Hra now april issue

For Private Circulation Only l Published by Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service April 2012

HRANow Estd: 1951

The official publication of Hotel & Restaurant Association (Western India)

AAHAR REVIEW

Smart Buying

How hotels can maximise profit by sourcing right products

From SG’s Desk...

Dear Members, Greetings in the 62nd Year of the Hotel & Restaurant Association Western India!

Due to the persistent efforts, discussions & follow ups of the President, Mr. Kamlesh Barot & Member of Honour, Mr. Vivek Nair, your Association has been able to get section 35AD of the Income Tax Act also extended to the Operators besides Owners.

This had been one of the pleas in the FHRAI pre budget memorandum submitted by the President, Mr. Kamlesh Barot.

The inclusion of the Hotel industry in the Infrastructure list for Three Star or higher category classified hotels located outside cities with population of more than one million, has come through.

The Government had also been urged to include our Industry in the Negative List of Service Tax, however the same was disregarded, Instead the Service Tax was increased to 12%, which will certainly impact the growth of Tourism for our country.

Kudos to Mr. Bharat Malkani, Managing Director of M/S Max Aerospace & Aviation Ltd. for being awarded the “Lifetime Service Award” by the “Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries”, for his “Outstanding Contributions in Aerospace MRO Industry”. This was presented on the occasion of “SIATI” Annual Day 2012.

The FHRAI Convention Chairman, Mr. Vivek Nair along with Mr. Sunit Kothari – Co Chairman, have formed their Core Committees for the 47th FHRAI Convention, that will be held in Goa at “The Grand Hyatt” from 6th to 8th September, 2012. Intimations have been sent to the concerned members informing them of their assigned responsibility.

Your Association has been constantly following up with the concerned people in the Revenue Department, with regards to our Entertainment Duty memorandum which had been submitted to the Principal Secretary of Revenue, Mr. Swadheen Kshatriya, by the President, Mr. Kamlesh Barot during our meeting on 13th January, 2012.

The President, Mr. Kamlesh Barot accompanied by Mr. Sudheer Bahl, Vice President & Mr. R.S. Bedi, past president met with the Commissioner State Excise, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee on 6th March, 2012 and submitted a memorandum which suggested simplification of the existing procedures as regards the License Fees, one license per establishment, also to include Banquets, tenure of license, etc.

On 16th March, 2012, Mr. Kamlesh Barot accompanied by Mr. D.S. Advani, Sr. Vice President, Mr. Nikhil Shetty & Mr. Jaswant Mehta met with the BMC Commissioner, Mr. Subodh Kumar and submitted a memorandum regarding the hardships faced by the Hospitality sector and to seek his clarifications and help in solving certain issues, which have plagued our Industry.

On 17th March, 2012, Mr. Kamlesh Barot along with Mr. D. S. Advani, Mr. Gogi Kohli, Mr. Bharat Malkani and Mr. Chetan Mehta met with Mr. R. H. Khwaja, Secretary Tourism , GOI requesting him to include Hotels above 3 star category under the Harmonized list of Infrastructure sub-sectors. Also points relating to the existing Guidelines for Classification / Re-classification of 1 to 5 Star De Luxe and Heritage Category Hotels were discussed.

Summer time is also family outing time, which results in many of our members going on vacations with their families to cooler destinations in India & abroad, after the strenuous time the children have had with their preparations for the exams and now take time off to enjoy their holiday.

Happy Holidays!!

With Best Wishes,

Malvinder Narang Do write in with your suggestion and feed back to secgen@hrawi.com

02 | April 2012

HRA NOW

Editor’s Note

Nothing much to cheer about for hospitality

A

fter a long wait, longer the usual due to the state elections, the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee presented his Budget for the seventh time. There was lots of expectation from this Budget, especially after long list of wish-list being submitted to him. But it has failed to cheer up the industry. In fact, the Budget has dampened the spirit of hospitality and tourism sectors.

The long-standing demands for industry status and tax rationalisation, besides others, still remain unattended. In addition to that the sector has to face the repercussion of service tax hike, which is going to impact the room bookings and restaurant sales. At a time when the industry needed a fillip from the government, it’s feeling bogged-down by such tax hike.

We just hope the industry does not get much affected by such move. The entire emphasis would be now on ramping up the sales through various innovative strategies.

However, the government has accepted the Association’s demand to extend section 35AD of Income Tax to the operators besides owners.

Lots of credit goes to FHRAI President Kamlesh Barot and his team for the same.

At a time when input costs are going up, it becomes imperative for hotels to buy smartly and intelligently. Our cover story looks to do the same by asking some of the key industry players about their best practices.

In the F&B section, we talk about growing trend of molecular cocktails, which is the latest fad to have hit the Indian market. While the Indian food and beverage industry has been experimenting with molecular gastronomy for some time now, innovations behind the bar are picking up, just about now.

This month, our region focus is Maharashtra, which has huge potential to grow. We talk to the key hospitality players to understand the current scenario and future potential. There is immense potential that’s yet to be tapped, necessitating an integrated approach from various government departments and agencies.

We also bring to you in-depth coverage on recently concluded AAHAR International Food & Hospitality Fair. The event was successful as the participants saying they received good response from the visitors.

We hope you like this issue.

Happy reading!

Pulak Sen Editor-in-Chief sen.pulak@gmail.com

04 | April 2012

HRA NOW

Contents FROM SG’S DESK 02 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 NEWS 08 BUDGET ANALYSIS 12

HRA Now INDIAN HOSPITALITY & TOURISM NEWS SERVICE a division of Indian Aviation News Service Pvt. Ltd. 603, Palm Beach Apartment J. P. Road, Versova, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 061 India.

PUBLISHER HIRAK SEN Email: hirak@yahoo.com EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief PULAK SEN Email: sen.pulak@gmail.com Cell: +919920775478 Editorial Assistant BISHNUPRIYA SEN MARKETING SHARMISTHA ROYCHOUDHURY

Cell: +919967070706 Email: hranow2011@gmail.com STUDIO Senior Designer RAJESH NATARAJAN Designer RADHIKA SEN Circulation SURESH DAPHAL

COVER STORY Intelligent Buying

16

EVENT REVIEW 20 Aahar F&B 26 Cocktail

FOOD REVIEW 30

REGISTERED OFFICE 603, Palm Beach Apartment J. P. Road, Versova, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 061 India.

DISCLAIMER The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however, caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contains thereof me be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exception is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

HRA Now is published, edited and printed monthly by Hirak Sen on behalf of Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) and published by Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service, a division of Indian Aviation News Service Pvt Ltd, 603, Palm Beach Apartment, J. P. Road, Versova, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400 061. India, printed at Nectar Prints Pvt. Ltd, A/127, Ghatkopar Ind. Estate, Ghatkopar (West), Mumbai - 400 086.

REGION FOCUS 31 Maharashtra PRODUCTS 34

6 | April 2012

The title, HRA Now is the property of Hotel & Restuarant Assocaition (Western India).

AAHAR PHOTO GALLARY 36 HRA NOW

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR HUNAR SE ROZGAR THROUGH HOTELS • Advertisement for HSR trainees to be released by the nearest Institute of Hotel Management for the four trades under HSR Scheme in English/Hindi and vernacular language. (Cost of advertisement will be reimbursed to IHM by Ministry of Tourism).

• The candidates would be called for an ‘orientation program’ followed by interview at a hotel to be identified by the local hotel, restaurant association. The prospective trainees would be educated about the objectives of the HSR program and its prospects, thereafter.

The scheme is open to 10th pass unemployed youth in the age groups 18 to 28 years.

• Candidates would be Interviewed and screened for suitability. The screening committee would have representative of local hotel association, Principal/staff of local IHM. No TA/DA would be paid to candidates for attending the interview. The list of suitable candidates would be made available to the hotel association for deployment at their member hotels.

• Hotels can conduct training for sponsored candidates from NGOs, Voluntary Organizations, Local Municipality etc. Names of such candidates must be registered with the local IHM prior to commencement of program.

• Candidates selected would join only after undergoing basic medical test and police verification.

• Hotels should take 50% more candidates than the number of seats to accommodate for drop-outs during the training period.

• From the pool of applications, those not selected by hotels will be taken up for HSR training by local IHM. • Uniforms for the different trades will be supplied by The Handicrafts & Handlooms Exports Corporation of India Ltd. (HHEC).

These will be ordered as per requirement by the local IHM to be collected by hotels of the region, based on their demand. Hotels must issue only one set of uniform during the first week of training of candidates and only after ensuring their continuity, issue the second uniform to prevent misuse. (Cost of uniform will be reimbursed to IHM

by Ministry of Tourism). Hotels, if required, can issue their own uniform during the training period.

• Tool-kits to be provided by the local IHM and issued to the hotels based on their requirement. (Cost of tool kit will be reimbursed to IHM by Ministry of Tourism).

• Stipend of 1,500/- for Waiters/Housekeeping Utility (06 weeks duration) and 2,000/- for Cooks and Baker (08 weeks duration) will be paid by the local IHM at the end of the training (Ministry of Tourism will reimburse the amount). Candidates securing 90% attendance during the duration of the course are eligible for this stipend. Attendance will be monitored by the hotel and verified by the local IHM before release of stipend.

• Duty meals would be provided by the hotel during the training period.

• There would be an objective type multiple choice one hour trade theory examination at the end of the course to be conducted by the respective hotels to check basic learning. There would also be a practical trade test to asses skill learning covering 4/5 exercises/items.

Those securing over 60% would be eligible for certificate. The tests would be conducted in the presence of one internal and one external examiner. The external examiner must be approved by the local IHM. • Certificate at the end of training, to be signed by GM of hotel and Principal of local IHM. Certificates to be prepared by IHMs (To be reimbursed by Ministry of Tourism).

08 | April 2012

• Data base will be maintained by IHM for all successful candidates with their photograph, address and contact details. This data base will be utilized for uploading on MOT/NCHMCT website.

• Hotels have no compulsion to offer jobs to successful trainees. However, they may assist in finding suitable placement in different operational areas in the organized and unorganized sector locally, including with vendors.

• Where hotels of different star categories, do not have training facilities, the hotel association may conduct combined training at different units.

Government of India - Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue) Notification No.2/2012 -( Service Tax G.S.R. (E).- In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 93 of the Finance Act, 1994 (32 of 1994), the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby rescinds the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) No. 8/2009 – Service Tax, dated the 24th February, 2009, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i) vide number G.S.R. 120 (E), dated the 24th February, 2009, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such rescission.

This notification shall come into force on the 1st day of April, 2012.

[F. No. 334/1/2012-TRU] (Samar Nanda) Under Secretary to the Government of India

IMPORTANT NOTICE The new Membership forms of the Hotel & Restaurant Association (Western India) in the PDF format have been uploaded for all four categories viz: Hotels, Restaurants, Associate & Affiliates on the association’s website www.hrawi.com for easy accessibility by prospective new members.

Sd/Malvinder Narang Secretary General HRAWI

HRA NOW

NEWS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

The Beer Cafe debuts in NCR The Beer Café has recently made its debut with a wide range of popular alcoholic beverage at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, NCR. It claims to be India’s first PYOB (Pour Your Own Beer) chain offering consumers the widest variety of beers that one can get in the country.

It offers a unique beer drinking experience where consumers can pour ice cold beer directly from taps. The bar has come up with a concept of RFID-activated beer card, which a customer can use to pour beer directly from the beer stations.

The bar offers a variety of Belgian beers like Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, the original Belgian wheat beer or abbey beers like Leffe Blonde and Chimay, the world’s best known trappist beer. “You can experience Erdinger, one of the best known German beers and a variety of European beers, Asian lagers, Australia’s Victoria Bitter or Mexico’s range of Corona Beers,” the company said.

“The Beer Café will be bringing in a plethora of novelties for beer connoisseurs ranging from brands, to flavours and beer masters to even owning your no expiry Own Beer Card valid across India as more Beer Cafes dot the country,” it added. The company plans to launch ten more cafes across India.

Vinus wins Gold Award in AAHAR Venus Industries bags the Gold Award in AAHAR 2012 organised by ITPO in Prgati Maidan, New Delhi for the best product display and stall decoration. AAHAR has emerged as one of the largest Food and Hospitality Trade shows in India.

Venus Industries is engaged in manufacturing, exporting and retailing of stainless steel cutlery, hotel ware, hollow ware, table ware, lifestyle products besides others.

HRA NOW

Bimal Khurana, director, Venus Industries, said, “We had a brilliant experience in AAHAR 2012, and received very good response from the show this year. I really appreciate and thank ITPO for taking such an initiative by giving such an enormous, useful and effective platform to prove ourselves .This catalyst of buyer and seller meet gives us the strength and motivation to do even better every time.”

The company launched this year a number of new products such as the coloured hydraulic chafing dishes, which is scratch-proof with life time guaranty; wine baskets; laser-cut table wares; lifestyle products; water pitcher and stainless steel handlers.

Wanted Marketing Executive Hotel and Restaurant Association Western India is looking for a Lady Marketing Executive, on contractual basis who would be required to travel & increase the membership strength in Mumbai & nearby places in the Western Region. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Please email your CV’s to Secretary General at secgen@hrawi.com

April 2012 |

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NEWS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Tourism Ministry signs MoU with Ministry of Civil Aviation

Formule 1’ set to debut in India‘ this month

Union Ministry of Tourism signed an MOU with Ministry of Civil Aviation here today to promote more synergy between both the Ministries for effectively positioning India as a preferred tourism destination in the tourist generating markets overseas. The MOU was signed in the presence of Union Tourism Minister, Shri Subodh Kant Sahai and Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ajit Singh.

Speaking on the occasion Union Tourism Minister Shri Subodh Kant Sahai said conversion with Civil Aviation Ministry is very important for developing tourism in the country and abroad. This will help in effectively branding India as a major tourist destination. Union Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ajit Singh expressed his happiness on the formalisation of relationship between both the Ministries through the MOU. He said good future of civil aviation in the country largely depends on tourism .

The MOU uses the media of Civil Aviation to promote the “Incredible India” brand so as to achieve the common objective of achieving more tourist movements in the country.

Accor has announced the launch of Formule 1, its low-cost hotel brand in India. The first Formule 1 will open at Greater Noida in this month.

Florian Kohli has been appointed as the General Manager of the Formule 1 Greater Noida to spearhead the hotel operations.

Jean-Michel Cassé, Senior Vice President, Operations, Accor India said “India is one of the core markets for growth in Asia Pacific, with strong demand across all segments of Hotels. Accor is evolving and expanding its business and with the introduction of our first low-cost hotel in India, we definitely aim to earn market-leader positioning for Formule 1 in the budget segment.”

Located in midst of the IT and education hub of Greater Noida, the hotel features 114 functional rooms. Formule 1 is Accor’s innovative budget hotel brand that will promote the concept of standard rooms with a single price for up to three people.

10 | April 2012

HRA NOW

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Lemon Tree in Chandigarh Lemon Tree Hotels has launched an 81-room hotel in Chandigarh. This is its 18th property in India.

Located in proximity to the city’s IT and business hubs, the Chandigarh property features conference facilities, a business centre, a rooftop Life Fitness gym, a mini-spa and a rooftop swimming pool.

Rahul Pandit, President & COO, Lemon Tree Hotels said, “This is our first hotel in the city. Chandigarh is not only the hub of administration but also a growing commercial destination. Lemon Tree will ride this growth wave too and cater to the city’s business and transit passengers.”

Guests can choose from an array of cuisines including Indian, European, American and pan-Asian at the 24 hour Coffee Shop – Citrus Café or hip recreation bar – Slounge.

Lemon Tree Hotels now owns and operates an inventory of 1969 rooms across 18 properties, pan India.

The brand’s profitable growth has been driven by an end-to-end business model which has led to a 60% year-on-year growth in rooms over the past five years. By December 2012, with~3600 rooms in 26 hotels across 16 cities, Lemon Tree Hotels will own over 2 per cent of all hotel rooms in the country.

HRA NOW

NEWS

Jonty Rhodes unveils his South African travel diary In a first of its kind association, South African Tourism has teamed up with renowned cricketer, Jonty Rhodes and Lonely Planet to unveil a “My South African Diary” penned by Jonty to promote the destination amongst Indian travellers.

As Jonty travels through his home country, he dons the cap of a narrator in this diary and shares his experiences of South Africa. The diary offers Jonty’s itinerary with concise information of the varied experiences that a traveller can explore while visiting South Africa.

Hanneli Slabber, Country Head, South African Tourism said, “South Africa as a travel destination is steadily gaining popularity among Indian travelers. We thought of creating a handy guide on South Africa that will give detailed information on the must-visit places and activities that one look forward to undertake. Thus, the idea of a travel diary was conceived. We would like to thank Jonty Rhodes for his time, commitment and support in promoting South Africa in India.”

Elaborating on his association with South African Tourism, Jonty Rhodes, said, “When South African Tourism approached me for to write a travel diary, I was very excited to take up this new role. In this travel diary I have shared some amazing holiday experiences in South Africa with my Indian fans. I hope it inspires them to travel to Sunny South Africa.”

Indian arrivals to South Africa have been on a consistent rise over the past years. The destination received 82, 700 Indians between January – November 2011 an increase of 27.2 per cent when compared to 2010.

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ANALYSIS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Budget 2012-13

A Missed Opportunity for Hospitality Sector

T

he Union Budget 2012-13 has not brought much cheer for the hospitality industry. The sector’s long standing demand to give it an industry status has not been fulfilled once again. Also, the increase in the service tax, which will force consumer to spend more, is not a good sign for the sector. Hoteliers and tour operators are concerned that such a move will impact their sales. Right from the hotel rooms to eating-out is going to be an expensive proposition for the consumers.

The government has not done any good for the tourism industry either. At a time when global economic crisis is mounting over the

12 | April 2012

tourism industry, the finance minister should have announced some positive initiatives for the sector. Nothing has been announced to promote tourism.

New provisions in the Budget 2012-13: • The service tax has been increased from the 10 per cent to 12 per cent.

• The Cascading taxes has been reduced significantly by permitting utilization of input tax credits in a number of services such as catering, restaurants and hotel accommodation.

• The food preparations containing fruits and vegetables falling under chapter 20, which are prepared and served in a hotel, restaurant or retail outlet whether or not such food is consumed in such hotel, restaurant or retail outlet is being fully exempted from basic excise duty.

• Currently, there is 100 per cent deduction (investment-linked) available under section 35 AD is allowed to an assessee engaged in the business of building and operating hotel.

However, the deduction can only be granted to the owner of a hotel if he himself operates.

It is proposed in the current budget that while

HRA NOW

ANALYSIS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

continuing to own the hotel, owner can transfers the operation of such hotel to another person (Franchise) and the assesse shall be deemed to be carrying on the specified business of building and operating a hotel.

• The travel industry is expected to benefit as the dual structures of maximum service tax of Rs150 and Rs750 in case of economy class travel is being replaced by an ad volrem rate of 12 per cent with abatement of sixty per cent subject to the condition on inputs and capital goods taken.

Some of the major demands which were not fulfilled: • Demand for infrastructure status to hotel industry has not been fulfilled. However, the inclusion of the hotel industry in the infrastructure list for hotels located outside cities with population of more than one million, has come through.

• Increasing the depreciation of hotel building to 20 per cent from the current 10 per cent levels has not been fulfilled.

• The demand for exempting the industry from the multiple taxes has partly been fulfilled.

14 | April 2012

HRA NOW

COVER STORY

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Intelligent Buying Hotels involve buying at every stage and are always looking at reduce costs. So how does one cut down on costs without compromising on quality. Aruna Rathod finds out

O

nce a hotel is set up, the next step is to streamline the buying processes. There are plenty of questions related to buying as the hospitality industry involves a huge plethora of buying that happens in every department. Right from furniture, electronics to perishable items, every stage in this industry involves buying.

Should you import or source locally? Which is more expensive or more effective? Where should one source from? These and many more questions have to be addressed by the general manager or procurement manager.

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It’s best to weigh the pros and cons and decide which model suits each property to make the venture a successful one.

Hotels are always looking at reducing hotel furniture fixtures and equipment (FF&E) and operating costs by importing from high quality vendors overseas. Each hotel is critical about costs and there is a constant effort to reduce costs and protect their bottom line from rising labour, energy and facility costs. Operations and hotel purchasing departments are being asked to find cost savings wherever possible.

As the market becomes more competitive, guests are expecting better quality hotel

amenities and custom products that make their stay more enjoyable. The focus then is on sourcing, which must be strong for hospitality furniture, hotel amenities and high quality building and finishing products for public spaces, hotel rooms and restaurants.

Outside purchases of hotel supplies and materials used and consumed daily at hotels make up a big portion of total operating expenses. From operational supplies like toiletries and textile products to pens, stationary and room key cards, by finding the right source one can save lakhs of rupees.

HRA NOW

Cover Story

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

One way to offer the best is to check what competition is offering so that you can come up with a better service. If your competitor is not fulfilling all customer needs, there is an opportunity for you to lure that customer into your hotel.

LOCAL VS IMPORT As for sourcing, there are two points of purchase – local buying or importing. Abhijit Joshi Materials Manager, The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park, explains, “Normally furniture, hotel operating equipment, engineering equipment, tin/bottled items required for any foreign cuisine restaurant are imported. All other products are sourced locally such as perishables, grocery items and uniforms amongst other things.” Some of the specific items imported that are locally sourced are plant and machinery, HVAC systems, solar water heaters, boilers, diesel gensets for fire pumps, linen, hydro-pneumatic pumps. Rohit Ahuja, General Manager, Ibis, Nashik says, “Most of the touch and feel items are imported. This includes room fit outs, doors, windows, working desk, wardrobes, beds, wooden flooring, table bed side lamps, prefabricated bathrooms among other things.”

HRA NOW

“

There is a huge improvement in last few years in the quality of locally grown peripheral goods and today they are as good as imported items

”

Abhijit Joshi, Materials Manager, The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park

When setting up a new hotel, capital investments are centralized through the head office. Ravi Kapila, General Manager, Fortune Select Exotica, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, says, “In the case of ITC, security systems, HVAC, electronics items, bathware, linen are all centralised through our head office of Fortune Park Hotels Ltd (ITC) at Gurgaon, Delhi. After R&D the units are advised on the best available product and the vendor to purchase the products from. In case of products used regularly – like kitchen products, food items, liquor, bakery items, perishable items are purchased through vendor management, tenders are floated and the best available rate and vendor is selected to contract the items.”

The best source of procurement, according to Kapila, is the local distributor or vendor. So how does one strike a balance between cost and quality? “Cost and Quality is maintained through R&D by the purchase department.

The vendor should supply regularly, timely and maintain standard quality as per specifications.”

LIQUOR IMPORT – IS IT THE BEST? Importing items does have its own set of problems, but is necessary in the hospitality business. Joshi explains that there are three major roadblocks while importing items. “The first is custom clearance procedures, second the delay in getting a consignment in hand, which leads to additional costs for warehousing of goods, and lastly the detention charges and thefts and breakages at the port.”

Ahuja believes that importing is not a big issue. He says, “As long as you have done the necessary paperwork and in the right manner, importing does not create an issue. One needs to have a reliable clearing agent who can April 2012 |

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Cover Story

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

“

Seasonal change may require buying seasonal products. The Purchase committee meets weekly to decide on any changing trends and takes decision accordingly

”

Ravi Kapila, General Manager, Fortune Select Exotica, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

handle the imports.” He also reiterates that direct import is best.

Speaking specifically about the import of liquor, Joshi adds that all regular imported brands are now available in India and with their specific importers for them in India. “They are stocked at custom bonded warehouses.

Hotels which have obtained a duty free license can also later de bond goods by paying 3.75 per cent duty.”

One of the drawbacks of imported goods is that they have their own time cycle before they reach the hotel. “The time again depends on individual items, for example, if it is exstock then delivery period varies between 15-20 days and then custom clearance would take another fifteen days. But if it has to be manufactured then it would take three to four weeks for production and another fifteen days for delivery and custom clearance would take another fifteen days,” says Joshi. Importers import products from various countries at one location and then either distribute themselves to various cities or through their own offices in all major metro cities or sub distributors. Joshi is of the firm belief that direct import is always better provided you have a facility of EPCG license or Serve From India Scheme License but only in case of high value and larger quantities.

For smaller quantities it is better to buy locally.

It is purely based on value engineering, cost benefit and need of product.

COST EFFECTIVENESS Importing directly seems to be the best bet.

Joshi compares the two. “If you buy locally then you end up paying regular duty along

18 | April 2012

with custom clearance and local distributor profit and all his incidental charges.

However, when one imports on their own then they save duty which is the biggest cost and quality of goods is also better from the exporter. According to me, one ends up paying almost 35-40 per cent extra if they buy locally.”

PERISHABLE IMPORTS Joshi explains that most locally grown items are reliable but the quality usually depends on individual products and the type of clientele that one has. “There is a huge improvement in last few years in the quality of goods and today they are as good as imported items. For example, exotic vegetables grown in India are equally good as the imported ones. In the case of liquor all regular imported brands are now available in India and we have importers for them in India.”

Ahuja is of the firm belief that imported goods are more reliable. “Liquor takes anything between four to eight weeks to import,” he says.

As for seasonal products, in the hospitality industry, the kitchen deals with a lot of seasonal products. Kapila adds, “Seasonal change may require buying seasonal products. The Purchase committee meets weekly to decide on any changing trends and takes decision accordingly.”

Kapila adds that most products are purchased through vendor management, tenders are floated and the best available rate and vendor is selected to contract the items.

HRA NOW

EVENT REVIEW

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

AAHAR 2012

Tasting the Success

27th edition of international food and hospitality fair concluded on a high note

A

AHAR was an ideal event to bring together technologies and products from different sectors of food processing industry. The fair provided a platform for exchange of information between Indian and overseas participants and creating the synergies among various segments. The event was organized by the India Trade promotion Organisation at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from March 12-16, 2012.

AAHAR was inaugurated by Anand Sharma, the union Minister of Commerce, Industry & Textiles. Speaking on the occasion Sharma said, “India’s food market is estimated at over US$182 billion, accounting for about two third of the total retail market. The per capita packaged snack food consumption may be low in India presently but is growing, hence there is a huge market waiting to be tapped. I am sure that AAHAR will be the driving engine of economic growth.”

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He emphasised on creating an integrated value chain in the food processing and hospitality sectors to enhance India’s shares in the global exports and to face future challenges. While stressing the need to focus on the post- harvest management of the agri-produce, the Minister pointed out that as much as 30 to 40 per cent of the total food and vegetables perish due to lack of proper storage, distribution & marketing channels, transportation and other facilities.

He added that the food processing sector has immense potential to generate huge employment opportunities for the rural masses along with substantial economic growth. The Minister complimented ITPO and MFPI for promoting the processed food and hospitality sectors through the medium of this premier catalyst AAHAR. Expressing his happiness over the participation response from India and

overseas at AAHAR 2012 with its theme “Indian Food Basket- A Seal of Quality”, he pointed out that the fair has a special significance towards the economic growth of the country and the enhanced participation reflects the popularity of the event.

Underlining the importance of the food and hospitality sectors in Indian economy and its potential in global market, Rakesh Kacker, Secretary, MFPI who attended the ceremony as ‘Guest of Honour’ remarked to provide necessary fillip, several schemes are being decentralised for implementation at the state levels.

Rita Menon, CMD, ITPO while addressing the conference highlighted the salient features of the fair. She informed that AAHAR 2012 has surpassed all previous records in terms of participation with over 565 exhibitors including 72 foreign exhibitors from 19 countries with Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland participating for the first time. She pointed out that the fair covers two concurrent exhibitions—‘Food India’ and ‘Hospitality India’. She acknowledged the continued support and initiative of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Association Agricultural Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Association of Resources Companies for the Hospitality Industry of India (ARCHII), Hotel & Restaurant Equipment Manufacturers’ Association of India (HOTREMAI), All India Food Processors’ Association (AIFPA) and Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in mounting this show to a great grand success.

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Event Review

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

THE INDUSTRY SPEAKS UP: Sashi Narang, Managing Director, Smoke Point This year our stall location was better than last year. We had the stall designed and executed by a professional agency.

Hence we attracted more visitors than last year. We displayed our flagship model SP 160 of Smoke Point, which accommodates six smokers and we were able to give live demonstrations to the interested visitors.

We launched our new bigger model SP Area, which is for high traffic areas like banquets and nightclubs etc. and can accommodate upto 14 smokers. This technology provides passive smoking free atmosphere to the user.

We got many positive and lucrative leads, which we are confident of converting into deals. These were from established brands as well as standalone hotels and bars properties.

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Aiden Huges, Chief Representative, RATIONAL India Our experience with this year’s AAHAR was very positive. We met a lot of important partners and interesting customers.

Our stand concept with the live cooking demonstration offered the visitors the possibility to experience how easy it is to grill, roast, steam, bake and much more in only one unit – the RATIONAL SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency. As the proof is in the pudding we also let our customers try delicious food prepared in front of them. We launched the new SelfCookingCenter whitefficiency–the standard for Indian cuisine. The new patented HiDensity Control guarantees outstanding cooking quality and performance despite minimum resource consumption. For example, 600 Chicken Tandoori can be prepared in only 10 minutes. RATIONAL also

developed cooking processes especially for the Indian cuisine, like Biryani, Tikkas, Tandoori or samosa. The revolutionary control concept is so simple to operate and can be done by everybody. It is just a push at a button.

The interest of the visitors was extremely high. The show was very important for us as it offered our customers the possibility to experience life the performance of the units.

People who missed our cooking show at the exhibition can register directly to a RATIONAL CookingLive event under 0124-4635865.

Pawan Raj Kumar, Director, Continental Equipment India The exhibition has grown in size and in presentation.

Indian exhibitors are also getting more professional.

The over all standard of the show is growing.

This show has the potential of becoming

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the show for the whole South Asian region. We launched new ranges of DESMON products both in imported and Indian variety. We also launched and showcased some of our advances in fabrication quality. This was received very well. We received many enquiries and some orders as well. Our targets were met.

Hari Menon, Director, Ace Technologies This year’s AAHAR has been quite good for us and we are quite satisfied with the overall response and the quality of visitors during the show.

In comparison with the last year’s AAHAR which was also quite good for us, we had lot of customers who have come back and visited our stall to check on new products which we had launched during this year.

There was lot of interest to understand about new products as well as to discuss developments in technology in the range we had displayed. This year there was good number of visitors from South India compared to last year. Another good experience we had was visit of knowledgeable customers who had a very good understanding of the products and their interest in knowing more about the technological innovations.

We are quite satisfied with the amount of leads which we have generated during the show. We had visits from the customers with whom we were already working on various projects and also new customers with whom we could finalise some important deals.

We had one of the customers who had visited us during the last AAHAR and he came back to us during this AAHAR for finalising orders because he believed that the quality of our products were the best. This was a good experience for us because he was a very knowledgeable customer. We feel that with the exposure of the customers to good quality products they will make more knowledgeable choices which will not be only price based.

AAHAR is a platform which gives us such a chance.

Arun Pandita, Deputy General Manager, Springwell Mattress It has been a great platform for exhibitors like us, serving the hospitality industry in India.

Every year, AAHAR brings with it, altogether a new feel and excitement towards both buyers and sellers. This year, I had an opportunity to meet a different bunch of potential consumers as compared the previous years. I noticed a substantial increase in the number of exhibitors in all categories and also in the number of seekers. One of the major reasons is the increase in awareness and education towards the functioning and quality of versatile brands. This year can bring or cannot bring the expected business but our brand awareness has undoubtedly taken a new route through this gateway called AAHAR. We have not launched any new range of products in particular. But yes, our focus was to display the luxury collection incorporating Infinity and Divinity collection from Springwel this time. The No.1 International premium mattress making brand, TEMPUR was also a major part of our

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Event Review

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Manju Mehta, Director, Akasa

stall at AAHAR 2012. The response was quite affirmative. I would not only say that it was only hopeful, but I would say that it was very positive and exciting. The exhibition was certainly a decent program through which we could meet our potential associates. AAHAR is one of the most popular exhibitions for the upliftment of trade in hospitality industry and therefore, our basic purpose is to exhibit and probably not to generate sales. If we would get through any major deal, it would be a feather in the cap. This time, we had not done any major flows, but we could certainly be able to generate numerous leads. Now, we have an opportunity to chase all these potential consumers to become a part of the Springwel family. We do not consider sales through AAHAR when we sell our products during the show, but when we are chasing leads and getting through, we consider the profits indirectly through AAHAR only.

Ranjan Jain, Director, Elanpro It is always a grand experience participating in the show. It is much bigger and has more relevant visitors (both national as well as international) for our trade. As compared to 2011, it has more international participants. We felt that opening the

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exhibition to common public in the last 2 days removes the focus from B2B customers which is the focus of our Industry. AAHAR 2012 was held from Monday to Friday, hence had more business visitors than domestic/household customers. Overall it allows the participants probably the best platform in India to create an image of their products in-line with their brand positioning. We have introduced some new products and concepts, which were liked and appreciated by the visitors. Some of them are Slimline Bottle Coolers and Wall Bottle Cooler. Both models have been appreciated by retailers with space constraint. Chest Freezers that run on battery, LPG, kerosene and all three have the option to run on electricity. These products are extremely suitable for areas with irregular electricity supply. We have also launched Blast Chilling Chest type bottle Coolers for beer retailers and Glycol chest freezers for ice-cream retailers. All these products have received tremendous response and support from end customers. We do not focus on striking major deals during the show. It is difficult to have a good meaningful discussion with a Key account in a short time available to us and the customers. Also the constant flow of visitors does not allow a focused discussion. The show is all about brand building, future leads and generates good enquiries. The show also gets a lot of visitors who are one-time buyers of 1-2 machines looking for a good deal during the show. There are some good enquiries and discussion with key accounts and consultants.

The experience this year compared to last year was not very good. Even though the number of participants has increased, the visitors were very less in number. It would have been because of the catering and marriage season getting extended this year or may be because there was no weekend this time.

Even though the visitors were less, there was comparatively good response in terms of business.

The new products we showcased this year were Conveyor Toaster (CT300), Popcorn Machine (16 and 22 Oz), Rotisserie Oven (8 chicken) and Adjustable Salamander. The specialty about these products is that all of them are completely manufactured by us. We are the only one in India to achieve such a hight with such high quality standards. People came asking us “from which country are these products imported?” It was a great feeling to hear such comments. The majority of the stall was selling imported stuff mainly from china for which no service or spares are available.

We at AKASA are dedicated to manufacturing quality items with complete service backup. This year there were a lot of inquiries from 4 or 5 star hotels for waffle machine and crepe machine.

Once again we are the only one to manufacture them in India. The response to AKASA products has been overwhelmingly good, with unique items like these and as mentioned earlier, we are here to capture the market with unique quality equipment as never manufactured in India before. There were groups like Vivanta by Taj, Radisson Blu, Kaati Zone (Bengaluru), etc.

Amit Sharma, Sales Head - India, Crem International We had a very good experience in AAHAR 2012. We were represented by our distributors at AAHAR this year and the experience was great. The show was a great catalyst for marketing our products. We launched Diamant and G10 during AAHAR 2012 and showcased two of our available product lines in India under the brand Expobar–‘New Elegance’ and ‘Megacrem’. AAHAR visitors really liked our products and the overall response was great.

We had live demo counters our products were highly appreciated. Led by larger participation in AAHAR this year, we have generated good business leads.

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F&B Trends

Chemistry at the Bar The Indian seasoned whiskey drinker is fast heading on the road to discovery, HRA Now finds out more about this journey

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Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

I

magine this. A weary, exhausted guest walks up to the bar in your restaurant and this time instead of telling you what exactly he wants to drink, he says, “Surprise me!� What could be the best and most innovative alternative you could come up with? Perhaps this will be your only chance to make this guest a long-standing customer. Would you then mix up some tequila with candy floss and liquid nitrogen? Now that is not only bound to leave him high and astonished but also asking for more. And if he asks you what the drink is called, tell him that’s Molecular Pisco, the signature molecular cocktail of the Tang Restaurant from Dubai.

If you thought molecular chemistry and alcohol make an odd combination, think again. Molecular cocktails are the latest fad to have hit the Indian market. While the Indian food and beverage industry has been experimenting with molecular gastronomy for some time now, innovations behind the bar are picking up, just about now.

So what is molecular mixology? Molecular mixology involves creating cocktails in a molecular form, applying the techniques of molecular gastronomy in it that helps to alter the taste, texture and characteristics of the cocktail. Here, mixologists amalgamate, emulsify and restructure alcohol with chemicals such as nitrogen, alginates and chlorides. Creating cocktails of greater intensities and preparing those using foams and atomised sprays are done with devices such as vacuum sealers,

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F&B Trends

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

blowtorches and Rotavaps to create these coktails that mixologists use. The process is an innovation to create drinks on a molecular level, based on their texture and flavours that are bound to explode in your mouth.

To build a molecular cocktail, the bartenders ought to first understand their alcohols, and then undergo a complex process of reconstructing and deconstructing them.

Further on, reinvention helps to layer and

intensify these flavours with various infusions, depending on their chemical balances.

CREATING A COCKTAIL Liquid nitrogen, alginates and chlorides are some of the elements used to create a molecular cocktail.

One can create a cocktail by infusing liquid nitrogen or dry ice in them. Nitro Caipirinha is a popular example of it. By freezing caipirinha with liquid nitrogen results in a caipirinha slush that is

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high on alcohol content. The most implemented technique of creating a molecular cocktail is Spherification. Introduced at the Spanish threeMichelin star restaurant El Bulli in 2003, this consists of controlled jellification of a liquid that forms spheres when submerged in a bath. These spheres have a thin membrane and are filled with the liquid that resembles caviar. Such caviars of Cointreau, for example, can be added to traditional cocktails like champagne, cosmopolitans and margaritas to add flavours in them.

Another popular molecular mixology technique is to suspend solid elements in liquid to create visually appealing cocktails.

Xanthum Gum is used to thicken the liquid to ensure the solid elements remain in suspension and do not settle in the bottom of the glass. It is often created using fruity caviars of various colours that can be put in sangria, making it a delightful summer drink.

Foams, airs and bubbles are a great way of adding a molecular touch to any cocktail. In the Cranberry Bubbles Cosmo, a classic cosmopolitan is topped with cranberry bubbles made using the “bubbles with air pump” technique. An elderflower foam, made with St. Germain liquor and chardonnay foamed in an ISI Whip, can add a nice touch to a glass of Champagne.

No discussion of molecular mixology is complete without the mention of renowned gastronomist Heston Bleumenthal. At his restaurant, The Fat Duck, he serves his famous whiskey gums in

“

The young women of the country are the ones leading the charge and the change in the acceptance of other beverage as a preference to heavy liquor

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Craig Wedge, COO, Finewinesnmore

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Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

“

Molecular cocktails are the new and emerging trend in the bar segment with several Indian consumers willing to try it

the shape of a bottle are served on a photo frame with the map of Britain. Each whiskey gum is made from a different whiskey and it is placed on the map indicating the region where it was made. He creates similar versions of gums with wine as well. Here begins the discussion about ‘eating your drink’. Several international restaurants serve their shots not in shot glasses but in the form of jellies that the guest can munch on.

It is bound to play a tingle on his taste-buds as the alcohol hits the senses. Bubblegum martinis and jellified versions of mojito, Kahlua or crème liquer are examples of the same.

BUILDING IT UP

Tang was Dubai’s first restaurant in 2008, to expand the domains of molecular gastronomy from the kitchen to behind the bar.

Today, in India, there are several restaurants experimenting with it. Caperberry in Bangalore, which started off with molecular Vijayan Gangadharan, gastronomy in a big way has Director- F&B, diversified into cocktails as well.

Grand Hyatt, Mumbai Its bar menu boasts of cocktails like Cryo Espuma, mock beer (apple juice with lemon foam), Cryo Mango margarita and Cryo Long Island Ice Tea. A similar story is that of Aqua at The Park, New Delhi, that has found some success among the locals with its molecular cocktails.

“Molecular cocktails are the new and emerging trend in the bar segment with several Indian consumers willing to try it,” opines Vijayan Gangadharan, Director- Food & Beverage, Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Most experts state that this trend is being driven by the frequently travelling Indian, who has tried these cocktails abroad and asks for them in Indian restaurants as well.

Another factor driving this movement is the interest shown by various liquor brands towards this emerging segment of alcohol. This has widened the scope for people to try out new forms. A few years back, Moët & Chandon created a line of champagne drinks with foams and bubbly caviars that add fruity flavor to it. These cocktails included the Foam in Moët’s cocktail- foam that adds texture and fruity flavour to Champagne without altering the effervescence.

Since the cocktail segment is primarily women-driven, it is expected that the molecular cocktail market is also primarily bring driven by women.

“As far as I can see, the young women of the country are the ones leading the charge and the change in the acceptance of other beverage as a preference to heavy liquor,” says Craig Wedge, Chief Operating Officer, Finewinesnmore.

However, is this a fad or will develop in the market? While molecular gastronomy has been in the market for some time now, the Indian consumers hasn’t been keen to experiment with it. One of the major arguments to this discussion was the price-points that it catered to while the culinary satisfaction it gave the guest. Industry experts expect molecular cocktails to do better. “The average alcohol consumer has matured from whiskey to experimenting with alcohol from around the globe. While this is a marginal shift, a significant shift is apparent among the middle, the upper-middle class and beyond. Also, the female category has been showing a significant spirit of experimentation,” adds Jaison Jacob, Manager, Bling – The Bar, The Zuri Whitefield, Bengaluru.

Sometimes, it is better to join the bandwagon than to miss the ride.

”

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FOOD REVIEW

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

The Bong Connection The Great Bengali Food Fest at The Lalit brings alive the city of joy in Mumbai

By Bishnupriya Sen

I

nterContinental The Lalit’s poolside café, 24/7, was the venue for The Great Bengali Food Fest which was held from February 25 to March 10, 2012 in Mumbai. The fest promised food that was “as mom-made as it can be,” and trust me, it was. Executive Sous Chef Pradipt Sinha stressed, “There may be a number of restaurants claiming to serve authentic Bengali food, but we are aiming at bringing back memories from the customer’s mother’s kitchen.” And, the Great Bengali Food Fest was successful in their endeavour.

The poolside café was in keeping with the theme; complete with images of Kolkata’s famed yellow taxis, hand-pulled rickshaws, trams and metros, and decorations with things like the traditional wedding headgears mukut (for the Bengali brides) and topor (for the Bengali grooms), among other things. The stewards looked like Bengali babus, dressed in white kurtas and dhotis; the hostesses had donned the traditional red and white Bengali saris, easily passing off as Bengali damsels.

There were hand-pulled carts in the buffet area serving up Bengali street food delicacies.

For the previous edition of the Fest, held in 2009, a Chef from Kolkata had been specially called in. However, this time Executive Chef Allan Limmer asked his Bengali chefs to step up to the challenge. A group of five chefs, including Chef Pradipt Sinha (Executive Sous Chef ), Chef Partha Pratim Dhar (Commi I) and Chef Ankur Chakraborty (Management Trainee) churned out delicacies from the Bengali mother’s kitchen. With a spread

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ranging from a variety of street food, 16 main course items, a live station to an enormous number salad and desert items, the customer was spoilt for choice. The Fest offered these delicious delicacies for both dinner and lunch services. In Chef Limmer’s words, “The Bengali Food Fest offers a perfect dining experience with authentic traditional and modern Bangla cuisine coupled with adorable flavours.”

I started our meal with the most scrumptious egg roll we have ever had. The dough of the parantha, made of maida, was so soft that it melted in the mouth. The distinct taste of kasundi, a coarse paste of mustard, exploded in the mouth transporting us back to Kolkata.

One could also enjoy the quintessential jhal muri (puffed rice, onions and tomatoes with a mustard oil and spices dressing), phuchka (a version of Mumbai’s pani puri), machher chop (fish chop) and shingara (samosa) at the food stall on the hand-pulled carts.

The salad spread was a diverse one, ranging from a brinjal and mushroom salad to an octopus salad. The Murg Dhania Shorba (a coriander flavoured chicken broth) was extremely refreshing.

The main course had a total of 16 items, most of which were Bengali delicacies. Sinha informed us that over the duration of the Fest, dishes were featured in rotation. Aloo posto (potato with poppy seeds), panchmishali (a mixed vegetable preparation), chenar chum chum curry (cottage cheese dumpling cooked in smooth tomato, cashew nut

gravy), oler dalna (elephant foot yams or suran curry), dab chingri (prawns cooked in a tender coconut), macher paturi (whole grain mustard marinated fish steamed in banana leaves) murghi gotha masala (a chicken preparation with whole spices) and kosha mangso (a thick-gravy lamb preparation) were some of the highlights of the Fest. For the customers who did not want to sample the Bengali cuisine there was a live station that churned out anything that the customer demanded. The main course had some North Indian and Chinese preparations for the sake of variety. The point to note here is that there was a variety of rice preparations too; misti pulao (sweet pulao), chicken and mutton biryani as featured in the spread.

The dessert bar was a delight for people with a sweet tooth. There was a spread of as many as 32 dishes, featuring Indian mithais as well as continental desserts. As the Fest coincided with the festival of Holi, a number of Holispecific desserts were on display. Misti doi, patisapta (rice flour crepes stuffed with grated coconut, cardamom and jaggery), monoloba malpua and sandesh were some of the famous Bengali sweets to be showcased.

A regular patron at 24/7, Chatterjee commented, “I tasted authentic Bengali food at my wedding 25 years, and then, now.”

Chatterjee was at 24/7 to celebrate his twentyfifth wedding anniversary. He actually sums up: For people craving homemade Bengali food, the Great Bengali Food Fest was the best place to be.

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REGION FOCUS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Ready to Ride the Boom

M

aharashtra, home to the financial capital of the country, is not only a magnet for business tourists, but also has a wide range of other attractions – from leisure and eco-tourism to heritage and pilgrimage, with a vibrant hospitality sector to match. Even as India’s hospitality industry is projected to grow at an impressive 9 per cent by 2018–the second fastest growing tourist market in the world, next to China – Maharashtra’s hospitality sector is also gearing up to ride this boom.

Experts predict a multifold increase in domestic and foreign visitors over the next few years, expecting a huge demand in midlevel segment (3 & 4 Star category hotels), and a fair share of this inflow will come Maharashtra’s way.

The tourism industry is always supported by the hospitality industry and infrastructure.

In the case of Maharashtra, there is immense potential that’s yet to be tapped, necessitating

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an integrated approach from various government departments and agencies. The nascent tourism industry demands capital intensive projects which have a longer gestation period of 8-12 years, depending

“

The state government is rolling out sops like additional FSI and incentives to encourage hospitality sector and tourism, finds Aruna Rathod

upon the size and potential. Because of the substantial gestation periods, large revenue projects such as setting up of hotels, convention centers, golf courses, tourist trains, have to be created by private initiative

We feel that 2012 will be a strong year for Maharashtra tourism and the hotel industry due to strong Indian business travel demand

”

Chandrashekhar Joshi, Director of Sales and Marketing, Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport April 2012 |

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REGION FOCUS with the government acting as a facilitator and catalyst.

In spite of the hurdles, Maharashtra has displayed good growth in terms of developing its hospitality and tourism sector.

Chandrashekhar Joshi, Director of Sales and Marketing, Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai International Airport observes, “India is still an attractive investment proposition for the world and foreign tourist arrivals continue to see an upward trend. We feel that 2012 will be a strong year for Maharashtra tourism and the hotel industry due to strong Indian business travel demand.”

Infrastructure needs to be developed for the hospitality sector to grow. While the government is doing its bit, the existing condition of roads and highways does deter tourism. SP Jain, Managing Director, Pride Hotels, says, “The government of Maharashtra is taking several steps to boost tourism in the state by developing various locations and improving infrastructural facilities to attract leisure as well as business travelers. However, due to lack of proper planned infrastructure in Mumbai, there is the problem of congested roads, with heavy traffic leading to bottlenecks for developing tourism. This, in turn has contributed to lower occupancy levels and ARR’s in Mumbai during the past few years.”

Foreseeing the problem of shortage of hotel rooms, the state government already has a policy in place to deal with the issue. Jain adds, “Mumbai being the financial capital, there is a demand-supply gap in the mid-market segment. The Maharashtra government has already put in place a policy for granting additional FSI for star hotel projects (up to five times in city limits and 3.5 times in the suburbs) to attract investment in the hospitality sector.”

The five-star segment is gearing itself for the growing demand of rooms. Joshi says, “In the short to medium term, supply in cities of Maharashtra, especially Mumbai will rise faster than demand. As a result during this period, the cities will see a drop in ARR and then rise as demand catches up with supply. Eventually ARR’s will stabilize over a period of 2-3 years.

In Mumbai alone, nearly 800 new rooms are being readied in the 5-star segment.”

At the same time Jain believes that some cities like Pune and Aurangabad have an oversupply of hotel rooms. “In Mumbai there is currently a reasonable supply of hotel rooms, but there does not appear to be a strong demand for additional rooms. However, Mumbai being the financial capital, there is a good potential for growth of demand in the near future.”

Identifying the potential in the state, hotel chains are committing investments and setting up projects in Maharashtra. Like the Four Points by Sheraton group, that believes

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Unlocking land bank, and potential

“

The government of Maharashtra is taking several steps to boost tourism in the state by developing various locations and improving infrastructural facilities to attract leisure as well as business travelers

”

SP Jain, Managing Director, Pride Hotels

there is plenty of opportunity for growth in Pune as new companies are opening offices in Pune. “We are expecting 30 per cent growth in the number of arrivals in Pune in 2012.

Besides, MICE opportunities are also on a high,” says Pankaj Mathur, General Manager, Four Points-Pune.

Another entrant cashing in the potential of Maharashtra is Discover Motels. Discover Motels is currently soft testing its 216 keys property, at the foothills of Matheran in the picturesque town of Neral in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The hotel is a brand franchise of Best Western International, USA, and is part of the group’s current expansion drive across the country, with another property just a short distance away in Alibaug. “Discover Motels is positioned to lead the ‘economy resort’ space. Our unique debt-free model blends condotel, medical tourism, assistedliving and timeshare opportunities in a very unique manner. Additionally this year we plan to launch at least 500 hotel rooms based on modular building technology. These rooms can be truck transported and hence, have immense mobility. So, they can be in Goa for the winter and in Ooty for the summer. We

According to the Eleventh five-year plan, one of the major bottlenecks in creation of hotel infrastructure is nonavailability of land. The government has listed steps that can be taken to facilitate the allocating of land banks and creation of infrastructure – from insisting that the master plan of major cities should mark commercial sites for construction of hotels, convention and exhibition centres and the hotel sites should be allotted on long term lease basis or through the PPP mode in a joint venture arrangement, to granting higher Floor Area Ratio/Floor Space Index (FAR/FSI) so that more rooms and commercial spaces are created out of the same space and reserving land for building of guest houses in all major cities and tourist destinations.

The plan outlay also provides for the promotion of a home stay programme under the government of India Scheme of ‘Incredible India Bed & Breakfast’, by allowing such establishments to be treated as non-commercial. are about to innovate and transform the hotel industry,” said Radhika Mandrekar, Managing Director, Discover Motels.

Disha Direct Marketing Services, the pioneers of second homes concept in India have also announced their foray into the hospitality and leisure sector. The company plans to invest Rs300 crore in its Hospitality Division, christened Greenarth Leisure. The company will begin operations with Maharashtra and Goa followed by other locations. Commenting on the expansion drive, Santosh Naik, Managing Director, Disha Direct said, “In today’s urban lifestyle, people are constantly on the go and have very little time in hand to spend with their family and friends. Weekends are usually spent either relaxing at home or visiting malls and multiplexes. We thus realized that there is a gap in the leisure segment and given a chance, families would love to take off to close by weekend destinations as frequently as possible.

All Greenarth Resorts are within 2 to 3 hours drive from Mumbai city, offering an option to take a break whenever the need is felt.”

Two of India’s fastest growing hotel companies, Lemon Tree and Red Fox Hotels, that were founded in late 2002 and mid 2006, respectively by Patu Keswani, are also strengthening their presence in Maharashtra.

The group owns and operates two major brands – Lemon Tree Hotels in the upscale category and Red Fox Hotels in the mid-scale category, with presence in all the major cities of Maharashtra.

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PRODUCTS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Smoke Point Smoke Solution India, all India distributor for Smoke Solution, Denmark has recently installed their Smoking Cabins at Bangalore International Airport which caters to 12 million passengers annually.These cabins have a capacity of 14 people and are specially designed for high traffic areas.The Airport has many bars, cafés and restaurants and the customers were facing a problem with smoking. After installation of these Smokepoint cabins, the passenger experience is better and the sales of the F & B outlets have increased considerably.Smoke Point Smoking Cabin is the only solution that works 100% in Air Conditioned areas arrests the spread of harmful nicotine and annoying foul odour. Since there is no ducting required, there is no need to throw the smoke filled air in the atmosphere and the cooled air after purification is recirculated in the same area. This saves energy cost in re-cooling and there is no pollution to the environment thereby making smoke point a green product.In India we have already installed in hotels like Radisson Blu and Wyndham Hotels, and Premium Bars and Pubs all across the country, such as Rockman’s Beer Island, F Bar, etc.

FCML FCML introduces a complete new collection new collection of bathroom accessories from PomD’Or’s, Kubic Collection designed by Antonio Blanc. The collection synergizes beauty and design with utility and presents pieces of elegance which are suitable for modern bathrooms.These beautiful bathroom accessories are available in all FCML Luxurious bathroom stores across India.

Jindal Real Cocoa Jindal is the largest cocoa processing unit in India. The company manufactures a wide range of cocoa powder and cocoa butter.

Very shortly, they shall be introducing 100% real choco chips and real choco slabs. This will be the best chocolate, India has ever experienced at a very very competitive rate.

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PRODUCTS

Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

Push button paging system LEETEK’S Push Button Paging System was designed specifically to help guests immediately page their servers or managers when they need anything, so they can be served whenever they want. With this solution, guests are needless to wait for their turns for served and the servers are more convenient because it is needless to visit guest’s table twice and it will keep servers from duplicating with each other.

It will help reduce the number of servers and also reduce the noise as well. Your restaurant will become more quiet and high-quality. It will help you provide “Always Customers First” Services.

AKASA CONVEYOR TOASTERS This is first conveyor toaster with Indian – make. The conveyor toasters are designed to make many slices of toast and are generally used in the catering industry, being suitable for large-scale use. With 150-200 slices per hour, making conveyor toasters ideal for a self serve buffets and large restaurant that is constantly busy with growing demand.

The conveyor toasters are ideal for caterers needing to serve large quantities of toasted bread, crumpets etc, with a minimum of fuss and preparation time giving perfect food product every time. It has top and bottom heaters which enable uniform toasting on both sides of bread. The browning of bread can be controlled as per our requirement. The toaster is easy-to-load rack with front and rear discharge of toasts. It has steel outer body giving sturdy and compact look.

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AAHAR PHOTO GALLARY 2012

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Indian Hospitality & Tourism News Service

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