Re ls ( ton Ma ntin ero ood ova ham alace ace vel Hy on Hil ote Co rw Ob Sar De ynd Pal P ter arls CH Sta a W n m & l T C I I s e i rts Le our eso The ia T ,R Ind tels Ho

Source: HVS Research

Raj Rana CEO, Carlson Rezidor, South Asia

“The company aims to have over 100 MICE hotels by 2015” Rajeev Menon Chief Operations Officer (Southeast Asia & Pacific), Marriott International

“The past financial year has seen a marginal improvement in nationwide occupancies, thus breaking a threeyear downward trend” Jean-Michel Cassé Sr VP - Operations, Accor India

28 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

like Sarovar Hotels and The Fern Hotels & Resorts have always had a strong focus on Tier II and Tier III locations, what has brought dynamism to the market is the growing footprint of major international hospitality chains in these destinations.

Raj Rana, CEO, Carlson Rezidor, South Asia avers that the Indian hospitality landscape is evolving after first having made inroads in metro cities and is now shifting focus to secondary markets where broad parameters such as improved infrastructure, focus on connectivity and lower land costs are promising growth indicators.

The leading international hotel operator in the country with over 110 hotels in operation and under development in over 40 cities across India, is at the forefront of expanding into these markets. Of its current pipeline of over 40 hotels under development, about 20 hotels are in secondary cities such as Jalandhar, Aligarh, Raipur, Kota, Karjat, Phagwara and Coimbatore. “This year, we have opened hotels in secondary markets such as Radisson Blu Guwahati and Country Inns & Suites Bathinda, which gives us a first mover advantage in these markets,” adds Rana. The company has a wellestablished presence in the northern region and is now focusing on opportunities in East and South India through prospective strategic partners.

While Marriott will launch a Courtyard by Marriott in Shillong, Courtyard by Marriott and JW Marriott in Silig-

uri and three properties in Guwahati. All the properties in North East will be developed within the next two years. Marriott International in association with Chhatisgarh basedCity Mall 36 Group is planning to launch Renaissance by Marriott in Raipur by mid 2015. Rajeev Menon, chief operations officer (Southeast Asia & Pacific), Marriott International informed that the company aims to have over 100 MICE hotels by 2015. When it comes to Indian hospitality chain, Sarovar Hotels has from the beginning had a focus on the secondary markets. “We have been well rewarded and secondary market would be the main theme of our expansion strategy in next three to five years,” says Anil Madhok, managing director, Sarovar Hotels.

Sarovar with 70 hotels is looking to be a true pan India company. “We are monitoring all regions and states and wherever cities show potential of growth we are targeting those cities,” adds Madhok.

For The Fern Hotels & Resorts of Concept Hospitality, this market is very important as 70 per cent to 80 per cent of its development is within Tier II and Tier III cities. “Our primary focus is in the western region (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa) and we are strengthening our presence in north and southern region as well. We recently opened two hotels in eastern region – The Fern Residency Tezpur and The Fern Residency Asansol, future plans in this region is limited,”

says Param Kannampilly, CMD, Concept Hospitality. The company also has taken a strategic partnership with Nepal-based Chaudhary Group (CG) Hotels and Resorts, as part of its expansion plans. The investment amount is said to be approximately `50 crore. Following this investment decision, Concept Hospitality will manage hotels belonging to CG Hotels and Resorts. CG Hotels and Resorts will help all hotels under its umbrella by offering a broader platform and international reach. Kannampilly elaborates, “Through this association we are the management wing of CG Group, and by 2017 we will have 88 hotels in various locations.

Together presently we have 53 hotels and offer eight brands- Glow by

“We have aggressive pan India expansion plans.We are looking at penetrating into micro markets” David Vely Sr VP - Development, Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Premier Inn

Zinc, Zinc Journey, Zinc Living, Zinc City, The Fern, The Fern Residency , Beacon Hotels and Resorts as part of our portfolio.

Our aim is to operate 200 hotels by 2020. Destinations like Chennai city, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Shillong, Siliguri, Sikkim could be looked at for our expansion plans in India.”

Another fast growing chain in the country, Keys Hotels has its presence in many Tier II and Tier III locations. While the company has a significant presence in west and the south India, in the future the focus will be on growing in the northern and eastern part of the country. Apart from metros like NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, the immediate focus of the company, is having a presence in cities like Lucknow, Agra, Patna, Ranchi, Mysore and Bhopal. Roots Corporation is also expanding its footprint in key pilgrimage centres across the country – from a 100 room Ginger in Katra, near Vaishnodevi and 125 keys property in Tirupati to Shirdi, Udipi, Ajmer and Haridwar.

UK-based Premier Inn is going to open four hotels in India by 2016-17, as part of its larger expansion focus plans for the three regions- India, South East Asia and GCC markets. By the first quarter of 2015, the company will be opening two properties in Chennai (total of 171 rooms) and a 130 room inventory Goa property.

The 350 rooms Premier Inn Mumbai Worli property is scheduled to open in 2018, which is under management

(

THE MAIN FOCUS

Proposed Branded Hotel Rooms Across Major Cities (2013/14 – 2018/19)

“The secondary market would be the main theme of our expansion strategy in next three to five years” Anil Madhok MD, Sarovar Hotels Source: HVS Research

Proposed Branded Hotel Rooms Across Major Cities (2013/14 – 2018/19*)

“Our primary focus is the western region (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa) and we are also strengthening our presence in the north and south” Param Kannampilly * The supply for 2018/19 has been computed by adding the active future supply to the existing base of rooms in 2013/14.

CMD, Concept Hospitality

Source: HVS Research

Distribution of Existing and Proposed Branded Hotel Rooms Across Major Cities (2006/07 – 2013/14)

Source: HVS Research

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cover )

“Indian cities are benefiting from improved rail, road and air connectivity and this augurs well for new hospitality infrastructure development”

contract and is developed by the Kamala Group. The properties scheduled to open in Goa and Chennai are owned by Premier Inn, while the second property in Chennai and first one in Mumbai is through management contracts. Apart from these projects, the group is also eyeing other cities in India like Hyderabad, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Dwarka.

The group plans to have around 50 hotels in India, Southeast Asia and Middle East by 2018. The brand has three hotels in India. David Vely, senior vice president development, Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Premier Inn says, “We have aggressive pan India expansion plans. We are looking at penetrating into micro markets of Tier I, Tier II and III cities. To develop greenfield projects for our expansion we will look at selected investment of own capital or adopt the third party management contract model. We will build substantial scale in three regions – India, South East Asia and GCC markets via ‘asset right’ business model, building on UK’s brand strength to deliver the core elements of Premier Inn.” He further adds, “Our international objective is to reach 5661 rooms by 2016-17 through 31 properties in eight countries. These are supported by an internal business plan.”

Mandeep Singh Lamba,

Supply and demand curve

MD – Hotels & Hospitality, Jones Lang Lasalle India

Cassé informs that the industry recently crossed the official count of 100,000 branded hotel rooms this past year. At present, urbanisation and a higher rate of domestic travel to newer Tier II and Tier III cities and beyond will continue to drive growth. “We continue to witness a major shift in the industry for the last decade, with budget & mid-market hotels forming a larger percentage of the total room inventory and now accounting for nearly half of all the hotel rooms in the country. Accor is expanding rapidly in this segment through the Novotel and Ibis brands.”

“The past financial year has seen a marginal improvement in nationwide occupancies, thus breaking a three-year

“Hotels in secondary markets have F&B contributing a large pie of the total revenue” Shwetank Singh VP – Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels

“New growth is going to be driven around highways in India” Rahul Pandit President and Executive Director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company

30 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

Growth of Room Supply – India (2000/01 – 2018/19)

the growth of roadways/ highways. In India highway growth is going to lead to growth in hotel demand,” says Rahul Pandit, president and executive director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company. He points out that another factor leading to growth is tertiary locations surrounding big markets.

Challenges to overcome

downward trend. We are confident that overall occupancies will improve this year with renewed economic interest and liberal visa policies driving inbound business travel,” he adds.

Areas of investments Affordable real estate prices, available talent pool and improving connectivity have attracted many hotel companies to the growing Indian secondary markets. Shwetank Singh, vice president – Development & Asset Management, InterGlobe Hotels, mentions, “In these locations hotels show high growth in F&B revenue through social dinners, outings and functions being organised in hotels. Hotels in most of the secondary markets have F&B contributing a large pie of the total revenue and to succeed in these markets hotels should have sufficient banquet space and good restaurants. MICE is another important segment growing in these cities.” The primary growth factor is the dynamics on the supply and demand front.

The Pride group has invested during the last twothree years about `500 crore and further has plans to invest `500 crore for expansion in Nagpur, develop a new resort in Goa and five-star hotel in Mumbai. Secondary markets are attractive due to their better return on investment as land costs are lower and financials therefore point to sustainable profits. “These markets are ripe for midscale brands as

demand resonates with the growing corporate and leisure travellers in that market segment,” states Rana.

While secondary and tertiary cities offer good potential for midscale hotels over the long term, however, for India to develop as a mature hospitality market over the next decade, these cities will require better hospitality-specific infrastructure. “As several Indian cities are benefiting from improved rail, road and air connectivity and state governments are aggressively seeking investments, they are attracting manufacturing, industrial, commercial and IT-related developments.

All this augurs well for new hospitality-related infrastructure development in such cities, which currently lack any quality accommodation and related services,” says Mandeep Singh Lamba, managing director – Hotels & Hospitality, Jones Lang Lasalle India.

The development of industrial corridors, for example the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor is a huge fillip to the hospitality industry in the cities and townships along the way.

Lamba is bullish about the industrial corridors, which have large captive demand with little or no significant hospitality infrastructure. Growth is going to happen at the intersection where there is infrastructure development and industrial productivity. “New growth is going to be driven around highways in India. What happened in the US in the 70s is that motel and hotel boom rode parallel to

“High taxation in India is making us less competitive with our neighbouring countries and large number of approvals which takes lot of time in government departments is affecting cost of project,” rues Jain.

While Arora states that with increasing competition the Wyndham Hotel Group has realised that monitoring and policing of pricing amongst the hospitality industry has emerged as an important issue. For example, a five-star hotel today is charging a price of a mid-market hotel which makes it a challenge for the mid- market hotels to gain occupancy.

Menon gave two reasons as to why Indian hotels suffer.

“Firstly the gestation period for any new hotel in India is typically a year or two which is longer than across the world.

This issue is mainly due to the challenges with levels of corruption, bureaucracy, red tapeism which slows down the process with delays in hotel projects. The second issue is the cost of land, cost of borrowings as interest rates are 13-14 per cent, depreciating rupee.

All these factors make a heavy cocktail for any company who wants to invest in the market ,” highlights Menon.

Seeing a positive side to the initiatives being taken in the tourism and hospitality industries by the government, Silva opines, “There are a number of new government initiatives to support the growth of the tourism industry, including the decision to extend visa-onarrival; new airports in smaller key cities and the building of world-class convention facilities. These developments are all welcome news and as these changes take effect we are very optimistic about what lies ahead for the industry.”

DELHI HOSPITALITY MARKET

UNDERSTANDING THE VOLUME GAME With increase in room supply, the Delhi hospitality market needs to focus on improving occupancies, while ensuring cost effectiveness of room rates

By Archana Sharma

A

ccording to Max McKeown, an English writer, consultant and researcher, “Change is inevitable, progress is not,” implying even creating change doesn’t ensure progress or positive growth. And with the Indian tourism and hospitality industry undergoing various changes, the overall sentiment is positive, however, the market is observing significant effects in terms of occupancy and room rates.

According to data com-

piled by STR Global, hotels in the Asia Pacific region experienced negative year-on-year results in terms of three key performance metrics. It stated that the occupancy for February fell 3.6 per cent to 64.6 per cent; its average daily rate dropped 3.6 per cent to US$ 117.64; and its Revenue per Available Room (RevPar) decreased seven per cent to US$ 75.97. However, it also stated that hotels in India performed marginally well in February 2015 compared to same month previous year. Except for the

Antony Page

Aseem Kapoor

Louis Sailer

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DELHI HOSPITALITY MARKET Delhi market, which experienced decline in the Average Room rates (ARR), the national-wide index showed an upward growth in all the three parameters – occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR in the month of February, 2015. The occupancies in Indian hotels registered a growth of 2.5 per cent to 70.7 per cent, while ADR grew 0.1 per cent and RevPAR by 2.6 per cent.

Initiatives for progress According to the HVS report on the Indian hotel industry 2013-14, the overall weighted occupancy across categories (58.9 per cent) increased by 1.9 per cent over 2012-13, however, the ARR dropped by 4.3 per cent over the previous year resulting in a decline in RevPAR by 2.5 per cent in the same period. The report talked about the business climate in the country being poised for improvement riding on the back of political and economic stability that is visible after the assumption of new government at the centre.

Highlighting the importance of the various measures taken by the new government, Louis Sailer, general manager, The Leela Palace, New Delhi, stated, “With the government announcing the e-visa to 150 countries and flexing up visaon-arrival for 43 countries, the leisure and business travellers influx into the country is expected to see an overall growth and the hospitality sector is bound to be a natural benefactor.” He believes that the occupancy percentage growth for the hotels in the Delhi market in 2014-15 has remained static as compared to 2013-14. “Our overall occupancy has grown by two per cent and despite witnessing a marginal decline in the ARR city-wide, we have managed nearly the same ARR and also recorded a favourable increase in RevPar as compared to the previous financial year,” he said. “The inclusion of tourism in the Five Ts during last year’s budget has made the industry expectant as it eagerly awaits to see the future of tourism and hospitality

Perkin Rocha

Sudha Chandran

in India grow manifold. The government has shown some intention in the past one year to develop the industry by recognising its role as a key player in driving socio-economic progress through creation of jobs by introduction of various skill development programmes, enterprise, infrastructure development and foreign exchange earnings,” said Sudha Chandra, general manager, The Ashok.

Perkin Rocha, associate

general manager, Lemon Tree Premier, Delhi Airport, is positive about the hospitality sector performance in 2015 with new projects both via FDI and with a stable government in place for the next five years.

“The average occupancy rates for the Delhi-NCR region was 57.7 per cent, however our ARR is `3,500 with an occupancy of 85 per cent and RevPar of `2, 700. Even though most of us will depend on how we position ourselves

With Delhi being a mix market for corporate, MICE and leisure and also being a major wedding hub, the market is looking up and improving

32 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

as a brand, but till now all the operating hotels have performed well with the average occupancy of 85-89 per cent,” he stated.

Believing that the future of the hospitality sector for 2015 will be better than last year due to the initiatives by the government, Vijay Wanchoom, senior executive vice president and general manager, the Imperial New Delhi, stated, “The occupancy rates for Delhi-NCR has been around 59 per cent and The Imperial observed an average occupancy of 67 per cent with an ARR of `14,000 and RevPar of `9400. The Delhi market will also observe new hotels coming up, mainly in the threefour-star category.”

According to Taljinder Singh, general manager, Taj Palace Hotel, the Delhi economy has suffered in the first quarter, but it is expected to show improvement only in the third quarter. “The third and fourth quarter of 2014 have been better in comparison to the previous years but on an average, the year has been the

same as 2013-14, however, going forward, one can see an upturn in the trend. The efforts by the government in terms of attracting investment are paying off and as a hotelier, the market as well as the sentiment is very buoyant, leading to more traffic in the Indian market,” he added.

Highlighting the various aspects of the Delhi hospitality market, Rohit Bajpai, general manager, Radisson Blu Hotel, New Delhi Dwarka, feels that the Delhi market is doing reasonably well in comparison to other markets of the country. “With Delhi being a mix market for corporate, MICE and leisure and also being a major wedding hub, the market is looking up and improving,” he stated. Talking about the increase in room inventory, Bajpai feels that the ADR will affect only limited properties. “The Delhi NCR market is huge and therefore the business areas are divided and have large differences ensuring that something happening at one part of Delhi NCR might not necessarily affect the hotels in the rest of the region,” he stated. He also feels that with hotels subdefining their markets, where some hotels only thrive on F&B or weddings, or the hotels near convention centres thriving on MICE, the Delhi hospitality segment will fare better than Bengaluru, Chennai or Mumbai.

Countering competition and challenges With the increasing supply and room inventory, the competition for occupancy, ARR and RevPar management will have to be well thought while planning ahead and making the brand strategies. Talking about the Aerocity hotels, Sailer stated, “There is still time when Aerocity will become a formidable competition to hotels in Delhi-NCR and specifically in the ultra luxury segment, we do not see any products that can compare with the Leela Palace.”

However, looking at enhancing their business by over 45 per cent in the second year of op-

DELHI HOSPITALITY MARKET erations, Antony Page, general manager, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity, believes that the property has already seen remarkable occupancy and will soon be able to place themselves amongst the top five or six luxury branded hotels in Delhi.

Holding a different perspective, Bajpai feels that with Radisson Blu, Dwarka the main challenge would be maintaining their current position. “With Aerocity coming up, there is an increase in stiff competition, but since we have already been there as a market leader for that part of the town, we are looking at different ways to retain our position.” Adding to this, Wanchoom sees Aerocity to be crucial for hotels in the next two or three years, as there is supply of rooms but not high demand. This makes hotels dependant on MICE business, crew and weddings only.

Also highlighting on the increased competition, shifting economics, and unique demands from shifting demographics, Aseem Kapoor, general manager, Hyatt Regency, New Delhi, feels that the company will be focusing on innovative strategies for online visibility, content engagement, conversion and the user experience. “As customer awareness continues to grow through online, mobile, and social media, focus in terms of marketing and operations will be on providing an increasingly sophisticated and personalised guest experience, enabling and aligning employees, technology, and operational processes to make guest interactions simple and convenient for specific preferences.”

ground and therefore the increasing competition has not affected the business. “Going forward we will still continue our marketing efforts in the leisure segment in our key markets of USA, UK, Australia and Germany along with focusing on new ones like South America, Scandinavia. The highest potential is at the moment in MICE business for both international and domestic clients, followed by leisure and we have seen some growth due to the focus by the government for this sector,” he added.

F&B – Growth drivers

Aerocity seems to be crucial for hotels in the next two or three years, as there is supply of rooms but not high demand are looking at newer markets which were never tapped as a lot of our business comes from Rohtak and Jhajjar, the new and upcoming destinations just like Gurgaon which was about 15 years ago. The key is to find and develop newer markets and being at the top of the game for those markets to be able to churn out better business.” They also get major business from factories and plants set up in those areas and from North Delhi for weddings.

Highlighting the importance of the MICE segment for JW Marriott, Page stated, “MICE is making up for an enormous amount of our rooms and creating a revenue stream. Therefore we are looking at targeting the same by holding more international and pan India conventions and conferences in the hotel.”

However, he also feels that leisure guests will keep increasing as the property is also used as a drop off point by international leisure travellers

Rohit Bajpai

Taljinder Singh

opting for the Golden Triangle, finishing with Delhi again before going to the next destination. Adding to the same, Kapoor feels that MICE, wedding and banqueting segments could generate more revenues.

The location of the property also plays a key role in establishing the major segments that a property can cater to. Highlighting the same, Wanchoom says that the Imperial holds a unique position in the city due to its location and historical back-

Potential and new segments With the dynamic nature of the tourism and hospitality industry, it becomes imperative for various hotel brands to keep coming up with new ideas and strategies to increase their market share.

Elaborating on the same, Bajpai feels, “At Radisson Blu, we

Vijay Wanchoo

With the increasing disposable incomes and better purchasing power, the F&B segment is also playing a major role in generating revenues for the hospitality sector. “The F&B segment is booming and even though it is still at a nascent market for us, with our seven outlets offering various cuisines at Radisson Blu, people are gradually visiting the property for various dine-in options,” Bajpai added. Adding to the same, Singh feels that for hotels with F&B outlets, the key is to keep prices reasonable and to keep on providing cutting edge and innovative product.

Talking about innovative food and beverage concept to being the key, Kapoor feels, that going forward the focus of Hyatt Regency Delhi will be on the food and beverage segment as they strive to bring in more energetic and innovative concepts in the form of our upcoming product addition– The Mansion’s Living Room.”

Adding to the same, Wanchoom feels that their F&B outlets contribute to about 45 per cent stake in the annual hotel budget.

Talking about their strategies to drive the F&B segment further, Rocha stated that the last year’s figures were quite encouraging in the segment and therefore we are looking to start specific memberships focusing largely on dining options and conversion of non residential guest as a repeat guest.

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TECH TALK

The channel challenge Acting like a 'middle man' for third party systems - hotel PMSes and CRSes at one end and OTAs at the other end, channel management application offers a large number of connects.

But evaluating whether they are connected to top performing channels is a must

By Kahini Chakraborty

E

ver since standalone online channel managers came into the scene globally, one part of the problem did get solved for hotels, that of not having to update separate OTA extranets manually. But did it give hoteliers the confidence of exposing maximum possible rooms to all OTAs? “Clearly no!” exclaims Tarun Gulati, co-founder, Djubo.com, stating, “Hotels till date are exposing only threefive rooms per OTA on an average for any single day for all future dates even if they have a 50 room property. This is because even updating the channel manager is a separate manual process. Their actual booking chart which controls their queries, holds and bookings is not speaking to their channel manager automatically. So revenue managers are reducing their headache by exposing lesser rooms that they should, thereby ultimately impacting the hotel's revenue.”

For example, Gulati highlights, “If you had 30 rooms available on a certain date and if you are exposing six each to 10 OTAs for sale, it’s not like you are exposing 60 rooms for sale. You are actually exposing only six rooms out of 30 for sale because searches happen on individual OTAs at a time. You should ideally expose all 30 on all OTAs. But revenue managers shy away from doing that because keeping the actual booking chart in sync with an OTA is very difficult manually and almost impossible.

At best a good revenue manager will try and keep the next couple of weeks in sync but a hotel is

Mike Kistner

not fighting the battle over the next few days. At any given date the hotel is fighting a war across all dates in the future against all its competitors. So lets say for a specific date the hotel sold three rooms out of the six exposed on every OTA through a channel manager and if the revenue manager is not updating its own channel manager frequently, then even if a small family is looking for four rooms on any specific OTA, this particular hotel will not become visible. Now that is a major loss for the hotel as it not only had four rooms to sell but potentially a much larger number to sell which wasn't exposed to the OTAs.” Mike Kistner, chief executive officer, RezNext Global Solutions points out that when selecting a channel management software, the key is to understand the quality of the channels the software is connected to. While many channel managers may of-

34 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

fer a large number of connects, evaluating whether they are connected to the top performing channels is a must. The technology must also offer a real-time connectivity into the channels. A cloud based application can help keep the investment in infrastructure nimble while improving scalability and reliability. A distribution platform hosted in the cloud can quickly scale to meet the growing channel connects and increase data transfer.

ReX from RezNext is a cloud based solution and intelligent distribution platform developed using the latest in .net technology with MVC framework.”

Technologically advanced A channel manager ideally can be developed using any of the contemporary technologies like Web Services/APIs using SOAP/XML or Jason for data transfer and communication between channels. But Gulati says,

“The challenge here is to make different systems using disparate technology platforms, (as in the case of OTAs) talk to each other in the most efficient and robust manner. Another technological challenge that arises is that of 'no standards' existing in the eco-system, which also ends up demanding a lot in terms of the application architecture and design of the system integrating these disparate channels. Given these constraints, the best approach is to use JSON data objects for communication which makes the underlining communication extremely light and fast.

In addition, using robust and stable frameworks for queuing, caching, error and exception handling and reporting are critical to building a sound channel management software with minimal production issues.”

Djubo, which is an invisible online channel manager integrated seamlessly with a cloud

Tarun Gulati

based CRS (centralised reservations system) represents the latest in terms of technology to help hotels maximise revenues.

So while at Djubo, they use REST API framework of Django to integrate with third party systems, and are connected to all OTAs through APIs (application programming interfaces); RezNext uses an API integration to connect with its partners.

When asked about the number of rooms that can be managed, Gulati mentions that

TECH BYTES there is no limit of the number of rooms or number of categories that can be managed.

“With ReX, multiple room types and rate codes can be managed for each channel thus giving hotels the ability to manage B2C and B2B rates and connects on one screen,” highlights Kistner.

And on what basis does the channel management provider select channels to build connections?. “Channels are selected based on the most popular OTA for each geography. For example, one cannot ignore integrating with a MakeMyTrip in India, and the similar case is with Expedia in the US. Whichever OTA is important for each geography has to be approached and integrated. If integration with relevant OTAs for each geography is not done then the industry problem will not be able to be solved completely,” says Gulati.

Another benefit of exposing more rooms to OTAs, which properties not managing their OTA presence well will never avail, is the Billboard Effect. “Research shows that good OTA ranking and presence cannot only give your hotel higher OTA revenue, it also leads to as much as 26 per cent higher direct revenue. All of that is lost if you don't rank high enough on all or some OTAs. So by underexposing you are not only not maximising your OTA revenue, you are also losing out on a lot of possible direct revenue,” informs Gulati.

The only way to turn this downward spiral into a positive spiral is to expose more rooms to sell more rooms. But revenue managers can only achieve this if their actual booking chart is also managed on the cloud and speaks seamless to all OTAs and automatically updates its inven-

Hotels can optimise their inventory and the revenue opportunity by getting their last minute room availability also displayed across channels for booking tory on all OTAs without any manual intervention. This is the approach of Djubo – the 360 Hotel Sales Platform. Apart from just this, comes equipped with various sales desk related features like automated voucher generated, agent/guest/front office coordination, system generated alerts for payment follow up and much more.

Revenue benefits Djubo has four types of profiles, each with specific rights

and features, chain level admin or property level admin or a reservations manager or a front office manager. Resources in a hotel distribution environment have different roles to perform.

ReX provides a role based approach which helps hotels empower their resources with the right information and tools required to effectively collaborate and execute.

With ReX, hotels get connected to high yielding demand generators, real-time

automating the entire reservation process. All bookings, modifications and cancellations flow real-time back into the hotel PMS. Hotels can optimise their inventory and the revenue opportunity by getting their last minute room availability also displayed across channels for booking.

This allows hotels to do away with manual processes, streamline operations and open up their reservations 24/7.

“Our product, if used and managed well can even deliver upto 30-40 per cent higher revenues for a hotel. It does vary on a case to case basis and prior run rates of the hotels and also their inventory levels. Some results come quickly and some take time to set in but the advantages are easy to see and best experienced first hand,” mentions Gulati.

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April 16-30, 2015

HERITAGE TALK

Quintessential Kotwara Kotwara Initiatives, under the House of Kotwara brand, offers many unique experiences to travellers across Delhi, Lucknow and Kotwara, with a focus on showcasing and promoting the culture, crafts and cuisine of Awadh

By Sudipta Dev

M

UZAFFAR ALI, who is from the royal family of Kotwara, is a poet, filmmaker and also the head of Rumi Foundation, while his wife Meera Ali is an architect and designer. The House of Kotwara has a large number of interests which is contained in the brand. The five C's of House of Kotwara

are culture (of Lucknow), crafts (working among villagers promoting their crafts), couture line, cinema, and cuisine. All these five C's are offered as an experience to travellers under the Kotwara Initiatives.

Kotwara Initiatives includes experiences, restaurants and accommodation in Delhi, Lucknow and Kotwara.

36 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

Guests can also interact with craftswomen in nearby villages. Meera and Muzaffar Meera Ali run a non-proft programme called 'Dwar Pe Rozi', which literally means livelihood at the doorstep.

They commission embroidery work to village women in the latter's home

HERITAGE TALK

Choose a right career At right time On right career path

Ahnalwara Palace

“Kotwara Initiatives can be a singular experience which can just be a glimpse of its cuisine in Delhi, an intense mix of cuisine, culture, art and interaction at Kotwara House in Qaiser Bagh in Lucknow or together with Ahnalwara Palace can bring in elements of textiles and nature as a composite programme on Awadh,” says Shoba Mohan, MD, Rare – Destinations and Experiences, a company that markets small boutique ideas and concepts. Mohan has been engaged with the brand for two years now. Rare has also been involved with Muzaffar Ali's Wajid Ali Shah Festival that promotes Lucknow to travellers.

Rare experiences The Awadhi dining experience, 'Maashra', is in Meera and Muzaffar Ali's farmhouse in the outskirts of Delhi off the Faridabad-Gurgaon highway.

The hand crafted tent that is decorated with their memorabilia and art can seat up to 30 people. Five course Awadhi cuisine, from the royal household of Kotwara, is served to guests in this sit down dining experience. “The dinners are spectacular, and they offer lunches as well,” says Mohan.

In Lucknow, three suites of Kotwara House, the family home, is given out as a home-

Meera Ali

stay. “The conscious effort and decision to open up Kotwara House for discerning visitors ensued from the vision of connecting hospitality with grass root traditions and human resource,” states Meera Ali. Private dinners and private high teas are organised for interested guests. Other

activities include a Qaiser Bagh Walk, that is a heritage trail of Qaiser Bagh in Lucknow. Cooking demonstration of Awadhi cuisine can also be done for interested guests.

Kotwara is about 160 km from Lucknow, and is a gateway to the forests of Dudhwa and Kishanpur - one of the largest forest tracks in India.

Ahnalwara Palace in Kotwara offers seven suites to guests.

Village excursions, nature walks and picnics in nearby forests are some of the activities for travellers.

Guests can also interact with craftswomen in nearby villages. Meera and Muzaffar Ali run a non-proft programme called 'Dwar Pe Rozi', which literally means livelihood at the doorstep.

They commission embroidery work to village women in the latter's home. The dresses are designed, cut and then sent to these women, who after doing their household chores, do the embroidery work, and earn about US$ 100 a month.

Meera and Muzaffar Ali also run a school for children of the craftspeople. There are almost 600 children studying in the school presently. Along with formal education, the craftspeople's children are also initiated into learning needlework from a young age.

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April 16-30, 2015

MOVEMENTS Keys Resorts Ronil, Goa Berggruen Hotels which operates in India under the brand name of Keys Hotels and Keys Resorts has announced the appointment of KEVIN RODRIGUES as general manager of Keys Resorts Ronil in Goa. In the new role, he will be responsible to ensure smooth functioning of financial, mar-

the brand's inception, has been promoted to the newly created position of chief marketing officer. With a career spanning 20 years, Goh joined Alila Hotels & Resorts after a nine-year tenure as regional director of sales, ASEAN with the Mandarin Oriental Group. In the new role, she will be tasked with driving the global marketing strategy and building an even stronger brand identity, integrating all

of Caffe Mondo. With nearly 15 years of working experience across Italy and around the world, Chef Fondatori's new menus at Caffe Mondo will debut on April 8, 2015. Before Guangzhou, Chef Fondatori worked in an international luxury resort in Sanya, where the 32-year-old Italian began his journey in China. Prior to that, he worked for Le Cirque restaurants in New Delhi and in Dominican Republic for nearly four years. Before setting his culinary footprints outside Italy, he spent years with international hotels and restaurants around the country.

Moevenpick Hotels & Resorts

Kevin Rodrigues

Abhishek Dhar

keting, operational and administrative activities as well as building guest relations. He joins Keys Resorts Ronil, Goa with an experience of over 20 years in the hospitality industry and F&B sector including stints at well known resort and casino in Goa.

the marketing, sales and PR functions with a particular focus on digital and social media platforms. In addition, she will drive direct consumerism through sales and e-commerce strategies, revenue opportunities and multi-branding events for all properties.

Over the last 16 years, Pahlke has held various sales positions at some of the world’s most recognised hotel brands, including Mandarin Oriental, Le Meriden Dom Hotel and most recently Grand Hyatt.

Alila Bengaluru has appointed ABHISHEK DHAR as the EAM – F&B services. In his new role he will be responsible for curating new dining and banqueting experiences at Alila Bengaluru. He began his career from The Imperial Hotel in Delhi and went on to work with some of the best known hospitality chains in India and abroad like Four Seasons Resort Maldives, Raffles Hotel Singapore, etc.

Alila Hotels & Resorts Alila Hotels & Resorts has announced two senior appointments in the global sales and marketing team. PATRICK PAHLKE, has been appointed as vice president of sales and DORIS GOH, who helmed the sales and marketing role since

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou Doris Goh

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou has appointed FILIPPO FONDATORI as chef de cuisine

38 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has appointed PETRA GÖTTING as vice president - sales and marketing Europe and NICK BOSWORTH as vice president brand and marketing. UK-born Bosworth has 25 years of experience in both the hotel and airline industries. Prior to joining Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts he worked for the InterContinental Hotels Group for 10 years across a range of senior marketing, strategic and brand development positions.

Götting has worked in hospitality since 1987 and has over 20 years experience in senior sales and marketing positions. During a career that has taken her from the UK to Germany and from Switzerland to Austria, Götting’s roles have included vice president - global sales for Raffles International and vice president marketing and sales for Swissôtel. Prior to joining Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, she was managing director sales and marketing for Falkensteiner Hotels & Resorts in Vienna.

Raffles Beijing Raffles Beijing has appointed JANET M CHAN as director of sales and marketing, and ERIN PROUD as director of food and beverage overseeing the hotel’s three signature dining venues.

This is Chan's second role with Raffles following her work with Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor

The Westin Mumbai Garden City VINAY SINGH has been promoted as the director of sales and marketing for hotel The Westin Mumbai Garden City. His current role entails him to lead the sales and marketing function to cater to various industrial segments of Mumbai and other markets. Source, secure and maximise all sales opportunities in line with annual business plan. Supervise the strategic marketing alliance for the hotel. Ensure that the property is seen as being the principle innovator in the market place and the hotel of

and her first role in China.

Proud will be working in Beijing for the first time following five successful years at the reopened The Savoy London, a key member of the FRHI Hotels & Resorts family.

Wyndham Hotel Group Wyndham Hotel Group has appointed BARRY GOLDSTEIN as chief digital and distribution officer. In this position, Goldstein will be responsible for managing and optimising Wyndham Hotel Group’s digital assets and presence including its web and mobile sites, next generation mobile apps, online media, digital content, third party distribution and the company’s newly created hotel marketing services group that is focused on driving local property revenues and balanced distribution. In addition, he will lead the company’s sales technology strategy. He previously served as chief revenue officer at Dolce Hotels and Resorts, which was acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in February 2015. Prior to joining Dolce Hotels and Resorts in November 2009, he served five years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide as vice president, global sales strategy, technology and operations.

choice. Participate in the preparation of the strategic business and operating plans.

Wyndham Wyndham has appointed NADEEN AYALA as senior vice president – communications. Ayala will oversee and align all internal and external communications functions for the company and for its lodging business, Wyndham Hotel Group. In this role, she is responsible for setting the strategic direction, planning and implementation of global public relations, internal communications and franchisee communications, while articulating the hospitality giant’s mission to its key stakeholders, including media, consumers, franchisees and employees.

Daydream Island Resort & Spa Daydream Island Resort and Spa in the Whitsundays has appointed EMMA SCARROTT as regional sales manager. She will be responsible for driving regional sales for the resort and building relationships with key industry partners. Scarrott replaces previous regional sales manager Aimee Cameron who has been promoted to Guest Services Manager on Daydream.

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Kolkata: Ajanta - 09831182580

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To Advertise in

Business Avenues Please Contact: ■

Mumbai: Rajan Nair - 09821076065 Dattaram - 09821580849 ■

■

■

Delhi: Prateek - 09899003030

Delhi Associate : Dinesh - 09810264368

Chennai & Hyderabad : Shukla : 09849297724 ■

Bangalore: Sreejit : 08867574257 ■

46 April 16-30, 2015

Kolkata: Ajanta - 09831182580

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weekend

Scene and heard

With Marcellus Baptista

Fitting finale

Rocky S and Anchal Kumar at the Peroni party at Palladium Hotel poolside

All cool by the pool PALLADIUM HOTEL HAD A great opportunity to showcase its splendid poolside as venue for the appetizing Aperitivo evening hosted by Peroni Nastro Azzurro. Guests relished the old-world Italian culture in the company of masterpieces by renowned Italian painter and sculptor Shola Carletti. Of course, much Peroni beer was downed and it went very well with the array of aperitifs made with some of the freshest of Italian ingredients to please even the most discerning of palates. The crisp and refreshing Peroni beer with an unmistakable Italian taste and one of the most successful premium beer brands in the world and a true star in the SABMiller brand portfolio along with the music was well appreciated by guests like Shibani Kashyap, Anchal Kumar, Riya Sen, Rocky S, Ekta Kapoor, Preeti Desai, Zaheer Khan, Mona Singh and Rashmi Nigam.

WHEN THE GOING gets tough the tough gets going. That seemed to be the case as the offsite grand finale show of Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015 was forced to be relocated to Palladium Hotel. Credit goes to the hotel that agreed to have it staged in the lobby with the winding staircase. The Lakmé team and IMG along with the hotel personnel and even other designers from the fashion fraternity got together to ensure that it was a show to remember.

It was Anamika Khanna with her show inspired by Sculpt, the Lakmé beauty statement for the season. It was a colour tale of silver, gold, ivory, gunmetal, black, soft pink, nude and strong blue. The models also showed off well-defined and contoured matte lips in a stunning palette of rich plums, deep reds and feminine pinks..

Kareena Kapoor at Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2015 grand finale at Palladium Hotel

Jim Murray at the Amrut single malt tasting at the Taj

Singular taste WHISKY LOVERS REJOICED as Amrut, the famed Indian single malt, celebrated a decade of global acclaim with an evening of tasting single malts with renowned whisky guru Jim Murray. The informative and intoxicating session was presented by Amrut Distilleries, part of the N R Jagdale Group, in association with RSP Gourmet Food at Taj Mahal Palace. It was a packed house with each and every guest hanging on to each and every word of Jim Murray, arguably the pre-eminent global authority on all matters concerning whisky. Guests were taken on a journey of the nuances of tasting single malt whiskies. Indian traditional attire or smart casuals was the specified dress code and the exciting evening ended with cocktails and dinner.

Ties that bind

Indo-Chinese celebration at ITC Maratha

50 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

THE BALLROOM OF ITC Maratha was the happy venue for the cheerful celebration of 65 years of bilateral diplomatic relations between India and China.

Hosted by Chinese Consul General Zheng Xiyuan and presented by Aura Art eConnect and China Public Diplomacy Association, it turned out to be a gathering of dignitaries and artists from China and India. In attendance were Song Ronghua, Secretary General, China Public Diplomacy Association, Hu Jiebao, Executive VP, China International Art & Business Alliance, film personalities Shu Hnan and Ding Ding who produced the famed Chinese movie ‘Lost in Thailand’ and the Indian contingent of Sumit Mullick, Additional Chief Secretary and Chief of Protocol, Government of Maharashtra, Adi H Jehangir, Chairman, Jehangir Art Gallery, film personalities Kiran Shantaram and Jackie Shroff and Daljit Singh Sethi, Chairman, Aura Art.

weekend

E V E N T S

EXPANDING FOOTPRINT Kavinder Singh, MD and CEO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India at a press conference in Mumbai to announce the launch of Club Mahindra Kanha in Madhya Pradesh

SHOWCASING COMMITMENT L-R: Matthias Keudel, director - exports, Nobilia and Vijay Aggarwal, MD, Prism Cements at the launch of the third Nobilia kitchen store in Mumbai after Pune and Chennai

NEW HORIZON L-R: Amruda Nair, joint MD and CEO, Aiana Hotels & Resorts HOLY TEACHINGS (Centre) His Holiness The Dalai Lama with (Second from left) Satyajeet Krishnan, general manager - Taj Mahal, New Delhi at the Teachings by His Holiness event hosted at the hotel

and H E Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, chairman, Al Sawari Holding and Al Faisal Holdings, at the signing agreement ceremony to create Aiana Hotels & Resorts, a global hotel management company, at the Qatari - Indian Economic Forum, New Delhi

GRADUATION DAY

The sixth batch recently graduated from Apeejay Institute of Hospitality during a ceremony held at The Park Navi Mumbai

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E V E N T S

LIGHTS OFF

JW Marriott Hotel Mumbai Sahar dimmed the lights in the public areas of its premises for an hour in support of the Earth Hour movement

The team at Crowne Plaza Greater Noida switched off the lights of their business premises for an hour in support of the Earth Hour movement

RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE

The Indian Culinary Forum in association with Hospitality First and ITPO recently organised the Culinary Art India 2015, a five-day gastronomic competition, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

52 FOOD & HOSPITALITY WORLD April 16-30, 2015

REGD.WITH RNI NO.MAHENG/2012/42381, REGD.NO.MH/MR/SOUTH-383/2013-15,PUBLISHED ON 2ND & 17TH EVERY FORTNIGHT, POSTED ON 2, 3, 4 & 17,18,19 OF EVERY FORTNIGHT POSTED AT MUMBAI PATRIKA CHANNEL SORTING OFFICE.