Insights successthe 10 fastest growing travel and hospitality service providers

The way of business solutions

www.insightssuccess.in JUNE 2017

The

10

FASTEST GROWING

TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY SERVICE PROVIDERS

Vino Amor Wine Sutra: The Art of making wine

Bon Voyage A Word or two on traveling

INSHA MALHOTRA A Passionate Restaurateur

Editorial

T

he Indian Travel and Hospitality Industry is growing at a rapid pace, and will tend to grow in the near future too. With a massive contribution of more than 7% of total GDP, travel and hospitality industry is not only generating whooping revenues, but also creating a large number jobs across all segments too.

The Indian travel and hospitality industry has experienced a prominent growth in recent years due to various factors, including an increase in purchasing power of the domestic travelers, rise in the foreign tourist footfalls and the growing airline industry. The introduction of several branding and marketing initiatives by the Government of India such as Athiti Devo Bhava and Incredible India! has also provided an intense stimulus to growth.

The Skyrocketing Indian Travel and Hospitality Industry

The travel & tourism industry and the hospitality industry are both directly proportional to each other. In India, the hotel industry thrives largely due to the growth in tourism and travel. Due to the increase in tourism with rising foreign and domestic tourists, the hotel sector is also booming rapidly. This has led to the emergence of budget hotels in India to cater to the majority of the population who seek an affordable yet comfortable stay. International hotel brands are also increasingly looking at setting up such hotels. Imbalance in the ratio of total number of tourists to the number of rooms has proved to be a latent source of opportunity for growth.

The sudden increase in demand for hotel accommodation over the last few years has inated hotel rooms in the country. Furthermore, with international brands, domestic hotel chains too are embarking on strong development and expansion plans across all hotel segments.

But it should be noted that the foundation of tourism in India is still not so strong, but there is a great deal of scope to expand tourism across India.

Sagar Bhattacharjee

C O V E R S T O R Y

Vino Amor

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Wine Sutra : The Art of Making Wine

Bon Voyage

8 C X O

30

A Word or two on traveling

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Underrated Foods‌.

Wait‌Really?

Appetite

Insha Malhotra: A Passionate Restaurateur

S T A N D P O I N T

Trends in the Indian Cookware Industry

A Closer look at the Opportunities and Concerns of Travel and Hospitality Industry

Our vision, for the growth of tourism sector.

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Bucket My List: An Exclusive Travel Platform for Explorers Aged 50+

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EaseMyTrip.com:

Keys Hotels:

Propelling your desire to travel Affordably

Enjoy an Unforgettable Travel Experience

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MRG Group:

Park Hyatt:

Redeď€ ning Lifestyle and Hospitality

Decoding the Evolving World of Hospitality

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Ariana Lawrence Managing Editor Sagar Bhattacharjee Co-Editors Pooja Jain Sachin Bhandare Poonam Yadav Contributors Kaustav, Abhinav, Piyush, Rajarshi Art & Design Director Amol Kamble Co-designer Aparna Vanzul Picture Editor Alex Noel Art Editor Poonam Mahajan Visualiser Vanshika Mittal Business Development Manager Akansha Garewal Marketing Manager Dhruv Apte Business Development Executive Tarun, Ankush Research Analyst David Circulation Manager Swapnil Database Management Sharad Technology Consultant Vishal More sales@insightssuccess.com

June, 2017 Corporate Ofď€ ces: Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 513 & 510, 5th Flr., Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017 Phone - India: 020-69400110, 111, 112 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: Visit www.insightssuccess.in

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Copyright Š 2017 Insights Success, All rights reserved.

The

10

Fastest Growing

Travel & Hospitality Service Providers

“Travel and Hospitality” – The buzzword of the era

T

ravel and Hospitality is a powerful industry with a lot of potential and zeal to cope up with the rapid development. Technology factor is one inevitable thing, which is playing an important role in creating world tourism demand for now and also for the future. Today’s travel and hospitality industry circumstances are changing fast with the latest technology trends, and this has become an important task for hotel management professionals to adapt to such changes and come out with out-of-the-box ideas to be in the race.

We have listed some exceptional companies that are not just earning revenues by doing business, but working enthusiastically to take travel and hospitality industry to a new level by considering their clients as their most valuable asset and client satisfaction as their prime goal.

To throw some light on the achievements of these admiring companies, we are introducing the issue of The 10 Fastest Growing Travel and Hospitality Service Providers.

In this issue, on the cover, we have Insha Malhotra, who is a restaurateur by heart and soul. She is the person who has successfully crafted distinctive ideas to bring a new and unique dining experience to the city of Kanpur. Insha is the proud owner of Stone: The Indian Drama – UP’s first restaurant serving molecular gastronomy food; and D-Café – The chic English ambience themed cafeteria, which takes their guest away from the hustle bustle and daily madness of the city.

Also, we have the most prominent Travel and Hospitality Service Providers in this issue which includes, Airawat Tours Pvt Ltd., which provides overseas visitors with complete destination management, and off the beaten track travel experiences of modern India along with its ancient traditions. Bucket My List, an exclusive boutique travel company catering especially to the young at heart 50+ age group. EaseMyTrip for providing a cost effective platform to book tickets on low cost airlines, flights, and search hotels & holiday packages. Group MRG for being a diversified company, and leading the hospitality industry with a conglomerate of hotels, resorts, fine dine restaurants, educational institutions and infrastructure companies. Keys Hotels to provide the perfect amalgamation of international services to match the Indian needs. Marriott Group of Hotels for creating a benchmark with their 6,000 properties in 122 countries and territories, rendering top notch services since ages. Park Hyatt Chennai for its thoughtful amenities & features, exquisite décor, and unparalleled elegance, to be an unforgettable destination for the luxury travelers around the world. Spectra Hospitality for its notable achievement in collaboration with its clients to help them conceptualize, develop and operate high-performance businesses. The Leela Palace for creating iconic landmarks surpassing all expectations and scripting a new destiny in the hospitality industry.

Also, we have a great contribution of masterly articles scripted by our in-house writers, A Word or Two on Travelling and Wine Sutra: The Art of Making Wine.

So, do flip the pages of our magazine to unveil the reason how these travel and hospitality service providers have leveraged themselves to outshine others and be the ultimate mogul of the industry.

A H S N I OTRA MALH

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Cover Story

Insha Malhotra Restaurant Owner of “D-Café” & “Stone: The Indian Drama”

TO I W S CU ER AN ST VE TE O T D E V W M HE E RY ER IT H SO A FO DA S M TW O Y ET IS D H RA IN T, RE G BE SE LY FO EN RE N A

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orn and brought up in Kanpur in the family of a hotel entrepreneur, Insha Malhotra, Restaurant Owner of “D-Café” and “Stone: The Indian Drama,” is a restaurateur by heart and soul. As a kid, she grew up in a surrounding where every conversation of her family members revolved around hotel businesses. Let it be about the selection of chairs for a fast casual restaurant or about what chandelier would suit the traditional fine dine décor, Insha started showing interest by participating and giving her inputs in these conversations. Slowly she grew up learning the fundamentals of hotel industry, then came the time for Insha to apply for the college. The only college she could think of was, “Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration” – The Best Hospitality School in the world. After graduating from the Cornell University, she was ready to explore the global hospitality industry. But soon she faced the dilemma of choosing between two options, to work for a global hospitality firm in New York City or to go back to India and join her father in his endeavours. After analyzing the hospitality scenario and the needs and wants of people back home, Insha decided to go back to India and bring back foreign concepts with her own twist to the city of Kanpur.

Inception of Insha’s Journey of becoming a Hotel Entrepreneur After heading back to India, Insha was ready to amalgamate her knowledge she gained at the Cornell University with the distinctive ideas to bring a new and unique dining experience to the city of Kanpur. She wanted to serve the customers everyday food with a twist, something rarely seen before. She thought of introducing progressive Indian food beyond the familiar curry and naan bread. Bringing this change was neither fast nor an easy task, thus she sat down with a team of chefs and started planning a menu of everyday dishes to be reinvented in a global manner. After months of research, doing experiments in the kitchen and creating a lab like environment in the dining room, Insha successfully launched Stone: The Indian Drama – UP’s first restaurant serving molecular gastronomy food. But the ultimate aim was, not to isolate themselves with food based around physics and chemistry, so, they also introduced Indian dishes on their menu, but with a fusion and twist in taste and presentation.

Food that Activates all your 5 Senses Stone: The Indian Drama – the name says it all. At Stone it’s not only about serving tasty food, but it’s all about creating an all round unforgettable experience. The Dramatic experience at Stone begins with jaljeera sorbet that comes in miniature trucks, luring the guests to take out

their phones and click a photo. The show continues with dishes like the dragon smoke makhana and popcorn flavoured with Maggi tastemaker and infused with liquid nitrogen. After the guest pops a few in their mouth, they exhale smoke like the dragon spits fire. The drama doesn’t stop here, they also serve deconstructed golgappa shots, molecular chaat and molecular rasmalai, all made right in front of the guests at their table, playing with nitrogen and carbon-dioxide and giving their guests the ultimate theatrical experience.

To further dramatize the experience, the molecular cocktail menu includes Magic Mojito made with nitrogen and cotton candy – inspired from a restaurant in LA. Whiskey Sour Sorbet made live at the table side in front of the guests, molecular caviar infused gin cocktails and much more.

Growth for the Sake of Growth is the Ideology of the Cancer Cell. - Edward Abbey Once Stone was established, there was never looking back as it was up and running smoothly. Then it was the right time for expansion, but for Insha, it was not all about expanding her business. She wanted to target the market segment that was untouched, so she came up with an idea of opening a concept café, and then the inception of D-Café took place.

The chic English ambience of the place takes the guest away from the hustle bustle and daily madness of the city.

To stand out from a regular cafe, Insha thought of introducing the viral concept that she came across in New York City, ‘The Freak Shakes’ where their gravity defying milkshakes are not just a treat for the tummy but a feast for the eyes too. So, Insha took inspiration from there and decided to make it D-Cafe’s goal. So that every dish leaving the kitchen should be surprisingly photogenic so that people would be urged to bring their phones out and click some snaps before digging in. Considering food and service as absolute essentials, Insha wanted to take her guests’ mind off social media and wanted to add a fun element to their experience. To make her guests relive their childhood they added simple elements like a deck of UNO and board games like LUDO and Snakes and Ladders.

Taking the Road Less Traveled Every hotelier wants to start his restaurant or hotel business in a metro city, but even thinking of starting a concept restaurant business in a tier 2 city like Kanpur needs guts.

Insha, after doing an extensive research concluded that, people in tier 2 cities of India have disposable income and interest in experiencing a unique dining scene and to accept

GRAVITY DEFYING MILKSHAKES ARE NOT JUST A TREAT FOR THE TUMMY, BUT A FEAST FOR THE EYES TOO

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concepts such as D-Café, in their cities. So, Insha has embarked on journey to explore these small towns and take her concepts to the cities that would be benefited from such ideas.

Hospitality: Malhotra family’s tradition Hospitality runs in the Malhotra family and Insha’s biggest inspiration after her father Vikas Malhotra, was her sister Shagun. Six years ago, when night life in Kanpur was non existential, Shagun, just 23 years of age realised that there was no place in the city where people her age that have travelled the world could just hang out. She noticed that in a city like Kanpur, people had the money, but lacked the means to spend. After returning as an interior designer from London, Shagun opened Dhuaan Sheesha & Kitchen, Kanpurs first stylish restaurant encouraging nightlife. She further used her interior designing skills to design Kanpur's only 5 star hotel: The Landmark Towers. Seeing her sister being involved in the family business and passionately follow her dreams, Insha was inspired to do so too. The two sisters love to travel the world together exploring new and upcoming trends in the hospitality industry.

Taking the Concept of Entrepreneurship to a New Level For Insha, entrepreneurship is all about perseverance.

“The idea of having a goal or a north star and sticking to it for the long run and seeing your idea transform from into a tangible product is what makes it exciting. In today’s day and age with technology playing such a big role in all industries, too many entrepreneurs are ‘trying too hard’ to be innovative. They are trying to solve problems that do not exist. Having a north star, a goal or chasing a problem makes entrepreneurs much more effective in both creating a demand for their product as well as bringing about a change.” – asserts Insha.

Being a young entrepreneur, Insha has achieved so much in such a less time. Her success is the ultimate result of her hard work and sheer dedication. Her mantra to success is to focus on dissatisfied customers, because she believes dissatisfied customers are the greatest source of learning.

Therefore, we need to pay attention towards the three A’s: Apologize, Acknowledge and Act. Creating a Change and being a Part of it The travel and hospitality industry is gearing up for one of the biggest disruption in decades.

Today, the millennial customer is the most connected, well aware and demanding. Every customer wants a different experience with high quality food, smart technology experience and an inspired ambience, all wrapped into a single restaurant or hotel experience.

The restaurant industry is being forced to rethink their design, menu, presentation, guest services and experience to cater towards the millennial customer that wants their visit to be an ‘instagram moment’ each time they come to the restaurant. To create this moment, Insha and her team is changing focus from taste to presentation. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen to create the best tasting dish, chefs and imaginators are now spending hours on how to create the best looking dish. This shift of focus is to meet the millennial customers’ preferences.

At their restaurants, they too are playing with nitrogen to invent cocktails that come in a treasure chest filled with dry ice and plating dishes at the table side to create that wow moment that the customers are looking for.

As experiential marketing is taking off, consumers are expecting restaurants to offer them experiences outside the usual scope. In the past year we have seen international brands such as TAO experimenting with pop-up concepts in Mumbai. I believe that in the coming future we can see a rise in pop-up restaurants in India, that focus on creativity and exclusivity. Having curated three different pop-up restaurant concepts in New York state over the past few years, my next step is to get the popup restaurant culture to small towns in India. Cities like my own, where people have travelled the world, experienced all sorts of cuisines and are looking for something new, pop-up restaurants is the answer. People might think pop-up restaurants are temporary, however, I think that pop-up’s aren’t just

Every customer wants a different experience with high quality food, smart technology experience and an inspired ambience, all wrapped into a single restaurant or hotel experience. The restaurant industry is being forced to rethink their design, menu, presentation, guest services and experience to cater towards the millennial customer that wants their visit to be an ‘instagram moment’ each time they come to the restaurant

HAVE A DRAMATIC DINING EXPERIENCE RIGHT ON YOUR TABLE AND MAKE IT AN INSTAGRAM MOMENT

about the exclusivity of a one-time event, they’re about testing the deep waters of the consumers likes and dislikes.

Aiming for a Bright Future After conquering the two extreme market segments, Insha is all set to start her new venture, and she is working on her next project “The Living Room,” a sophisticated space that will serve as a Private Dining Room to the elite customers of the city with a customized food and drinks menu each night. Insha has also embarked on a journey to explore small towns in India and take her concepts to the cities that would be benefited from such ideas. Insha loves “experimenting with new and different concepts outside the usual scope of the industry”.

Her long term goal is setting a more robust dining scene in India and introducing the pop-up restaurant culture.

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The

10

Fastest Growing

Travel & Hospitality Service Providers

Company Name

Management

Airawat Tours Pvt Ltd www.airawat.com

Mallika Trivedi Gautam Director

Airawat Tours Pvt Ltd provides overseas visitors with complete destination management, quality service, tours showcasing India's history, art, architecture, culture and wildlife, and off the beaten track travel experiences of modern India along with its ancient traditions.

Bucket My List bucketmylist.in

Shivali Bhargava Founder

Bucket My List is an exclusive boutique travel company catering especially to the young at heart 50+ age group.

EaseMyTrip easemytrip.com

Nishant Pitti

EaseMyTrip.com offers low cost airlines, book flights, search hotels, holiday packages.

Group MRG groupmrg.com

Mr. K Prakash Shetty Founder & Chairman

MRG Group is a diversified company, leading the hospitality industry with a conglomerate of hotels, resorts, fine dine restaurants, educational institutions and infrastructure companies.

Keys Hotels keyshotels.com

Vikas Chadha ED & CFO

Keys chain of hotels is a part of the internationally acclaimed Berggreun Group. Keys Hotels is a leading name in hospitality and is ranked among the best hotels in India. It is the perfect amalgamation of international services to match the Indian needs.

Marriott Group of Hotels marriott.com

Neeraj Govil Area Vice President

Marriott International, Inc. is a leading global lodging company with more than 6,000 properties in 122 countries and territories, headquartered outside of Washington, D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland.

Park Hyatt Chennai hyatt.com

Aashima Sharma General Manager

Park Hyatt Chennai is the 30th hotel in the Park Hyatt collection and the first Park Hyatt hotel to be introduced in the city of Chennai, known as the gateway to Southern India.

Navneet Nagpal Principal Consultant

Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all segments of Hospitality, Leisure and Business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful hotel companies, Spectra collaborates with clients to help them conceptualise, develop and operate high-performance businesses.

The Landmark Towers thehotellandmark.com

Insha Malhotra Restaurant Owner

D-Café is a concept based café designed to offer customers with a chic English ambience. Stone: The Indian Drama, is the first and only Indian restaurant in Uttar Pradesh serving Indian food with a Molecular and Fusion twist

The Leela Palace theleela.com

Srinivasan M Corporate IT Head

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts is owned and managed

by Hotel Leelaventure Limited. The signature promise that binds the group’s underlying philosophy is ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, or ‘Guest is God’, as laid down inthe ancient Indian scriptures.

Spectra Hospitality spectrahospitality.com

Brief

Bucket My List: An Exclusive Travel Platform

for Explorers Aged 50+

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ick Steves said it best in his piece on “Savvy Seniors” when he proclaimed “Travel is a fountain of youth”. Because if anything will keep you young, it will only be you venturing out into the world on a regular basis. We often fret about the variables that could go wrong when our parents travel overseas and mostly owing to work/personal commitments we are unable to travel with them most of the time. Enters ‘Bucket My List’. Being an exclusive boutique travel company catering especially to the young at heart 50+ age group, ‘Bucket My List’ tries to plug that gap by ensuring that our loved ones are in safe hands with someone who knows the terrain well - speak their language - is well aware of their cultural and religious values assisting them from start to end.

Shivali used to be really worried over logistics, safety, food, language etc. when her parents would travel overseas. And it wasn’t possible for her to accompany them everywhere and she realized that there were several others in the same boat. If there’s a venture with exclusive and premium offerings and an escort who could take care of these people like their own children would, it would be a scalable model that would meet the unmet demands of all people like her.

This impelled Shivali to start Bucket My List.

'Bucket My List’ offers a holiday experience with activities and adventures suitable for senior travelers making these trips personalized, experiential and participative. These holidays tread the off-beaten path and are very experiential in nature, with emphasis on extreme localization, which discerning travelers would appreciate. Tailor made journeys and unmatched services includes places which they themselves have experienced and believe those to be truly unique. They ensure that there are no negative surprises from an expectation standpoint.

Shivali, an MBA from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, has been a marketing professional for the last 15 years. Her client and project management skills are exceptional.

Shivali has always been a go-getter; someone who is determined to achieve project goals, taking the team along.

Shivali Bhargava, Founder Being an avid traveler with an ever growing bucket list, Shivali Bhargava, harnessed her raw energy and love for adventure to follow her inner passion. Her passion for meeting new people, curiosity about life, walking the offbeat path and her YOLO (You Only Live Once) philosophy have all come together to start her own startup, catering to the 50+ people looking at quality holidays around the world.

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“I am an ardent traveler and live to travel and experience new things; I hope to make a small ecosystem of my senior friends with whom I can continue to explore the world,” says Shivali.

Explore the World with the Professionals People are increasingly getting well versed with the finer nuances of traveling and have become more discerning and don’t mind paying a premium for quality and experiential tours which can give them the local flavors of a particular destination through its people, food, terrain or culture.

‘Bucket My List’ was set up after realizing a lacuna in this space for senior travelers who did not want the regular cookie cutter holidays. Hence, the focus has been on experiential Tour with emphasis on extreme localization so as to get the real flavor of the country.

The company offers escorted group tours, customized tours and specific ‘Bucket List’ experiences. Being avid travelers themselves, they realized that the current non-specialized

June 2017

The

10

Fastest Growing

Travel & Hospitality Service Providers

cookie cutter offerings within this space just didn’t make the ‘cut’for passionate and well-traveled audience. They strive to create deeper, richer, more authentic and immersive experiences that are inspiring even for the discerning traveler. With personalized customer service from the planning stage to the actual trip itself, the company ensures that each guest is treated with special care by their handpicked suppliers across the globe.

Hotel and activity selection is also comprehended while keeping in mind the pace of travelers so that they can enjoy their tour to the fullest.

Tailor-made Services Crafted with Excellence ESCORTED GROUP TOURS – Bond with a friendly group of 16 like-minded travelers over a glass of wine or lemonade. Share stories and create relationships in the company of a friendly tour escort and a local guide, who are trained to take special care of your comfort and needs.

PRIVATE TOURS – Tours designed for small, private groups with minimum 2 guests. You have your own driver and everything is organized according to your likes and dislikes.

EXPERIENCE - Their niche - out of the world ‘bucket list’ experience is an absolute must do for those seeking a once in a lifetime memory. It doesn’t matter if you’re craving adventure, relaxation, creative activities or culinary travel, Bucket My List ensures that you complete your bucket list with their top of the line specialized suppliers!

Personalized ‘Experiential’ tour package is uniquely designed for travelers who are interested not only in sightseeing, but also in local culture, people and soft adventure, in the company of knowledgeable & experienced local guides. All their trips include unique activities to enable active and social participation of travelers. Itineraries are easy-going and allow travelers to take halts for photography and get more local experience.

Laser sharp Focus on Commitment The team at ‘Bucket My List’ is extremely focused on a) Target Audience and b) Products. They cater to the high end segment of travelers who intend to have offbeat tours and are willing to go the extra mile when they are touring a particular destination.

They don’t have a vast product suite and only cater to limited destinations both overseas and locally. These destinations are the places wherein their team has personally traveled and can guide the guests in true BML style. They have forged strong alliances both overseas and locally with reputed and credible partners so that their guests have a flawless and a memorable vacation.

June 2017

Shivali Bhargava Founder

We provide Experiential Tour to the mature traveller with emphasis on extreme localization so as to get the real flavor of the country 19

Tech-Talk

Sunil Agarwal Director Vinod Cookware

T

ill three years back, Cookware retail hardly received a standalone mention as a major retail sector in any of the analysis conducted on the Indian retail sector within the public domain. However, things are gradually improving. More than just satisfying the functional needs of the Indian consumer, modern retail in this sector is emerging to cater to the diverse needs of the customer–be it convenience, fashion or price. Currently the Cookware market in India is estimated to be in the range of Rs $320 – $360 million out of which Kitchen Accessories market is just about 18 per cent. The market is highly unorganized with organized players accounting for only 35 - 40 per cent of the market share.

Cookware industry in India has received a major boom in the scenario and is fast growing. The industry is pegged to grow at around 21%, some of the key drivers which shall build the segment can be understood as under.

The hottest trends are reflective of what’s on the customer’s mind as they’re choosing how to equip and furnish their homes. The Cookware Industry has seen a drastic change over the past few years. Consumers earlier would follow the traditional approach of cooking in terms of the recipes, vessels and methods etc. As the world is getting smarter and better, people have now started making new choices and moving towards the modern way of approach.

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June 2017

With every passing era, there are new set of products making an entry in the market. It all started with Non-stick cookware and fifty years later, the cookware market furthermore keeps on developing.

Consumers have now turned out to be more aware of the cookware through reality programmes and cooking shows on TV, and retail passageways are overwhelmed with alternatives at each value point in a variety of materials.

Mass manufacturing has empowered cookware to be delivered at lower costs, which in turn has extended the range of customer choice.

As far as trends are concerned, there are several important trends that largely dominate the cookware market; which includes the stylizing of cookware in order to transform the product from the functional kitchen tool to making it a part of an aspiration lifestyle. Such aspirations include catering to ‘green’ concerns for environmental friendliness and the health and the safety of the products offered.

Moreover, cookware style and fashion is becoming increasingly important, especially for those at the higher end of the market. Consumers moving into new houses or remodeling their existing home often prefer the latest collections to match the interior of their kitchens. The most important trend that the cookware industry has to deal with is the growing tendency to question the safety of non-stick coatings. Manufacturers are working diligently to create a coating that is safe to use for the households. The Industry’s effort to introduce a new type of coating is mainly driven by the various concerns received from the consumer’s end.

For safety purposes, consumers have also started avoiding the use of plastic.

June 2017

Studies have proved that the toxic compound found in the plastic causes health problems ranging from cancer to infertility. Exposure to these kinds of chemicals can also reprogram your metabolism and make it more likely for you to store calories instead of passing them through causing obesity. The best solution which is affordable, convenient and really safe is the stainless steel cookware.

Undoubtedly, it’s the Stainless-steel cookware that is considered to be the best choice for your kitchen. It is extremely hygienic in nature and provides contamination free cooking. It is a combination of metals including carbon, chromium, nickel and manganese.

Stainless steel pans often have an inner core of aluminum, these two metals are very efficient heat conductors. But there are only a few brands which offer aluminium throughout, some of them only have it at the base.

In earlier times, the cookware used in the kitchen used to acquire a lot of space, it was difficult to handle and was really heavy. Times changed, various brands in market introduced compact design cookware especially for small homes, apartments and travelling purposes. This proved to be the best option for the people who are short on storage space.

After this innovation, we also saw a change in the designs & looks of the cookware used nowadays. Gone are the days where the cookware was simple, silver and craved with the family names on it. Colourful, stylish, sleek and smart cookware entered the industry. This changed the way of looking for the perfect cookware for your kitchen. Several brands entered the market and the competition grew.

After coming up with stylish

cookware, the brands then started with a new trend and introduced multi – purpose appliances. This innovation proved to be a boom for the people and made their complicated kitchen life much simpler. Hard work turned into smart work and cooking became a much easier task than it ever was.

Apart from the cookware, there has also been a change in the cooking approach. Cooking is no more restricted to women. Earlier women were considered as the synonym for home cooks, but the picture has changed today; the role of the cook is played by men as well and it is equally accepted in the society.

As the society is changed it has also helped in the change for the consumption patterns. Now healthy cooking is the new wave followed by people and it is not only witnessed at households but also followed by various restaurants across India. The hotels & restaurants are also adapting it and gradually moving towards the healthy path and changing their food patterns. This wave has touched every part of India and world across.

To take this approach at the global level, social media have also played a very important role in it. In this technological savvy world, people have started experimenting and with the help of media making it viral.

Latest apps have also acted as a key support to help people across the world to promote their various ideas, recipes, innovations, methods and style of cooking digitally and reaching out to the maximum masses possible.

The cookware industry has become more like the technology market.

Every now and then there is a new innovation, a new update or a new launch seeking public attention at its best, expanding the industry as never before.

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Vino Amor

W

ine making is an art and so is tasting, from ancient ages brewing and tasting wine, is considered to be a privilege.

The elite class feel of tasting exotic wines can be summed up with three words; “Smell, Swirl and Sip.” On the part of brewing, often a wine maker's touch is considered to be a divine touch which can greatly affect the resulting flavor and aroma of the wine.

Grapes are considered to be the heart and soul of wine making, besides the quality of grapes, aging also plays an important role in bringing out the best quality wine. The oak barrel aging process is considered to be the most authentic process of wine making.

The first and foremost thing which comes to our mind when we hear the word “Wine” is ‒ Red wine or White wine?

Though both red wines and white wines contain the same acids, tannins, glycerine and alcohol, the biggest difference is in the way they are made.

The white wines are generally made with the light colored grapes and only

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grape juice is used to ferment and extract alcohol from them. But in case of red wine darker grapes are used with a huge amount of pigment still present in them, generally for making red wine grapes are often crushed with their stems still intact with them, the grapes are fermented with huge chunks of grapes matter and skin, later they are removed after fermentation. As a result two different wines are produced, the white wine with crystal clear transparent texture and tangy aroma, and for red wine it is dark and heavy in texture and have fruity aroma.

Let’s focus on some of the terms, so next time you plan to visit a winery it would be easy to understand the wine maker's goals and the different styles of brewing wine before you taste them.

Harvesting Sensing the right time to pick up the grapes is considered to be a big deal.

The moment the grapes are picked, they decide the quality of wine to be made. Picking up earlier tend to produce wines with higher acidity and lower alcohol giving out green flavours and acidic aromas and may also

produce bitter tannin. Where as picking up later in the season tends to produce wines with much lower acidity and higher alcohol and more subtle tannin.

A cooler climate with no rain, produces the best grapes with the perfect balance of acidity and alcohol.

Choosing the Right Fermentation Technique Choosing the right fermentation temperature is an important technique which plays a crucial role in developing the flavours, colour and aroma in a wine. There are two techniques namely: Hot Fermentation: In hot fermentation the temperature can go up to 80 – 100 °F, where yeast metabolizes to produce alcohol.

Warmer fermentations are significantly used for red wines for increased color and tannin.

Cool Fermentation: Cooler fermentation technique is generally practiced for producing white and rose wines in cooler temperatures

June 2017

42 – 50 °F, which help to lock the delicate aromas of white wines. Delicate aromas are volatile in nature and at high temperature reaction happen faster and they evaporate. This is probably the main reason to opt for cool fermentation for producing white wines.

Wine Aging As the saying goes, “Wine gets better with age” so, aging plays a vital role in determining the quality of wine.

Oak aging is one of the most famous ways of traditionally aging of wine. It’s a myth that oak only adds vanilla flavor to the wine, rather it increases the wine’s exposure to oxygen during the aging process. Oxygen helps in decreasing tannin and help the wine to reach its optimal fruit quotient. Wines aged for several years in oak barrel develop woody, piney and subtle aromatic flavor and gives the ultimate richness to its taste.

Another modern and easy way of fermenting wine is through the usage of steel tanks. Steel tanks are handy and are user friendly. Steel tanks limit the oxygen exposure to wine and keeps the wine fresh for a longer time.

Bottling While buying a wine bottle, a customer often goes through a dilemma, whether to buy a bottle with screw cap, or a bottle with cork stopper?

Cork stoppers gives more authentic and rustic feel, but they have their demerits too. Being porous in nature, corks allow unpredictable amounts of oxygen into the bottle which affects the taste and flavor of the wine. Where as screw caps are more practical and doesn’t allow oxygen to affect the wine inside the bottle.

Wine making is all about passion, so covering everything in one article is quite impossible. So this insight would put some light on making wine rather than defining it fully.

June 2017

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WEB AND MOBILE EXPERTS

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UI/ UX Our role is to oer the expertise and determination to deliver each site to the utmost standards.

User Engagement MOBILE APPLICATION

We do it by using artiďŹ cial intelligence to provide true end to end personalization and continue to engage shoppers across unlimited segments to deliver experiences that convert.

UI / UX

USER ENGAGEMENT

Email id: contact@ascratech.com | Contact No.: +91-9769162289 | www.ascratech.com

EaseMyTrip.com Propelling your desire to travel Affordably

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e all urge to drive across highways and roads onto exotic locations, minus the evil hitchhiking stories and all those hills having eyes. Filling in the blanks between the flight out and the flight home and turning a wish list into a day-by-day itinerary for your vacation isn’t just smart, it’s fun, that you can do with EaseMyTrip.com.

EaseMyTrip.com is the brainchild of Nishant Pitti and Rikant Pitti, which they started with an idea to save on their own travel cost. At present, it is among the top 5 Online-Travel-Portals in India that provides competitive air ticket pricing along with holiday packages, hotels and other travel solutions. The company has a huge B2B network of 42,000 Travel agents, 1200 Franchise Outlets, 1800 Corporate, 1600 Distributors, and 640 Whitelabel solutions.

Along with various branches in India, EaseMyTrip also has many overseas branches in places like Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore and Maldives.

Ardent to save high traveling cost turned into venture Pitti brothers are the co-founders of the company and Nishant Pitti is the current CEO. It is a matter of the year 2004, when they used to buy air tickets from other travel agents. After doing much research, they realized that travel agents are charging a lot more than the actual cost of the air tickets. Being born in a family with business background, they were ardent at saving. This was the reason; they started booking their flight tickets directly from the internet. Soon, they became a mediator for booking tickets for friends and family. The extensive research of Pitti brothers not only saved their money, but gave them the idea to start their own travel business. The result was the establishment of a travel agency that became a multi-billion empire today.

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An Economic and Reliable travel agents EaseMyTrip stands apart as it doesn’t believe in selling travel products/solutions to its customers but focuses on creating lifetime experiences for them. As a reliable name in travel industry of India, they make every journey full of interesting moments. The company’s travel experts constantly research to deliver better services every time.

Being accountable to customers and their trips, they encourage users to interact with efficient travel executives and give enough time to plan best for customers holiday trips. They provide full support to customers if they are willing to edit, reorganize or recreate their tour packages.

EaseMyTrip makes a distinct place by generating a lot of information for the travelers and offering them unique holidays. Company’s USP is to deliver the customers personalized services unlike other OTAs. Mastered Travel Industry with Convincing power The biggest challenge that its co-founders faced was starting venture at an early age and growing competition in travel industry of India. So, they made flight tickets and holiday packages more affordable for the customers and started offering them personalized services. They convinced their B2B agents for more commission and started giving them credit facilities. The biggest key attribute was their determination to grow and capture the market by winning the loyalty of their customers.

Penetration of technology all the way The current travel industry in India has become more global, more demanding and more challenging. Today, customers have become more techno-savvy and want everything in hand instantly. Entire market is exploiting June 2017

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technological advancements and travel sector is coming in easy reach of the travelers from small cities and towns of India.

Earlier where only people from major cities of India used to go for traveling, now travelers are coming from each corner of the country. Through mobile apps and various social media platforms, they have been aware of the travel trends and getting attracted towards exploring more destinations. Penetration of technology has given great ways to plan a holiday no matters from where you are. It has offered the travelers the ability to enrich, personalize and intensify the travel experiences.

Opportunities and challenges Travel and tourism industry is witnessing a great revolution and growing number of people are showing their interest in this field.

Along with metropolitan cities, tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India are also confronting a huge number of holidaymakers at present.

Opportunity is to work for more number of travelers but the challenge is that no one is ready to compromise with anything today. So, EaseMyTrip keep experimenting for more innovative products. Modern travelers are not only aware but also keep looking for the best options. So, constantly being the best becomes a great challenge today.

Nishant Pitti Co-founder & CEO

All-embracing benefits for clients Clients doing business with EaseMyTrip have multiple benefits.

They get a platform for all LCC/GDS with general cancellation policy and instant refunds. They also receive highest commission besides nonstop booking facility on several travel products. EaseMyTrip offer them a user-friendly and customized online travel portal with complete technical & business assistance. They get instant and quick services from EaseMyTrip.

Devising privileges for customers For future, EaseMyTrip is planning to launch EMT holiday cards and EMT holiday vouchers for the customers that they can purchase as gifts for their loved ones. Soon, EMT wallet will be introduced that will help privileged customers in taking more benefits from the travel products. There is planning to open EMT holiday hubs in major cities for increasing revenues from NonAir Products, including hotels, holiday packages and car rentals.

In coming years, EaseMyTrip is going to be a name that travelers will opt for making all their holiday dreams come true.

June 2017

Ease your trip with low Airfare, handpicked hotels and luxurious buses 27

Keys Hotels: Enjoy an Unforgettable Travel Experience

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he Indian tourism and hospitality industry has evolved as one of the key drivers of growth among different service sectors in India. The hotel industry in India has substantial potential to grow considering the rich culture, historical heritage and booming businesses.

India is a versatile country and has all types of people who prefer to stay in different hotels, and apart from other criteria, budget plays a vital role while selecting any hotel to stay in. To render best of their services within the spectrum, Keys Hotels offers a wide range of staying options starting from budget accommodation stays to premium business class hotels.

Being an eminent leader in tourism and hospitality industry, Keys Hotels is a distinctive part of the renowned Berggruen Group. It entered the hospitality industry in 2006 and today they have twenty one well established hotels across seventeen locations pan India.

many amenities, and enable their guests to relax and indulge in their breathtaking spas, salons, swimming pools and savor spectacular gastronomy at their fine dining restaurants.

Keys Hotels: It belongs to standard range hotel category, which is dedicated to serve its guests and make them enjoy the convenience of combining business with pleasure. A warm welcome, efficient service, impeccable hygiene, delectable food and a warm stay, are the key factors which is driving Keys Hotels to reach beyond the horizon.

Keys Lite Hotels: This segment of Keys Lite Hotels is the perfect amalgamation of smart and budget accommodation.

Here the accommodation facilities are solely designed for the travelers, and is dedicated to make them avail the best of multiple amenities, like; hygienic rooms, a wide selection of mouth-watering food and beverages, safety and security while they stay at any of these hotels.

Pioneering the Hotel Industry Keys Hotels is creating its prominent benchmarks in the Indian hotel industry by adopting and rendering utmost level of satisfaction to its guests with their top class services and warm hospitality. Their access to increasingly popular methods and practices from across the world and their ability to keep abreast of the changing international trends is helping them to be on top of the game. Keys Hotels basically have three distinct brands that aim to serve different kinds of audiences based on their need of luxury, stay preferences and budget flexibility.

Keys Prima Hotels: It is a premium hotel brand aimed to provide its guests the ultimate luxurious experience of hospitality. They believe in delivering impeccable services by constantly innovating to serve better and faster. At Keys Prima Hotels they strive to deliver flawless service across

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Vikas Chadha: The Game Changer Vikas Chadha, is the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Keys Hotels. Vikas is the torch bearer of Keys Hotels. Professionally Vikas is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Cost Accountant from ICWAI. He has nearly two decades of experience in finance, business planning and strategy. He is a person of versatile nature, and as a CFO, he is always ready to take up challenges like expansion, funding, business growth and profitability enhancements. .

Vikas has always been instrumental in setting up processes, guiding start up’s, raising funds in India and internationally and working on turnarounds and profitability enhancement June 2017

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strategies. Vikas has been an integral part of the leadership team at Berggruen Hotels, and has been with them right from the group's inception, have seen many ups and downs and have helped the Keys Hotels to reach the position where they are now.

“The industry needs fresh interest from institutions and fund houses and hence will need to get competitive in terms of returns as the same investments has multiple avenues for deployment.

High degree of focus on Data analytics, E commerce, Branding synergies, Tie up’s & alliances both marketing and operational is the need of the hour, which hoteliers would embrace as we move along these cyclical markets.”– asserts Vikas.

Awards and Accolades Bagged by Vikas Vikas has been awarded as the “Best CFO of the Year in Services and Hospitality sector” at the Asia CFO Excellence awards held at Singapore on 6th August 2016. Earlier this year, Vikas has also been awarded as one of “The Most influential CFO’s of India” by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. Taking the Road Less Travelled Considering domestic travel as the real game changer, Keys Hotels is focusing on some vital attributes to render unprecedented services to their guests: High disposable income: With the buoyant growth in the Indian economy, the Indian middle class has got higher disposable income. This has been identified, by about 94% of the respondents as a key factor for the increased domestic travel across the country.

Advent of new locations: There are fewer cities where you can have five-star hotels but much larger number of cities have a greater potential for budget category hotels in India. Affordability and quality of experience are key factors in defining this shift away from five star to more budget category hotels.

Future Perspectives As an eminent hospitality provider, Keys Hotels is focused on building their brand and take up new hotels on Management and Franchisee route. Looking forward to a bright future they are on the way to open new properties in Haridwar, Port Blair, Gurgaon and Indore in the first quarter of this financial year. With a huge pool of in-house nurtured talent, they are on the way to explore the best opportunities for taking up higher responsibilities and growing vertically within the organization.

June 2017

Vikas Chadha ED & CFO

Indulge in a unique travel escapade by zipping your bags, booking your hotel online, and enjoying an unforgettable experience with Keys Hotels 29

Bon Voyage

A

Word orTwo on

D

o you know the feeling, when a word is lurking right on the tip of your tongue, but however hard you try to remember it, it just won’t come to you? It might be a word, a phrase, a name or a song. In fact, the harder you try to cajole it, the further it seems to move away into the dark. And the, hours, or maybe days later, it leaps into your head.

If so, you’re not alone with such experience. The “tip of the tongue” phenomenon is very common, very real and a subject of interest to science too. Researchers confirm that there is a pattern of remembering when you stop trying, but they also suggest a paradox tactically: if you can’t find a word, quit looking for it – it’ll come to you in time. e Voyage of Self-Discovery People often travel in search of something; neither a word nor a phrase, but to find themselves. The “voyage of selfdiscovery” is a time-tested travel literature trope that still moves books off shelves. Whether you’re walking, surfing, eating, praying, or loving your way around the world, giving yourself up to the wild, or discovering a new life under the faraway sun, “go seek yourself out there” seems to be the take-home message from many popular travel memoirs.

We’ve been hearing such messages and suggestions from various sources. They do sound compelling. But, if you ask a room full of experienced travellers, a clearer picture appears: all will be able to point to at least one transformative experience while travelling, but in almost every case it comes out to be that they have the transformative experience when they were least expecting it.

The books on travel comprehend countless such stories, and not just in regards to self-discovery: expeditions that succeed just as they’re abandoned; love that blossoms when the protagonist decides to stop seeking it.

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Did you nd yourself?

While all of these quests including the search for a tip-ofthe-tongue word, the pursuit of happiness, and a voyage of self-discovery are fundamentally different, there’s a pattern that seems to speak to the fluke in our wiring: when we search too keenly for something, we’re bound to get stuck.

We subconsciously block ourselves and our minds to the light.

‘The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,’ goes the quote commonly, and probably mistakenly, attributed to Gandhi. Service is a wonderful way to lose yourself, but it’s just one of the many ways.

Losing oneself into the wonders of nature is one of them.

Many lost themselves in art, in a near-death experience, in religion, or even in pursuit of a perfect meal. I would like to say that the best way to find yourself is to stop trying and to simply lose yourself in the world.

A Mind’s Horizon dissolves into the Lost World Though, the career of a “travel blogger” sovereignties high in the court of cool; there’s some in-built irony in the fact that the best-selling travel book of all time is nearly 150 years old.

Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad, which humorously archives Twain’s experience traveling with a group of American tourists, was first published in 1869. It was the best-selling of Twain’s works during his lifetime, and it remains the inspiration for wanderlust till date.

Further than inspiring generations of readers with his signature humor, the book suggests that one should consider traveling to expand their own horizons. Losing yourself into the wild and while breaking boundaries on the world map, you won’t even realize when the horizons of your mind got dissolved and diffused.

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Enlightening Yourself through Expedition One of the most famous quotes from the Mark Twain’s book goes: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.

Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s life.”

It’s ravishing to see travelers fall head over heels in love with new places. And, while they spend time tucked faraway, in magical little communities, they are concurrently expanding their hearts and minds to acknowledge the different ways that people on our planet live. It’s a humbling part of travelling off-the-beaten-path, the facet of sharing experiences with people that lead such immensely different lives from us.

The impact of travelling is amplified when you’re able to spend time in places that we may never have known about, understood, or valued. If you are an ardent traveler, you optimistically soak up new and interesting information everywhere you go. But as an average adult, there are seemingly few probabilities to push yourself out of your comfort zone and try a hand at something totally foreign and exceptional.

People, Friendships and Learning When a bunch of travelers from around the world collaborate with a community they’re visiting as guests, the number of experiences they share with locals increases massively. Real bonds of friendship are ought to be formed since everyone is sight-seeing, working, eating, and hanging out together. This is rare to experience back at home even if your best buddy from college lives a few blocks away. These beautiful new friendships are based on mutual respect and understanding of one another’s similarities and differences. It’s evident from our experiences that a person’s views could be altered vividly by a shared experience with someone different from themselves.

You might come across people who have had pivotal life experiences that differ from your own. This recognition is so splendid and powerful when you’re a traveler at a new land.

Mostly because people often incorrectly assume that the other beings we meet while traveling are more different than similar to us.

Share, Care and Break the Boundaries By sharing your proficiencies, engaging in real and honest conversations, and working together towards a common goal with people around you, travelers are able to move far beyond making assumptions about their new surroundings and those they share them with.

Alternatively, they’re able to shed their prejudices and identify the connection that a human shares with each being on earth, if they simply allow themselves to. And that is a very beautiful thing!

June 2017

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CXO Standpoint

A Closer look at the Opportunities and Concerns of

Travel and Hospitality Industry

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s India is one of the largest fastest growing economies in the world, it has seen a steep rise in investments for the Travel and Hospitality Industry not only from the Indian investors but from the overseas. There are several international hotel groups expanding their operations in India so the number of hotels have increased in large numbers in all the categories including in tier 1 -3 cities. While the growing economy of India and unsaturated hospitality and travel market has best of opportunities for the investors, fierce competition between the stand alone hotels and increasing numbers of hotels have also impacted on revenues of existing and upcoming hotels.

In 2015 India was the fastest growing economy among the BRICS countries and its travel and tourism sector contributed Rs. 8,309.4 billion which was around 6.3% of the GDP. As per the forecasts from the industry experts the travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute in even greater numbers in future which continues to grow in all aspects. At the same time when the opportunities in Travel and Hospitality industry are growing, it is facing real challenges in terms of sustainability in the market of fierce competition. Best resources available are in very limited numbers who have the potential to drive an organization to success and same is divided in uneven ratios across the industry. That has impacted the business prospects of several pre-existing and upcoming projects and now the lead time for the breakeven cost recovery has significantly increased due to market unpredictability in the hospitality and tourism sector. Recent growth in cases of violence against women and increased issues of north east as well as Kashmir crisis has impacted a lot in decreasing nos. of tourist from across the world. At the same time political crisis in almost all regions of the world has fueled the decrease in tourism in different parts of the world.

In the other hand make in India program of the BJP government has encouraged people from across the industries for the investments in different sectors, and alongside the hospitality industry has also seen a consistent growth in opening of low budget standalone hotels along with brands such as OYO Rooms, Bloom Rooms etc who have a lot to offer in very economical pricing. This has increased the competition among the hoteliers and at the same time has provided numerous options for the customers. Increasing numbers of the hospitality and tourism projects has also given rise in terms of the job opportunities the people (students) and in turn is contributing increase in business for several related industries as the demand has increased in a very large scale. Hospitality and tourism sector has seen severe demographical changes in past 10 years, as now the investors are not only making investments in urban areas but also in lesser known small town and remote areas where the guests can have entirely different experience of their lifetime. There’s a continuous growth in adventure and sports tourism in the country in the field of Mountaineering, stream watersports, paragliding and motorbike rallies in mountains etc. This has also not only increased the

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June 2017

Manish Kumar Jha, Manager Procurement – HES, at Triguna Hospitality Ventures (India) Pvt Ltd. Manish comes with an extensive experience of 13+ years in Strategic Materials Management which includes functions of Procurement (Global/Domestic), Inventory Management, Logistic Management, Contract Management, Forecasting, Budgeting, Customs clearance, Import and Export Procedure, Preparation of SOP’s Guidelines, Audits and various level of liaison with government authorities related to customs, DGFT etc.

Manish Kumar Jha Manager Procurement

opportunities for the entrepreneurs but also the working communities across the country thereby contributing in the growth of the country’s GDP. India is one of the best tourist destinations of the world with locations known for its beauty, historical importance and the environment which have been attracting the travellers from across the world for centuries. Now the governments (state and central) along with the private organizations have started developing several locations with regional and historical importance which is proving to be a great success among a section of international travellers who visit India for exploring the fabled traditions, culture and history of the places and people. However, such developments have provided with the opportunities for the locals and under privileged people of the areas it has also impacted upon the culture and old traditions and environment of several areas. Hill stations are commercialized to an extent in the country that, urbanization has started taking toll on the environment and the people in a way that the places have started losing its own charm, natural essence which it was once known for.

In a nutshell, there’s a considerable growth in opportunities in Travel and Hospitality sector which has contributed in several socio-cultural, environmental and economic changes in both good and bad ways, which in turn needs to be balanced for the wellbeing of all concerned including people, environment and economic growth of the region. There is need of the well-organized governance by the authorities concerned, focused in preserving the essence of the very objective of sustainable growth and same shall be expected by the organization’s and people involved in the activity related to the Travel and Hospitality Industry.

June 2017

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MRG Group: Redening Lifestyle and Hospitality

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oday, the travel and hospitality industry is undergoing a transition phase and the major brands related to this sector are not only restricted to hotels and resorts, but also serve for a series of other service domains too. When it's all about a conglomerate of hotels, resorts, fine dine restaurants, educational institutions and infrastructure companies, the name that comes first is, MRG Group. Founded in 1993, MRG Group started its journey with its first venture – Banjara-The Restaurant, which was a single standalone restaurant. Since then they never looked back, and now they have grown into a famous brand of travel and hospitality industry with a conglomerate of 6 hotels under the brand Goldfinch and 4 standalone restaurants. They also have successfully tied up with international chains such as Marriott International & Hilton Worldwide for their upcoming projects in Bangalore and Goa respectively.

The various hospitality brands under MRG Group have become synonymous with great hospitality and good food that satiates the connoisseur’s palate. Each of the brands has carved out a niche for itself in today’s market. Goldfinch has become the face of MRG Group and today, it is recognized as one of the finest boutique and business hotel chains in India, with its elegant, contemporary and unique style of hotels which stand out for their understated luxury and customer centric service.

A Creative and Intuitive Leader Mr. K. Prakash Shetty, Founder and Chairman of MRG Group, is perfectly synonymous to the proverb “Nothing Worth Having Comes Easy.” Mr. Shetty is one of the stalwarts in this illustrious list of hard working, dexterous and dauntless entrepreneurs, who has always had a vision of accomplishing something substantial and significant in life,

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this is what led him to move to Bangalore soon after his graduation in 1983. The initial days were demanding as well as difficult for him, but ten years of sheer determination, hard work, commitment and self-belief led him to become one of the most popular restaurateurs by the year 1993. Today he has achieved all he wanted, but it was neither fast nor easy, it was the ultimate result of years and years of hard work and absolute determination. Now Mr. Shetty has diversified his empire into various other industry portfolios such as Real Estate, Coffee Plantation, and Educational institutions apart from spearheading the expansion of his hospitality segment into various parts of India. His growth as a formidable businessman was underlined when he moved with purpose and conviction into the realty sector and diversified his businesses into infrastructure with the launch of Trishul Buildtech & Infrastructure Pvt Ltd and Asha City Builders and Developers.

Punctuality, Performance and Progress – the three P's, which perfectly defines Mr. K. Prakash Shetty as an entrepreneur.

An Industrialist by Mind, and Philanthropist by Heart Being a philanthropist and an avid contributor to various causes, initiatives and activities, Mr. Shetty firmly believes, that every successful entrepreneur has a duty to pay back to the Society what he receives so generously from the Society. A major part of his earnings is donated towards the support of charitable trusts, free education to the underprivileged, marriages, support to the widows and the specially abled children, temples, blind school, and orphanages, for admissions of the large number of poor students in various colleges and institutions.

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Outshining Others with a Unique Plethora of Services “Goldfinch,” the brand image of MRG Group, is redefining the existing concepts of hospitality. Understanding the needs and the wants of today’s traveler in this fast paced world and positioning the Goldfinch Service Design in Rooms with delectable Food & Beverage, is the brand's core strength. They make guests discover personalized attention and welcoming amenities with a group of well trained, friendly and professional staff. Exacting standards and a commitment to excellence, is what Goldfinch is all about.

MRG Group’s Mantra of Success “The key reason of our success is, we are stepping ahead with the modern era’s requirements, whilst keeping our roots strong.

From the beginning till date, we have not forgotten our mantra of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava.’ It is the mantra which is embedded in every employee who joins the MRG Group. From food to hospitality, we ensure that our guests feel the warmth and authenticity with a subtle and suitable touch of modernization and sophistication.”– asserts Mr. Shetty.

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities MRG Group is quite positive about the future outlook of the travel industry, as India is a large market for tourism and the sector is observing a steady growth in the demand of y-o-y basis.

Tourism in India has significant potential considering the rich cultural and historical heritage, variety in ecology, terrains and places of natural beauty spread across the country. Considering these factors, under MRG Group’s umbrella, Goldfinch Mangalore and Goldfinch Delhi-NCR have the perfect potential to attract and entertain cultural tourism.

Moving towards a Bright Future Mr. Shetty believes, India is expected to move up in the business travel market globally by 2030, as business travel spending in the country is expected to increase. International hotel chains will likely increase their expansion and investment plans in India, and are expected to expand in India, as India’s rising middle class and increasing disposable incomes have continued to support the growth of domestic and outbound tourism.

MRG Group with the current portfolio of six Goldfinch hotels spread across Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Delhi and Mumbai plans to extend its footprint in the hospitality sector with plans to open Goldfinch properties in Chikmagalur, Madikeri, and Puducherry in the next three years. Considering the immediate plans of expansion, MRG Group is looking at the openings of its Courtyard by Mariott in Bengaluru and Doubletree by Hilton in Goa within the current financial year.

June 2017

K. Prakash Shetty Founder & Chairman

Taking Hospitality as a Serious Personal Responsibility 37

Park Hyatt: Decoding the Evolving World of Hospitality

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n an interview with Insights Success, Ms. Aashima Sharma, General Manager – Park Hyatt Chennai sheds some light on their colossal contributions to leverage customer satisfaction, thus creating milestones while marching forward on the path of success.

Caring for the Community Thomas Pritzker, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors once famously said, “For Hyatt it is people, people, people.” That singular mantra sharpens our outlook as we welcome guests who are evolving with the world.

From technology to the changing definitions of authenticity, we believe that the year ahead brings in a new set of market ideologies to embrace, but with every change comes its own constant and that is to really listen to what the guests want.

From the newest trend to the oldest tradition, that one core anchor point is the key to being authentic and staying ahead of the curve. Keeping that in mind, we share with you some of our top picks for trends for the year ahead for the hospitality industry.

Spreading love with Italian Cuisine It’s about crafting memories. Last month our legendary Flying Elephant opened The Italian. A trattoria filled with memories of vintage Italia, transporting diners to its homeland. Brimming with an engaging ambience, service that was homely and hand painted cultural murals, all of which wove-in an inspired experience. Here, culinary experiences are infused with art, culture, music and performance. The Italians feel like walking into another country in the heart of Chennai. Food by our cuisine native chef simply enhances the experience further. F&B trends across the market see this shift towards curating experiences that go beyond the food and the flavours.

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Diners want an experience that is more than a delicious thin crust pizza. Memory fuels their preference.

Bringing Soul to the Food Artistically Artisanal takes over the filter coffee. As the diners get more conscientious and look towards organic, sustainable offerings, there also appears to be a heightened demand for artisanal products. It has gone beyond artisanal beers and bread to take into its fold everything from coffee to jam to bread, sorbets and more. It is a step back to handmade flavours and using traditional methods with thought and respect for the ingredients and recipes. At Park Hyatt, our chefs savour these methods, and constantly endeavour to increase their offerings to diners.

Master Chefs – The Artisans of Food & Beverages Industry Chefs and cooking enthusiasts unite. Passionate Chefs and home chefs will create a new order of culinary explorers going forward. The nexus has been forming for a while and we see it getting stronger. New, unexpected and delightful flavours come to the fore and technology enables a matrix that gives wing to this movement. From ancient recipes to exploring lost worlds of culinary flavours or blending the next gastronomic favourite, the foodscape is more vibrant than ever before. Hotels embracing this happy union stand to gain. We have seen The Masters of Food & Wine grow from strength to strength to create its own niche following.

It is more than a captivating gourmet journey, it is a potent backdrop for gourmands and master chefs to engage and connect.

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Fastest Growing

Travel & Hospitality Service Providers

Viva la Brunch Brunch more. While brunch has been part of the culture for a very long time, today the all-day-breakfast is slowly but steadily moving out of in-room dining to inhabit a growing portion of the restaurant menu. Its growing cult status is driven by the increased menu that includes quesadillas to roast chicken, satays and more. It is no longer a simple affair. Today, it is the culinary serenade of comfort foods, forming the perfect breakfast fit for lunch, dinner and in-between.

Making Events not only Breathtaking, but also Memorable The versatile meeting. With conversation and conferences changing with technology, meeting spaces are no longer merely boxed in affairs. It packs in more to meet the demands of team networking; providing live-streaming experiences to ensure your meeting space is dynamic that will lead your preference for corporates.

Bespoke world. From weddings that leave guests in awe to leadership meets that transform morale, the growing chant for unique events will continue to sweep the industry. Service, decor, ambience, technology all play key parts in orchestrating the bespoke event.

Ms. Aashima Sharma General Manager

Being the Reason to make their Guests Smile Ancient traditions revitalized. Every culture has its rituals and ancient wellness traditions. Just as Ayurveda is seeing a retail renaissance, spas and wellness centres too are going back with a renewed vigour to the wisdom of the ages. However, Park Hyatt Chennai’s modern day compulsions will make spa managers look deeper into finding the balance between crafting treatments with affordability that fits in flawlessly into the daily schedules of the millennials.

The DNA of Beauty. In the quest for eternal glow and antiageing packages, the guest is more than ever aware and educated about the products that feature in their treatments. The quality, ingredients, history and relevance matter to them. Moving forward, this enlightened demographic will seek out and visit spas that actively engage, inform and lead the charge on offering guests beauty solutions that are nurturing and enriched from conscious brands. The changing world ushers in guests looking for a far more nuanced experience with warmer more inclusive welcomes. The trends above might create a more updated experience but they can’t be a supplement to an authentic experience of genuine hospitality. As we say in Park Hyatt everyone’s luxury is personal, it can be a late checkout, a post workout health drink, a special vintage wine on offer or the perfectly brewed masala chai. That is a timeless lesson.

June 2017

Providing holistic hospitality , Hyatt resonates with your home 39

Appetite

Underrated F ds….

Wait…Rea y?

T

he biggest term that is shaping the wellness ambit, ‘Superfood’ is just another lavish word for a downright amazing piece of food. Full of solid nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, Superfoods are nature’s offering for optimal health. These powerful foods are helpful in improving overall health by increasing energy, boosting the immune system, decreasing inflammation, supporting the body's detoxifying processes, and generally helping to balance the body.

Kale, pomegranates, and acai berries are some of the superfoods that have been taking the spotlight for a while now. Nonetheless, there is one group of foods that is so good, if not better, and yet is highly underrated.

We have thus, enlisted the most underrated superfoods that you should begin including in your diet from this very moment.

Hemp The hemp seed (when consumed raw) which is small yet mighty, is a foremost source of protein. Truthfully, it is the purest form of protein and perfect for those who don’t eat meat. Additionally, the balance of omega 6 and 3 acids, makes the hemp seed more beneficial for your heart’s health. What’s more, the studies have actually proved that Hemp seeds can slow or stop cancer as a standalone treatment!

Blue Green Algae Although, blue green algae sounds scary, it is a magical salt water plant full of indispensable nutrients. Blue green algae that contains B vitamins, proteins, and irons, has been used to improve memory and energy in addition to treating several health weaknesses including anxiety, depression, and ADHD.

Lucuma An antioxidant-rich plant, mainly found in South America, Lucuma has a high percentage of beta-carotene and vitamin B3, and contributes to a wellrounded vegetarian diet. It’s naturally low-glycemic (i.e. low in natural sugars) and sweet, thus making it, a great sugar replacement (for diabetics and even for those who are sugar-sensitive). Want to maintain its healthboosting properties? You have to enjoy it raw.

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June 2017

Reishi Mushroom The endless healing benefits make this incredible fungus, “the medicine of kings.” These mushrooms are full with anti-aging properties. Although, all types of mushrooms have many health benefits, it’s the reishi that gets used in Eastern medicine as a medicinal mushroom to help cure a number of conditions including high blood pressure, lung issues and neurodegenerative disorders.

Maca Maca that hails from the mountains of Peru, is a root vegetable popular for its great vitality control. This healing root has various health advantages such as endurance, increased energy, libido, strength, memory, and fertility. Although it’s beneficiary for all, maca is a boost and blessing for women’s health.

Camu Berry Camu berry is one of the healthiest fruits in the world, and yet it’s not familiar to many. A mysterious berry from the Amazon, Camu berry contains potassium, betacarotene, and best of all, has the highest percentage of vitamin C on the earth. Couldn’t get any better, it is said that Camu Berry is one of the most natural energy enhancers and antidepressants.

Sea Vegetables Some of us might know that the piece of seaweed we’ve been eating with our sushi has some serious health advantages. Let us think of some sea vegetables such as kelp, nori, and wakame –they all are rich in many nutrients including vitamins A & C, calcium, and iodine. These vegetables help regulate the thyroid and hormones, cleanse the body and reduce the risk of cancer.

Rhubarb This multicolored plant is not only a beautiful addition to your garden, but is a forerunner in your diet. Packed with potassium, fiber, calcium, and vitamin C & K, rhubarb has some serious nutrients hidden under its pretty stem. This beautiful plant improves circulation, helps promote bone growth, and is great for vision health.

Cacao The best has been left for the last. Delicious and decadent cacao that contains the highest proportions of antioxidants alongside a number of complex vitamins is one of the most nutritious foods out there. Boosting energy levels, mood, and libido, cacao is an all around happy food. Moreover, it helps in improving heart health, regulating blood sugar, and is antiaging.

Above listed are some of the most underrated superfoods that can improve our health, boost our moods, improve energy, regulate blood sugar and so on. The benefits that these foods provide are not getting recognized and thus, making it underrated. So, why not make these superfoods famous and give them the recognition they deserve, what say?

June 2017

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CXO Standpoint

Our vision, for the growth of tourism sector.

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ndia is poised for a vibrant growth in Tourism Sector.

Domestic tourism is the lifeline for the people, who are engaged in the tourism related activities be it hotels, airlines, transporters, railways, restaurants, shopkeepers. It is a 24 hours economic activity in the country. People travel to pilgrim centers, tourist destinations, to participate in conferences, for visiting friends/relatives and events.

“India has been home to multiple religions, and is blessed with a diverse range of tourism offerings, be it the rich cultural heritage, historically significant monuments and milestones, stunning locations for flora and fauna, or culinary delights strong destination for budget-friendly travel, over the years.

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Domestic tourism in India is fast becoming the secondlargest travel market with billion plus planned domestic trips impending next year by the Indians. This number looks quite favorable in comparison to 5.7 million foreigners visiting the country or 18 million Indians making international trips each year. Domestic tourism is increasing on a large scale as more and more Indians are giving increased importance to their own culture and heritage.

Now Heritage tourism is a big hit in comparison to what it was 5 years back.

While the places to see have largely remained unchanged, they offer a lot more today, and the way tourism in India is packaged, has evolved.

Popular places such as Agra, Delhi, and Jaipur (Golden Triangle), Kerala, Goa, and temples of Tamil Nadu, NorthEast (Assam, Sikkim) are always sought after destination among the domestic tourists. Products such as luxury Indian holidays, luxury train journeys, Buddhist circuit, and wildlife circuit, etc. are availed by the affluent segment.

Other States those are becoming very popular in the tourism map are Odisha, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal. Cruise tourism is also catching up in India. NorthEastern States have an array of products and Govt is making all out efforts to boost tourism in that region.

With long weekends during the year, domestic destinations have become increasingly popular. There is great demand among the travelers specially the youth for destinations like Leh and Ladakh, Jim Corbett and Ranthambore, along with many unexplored locations.

The larger segments surround destinations of historical, natural, and cultural importance. Spiritual, rejuvenation and wellness tourism (spa and yoga), volunteering tourism (For eg. visiting village schools to teach students in one’s spare time), and pilgrimages, are the prime focus of domestic tourism in India. In terms of pilgrimages, it has even caught on with youngsters.

Sightseeing is one of the biggest pastimes in the country, where tourism is concerned. And bringing out the best for the domestic tourist are the country’s natural wonders, in the form of adventure tourism Goa, Rishikesh, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Leh and Ladakh, are among popular destinations for adventure such as wildlife safaris, high altitude trekking, forest hiking, camping, and rafting..

June 2017

Chetan Gupta Director of Sales & Marketing R.G.Destinations

Increasing purchasing power of the middle-class, through economy package offers, better road and rail connectivity, better accommodation options, and evolving lifestyles, domestic tourist trafďŹ c is in fact one of the main drivers of growth in Indian tourism, which is getting more and more experiential.

Steps taken by respective state governments, along with the Centre, have boosted the sector. Proactive measures in the realms of skill development, marketing and advertising, and trade shows and campaigns, have sent the message home. Private Sector plays a vital role in the promotion of domestic tourism. Domestic tourism is the base of the tourism industry and it brings multiplier effect on the economy apart from strengthening national integration. Domestic tourism has crossed billion and it will be billion plus in the coming years due to its vibrant growth. Both State and Centre Governments should work together to get maximum prosperity to all regions. Better infrastructure, cleanliness & hygiene, safety & security etc are of important factors need to be looked into for the tourism growth.

Apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for the country Tourism also contributes to the country’s GDP. The true test of R&D function lies in time to market. Business exists for the sake of making proďŹ ts. So, the role of R&D in shortening the time to market becomes extremely important. Unless the R&D efforts in the lab cannot be scaled up within a reasonable time frame, little can be expected in terms of the functional credit to be assigned to R&D.

June 2017

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