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fhrai - ddppl

magazine
OCTOBER 2015
Vol 15 Issue 10 Pages 70 `50
A MONTHLY ON HOSPITALITY TRADE
By DDP Publications
INTERVIEW:
BHARAT MALKANI
NEW PRESIDENT FHRAI
CONVENTION
FEEDBACK
50TH FHRAI CONVENTION CONCLUDES SUCCESSFULLY
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Bharat Malkani
President, FHRAI
Dear fellow members,
F
HRAI has successfully concluded its
golden jubilee celebrations, having
held its 50th annual convention
just recently. An estimated 1,000
delegates were present at the convention,
one of the highest in the history of FHRAI.
It was great to see a convention on such
a scale conducted in the beautiful city of
Bhubaneswar. That the convention was held
in a new destination highlights the scope for
MICE and more beyond the metros of this
great nation.
The state of Odisha is a gem waiting
to be discovered, with a lot of religious
sites, incredible beaches and a delectable
cuisine. However, I think Odisha is still
undeveloped when it comes to tourism. The
50th Convention had a benefit that many of
us did not foresee. For many of us, it was a
first visit to Odisha, so the convention went
a long way in marketing Odisha.
The FHRAI is now 50 years old. It’s the
world’s third largest hotel and restaurant
association. I believe that the time has
come for us to introspect about the coming
decade and chart our journey. We need to
innovate and re-strategise our presence
in a brand new world. A world where our
industry has become a part of the global
digital ecosystem. With the expected growth
of the tourism industry, we are going to
focus on skill development to be able to
cater to the legions of tourists headed to
our friendly shores. We must be sensitive
to ecologically sustainable practices as an
industry. In addition, we plan to engage with
the government on the multiple issues that
affect our industry. We think the number of
foreign tourist arrivals into India is
miniscule compared to the size of our
beautiful country.
Dr Mahesh Sharma announced the
constitution of the Medical and Wellness
Tourism Promotion Board at a function in
New Delhi recently. The Board has been
formed to tap the potential and advantages
that India has in the field of medical
and wellness tourism. In line with skill
development, The Centre of Excellence in
Hospitality Education will operate from
Hotel Samrat in New Delhi. The theme of the
World Tourism Day 2015 was ‘One Billion
Tourist, One Billion Opportunities’ which
opens a plethora of prospects for us all.
We will continue to support MoT on
Swachata, Suraksha aur Satkar. Many of our
members make independent efforts to clean
areas near their hotels at their own cost. I
encourage more of you to take up this cause.
I want the members to know that this
team is going to transform the FHRAI into
a modern and contemporary organisation.
We shall use this platform to further the
development of the tourism potential
of this country.
With warm regards,
Bharat Malkani
President, FHRAI
We need
to innovate and
re-strategise our
presence in a brand
new world. A world
where our industry
has become a part
of the global digital
ecosystem
OCTOBER 2015
COVER STORY
36
1000 PLUS DELEGATES MAKE
THE 50TH FHRAI CONVENTION
A SUCCESS
We bring you excerpts from the 50th FHRAI
annual convention that saw the participation of
political bigwigs and engrossing panel discussions.
36 COVER STORY
&217(176
THIS MONTH
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
FHRAI DESK
NEWS UPDATES
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
EVENTS
APPOINTMENTS
03
08
30
62
64
66
FEATURES
INTERVIEW 34
FHRAI TO REINVENT ITS
PHILOSOPHIES
Bharat Malkani, the newly elected
president of FHRAI shares his plans.
30 NEWS
SECRETARY GENERAL
Amitabh Devendra - [email protected]
EDITOR
Deepa Sethi - [email protected]
PUBLISHER
Gunjan Sabikhi - [email protected]
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kanchan Nath - [email protected]
DESK HEAD, MAGAZINES
Ambica Gulati
CREATIVE DESIGN
Tushar Upadhyay
Raashi Ajmani Girdhar
6
October 2015 I www.fhrai.com I
MARKETING & SALES - DELHI
Anand Dutt - [email protected]
Senior General Manager (+919650196517)
Rajat Tyagi - [email protected]
Deputy General Manager (+919650399909)
MUMBAI
Harshal Ashar - [email protected]
General Manager (+919619499167)
54
Priyanshu Wankhade - [email protected]
Manager Advertising (+919619499170)
FHRAI - MARKETING
S.P. Joshi
Shradha Kapoor - [email protected]
Assistant Manager – Marketing (+919650196525)
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Anil Kharbanda
Gaganpreet Kaur - [email protected]
Assistant Manager (+919650399934)
ADVERTISEMENT DESIGNERS
Vikas Mandotia
Nitin Kumar
FEATURES
OPINION 48
CONVENTION
FEEDBACK
Members and attendees at the
50th FHRAI Convention share their
experiences.
RIVER CRUISE 54
SAILING THE GANGA
Annapurna Garimella explores cruises
on the Ganga from Kolkata to Varanasi
with the RV Bengal Ganga and the MV
Ganges Voyager
EDUCATION 58
MASTERCLASS
IN HOSPITALITY
MANAGEMENT
54 RIVER CRUISE
D Anup K Chatterji, GM, HRD, ITDC and
Principal, AIH&TM, discusses hospitality
education and the problem of trained
manpower for the hospitality industry.
SPA 60
MANPOWER
REQUIREMENTS FOR
SPAS TO GROW BY 162%
Dr Kalathil Harish, Director Spa–Group
Coordination–Training, The Park Hotels
discusses the various aspects of
this sector.
62 PRODUCTS & SERVICES
68 HAPPENINGS
FHRAI
B-82, 8th Floor, Himalaya House
Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001
Tel: 91-11-40780780, Fax: +91-11-40780777
Email: [email protected]
FHRAI Magazine is printed and published by
Gunjan Sabikhi on behalf of Federation of Hotel and
Restaurant Association of India and printed at
Cirrus Graphics Pvt.Ltd., B 62/14, Phase-II, Naraina
Industrial Area New Delhi 110028 and published at
Durga Das Publications Pvt. Ltd.
72 Todarmal Road New Delhi 110001
Email: [email protected]
Tel : 91-11-41669575 Fax: 91-11-41669577
This issue of FHRAI Magazine contains 66+4 pages cover
All information in the FHRAI Magazine is derived from
sources, which we consider reliable and a sincere effort is
made to report accurate information. It is passed on to our
readers without any responsibility on our part. The publisher
regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors and omissions
contained in this publication, however caused. Similarly,
opinions/views expressed by third parties in abstract and/or
in interviews are not necessarily shared by FHRAI Magazine
or DDP. However, we wish to advice our readers that one or
more recognised authorities may hold different views than
those reported. Material used in this publication is intended
for information purpose only. Readers are advised to seek
VSHFLÀFDGYLFHEHIRUHDFWLQJRQLQIRUPDWLRQFRQWDLQHGLQWKLV
publication which is provided for general use, and may not be
appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances.
Contents of this publication are copyright.
No part of FHRAI Magazine or any part of the contents thereof
may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted in
60 SPA
any form without the permission of the publication in writing.
The same rule applies when there is a copyright or the article
is taken from another publication. An exemption is hereby
granted for the extracts used for the purpose of fair review,
provided two copies of the same publication are sent to us for
our records. Publications reproducing material either in part
or in whole, without permission could face legal action. The
publisher assumes no responsibility for returning any material
solicited or unsolicited nor is he responsible for material lost
or damaged.
This publication is not meant to be an endorsement of any
VSHFLÀFSURGXFWRUVHUYLFHVRIIHUHG
The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or
otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All
advertisements must comply with the Indian and International
Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any
damage or loss caused by delayed publication, error or failure
of an advertisement to appear.
FHRAI DESK
GLIMPSES OF THE
50TH ANNUAL CONVENTION
OF FHRAI
Pictures: Kanchan Nath
The Golden Jubilee celebrations of the annual convention of
FHRAI took place at Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar, Odisha
from September 25-27, 2015. Here are glimpses of the different
technical sessions held over three days. A Heritage Walk and
carnival was also held on the third day which coincided with the
World Tourism Day. Colourful snapshots from this day capture the
culture, heritage and ethos of India.
8
Cont. on pg. 10
FHRAI DESK
Cont. from pg. 8
10
Cont. on pg. 12
FHRAI DESK
Cont. from pg. 10
12
FHRAI DESK
Cont. on pg. 14
FHRAI DESK
Cont. from pg. 13
14
Cont. on pg. 16
FHRAI DESK
Cont. from pg. 14
16
FHRAI DESK
FHRAI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS 2015 - 2016
MEMBER OF HONOUR
Mr. Ajit B. Kerkar
Member of Honour
FHRAI
OFFICE BEARERS
Mr. Bharat Malkani
President
FHRAI
Mr. K. Syama Raju
Vice President
FHRAI
Mr. Luv Malhotra
Vice President
FHRAI
Mr. Tejinder S. Walia
Vice President
FHRAI
Mr. Vivek Nair
Hony. Secretary
FHRAI
Mr. Sudesh Poddar
Hony. Treasurer
FHRAI
Mr. K. Murali Rao
Jt. Hony. Secretary
FHRAI
Mr. Garish Oberoi
Jt. Hony. Secretary
FHRAI
Cont. on pg. 20
18
FHRAI DESK
Cont. from pg. 18
Mr. D.S. Advani
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Dilip C. Datwani
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Pradeep Shetty
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. M.P. Purushothaman
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Nirav Gandhi
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. T Nataraajan
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Subir Bhowmick
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. K. Nagaraju
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. S.M. Shervani
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Rajindera Kumar
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Surendera Jaiswal
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Bharat Aggarwal
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Vinaay Malhotra
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Pranav Singh
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Ashoke Singh
E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Dilip Ray
E.C. Member
FHRAI
20
Mr. Param
Kannampilly
Co-opted E.C. Member
FHRAI
Mr. Suresh Kumar
FHRAI
Mr. Vijay Dewan
FHRAI
FHRAI DESK
PODDAR ELECTED AS PRESIDENT
OF HRAEI AGAIN
HRAEI
M
Sudesh Poddar
President
HRAEI
r Sudesh Poddar has been
elected as president of Hotel
& Restaurant Association of Eastern
India (HRAEI) for the second consecutive year. New office bearers of
HRAEI for the year 2015-16 include:
Mr Vinaay Malhotra, Senior Vice
President; Mr Gopal Das Agarwal,
Vice President; Mr Pranav Singh,
Honorary Secretary; Mr Mavabir
Prasad Agarwal, Joint Honorary
Secretary; Mr Nitin S Kothari, Honorary Treasurer and Mrs Alka Sehgal as
Joint Honorary Treasurer. New elected member in the HRAEI Managing
Committee include: Mr. Amit Ruia,
Mr. Apurva Salarpuria, Mr. Shanker
Singh, Mr. Vijay Dewan, Mr Moham-
The membership
count has increased.
Approximately 100 new
members have joined in
the last one year
med Azhar, Mr. Mahesh Agarwal,
Mr. Nitin S Kothari, Mr. Vishwaratna
Goenka, Mr. Girish Arora, Dr. Ajoy
Kumar Singh, Mr. Ronald D’ Costa,
Mr. Dilip Kumar Ray and Mr. Mahavir
Prasad Agarwal. The membership
count has increased. Approximately
100 new members have joined in
the last one year.
SEVERAL MEASURES TO BOOST
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ANNOUNCED
announced major measures being
taken by the state government for
giving a boost to the tourism and
hospitality sector.
Devendra Fadnavis
Chief Minister
Maharashtra
HRAWI
D
22
evendra Fadnavis, Honorable
Chief Minister of Maharashtra,
while formally inaugurating the
first edition of The Maharashtra
International Travel Mart (MITM)
at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar,
Fadnavis said a ‘Single Window
Scheme’ would be created for
the hospitality industry and the
number of permissions would be
drastically cut down to about 50
licenses from 70 and with only five
forms for the balance 20 licenses.
The draft is being prepared and all
departments will be taken on board
before finalising it, he said. He
also added, “Mumbai can be a city
for live performances. Organising
a live show in Mumbai is a tough
task, because of the number of
permissions required. We want to
promote Mumbai and Maharashtra
as event destinations. Therefore,
they will be designated as event
destinations and no permissions will
be required. The organisers just need
to inform the government about the
event they are organising.”
The Hotel and Restaurant
Association (HRAWI) has welcomed
the CM’s decision of cutting down
the number of licenses for setting
up of new establishment calling it a
boost for the hospitality sector.
We want to promote
the city of Mumbai
and Maharashtra as
event destinations
“The impact of this move will be
visible immediately and even in the
long term”, said Bharat Malkani
President, HRAWI. He added that
the association’s efforts over the
past decade had finally borne fruit.
FHRAI DESK
HRAWI FEARS RANDOM INSPECTION
BY BMC WILL LEAD TO RAID RAJ
T
HRAWI
he Hotel and Restaurant
Association of Western
India (HRAWI) has come out
with a strong condemnation
of Bombay Municipal
Corporation’s (BMC) decision to
conduct random checks at star
hotels and Grade–I hotels in the
city to inspect their cleanliness
and health aspects. The civic
body’s health department plans
to draw hotels and restaurants
for inspection by a lottery
system and officers will visit
establishment premises of these
unannounced.
tradition of proactive partnership
with the government, it has
drawn attention to the long
practice of self-regulation
followed by city restaurants
and has stated that the BMC’s
decision to pick only star and
Grade- 1 restaurants is arbitrary
and illogical. “We have always
been compliant with food safety
standards and the services have
only improved with time.
Bharat Malkani
President
HRAWI
Our families and friends eat
at our restaurants as often
as guests do. But without a
framework or a plan, inspectors
will turn up at the busiest time
and disrupt normal functioning.
Random raids, as we have seen
in the past, serve only one
purpose and that is harassment.
We hope BMC will withdraw
the decision,” said Mr Bharat
Malkani, President, HRAWI.
Ironically, barring the star
category and Grade – I
restaurants, the BMC has no
such plans for the rest of the
hotels and restaurants in the
city. Questioning the motive,
the association has opined that
this is nothing but a harassment
tactic. “If the BMC were really
serious about health and
Mr Malkani also pointed out
sanitation issues, they would
that maintaining hygiene
be addressing the issue of
standards is the function of
the Food Safety and Standards
unlicensed eateries that don’t
follow any procedures and
Authority of India (FSSAI)
Gurbaxish Singh Kohli
prepare food in filthy conditions.
and the BMC should focus on
Vice President
The water they use, the storage
curbing food cooked and sold
HRAWI
without adopting any hygiene or
condition, the constant exposure
health guidelines rather than creating a raid raj.
to dust, the pests that run in and out from these
stalls don’t seem to concern the BMC at all. In
“Being penalised for being a vital factor of
this context, targeting Grade – I restaurants and
the organised sector, this discrimination through
star hotels is curious,” said Mr Gurbaxish Singh
which the unorganised roadside eateries are
Kohli, Vice President, HRAWI.
facilitated only shows that we get harassed and
victimised as the soft targets,” said Mr Kamlesh
65-year-old HRAWI is one of the oldest and the
Barot, past president, HRAWI.
most efficient industry associations. Asserting a
ITALY & SAUDI ARABIA NEXT ON ETV LIST: MOT
I
taly and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are next in line
to be granted e-Tourist Visa by India, says Suman
Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism. “By
March 31, 2016, we aim to include a total of 150
countries for eTV, with Italy and the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia being some of the new additions. We
are working on including seaports as well, where
24
tourists can avail eTV,” he says. Billa adds that
e-Tourist Visa, currently available to 113 countries
and seven airports, will soon be extended to
seaports as well. Other facilities, such as extension
of visa duration and visa application time, and
changing single-entry to multiple, are also being
focused on, he adds.
FHRAI DESK
K. SYAMA RAJU RE-ELECTED
AS PRESIDENT SIHRA
T
SIHRA
he following persons were
elected to the Executive
Committee of the South India
Hotels & Restaurant Association
(SHIRA) at its 64th AGM held on
19.9.2015 at Chennai: Mr K Murali
Rao, Mr T Nataraajan, Mr Subir
Bhowmick, Mr. K Nagaraju, Mr K
Ravi, Mr K Chakravarthy and Suresh
Madhok. At the EC the following
office bearers were appointed: Mr
K Syama Raju as President; Mr T
Nataraajan as Hony Secretary;
Mr M Chakravarthy as Hony
Treasurer; Mr K Murali Rao as
Vice President; Mr Subir Bhowmick,
Mr K Nagaraju and Mr K Suresh
Pillai as Vice Presidents.
26
Mr Krishnaiah has resigned wef
June 18 2015 from the earlier
committee. Other members
include: Mr Hari Arumugam, Mr
D Srinivasan, Mr R Srinivasan, Dr
M Venkadasubbu, Mr Balakrishna
Reddy, DVS Somaraju, Mr S
Basavaraj, PG Venkataramana
Babu, Mr K Ravi , Mr B D Prabhu
Shankar, Mr Suresh Madhok and
Mr R Prabakar as a Special Invitee.
Talking about the present
hospitality scenario at the 64th
AGM, K Syama Raju said, “I
am happy to state that despite a
world recession in the business
tourism segment in the later part
of last year, the tourism sector in
India picked up comfortably with
reference to the luxury and group
tourism segment. This helped the
growth of the Indian economy
(with it) moving upwards with
the widespread expectation of
recovery in domestic tourism with
improvement in service sectors.
This was justified in the hotel
survey by the financial institutions
indicating increased supply
and demand both in terms of
investment and increase in the
inventory of rooms.”
He added, “The central
government’s initiative of
introducing e-Visa has increased
the growth of tourist arrivals in
the current year exponentially. This
has increased the chances of more
business for our hotels and also to
have more foreign exchange for
the country. Several international
hotel chains have evinced interest
in having their presence in India,
so also international air airlines to
have more landing facilities in Tier
II cities and other destinations.”
FHRAI DESK
L-R : Bharat Aggarwal, Treasurer HRANI, R.N. Kukreja,Vice President HRANI, R.D. Anand, Hony. Jt. Secretary HRANI, Luv Malhotra, President HRANI,
Suresh Kumar,Vice President HRANI, Arun Dang, Hony. Jt. Secretary HRANI and Renu Thapliyal, Secretary General HRANI
HRANI TO HOLD THIRD CONVENTION
IN NEW DELHI IN DECEMBER
T
HRANI
he Hotel & Restaurant
Association of Northern
India (HRANI) is organising its
third HRANI Convention from
18–19 December 2015 at the Le
Meridien, New Delhi. The theme
of the convention is ‘Hospitality
Industry - Made in India”.
28
Delhi, the host city, is endowed with a
past glory as the seat of empires and
with magnificent monuments, a vivid
cultural diversity and mesmerising
traditions of warm hospitality. Delhi
deservedly ranks amongst the most
captivating tourist destinations. The
vibrant city of Delhi is a commanding
symbol of new India, representing
a seamless confluence of heritage
and modernity. Delhi will provide a
befittingly spectacular backdrop
and an idyllic setting for this
prestigious event.
Rajindera Kumar, Former President,
HRANI & Senior MC Member is
the chairman of the Convention
Organising Committee and Surendra
Jaiswal, Member Managing
Committee is the Co-Chairman.
The HRANI Convention will draw
together a wide cross-section
of influential voices, iconic
thought leaders, distinguished
dignitaries from the central and
state governments as well as
leading luminaries of the Indian
hospitality industry. Through
meticulously structured business
sessions, the delegates will enjoy
an exclusive opportunity to engage
with key policymakers, doyens
of the industry, inspirational
entrepreneurs and global experts
for enriching deliberations on the
multifarious strategic, competitive
and policy dynamics which are
currently shaping the sector’s
landscape. The event will also
serve as a vibrant showcase for
contemporary trends, cutting-edge
innovations and international best
practices in the rapidly evolving
hospitality industry.
HRANI organised its 64th Annual
General Meeting (AGM) at Radisson
Blu Plaza, NH-8, New Delhi.
Luv Malhotra, along with his
team, continues to lead for
2014-16. The Managing Committee
and Office bearers remain the same
for 2015-16 as per the constitution
and are as follows: President–Luv
Malhotra, Vice Presidents–R.N.
Kukreja and Suresh Kumar, Hony
Secretary–Garish Oberoi, Treasurer–
Bharat Aggarwal and Hony Jt.
Secretaries–Arun Dang and R. D. Anand.
NEWS UPDATES
THEME
PARK
HOTEL
ACCORHOTELS LAUNCHES NOVOTEL
IMAGICA KHOPOLI
A
ccorHotels opened an integrated hotel and resort
property Novotel Imagica Khopoli. Owned by the
Adlabs Group and managed by AccorHotels, the hotel
is easily accessible via the Mumbai Pune Expressway.
Surrounded by the lush greenery of the Sahyadri Hills,
it is located in close proximity to the theme parks of
Adlabs Imagica and Aquamagica.
“The opening of Novotel Imagica Khopoli strengthens
our position in the Indian market in line with the
brand’s growth strategy. The launch follows the
growing trend of integrated hotels with theme parks.
Novotel is the world’s most recognised midscale hotel
brand under AccorHotels for business and leisure
travellers, with hotels located in the heart of major
international cities, business districts and tourist
destinations,” said Jean-Michel Cassé, Senior Vice
President Operations, AccorHotels India.
“We are delighted to be associated with the Novotel
brand. We are confident that this theme park property
under AccorHotels will prove to be the preferred choice
for families and holiday makers,” said Pooja ShettyDeora, Adlabs Imagica.
In its opening phase, the hotel features 116 wellappointed rooms which overlook the park, the pool
LAUNCH
and the lush Sahyadri hills. The hotel plans to add
another 171 rooms and suites later this year along
with a well-designed room for specially-abled guests.
The hotel will have an inventory of 287 rooms by first
quarter of 2016. There are also 20 interconnected
rooms on each floor catering to larger family groups.
Novotel Imagica Khopoli features one of the largest
meeting spaces in the Lonavla area with a pillarless
ballroom that can accommodate around 460 guests.
RENAISSANCE DEBUTS AS THE TALLEST
HOTEL IN LUCKNOW
R
enaissance Hotels has announced the opening
of its first hotel in North India, in the city of
Lucknow. With 16 floors and 112 stylish rooms, it
is the tallest hotel to open in Lucknow and offers
stunning views of the Gomti River and the city.
This is the brand’s second hotel in India, coming
after almost 14 years, with the first Renaissance
hotel being in Mumbai.
Rajeev Menon, Chief Operating Offer–Asia Pacific
(excluding Greater China), Marriott International
said, “Lucknow is fast emerging as a cultural and
business hub in UP and makes for the perfect
location for a Renaissance Hotel. Renaissance Hotels
is a global, lifestyle hospitality brand that seeks to
inspire and provoke its guests to discover something
new and different every time they stay here.”
30
The Renaissance Lucknow Hotel has a
contemporary design juxtaposed with the
heritage background of Lucknow. The
centrally located hotel provides easy access
to business hubs as well as popular leisure
destinations in the city. Designed with refined
sophistication and exuberant fun,
the Renaissance Lucknow Hotel has 96
tastefully appointed rooms and 16 suites
that offer modern luxury and unparalleled
convenience to its guests. The hotel has a
variety of dining options that include L –
14, the international cuisine all day dining
restaurant; Sepia – the Awadhi speciality
fine dining restaurant; Coffee & Cakes - the
patisserie and the Sky Bar–the poolside bar
located on the 16th floor.
NEWS UPDATES
DEBUT
HOLIDAY INN DEBUTS IN BENGALURU
WITH 122 ROOMS
I
bring it under our portfolio of
hotels. It’s the perfect destination
for us to expand our footprint
in the southern Indian market.
The opening of this hotel is in
line with our strategic expansion
plans to grow the Holiday Inn
and Holiday Inn Express hotels
across India. These brands
make up more than 85 per cent
of our development pipeline in
the country.”
nterContinental Hotels Group
(IHG®) has opened Holiday Inn® & Suites Bengaluru.
Located in Whitefield, the city’s
biggest IT hub, the 122-room
hotel includes 19 suites and two
apartments and caters to the
growing number of business and
leisure travellers to the city.
The hotel, which was previously
Alila Bengaluru, has received a
series of awards for its design
and contemporary look. Commenting on opening of the hotel,
Shantha de Silva, Head of
South West Asia, IHG said, “Over
the last decade, Bengaluru has
emerged as a popular cosmopolitan city in India. The combination
of business opportunities and
the vibrant culture attracts both
business and leisure travellers so we’re delighted to have
converted this property to the Holiday Inn brand and
WELLNESS
Gautam Nambisan, Chairman,
UKN Properties said, “Bengaluru
is one of the fastest growing
cities in India, driven by the huge
expansion of the technology
industry here–and there’s room
for even further growth in the
coming years. It’s a pleasure to
join the IHG family by converting this hotel into the Holiday Inn brand. We’re looking
forward to a fruitful partnership.”
THE KAIRALI AYURVEDIC GROUP NOW
IN DIMAPUR, NAGALAND
ment with the Mind Fresh Health
Care Centre. This centre, inaugurated
by P. Longon, Health and Family
Welfare Minister, Nagaland, will
offer exclusive Ayurvedic
therapies and treatments to the
people in Nagaland and the region.
T
he Kairali Ayurvedic Group has
introduced Kerala’s authentic
ayurvedic therapies to the Northeastern state of Nagaland. It has
opened its first Ayurvedic Therapeutic Centre in Dimapur, the largest city
of Nagaland, in a franchise agree-
32
The property has four treatment
rooms and covers a carpet area of
2,000 sq. ft. It offers various wellness therapies for beauty and skin,
and also health-related treatments.
“The Northeast region has an ideal
atmosphere for Ayurveda. We offer
Ayurvedic medicines prescribed by the
doctor,” said Abishek K Ramesh,
Director Kairali Ayurvedic Group.
NEWS UPDATES
SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, BENGALURU OPENS
WITH 397 KEYS
T
he 397-room Shangri-La–sited on nearly two acres
of land between the central business district and
the residential suburb–is set to deliver a unique blend
of the group’s signature service of ‘hospitality from
the heart’ and legendary Indian hospitality. Located
at one of Bengaluru’s premier addresses, it overlooks
Bangalore Palace and Cubbon Park.
Located 30 minutes away from the international
airport, the Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru stands
19-storeys tall in a leafy blue ribbon suburb on
Palace Road. “Shangri-La’s expansion on the Indian
subcontinent marks an exciting third quarter for the
group. We are excited to reveal a new luxury landmark
in Bengaluru that adds to our international presence
and we will welcome loyal and new guests for business
or leisure,” said Greg Dogan, President and CEO.
The hotel’s interior, with tiles, carpets and wood carved
screens with abstract floral silhouettes reflects the
Garden City’s ambience. Reminiscent of a bygone
regal era, the nine-metre high lobby showcases nine
impressive cylindrical chandeliers. Other stylish hints in
the public spaces include marble from Italy, Turkey and
China and textiles originating in the UK and Asia. A
glass elevator shuttles guests to the function areas.
THE BYKE SURAJ PLAZA
OPENS WITH 122 KEYS
A
run Muchhala Group, a Mumbai
real estate giant and
developer, has launched their new
luxury hotel brand, ‘The Byke Suraj
Plaza’. The group aims at penetrating
the premier economy segment with
this project. This 4-Star hotel has
been designed to cater to the needs
of globetrotters.
The property features 122 keys. It
has a 24-hour multi-cuisine
dining restaurant, a state-of-theart banquet and a sports bar with
an exclusive range of international
beverages. This property will be
LAUNCH
managed by Byke Hospitality.
Akshita Gandhi Muchhala, MD
(Hospitality), Arun Muchhala Group,
said at the launch,“This is our first
venture in the hospitality sector.
Thane is fast emerging as a cultural
and business hub with a budding IT
establishment, and it experiences the
influx of international crowds from
around the world. There is a disparity
between the demand and supply of
hotels in Thane. We have aimed to
cater to this disparity.”
Located on Godhbunder Road, the
hotel offers facilities for social events
OPENING
and meetings. Spread over 1,50,000
sq ft, the versatile indoor and outdoor spaces feature a state-of-theart banquet with a separate double
height ceiling banquet dining area
for business and social gatherings.
INTERVIEW
(L-R: Bharat Malkani, President, FHRAI being felicitated by TS Walia, former President, FHRAI)
FHRAI TO REINVENT
ITS PHILOSOPHIES: MALKANI
Bharat Malkani, Managing Director, Hotel Transit, has been elected as the new President of
Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). He shares the plans for FHRAI.
34
WHAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR
FOCUS FOR FHRAI?
WHAT DIRECTION IS FHRAI
GOING TO TAKE?
WHAT RADICAL STEPS ARE
YOU PLANNING TO TAKE?
FHRAI is a 50-year-old organisation.
The focus is on the next 50 years
and on seeing where we are going
to take it. We want to innovate and
restrategise our presence. You are
definitely going to see a changed
approach of FHRAI. We believe
that for a long time we have taken
a path which has yielded excellent
results over the years. But there is a
feeling that over the last few
years we may not have kept pace
because the world has changed
dramatically. So one of our special
tasks as a team is not just catch up
but probably exceed that rate of
change. In doing that some ideas
may work, some may not. Some may
be radical while some may sound
lethargic but the intent is clear.
We are going to reinvent
our philosophies.
We want to engage more with the
members and we want to support
the government as it reforms. We
are going to strongly emphasise skill
development and ‘eco-sensitivity’.
We are looking at engaging the
government on the multiple issues
that affect the industry. We think the
foreign tourist arrivals into India are
small when compared to the size
of this country. There are very few
countries in the world where you
can go swimming along the beaches
of Goa and skiing in Kashmir in
a short flight. India is unique and
beautiful. We want to highlight this
to the world. We should be there to
ably support (tourism) with quality
hotels and with quality manpower
in these hotels. We are also
increasingly going to have a strong
digital presence.
One thing I’m very clear about is
that the classification process of
hotels should now come into the
hands of the industry and no longer
the government. With the Indian
Government’s emphasis on skill,
this committee is going to put the
emphasis on skill development,
instead of on churning out more
graduates for the industry, who are
only fit for the managerial level.
Anybody can be a cook but is he
aware of FSSAI standards? Is he aware
of the hygiene standards? This comes
from skill development. During the
times of the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru,
74 percent of India was rural and 26
per cent urban. We have had a huge
migration and this statistic has actually
tipped over, and it is more than 54
percent urban India now.
INTERVIEW
So it is this urban India that we are
facing. We are going to have the
challenge of all these people coming
for jobs without the skills. We must
have a lot more emphasis on skill
development. The government also
has the same philosophy now.
There is the Skill Development
Council headed by Pratap Singh
Rudy, MoS for Skill Developement
and Enterprerneurship. So skill
development is something we will
work closely towards.
We will also push for a high level
of compliance by our members on
all ecological and environmentally
sensitive issues. Irrespective of
whether we feel that the current
Green Tribunal may or may not have
all the acts and laws in line with
industry philosophy. We will start
working with various departments,
so that we can be a combined force.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN
CHALLENGES BEFORE THE
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY?
We have five challenges. One is
taxes, second is high taxes, third
is too many taxes, fourth is double
taxation and fifth is all inclusive
taxation. We are hoping that GST
will bring it at a global standard.
For tourism the global standard is
five to six per cent while our current
taxes are well in excess of 20 to
25 per cent. We had a tourist tell
us that when he comes to India to
stay for four days, the fourth day he
pays tax to the Government of India.
So he chooses to go to Indonesia,
Malaysia or Sri Lanka.
We are going to engage
with the government
on positive dialogue.
We are in a position to
guarantee more than
double or triple revenue,
if the government is
willing to rationalise
the taxes
We have to realise that seven
and a half million arrivals are a
pittance compared to what even
city-states like Dubai or Singapore
get. Last year Disneyland got 36
million tourists. So we are going to
engage with the government and
have a positive dialogue. We are in
a position to guarantee them more
than double or triple revenue,
if they are willing to rationalise
these taxes.
(Right: Bharat Malkani, President, FHRAI at the 50thFHRAI Convention)
HOW IS THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY DOING IN 2015?
The occupancies and ARRs are
better this year in some sectors.
It is lesser in other sectors, and
the year is not yet over. We do not
have all the data to come up with
a specific response to you. Some of
the bigger cities are doing better.
Overall the lowest ARRs that we
have had in almost 10 years. Given
the inflation and the fact that
tourism does not have an industry or
infrastructure status, you are going
to see a lot of hotels in red this year.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
TO INCREASE THE
MEMBERSHIP OF FHRAI?
Engaging more with current
members is what I am focusing
on and not so much on
membership drive. People want to
be our members but we find that
they do not fit into are criteria.
Some hotels run dance bars, so
we do not see them as our
members at this point of time. We
are happy with the memberships
that are being generated. I want
the members to have confidence
that this team is going to try
its utmost to turn FHRAI into a
modern, contemporary organisation
and use this platform to
further the development of
tourism potential.
COVER STORY
1000 PLUS DELEGATES
MAKE THE 50
FHRAI CONVENTION
A SUCCESS
TH
The 50th annual convention of Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India
(FHRAI) took place at Mayfair Convention in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 25-27 September.
Excerpts from the mega event that saw engrossing panel discussions and the participation
of political bigwigs.
Kanchan Nath
and architectural wonders
and classic handicrafts and
handlooms and so on.”
Emphasising the role of
Buddhism, he added, “Buddhism
in Odisha is as old as the religion
itself. Major Buddhist sites in
Odisha like Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri and
Udayagiri are treasure houses
of Buddhist heritage with many
monuments such as chaityas,
stupas and viharas. The Buddhist
Tourism is capable
of becoming the
flagship of Odisha’s
economy
(L-R: Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, TS Walia, Former President, FHRAI and Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha)
T
he eagerly awaited 50th
FHRAI Convention began
with the lighting of the
lamp by Odisha Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik. Opening
the convention, he said, “I
am glad that FHRAI is holding
its 50th Convention in the
historic city of Bhubaneswar, in
partnership with Odisha Tourism.
I understand that more than a
1,000 delegates from across
the country and abroad are
attending this convention.”
36
Talking about the state’s tourism
potential, he said, “Odisha is
a fascinating state with old
world charm and modern world
glamour. The state has immense
tourism potential which needs to
be explored. The state’s deeply
rooted inheritance, culture
and history dates back several
centuries. It is blessed with
nature’s bounty, a long coastline
and green and dense forests.
Odisha has much to offer:
Beaches, forests, monuments
sites have a huge potential for
promoting tourism as well as
to carry out research activity.
The state government will
continue its efforts to attract
more tourists to these sites.
The tourist industry is an
excellent employment multiplier.
It is reported that the Indian
hospitality industry is the second
largest employer in our country.”
He concluded by saying, “Tourism
is capable of becoming the
COVER STORY
flagship industry of the state’s
economy. The state government
has taken tourism as a priority
sector for economic growth.
The department of tourism has
participated in both domestic
and international tourist events
and fairs, organising roadshows
to make Odisha a preferred
tourism destination. Odisha has
immense scope for tourism. I
request all stakeholders here to
promote and market Odisha as
the preferred tourist destination.
I urge you to take advantage of
this situation.”
Welcoming all delegates to
Odisha, TS Walia, former
President, FHRAI said, “Atithi
Devo Bhava is a gesture to
create the occasion connecting
the guest to the host and vice
versa. Connection is all that is
required in today’s fast-moving
technology driven society.”
He told all delegates that they
would have an unparalleled
opportunity to benefit from the
collective insight of the various
attendees at the convention.
Congratulating FHRAI on
completing a commendable 50
years, Vinod Zutshi, Secretary
Tourism, GoI, said, “Tourism in
India is in an upbeat mode and
the upward swing is likely to
stay. There are reasons for it.
There has been a 10.2 per cent
T.S Walia
Former President, FHRAI
growth rate in FTAs in 2014,
against less than five per cent
the world over. There has been a
12 per cent growth rate in FEEs
in 2014. A new National Tourism
policy 2015 is on the anvil. There
also seems to be an attitudinal
change and a visible hunger
among domestic tourists to travel.
The need today is to capitalise
on these opportunities and turn
them into positive results.”
There has been
10.2 per cent
growth rate in
FTAs in 2014,
against less than
5 per cent the
world over
He enumerated the efforts made
by MoT, “Facilitating the online
classification of hotels, easing
the visa regime by introduction
of eVisa, greater investment in
tourism infrastructure by the
launch of two flagship schemes–
Swadesh Darshan and Prasad.
Expanding the scale of education
by setting up hospitality
management institutes and an
upscaling of the ‘hunar se rozgar’
scheme are a few initiatives
taken by the Government.”
He stated that the inertia in
hospitality growth needs to go
and growth needs to be pacy.
Vinod Zutshi
Secretary Tourism
He added, “The expansion of
the sector to bridge the existing
gap of demand and supply is one
of the issues which have to be
expressed in the deliberations of
this convention.” He also talked
about utilising the capacity of
hotels particularly during off
(L-R: Jual Oram, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Government of India; Dilip Ray, Chairman, Convention Organising Committee; Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha; R V Deshpande,
Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, Govt of Karnataka; Debi Prasad Mishra, Industries Minister, Govt of Odisha; Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister Tourism & Culture, Odisha;
Vinod Zutshi, Secretary Tourism and Vivek Nair, Hony Secretary, FHRAI)
COVER STORY
/59LFWRU%DQHUMHHUHQRZQHGÀOPSHUVRQDOLW\9LYHN1DLU+RQ\6HFUHWDU\)+5$, /50DKLP&KRXGKU\ÀOPSHUVRQDOLW\9LYHN1DLU+RQ\6HFUHWDU\)+5$,
season, and the effort of the
government to optimise the
capacity with the policy of 365
days visitation.
Talking about the employability
in the hotel industry, Vivek
Talking numbers, he said, “So
if we are to double FTAs from
seven million to 14 billion, we
will require 1,80,000 guest
rooms. Even to build a single
hotel room, on an average
we require at an average `1
crore. That is `180 crore in
the next five years which is a
humongous figure.”
GST must be
restricted to
8 per cent
Vivek Nair
Honorary Secretary, FHRAI
Nair, Honorary Secretary, FHRAI
said, “The total employment
generated by the industry that is
hotels, restaurants, civil aviation,
railways, and the rest of the
transport sector is 53 billion at
this point of time. The target is
to double the FTAs from seven
million to 14 billion in the next
six years. However, for this, a
huge amount of infrastructure
is required to be put in. The
biggest infrastructural input is
accommodation. Right now we
have only 1,20,000 guestrooms in
the country. This is indeed a paltry
number. Out of this, 3-star, 4-star,
5-star and deluxe only constitute
60 per cent of the rooms.”
38
As a result of the efforts
of FHRAI, in a landmark
development, the Department
of Economic Affairs, Ministry
of Finance, Government of
India had issued a notification
dated 7 October 2013 whereby
the Harmonised Master List
of Infrastructure Sub-sectors
has been expanded to include
‘Hotels with project cost of
more than `200 crore each
in any place in India and of
any star rating’. (Eligible costs
exclude cost of land and lease
charges but include interest
during construction). This was in
addition to ‘Three-star or higher
category classified hotels located
outside cities with a population
of more than one million’, which
had already been included in the
RBI’s Infrastructure Lending List.
Nair added, “In 2013,
the Government granted
infrastructure status to hotels
with the investment of more
than `200 crore. However, the
ruling was only for those hotels
which were built after 2013.
Almost all of us who put up
hotels over the last nine years
are reeling under the pressure
because we are typically given
an eight-year loan and it is
impossible to repay such huge
loans in four years. We have
made a representation about
this and we hope the issue
will be taken up by the cabinet
committee for economic affairs.”
Reiterating the need to lower
taxes for the industry, he added,
“The next worrying item is the
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
which is about to be announced.
India levies the highest amount
of taxes in the world. The average
tax is about 22 per cent when
compared to the taxes in other
countries. It is zero in Hong Kong,
six to eight per cent in Malaysia,
Indonesia and Thailand. So how
can we compete with every
other destination with such high
taxes–Service Tax at 14 per cent,
Luxury Tax and so forth? We have
put out a fervent plea to the
COVER STORY
Ministry of Finance that the GST
be restricted to the second star at
eight per cent. That would make
our hotel tariffs more attractive
for foreign tourists who visit us.”
Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister
of State for Culture (Independent
Charge), Tourism (Independent
Charge) and Civil Aviation stated
that the biggest ambassador for
tourism in India is Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. He added, “While
some people may blame him for
and hospitality is part of this.
Ours is an industry of smiles
and hospitality. Let’s make all
efforts to make this industry a
happening industry which not
only gets us FEEs but is also a
generator of employment and
women empowerment, youth
empowerment. Currently we
have 80,000 classified hotel
rooms. By 2016 and 2020,
almost three lakh hotel rooms
will be needed if you want to get
even one per cent of the world’s
tourism share.”
By 2016 and
2020, we will
require almost
3 lakh additional
hotel rooms
Dr. Mahesh Sharma
Minister of State for Culture
(Independent Charge),
Tourism (Independent
Charge) and Civil Aviation
being the NRI Prime Minister, but
I feel he is taking the message
of the great Indian heritage and
culture to the corners of the
world. At various places he has
talked about the tourism potential
of this great country.”
Seeking industry stakeholders
cooperation, he reiterated,
“Tourism cannot be a
government job. Every
government can be missionary
about taking tourism to new
heights. However, this is not
possible till we have the
stakeholders’ partnership. We
want to take this industry ahead
with new innovations, science
and technology and along with
the suggestions of the partners
and the stakeholders. We have
started our cleanliness drive
which is linked to the Prime
Minister’s drive to clean tourist
destinations. We are working
on providing more security
Stressing the importance of
medical and wellness tourism,
he added, “Medical tourism is
a huge strength for us. We have
world class infrastructure in terms
He said that the government
was actively considering the
proposal of FHRAI for according
infrastructure status to the
hospitality industry. The tourism
ministry had put up a note in
this regard to the Government
of India which was now with the
Cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs (CCEA).
Other dignitaries present at
the inauguration included
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of
State for Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship
(Independent Charge) and
Parliamentary Affairs; Jual
Oram, Union Minister of Tribal
Affairs, Government of India;
R V Deshpande, Minister for
Higher Education and Tourism,
Government of Karnataka; Dilip
Ray, Chairman, Convention
Organising Committee, and
Founder-Mayfair Hotels; Gokul
Chandra Pati, Chief Secretary,
Government of Odisha; Ashok
Chandra Panda, Minister
Tourism & Culture of Odisha;
Debi Prasad Mishra, Industries
Minister, Government of
Odisha and present FHRAI
(L-R: Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge), Tourism (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, releasing the
coffee table book)
of hospitals and we have doctors
as well. The government has
set up a board for medical and
wellness tourism.”
President Bharat Malkani, Vice
Presidents K. Syama Raju and
Luv Malhotra, and FHRAI Hony.
Treasurer Sudesh Poddar.
COVER STORY
FIVE
MILLION
SKILLED PEOPLE REQUIRED
IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY: RUDY
Looking at the National Skill Development Council’s studies on skill gap, Rajiv Pratap Rudy,
Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs suggests that 12 weeks of skill training is as important as 12 years of secondary education to make people employable.
C
omparing figures of skill development across
the globe, the Minister said, “Even in China
which has a population of about four billion
now, 46 per cent of the work force is skilled. By
skilled, I mean employed. United States has a 58
per cent skilled workforce, Germany has about 70
per cent, UK has about 68 per cent, Japan 80 per
cent and Korea has 96 per cent. However, in India
the percentage of skilled workers stands at only
a dismal four and half per cent of the world’s
skilled force.”
GETTING SKILLED
FOR EMPLOYMENT
All these countries have legislation about skills.
Talking about figures in India he said, “It’s a
nation where 17 per cent of the engineering
graduates today are unemployed and also 15
per cent of management graduates. Out of 16
lakh seats in engineering
g
colleges, we are barely
being able to fill eight and a half lakh, because
engineers do not
ot get a job. All these figures
suggest that there
here is something missing.
In the last 68 to 69 years, the country has
been stressing on education as being most
important. Thee prime minister feels that
though 12 years
ars of secondary education
may be very important,
mportant, these12 years
will not make you employable but
12 weeks of our training will
make you employable.
ployable. That is
the differencee we are talking
about. Have we gone wrong
somewhere inn making
education aspirational,
pirational,
but not skills
that make youu
employable?””
Enumerating the
at need
industries that
40
Skilled people who are able to
do specific things are the
need of the industry. There
are skill councils for 36
sectors and these Sector
Skill Councils are headed by
industry veterans
employment, he said, “We are talking about
500 million people to be trained in India which
is a huge number. If you look at the skill gap
studies done by the National Skill Development
Council, the construction sector requi
requires about
three crore people over the next fifive years,
assuming that the rate of growth goes up
by eight per cent. And 1.7 crore people are
required in the retail sector, one
on million in
furniture furnishings, one crore in textiles,
five million skilled people are required
r
in tourism and hospitality,
h
five million people
peo in
automotive care
car and so on.
“We have 3310 million
people who
wh need to be
trained im
immediately.
So out of every 100
peop
people that you
need to train,
30 ca
can pay for
themselve
themselves. The other
70 have tto be paid for.
This mea
means that 230
COVER STORY
(L-R Sudesh Podar, President, HRAEI felicitating Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) and Parliamentary Affairs)
million people have to be paid
for. On an average after school
education, you require `20,000
per head to train one person in
one, two or three months. So
in the next five years you need
`5,00,000 crore just to address
the basic training of these
people. Somehow we have failed
to integrate vocational education
as aspirational at the school
educational level. People kept
harping on finishing degrees
even as unemployment rises.”
The need of the industry is
skilled people to do a specific
thing, after which they can
become employable. There
are 36 sectors skill councils
and these are headed by
industry veterans.
The Tourism & Hospitality
Sector Skill Council is headed
by Vikram Oberoi, MD,
EIH. The National Skills
Qualification Framework is a
combination of two modules
which were there. One was
under the Ministry of HRD as
NSVEQF, the other was under
the Ministry of Labour, NSQF.
National Skills Qualification
Framework (NSQF) has
between 1-10 levels.
Every person from an
editor, carpenter, and
videographer to CEO is
under NSQF. Some NSQF
levels in hospitality are:
Executive Housekeeper
at level eight, Housekeeping
Manager at seven,
Housekeeping Supervisor at
six, Laundry Manager at
five, F &B Manager at
eight, Outlet Manager at
six and Banquet Manager
at seven.
S
S
E
C
C
U
S
COVER STORY
VOICE FROM THE TOP
SHAPING
THE FUTURE
T
he session was moderated
by Mandeep Lamba,
MD, James, Lang Lasalle,
India. Panelists included Param
Kannampilly, Chairman
and Managing Director,
Concept Hospitality, Zubin
S Songadwala, GM, ITC,
Maurya, K Mohanchandran,
Area Director, Hyderabad and
ZGM, Taj Krishna, Professor
David Foskett, MBE
Emeritus, Professor, University
of West London, MW Liam
Steevenson, Master of Wine
from the UK
Talking about how industry is
changing, Lamba said that in
1950 the size of the industry was
25 million travellers, today the
size of the industry is 1.1 billion
travellers that is how rapidly the
industry has grown. It has grown
consistently faster than the
global economy.
In the session questions were
about current trends and changes
in the industry. Where is the
industry headed in the next
15 to 20 years? Is technology
going to be the differentiator
between hotels?
With the experience of being
involved with the industry from
1975, Kannampilly stated, “The
three main changes have been–
First, the way we have redefined
I feel that hotels
in the future will
have to give to
society in terms
of responsible
consumption
service to make sure it is done
properly and effectively for
guests. We are able to understand more about the guest now
than what we knew in the past.
Second, technology is another
area where we have grown.
Third, I feel that hotels in the
future will have to stand for
something. We are the pillars in
a society and one of the largest
consumers in any of the tier-II
and tier-III cities where we are
going. Unless we are able to
give back to society in terms of
responsible consumption and in
terms of the environment, I think
a time will come when hotels will
no longer really be welcome in
tier-II and tier-III cities. In metros
you can get away with it.”
Keeping his ITC experience in
mind, Songadwala said, “I feel
that the guest is more evolved
today. They are better travelled.
(L-R: Param Kannampilly,Chairman and Managing Director, Concept Hospitality; Zubin S Songadwala, GM,ITC, Maurya; Mandeep Lamba, MD, James, Lang Lasalle, India; MW Liam
Steevenson, Master of wine from the UK; Professor David Foskett, MBE Emeritus, Professor, University of west London; K Mohanchandran, Area Director, Hyderabad and GM, Taj Krishna)
42
COVER
XXXXXXX
STORY
Even sitting at home they are
exposed to much more from
TV, desktops, phones and other
media. Being a hotelier, I have
always noticed a dichotomy.
Hospitality started off as an art,
and we continue to say that,
but a lot of science has come
into it now. This is as technology
and in processes now. Earlier
hospitality was more passion
driven. The danger that the hotel
industry now has is that it could
get caught into a process driven
kind of a space. There needs to
be a balance of both art and
science. This is because it is not
art and passion today that gets
you your bottom lines. We are in
a scenario in which your margins
are shrunk and the pressures are
that much more, particularly from
the investor. One needs to embrace process driven operations
for an effective operation.”
Talking about technology and
customisation, K Mohanchandran said, “We have to think
in terms of the challenges of
technology on the one hand and
the greater customisation that a
consumer demands on the other
hand. Technology, at best, is just
an enabler. It is not the speed
of the internet, it’s more about
what you are doing to bring in
more business. Families want to
remember holidays in hotels as
good memories. There is an urgent need to create experiences
to define what the customer
remembers about your hotel. The
human interface is not going to
go away.”
He added, “Technology is going
to come in as a replacement in
the transactional elements of
business–mostly non-regulated
business. We want to use
technology more and more to
anticipate guest needs. So that
the element of waiting time goes
away. So how does that help us–
firstly in tweaking our operational process and, secondly, in
customising experience for guest
in a more personal way. The
human element will disappear in
the transactional bit. However
it frees up staff for new tasks
that will become the driver in
the feature.”
Taking about his preferences as
the youngest member on the
panel, Steevenson, said, “The
more personal a hotel is, the
better. I have certain expectations. I want my bed to be more
comfortable than at home.
Hotels and restaurants should be
exciting. That’s what makes me
go back. If there is no Internet,
There is an urgent
need to create
experiences to define
what the customer
remembers
it’s definitely not cool. It’s great if
the staff can sense the right time
to interact, not early morning or
in the lobby but maybe in the
evening, when I am more relaxed. If the Internet is not working, that is a thing that irritates
you as an international traveller.
Technology may
make the human
element disappear
in the transactional
bit but it frees up the
staff for new tasks
Remembrances matter a lot. So
take data and feed it back. I
was pleasantly surprised, when
the hotel staff knew my daughter’s name.”
Taking about global trends
Professor David Foskett, said,
“Todays generation is addicted
to smartphones, facebook and
twitter. Technology is here to
stay; one will have to embrace
it. However it should not be
there to make life complicated.
Hospitality needs to be hospitable. It is the human touch–the
emotional touch. It’s about
having empathy with the guest.
If they want technology, we give
them technology. But the guesthuman interaction will always
be a priority for hospitality.”
Taking about new
cuisine trends, K Mohanchandran said, “The culture
of going to restaurants
has really become popular.
Firstly, multicuisine formats
are going to prevail over traditional fine dining. Secondly,
a market for traditional foods/
cuisines will always remain.”
Songadwala, said, “Books on
food written a 100 years ago continue to be the principles for food.
I believe there will be a fair mix
of both multicuisine formats and
traditional fine dinning.” Professor David Foskett, felt that food
is about heritage, culture and
identity. Authentic Indian cuisine
will become more popular. Chefs
need to be customer-driven.
COVER STORY
SOCIAL MEDIA
AND TECHNOLOGY
INFLUENCE ON HOSPITALITY BUSINESS
(L-R: Atul Prabhu, Founder and CEO, RoomCentral; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Oyo Rooms; Nikhil Ganju: Country Manager, TripAdvisor India; Farhana Haque, Head, Machine to Machine,
Vodaphone; Ronald Scott, Hospitality Expert in the UK; Mike Kistner, CEO, ResNext Global Solutions; Upendra Jit Singh, CMD, Webel, Binu Mathews, CEO, IDS Next Business Solutions)
T
he moderator for the
sessions was Ronald
Scott, Hospitality Expert
in the UK. Panelists included:
Nikhil Ganju: Country Manager,
TripAdvisor India, Mike Kistner,
CEO, ResNext Global Solutions,
Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and
CEO, OYO Rooms, Farhana
Haque, Head, Machine to
Machine, Vodaphone, Upendra
Jit Singh, CMD, Webel, Binu
Mathews, CEO, IDS Next
Business Solutions and Atul
Prabhu, Founder and CEO,
RoomCentral
easily discovered on particular
platform, making it visible to
millions of users on a monthly
basis. So in that sense it is a
their processes and regulations
further. So being on social media
platforms enables vast exposure
and extensive feedback data.”
Social Media can
give visibility to the
hotel, so in that
sense it is a lot of
free marketing
Speaking on the same topic,
Ritesh Agarwal said, “Today
people are saying that it does
not matter whether you have
a big brand or not. If my friend
went to a particular hotel and
liked it, I am all in for it. That is
the difference that social media
has made. By spending very little
money you can be competing
with the largest of the brands.”
BENEFITS OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
lot of free marketing for it.
Secondly, a lot of the hotels
have started using the content
and the great level of detail
in the review to improve on
Taking the conversation further,
Farhana Haque said, “Today it
does not really matter whether
the hotel is a big brand or a
small brand. What matters is
Nikhil Ganju said, “In case
of a hotel property being on
TripAdvisor, it helps it get
44
COVER STORY
how was the hotel experience for
me, that is why technology plays
a larger role. Irrespective if the
hotel is a large five star, or a small
boutique hotel, what matters is
the experience of the guest in that
hotel room. That is what is going
to be percolated and put out there
for everyone to read. That’s what
is going to decide whether you are
going to have a repeat customer
or not.”
Elaborating, Ronald Scott said,
“One thing about millennials is
that they do not trust corporate
generated content, they only trust
user generated content. They go to
the website, look through pictures,
and so on. So that is the one thing
you need to think about when you
are telling the story about your
property. If done well social media
can provide a great experience that
then builds on itself.”
Millennials do not
trust corporate
generated content,
they only trust user
generated content
Upendra Jit Singh said, “Social
media presents a vast amount of
unstructured data, which can be
analyzed. A customised approach
can be applied by creating more
information about the guests, his
likes, dislikes and so on.”
ARE THERE ANY REASONS
TO FEAR TECHNOLOGY?
Binu Mathews said, “First of all,
if you are not connected to the
internet, you will not be able
to expose yourself. Definitely
millennials 80 per cent of the
time they will refer to peer group
recommendations. Facebook
is important, so is Twitter and
online videos of the property can
sometimes go viral. The biggest
threat is doing nothing about it;
action is needed immediately and
it is essential to be prepared for
this generation.”
He added, “Today the booking
window is so small, you cannot
wait to be connected in real time.
Technology is here and the right
time is right now. If we do not
have a plan to do something
about it, that’s a big threat. All the
chatter is right out there , this is
time for you to get it all, analyze
and use the same.”
Nikhil Ganju added, “Good
reviews or bad reviews, ultimately
the guest has the right to share
his point of view. Hoteliers, too,
have started responding to this
in a balanced manner. Regardless
of how scary a review might be,
hoteliers have the last word.”
Technology is enabling us to
make bookings at short notice.
Commenting on this, Ritesh
Agarwal said, “In our country,
last minute travel is the most usual
means of travel. 70 per cent of our
business happens one and a half
hour before check-ins. This means
a lot of people land in the city, get
the meetings done and then look
at a reservation. I feel technology
when used in the right manner can
provide instant gratification.”
Farhana Haque said, “There is
a need for every hotel to have a
digital strategy. You cannot be
reactive about it and you cannot
be ad hoc about it. Digital is a very
important play; you need to have
80 per cent of the
time Millenniums
will only refer
to peer group
recommendations
a transformation model. There has
to be a fine balance about how
much technology and information
you want to use. If it’s over
complicated, the guest gets livid
about it. If you do not have a clear
digital strategy about how you
want to leverage the social media,
it is a very complex web, and may
backfire on you.”
Nikhil Ganju added, “In social
media, since there is so much
competition, the temptation to
create content is there. Other
people are doing it so should
we also follow them or not? We
ourselves spend a lot of time and
resources to ensure legitimacy
COVER STORY
of content. The integrity of
content is of paramount
importantance. From our end
we try to ensure the legitimacy
of content as far as possible.”
Ritesh Agarwal said, “What
I feel for any business is that
the biggest risk is not taking
a risk. Technology used in the
right manner can give the right
gratification. People are today
using hotels for reasons which
were never thought about before.
Technology can open a plethora
of opportunities.”
On Social Media,
because of too much
competition, the
temptation remains
to create content. In
the long run that will
surely backfire
Mike Kistner said, “I do not
see any threats, we all have
to look at it as opportunities.
Technology is going to evolve,
social media is going to
evolve and we need to
evolve with it.”
“You look at companies that
are using social media to
provide e-concierge services.
Someone tweets something
about them and they use the
opportunity to gauge and
provide a better experience,
someone posts information
on Facebook, they use the
same to provide a better guest
experience. It’s all opportunity;
today’s guest wants to share
information with you so that
you can provide the kind of
experience they want.”
SPEED OF RESPONSES
Mike Kistner added,
“You see 50 to 60 per
46
cent of the business at the last
minute. Having your product
online, can make potential
customers book a hotel room
at the last minute. When you
have a distribution channel, it’s
starting the demand for you.”
“The key is last room availability
and time upto the last minute.
So it’s like if the guest is in the
lobby and within five minutes
when he walks to the concierge
the reservation is there. That
is the kind of service a guest
is demanding.”
Today we are bombarded
with too much information.
Digital intelligence means
getting the information that
is useful for you. The feedback
from the session was that
many hoteliers are being
The key is last room
availability and time
to book up to the
last minute
blackmailed by negative
reviews/lack of reviews/
fraudulent reviews on Social
Media and OTAs, but I will
reserve that discussion for
the subsequent isssues of
the magazine.
INTERVIEW
Mission
SUCCESSFUL
S.K. Mohapatra, Executive Director, Mayfair Hotels & Resorts, Bhubaneswar, on all that
went behind the organising of the 50th FHRAI Convention and Odisha’s tourism potential.
PLEASE ELABORATE ON THE
PREPARATION FOR THE 50TH FHRAI
CONVENTION.
Given the scale of the convention, we had ensured
foolproof arrangements for the smooth operations
of the event. All facilities were put in place for
the safe and enjoyable stay of the delegates. We
had also ensured extensive media coverage of the
event. Security arrangements were beefed up for
the delegates. All sessions of the convention were
minutely scheduled for the convenience of the
delegates. We also looked after the entertainment
of the delegates for which many programmes were
organised including trips to nearby tourist sites.
HOW DID THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
FHRAI AND MAYFAIR?
The Government of Odisha and FHRAI cooperated
with Mayfair very well. Odisha tourism patronised
and promoted the event and ensured wide publicity
of the event. FHRAI had guided Mayfair on each
step and assisted in the planning process which led
to the flawless execution.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT
THE TURNOUT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF
MEMBERS?
The registration was the highest ever in the history
of FHRAI Convention. The invitees and speakers
also attended in large numbers. The best part was
the carnival on World Tourism Day. Delegates at the
convention comprised officials from the Italian, US
and Thai Consulates and the French Embassy.
FHRAI CONVENTION WAS A LARGE
ONE HELD IN TIER-II CITY LIKE
BHUBANESWAR, WHAT DID YOU FEEL
ABOUT THIS?
Bhubaneswar is a fast growing city with all
infrastructural facilities for the organisation of any
large scale event. Connections to Bhubaneswar from
all parts of the country are excellent. The Airport has
been upgraded to international status recently. The
city has a cosmopolitan work culture and people
from all walks of life reside here. Industrialisation
is fast catching up and it is the education hub of
Eastern India. Bhubaneswar was the ideal venue for
the convention.
HOW CAN ONE LEVERAGE ODISHA’S
RICH CULTURE AND HERITAGE TO
PROMOTE TOURISM IN THE STATE
INSTEAD OF HARPING ON BUILDING
NEW TOURISM PRODUCTS?
Odisha being a state with rich cultural heritage
can be destination of large number of tourists
from across the globe. Chilika Lake is Asia’s largest
brackish water lagoon and can be promoted
aggressively with upgraded infrastructure. Odisha’s
Buddhist monuments could be publicised in a
strategic way to attract tourists from East and South
East Asia. Apart from Buddhist sites, there are many
historic monuments which could be presented as
areas of interest. Religious and historic sites could
also be promoted as well. The rich tribal culture and
unique rural life of the state could also innovatively
used for attracting tourists.
S.K. Mohapatra
Executive Director
Mayfair Hotels
& Resorts
Bhubaneswar
OPINION
05C4AC74
2>=E4=C8>=)
A42><<4=30C8>=B
0=3BD664BC8>=B
The 50th FHRAI Convention was all about the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Members and attendees share their experiences and make some recommendations
to make the convention even better next year.
Kanchan Nath
SAKET GUPTA
DEBASHISH KUMAR
Proprietor
Victoria Club Hotel
Puri
I am a member of HRAO and attended the convention as an allied
member of FHRAI. We got a chance
to interact and network. The knowledge exchange was helpful. I found
the session on ‘Social Media and
Technology–Influence on Hospitality Business’ the best. A valedictory
session collating the outcomes of
the convention and for taking a few
resolutions to the government or to
certain agencies on particular issues
will be helpful in making it better
next time.
48
Head- Sales and Marketing
Mars Enterprises
This is the second FHRAI convention
that I have attended and it is the right
place to network. Here, you realise
that everyone has the same ‘pain’.
There is a lot of learning as well as
opportunities for meeting people who
need some help. There are solution
providers as well, so it’s a win-win situation. The food and beverage quality
was excellent. I feel that there is a
need for more realistic presentations
in the panel discussion. Real issues
need to be discussed, rather than
the panelists talking about their own
profiles or products. My suggestion is
that one should have the questionanswer session at the beginning of
the session, so that it becomes a part
of the panel discussion.
PRASHANTH RAO AROOR
MD & CEO
Mango Hotels
Excellent venue, great city, great
destination and lots for the family.
I would say this was eastern hospitality at its best. We gained a good
perspective of what is going on in
the minds of the owners. We now
have an improved understanding
of what troubles them. To make the
convention better for next time, I
think the panel discussions should
have had more searching questions.
This comes under the domain of the
moderators. Whenever we had good
moderators they were able to get
the best out of the panel. When the
moderators were not familiar with
the topics difficult questions were
not asked. Overall, the quality of the
sessions was good.
OPINION
DAMIEN SYED
Consul General of France in
Kolkata
AVIJIT ARYA
Chief Mogul
Internet Moguls
My focus has definitely been on
Internet marketing for the last seven
years, when we started. My takeaway from the convention is that
Internet marketing was just a small
10-minute discussion or presentation a few years ago. Over the
years we have seen that there are
many discussions on OTAs, revenue
management, digital marketing and
social media. In the next five years,
30 to 50 per cent of the business is
going to come from the Internet. So
if we are now talking more about
that in The FHRAI forums, this is the
biggest victory. I think the emphasis
should be on how to keep the business running and on increasing profits. There should be an emphasis on
digital sales and marketing. As far as
the Mayfair Lagoon is concerned, the
staff has an ingrained ‘sewa bhava’
and that makes the difference.
It was a pleasure to attend this
convention because it was my first
official trip. I was really excited to discover Odisha. I was keen to interact
with the many stakeholders as tourism is a priority sector for the French
government. France is among the top
tourist destinations of the world and
has more than 80,000 tourists from
across the world every year. India is
becoming popular with western tourists. The ITC Group opening a 5-star
hotel in Bhubaneswar was exciting
news. It will attract more European
tourists. I enjoyed the session on
‘Hotels of the Future-Design perspective’ as well as the one on the role
of the social network in reaching out
to tourists. The Heritage walk on the
World Tourism Day was a good idea.
I was amazed at the colourful and
picturesque performances which gave
an insight into the diversity in India.
RITESH AGARWAL
Founder and CEO
OYO Rooms
I had heard a lot about FHRAI and
this is my first time here. There are
places where I get a chance to talk
about the brand and company. Also,
there is a lot of excitement about the
problems that we are trying to solve
but generally it is among the guests.
This is the first time I have had the
chance to see the love of our hotel
partners. We believe in giving our customers a high five and a hug for our
hotel partners. We believed this was
a hypothesis but seeing it at the convention—this is the reason why we
are and what we are today, all thanks
to these guys. We face problems because we are up against large brands
in a lot of cities. But this convention
has shown us what community driven
brands can create.
STATE
TOURISM
0?A8>A8CHB42C>A
UNDER IPR 2015
A recent World Bank report states that Odisha is the seventh friendliest state in India to do business
in. The state government’s newly launched Industrial Policy Resolution 2015 adds to the tourism
policy and provides many fiscal benefits for investors.
Kanchan Nath
0
n Odisha investors’ conference,
organised by Federation of Hotel
& Restaurant Associations of India
(FHRAI) in Delhi, highlighted the
‘ease of doing business’ in the state.
The Odisha Tourism Policy of 2013
declares tourism to be a means of
economic and inclusive growth.
Aiming at the sustainable tourism
development of the state, the policy
invites all stakeholders to participate
in the development of tourism.
L N Gupta, (IAS), Principal Secretary to Government, Skill Development & Technical Education Department & Tourism Department, said,
“We are in the process of amending
the Tourism Policy 2013 after IPR
2015 has come out but for the time
50
being you can look at either policy.
IPR 2015 announces tourism as the
priority sector, and it is just about
15 days old. Tourism shall also be
the focus sector for the state for
the next five years along with auto,
agro, food processing, IT, pharma
and handicrafts. It aims at transforming Odisha into a more vibrant
and industrialised state.”
Tourism Policy 2013 declares certain
fiscal incentives which have been
now taken over by the recent Industrial Policy Resolution, 2015.
Gupta said, “Interest subsidy to
the extent of five per cent with a
ceiling of `1 crore for a total period
of five years. Exception on stamp
duty to the extent of 100 per cent
on allotment of land; for the new
project, VAT reimbursement, 100 per
cent of the net VAT paid maximum
up to seven years. And 100 per cent
reimbursement of entertainment tax
paid for a period of five years on
new multiplexes.”
Other fiscal benefits include exemption of electricity duty up to 5 mba
for a period of five years, the reimbursement of cost of energy audit
up to 3 lakh and with the entry tax
on plant machinery being 100 per
cent reimbursable at the time of
acquisition. Further, the employment
cost subsidy is to the extent of 50
to 100 per cent for regular skilled
and semi-skilled workers of Odisha
domicile. Environmental protection
STATE
infrastructure subsidy will be given
by a 20 per cent reduction in power
tariff. The train cost is also reimbursed
at the rate of `2,000 to `4,500 in
line will Skill India.”
IPR 2015 divides Bhubaneswar
into zones. Zone A is around Bhubaneswar, Zone B is the northern
region and the central region is Zone
C and there are also Zones E and D.
There is an investor friendly policy
framework. Therefore I can say that
the input costs to do business in
Odisha are quite competitive
vis-à-vis the other states, whether it’s
cost of labour, trained manpower or
cost of capital.”
Talking about infrastructure and connectivity he said, “The state capital
is Bhubaneswar and the older parts
972 acres has already been acquired
and is in the government’s possession. IFC is working as a consultant.
Around 448 MBA power is available,
water is assured and connectivity
in terms of road infrastructure is in
place. The construction of the boundary wall is going on. It will be ready
for allocation as soon as the PPP
model is set.”
Talking about Chilika, the largest
brackish water lake in Asia, he said,
“The biodiversity of Chilika is well
known. A master plan has been made
for integrated Chilika development
based on four themes, adventure
cluster, eco cluster, nature cluster and
wetland cluster and the revenue land
has also been identified around that
area. IPE Global are our consultants
for the Chilika project. Lots of oppor-
The land rate has also been declared
under the policy with Zone A, Bhubaneswar at `1.25 cr per acre, Zone
B at `30-60 lakh, Zone C at `6-15
lakh per acre, Zone D `4-10 lakh and
so on and so forth.
Enumerating the advantages of
estment, he said, “We
We
Odisha for investment,
nvestor friendly
have a stable investor
nd we have
government and
w ClearSingle Window
ance, a power surtern
plus in the eastern
region and an
nadequate quantity of coal andd
es.
water resources.
nt’s
The government’s
focus is clear on
infrastructure
development.
The state has a
long coastline of about 480km. The
state is a major hub for IT, Power and
Education. A large number of steel
plants, have come up in the recent
past, particularly post 2005. In terms
of thermal plants more than 10 plants
have come up.
of the city are 2,600 years old. There
are more than 300 temples. The
new Bhubaneswar is one of the first
planned cities of India like Chandigarh. Earlier there used to be one
flight, today there are six flights from
Delhi. Five flights to Kolkata. More
than 40 flights come to Bhubaneswar.
In fact Air Asia is also thinking of connecting Bhuba
Bhubaneswar directly
to Malays
Malaysia. Air India has
alread
already started an
inter
international flight
to A
Abu Dhabi from
Bh
Bhubaneswar.
Th
The headquarters
of the South
Ea
Eastern railways
is in Odisha and
num
numerous fast
trains are connected
to Bhuba
Bhubaneswar. It also
has well main
maintained national
highways–NH5 and N
NH6.”
The
costs to do
business in Odisha
are quite competitive
vis-à-vis the other
states
About development plans, he said,
“There is a Special Tourism Area near
Puri, which is called the Samukha
project. The initial plan was to develop 3,000 acres of land. Against that,
tunities in terms of eco-resorts, hotels
and resorts, water resorts and for
leisure tourism too are available.”
TS Walia, former President FHRAI
said, “Odisha has historically seen
major transformations in the ancient
past and now is the time for another
major transformation in development
in terms of the tourism set-up and
by meeting international standards
specially with regard to safety, security
and hygiene. This is possible with
Public Private and Peoples Partnerships (PPP model). I have been visiting
Odisha for the last many years. Whatever endeavours I have undertaken
have been a great success with the
blessings of Lord Jagannath. The more
investors experience Odisha, the more
they will understand that the government likes to showcase the tourism
and hospitality potential.”
RIVER CRUISE
Ganges Voyager
Sai ing the
Kolkata to Varanasi with the
RV Bengal Ganga and the MV
Ganges Voyager
GANGA
Annapurna Garimella
Howrah Bridge from the Sun Deck of the Ganges Voyager, Picture By Debanjan Das
Shrine-jetties at Sultanganj. Circa
sixth century AD
Sultanganj
54
RIVER CRUISE
S
tories about the Ganga generally begin at its origin
at Gangotri in the western Himalayas. This narrative,
on the other hand, begins in Kolkata, after a branch
of the Ganga has become the Bhagirathi and then
the Hooghly. Here are excerpts from the abridged version.
Rivers were used to grow crops and transport goods and
people, but the awareness and respect for the power of
flowing water, in all its variability, was the bedrock on
which any human engagement with rivers happened.
The numerous shrines, temples, dargahs, mosques and
burning ghats that garland the river bear testimony to this
collective belief.
The link between sacrality, commerce and the river is most
beautifully evident at Sultanganj, which is most well-known
for the beautiful Buddhas carved or cast between the sixth
and eighth centuries AD, which are now housed in museums
in Patna, Birmingham and elsewhere.
Here, on a bend of the Ganga, which changes its flow
every 25 years or so, are a series of shrine-jetties that rise
above its banks to perhaps match the changing levels of
water. These are dedicated to various gods including Shiva,
Narasimha, the Goddess and more. These are carved in a
folksy style, reminiscent of some Gupta-period art. What
monuments like this suggest is that people entered the river
with a prayer but also consistently valued it as a channel for
transporting themselves and their things.
The awareness and respect for the power
of flowing water was the bedrock
on which any human engagement
with rivers happened
For both Europeans and Indians, the Ganga was a place
of pleasure. Sailing in pleasure boats, especially crafted as
peacocks (mor pankhi) or beautifully carved wooden huts,
was a great pleasure of the urbane elite, who borrowed
this form of luxury from the act of worshiping gods by
giving them pleasure with a boat ride on the river. Since
2009, Heritage River Cruises, and now its sister company,
Heritage River Journeys, have sought to imagine these
diverse historical and life experiences for contemporary
travellers on their cruise ships, the RV Bengal Ganga and
the MV Ganges Voyager. The managing director of these
companies, Raj Singh, started to explore river cruising in
India in the 1990s but earnest exploration of the waters
began in the mid-2000s. With the help of the Inland
Waterways Authority of India, Inland Water Transport of the
Government of West Bengal and numerous individuals, he
delved into the possibilities of cruise tourism. Sailing on an
IWAI survey vessel, he planned an itinerary and imagined
anew the possibilities of starting passenger cruising from
Kolkata to Varanasi after nearly a break of more than a 100
RIVER CRUISE
Maharaja Suite, Ganges Voyager, Picture By Debanjan Das
a very high standard. Each ship has 28 cabins, a dining
room, a bar, a spa, and viewing decks. There is a crew of
35 on each vessel which maintains and services the ship
and its passengers. The Bengal Ganga is an expedition
river craft, made entirely out of Burma teak and iron. It
sails from Kolkata to Patna and downstream to Kolkata
between October and late March when the river’s waters
are plentiful yet calm. The Ganges Voyager, chartered
for the next four years by the international tourism
organisation Haimark, is a hotel on water, with suites and
interior decoration reminiscent of the Raj. It sails between
Kolkata and Murshidabad once a week.
A new vessel, Ganges Voyager II, will be
launched in 2016. Local transport and
local forms of culture are part of the
tourist’s ‘India’ experience
years. Pontoon bridges, varying levels of water, different
regimes of state and central government taxation and the
lack of infrastructure were just some of the difficulties
that the companies and their ships have encountered
and dealt with to deliver a tourism experience that is of
56
A new vessel, the Ganges Voyager II, is about to be
launched in 2016. With all three traversing the river,
approximately 3,500 passengers a year will travel to
this little explored part of eastern India. During all
this growth, the companies have tried to keep the
environmental and social impact of tourism on the
communities along the river to a minimum. Local
transport and local forms of culture are part of the
tourist’s ‘India’ experience.
The ships are staffed with crew from different parts of the
country, of diverse social backgrounds and attract intrepid
travellers who wish to see the Ganga for its famed
mysticism. All commercial ventures need to make money.
But how we make that money is equally important.
Our collective vision is to build companies that do their
business honourably, in an ecologically thoughtful way,
as well as bring pleasure and the security of a good
livelihood and great travel experiences to many.
F&B
SYMPOSIUM
ON FOOD LAWS
The food industry gathered at the Scope Complex in Delhi for a symposium on food laws.
Lex Bolster Global LLP presented the symposium in partnership with the Institute of Company
Secretaries of India (ICSI) and with Juris & Juris, a food service law firm, as their knowledge partner.
T
he symposium was designed
to discuss and disseminate
information relating to the food
regulation environment. D. Raja, MP
and Secretary of CPI, presiding over
the first session, said that food legislation must be pro-poor and profarmer and stated the importance of
fund allocation to the regulators to
achieve desired level of food safety
envisaged under the Food Safety and
Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
Meenakshi Lekhi, MP, presiding
over the second session, urged that
the industry should promote indigenous farmer interest.
V.P. Vaish, a sitting judge of the
High Court of Delhi, presided over
the third session of the symposium.
He emphasised the consultative
process envisaged under FSS Act,
2006 in framing standards and
regulations. Jatan Singh, Vice
president of the Delhi High Court
Bar Association, took note of the
enormity of the subject and of the
presence of regulators located
within the territory of Delhi, desired
that a statistical study be made to
know the volume of food-related
litigation. He supported the idea of
a separate Food Court in Delhi High
Court, along the lines of the company court and commercial court.
Rakesh Munjal, a Senior Advocate
from the Supreme Court of India and
the Vice-Chairman of the Indian Law
Institute, explained the adjudication
process under the FSS Act, 2006.
Biswajit Das, an eminent advocate from the Supreme Court of
India, having expertise in food law,
All unanimously agreed
that food safety is
non-negotiable and that
the food law should be
enforced with full force
presented the entire scheme of
the FSS Act, 2006 and stated that
the said scheme is not understood
by any stakeholder in the food
sector. According to him, the misunderstanding of the law caused the
recent developments in the food
sector. He made a critical presentation on the draft regulation dated
23.07.2015 with reference to Nutraceutical, functional food, novel
food and so on, circulated by Food
Safety and Standards Authority
of India(FSSAI) and discussed the
comments and objections thereto.
AGREED UPON
The symposium agreed on the
six points of comments/objections
to be sent to the food authority
by Juris & Juris about the proposed draft regulation. Similar
consultation on a regular basis was
demanded to bring forth clarity
on the food regulatory regime in
India and make the stakeholders,
including consumers, aware of the
various facets of the food law and
food safety.
EDUCATION
Masterclass in
hospitality
management
Keeping in mind the future requirements and the huge gap in the demand and supply of trained manpower
in the hospitality industry, Anup K Chatterji, GM, HRD, ITDC and Principal Ashok Institute of Hospitality &
Tourism Management says that this institute focuses on job-oriented short-term courses.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
COLLABORATION BETWEEN AIH&TM
AND NCHMCT?
National Council for Hotel Management & Catering
Technology (NCHMCT) has affiliated with Ashok
Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management
(AIH&TM), run under the HRD division of India
Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) to
conduct a three-year Bachelor’s of Science course
in Hospitality & Hotel Administration (H&HA) from
the academic session 2015-16.
Anup K Chatterji,
GM, HRD, ITDC
and Principal
AIH&TM
58
With this affiliation AIH&TM is now at par with
all existing IHMs under the umbrella of NCHMCT.
However, AIH&TM is the first and the only IHM
falling under a PSU. The intake to this course
is done through an All India Joint Entrance
Examination conducted by NCHMCT, which is an
autonomous body under Ministry of Tourism. The
present strength of students at the AIH&TM under
this programme is 53. At present, one batch is
being trained under this programme.
ITDC AIMS TO PROVIDE INNOVATIVE,
DEPENDABLE AND VALUE FOR
MONEY SOLUTIONS FOR TOURISM
DEVELOPMENT. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO
ACHIEVE THAT THROUGH EDUCATION?
Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism
Management, has four decades of experience in
hospitality-related training for various categories of
students and employees. ITDC has always striven
towards excellence in training and development in
the hospitality industry through its HRD division.
The training methods adopted by AIH&TM are
innovative and in tandem with the latest trends
followed widely in the industry. AIH&TM provides
quality education and training to students under
various categories from the bouquet of courses it
provides, which are as follows:
s One Year Diploma Course in various
hospitality trades in association with NIOS
(National Institute of Open Schooling, under the
Ministry of HRD).
s One Year Residential Training Programme in Hospitality
Trade, sponsored by the Ministry of DONER.
s Short- term course in hospitality trade through the Ministry
of Tourism’s ‘Hunar Se Rozgar Tak’ scheme.
We have trained a sizeable number of candidates through
these courses. They are contributing to the overall
development of hospitality services and various tourismrelated activities.
HOW URGENT IS THE NEED FOR
SKILLED PROFESSIONALS? HOW DO YOU
PLAN TO ADDRESS THIS?
As per the report of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) on human resource and skill requirement
in tourism, travel, hospitality and trade, an investment of
`10 lakh creates 78 jobs in the tourism sector, while the
same generates just 18 jobs in manufacturing and 45 in the
agriculture sector. Being employment intensive, travel and
tourism provides employment to approximately 31 million
(both direct and indirect) people throughout the country
and is one of the largest employers in the country. This
number is expected to rise to over 40 million by 2019 and
over 43 million by 2022. Looking at the future requirement
and the huge gap in the demand and supply of trained
manpower in the hospitality industry we are focusing more
on job-oriented short-term courses.
Apart from imparting skill development training in areas of
food production, F&B service, accommodation operations
and front office, we have added new areas such as event
management and travel agency management and intend to
add a few more courses on tourism and allied areas in the
near future.
WHAT IS YOUR ROADMAP FOR THE GROWTH
OF AIH&TM?
As part of its contribution towards supplying trained
manpower to the hospitality industry, ITDC plans to set
up its new campus as a Centre of Excellence in Hospitality
Education at Hotel Samrat, New Delhi. The new campus of
the Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management at
Hotel Samrat, in the lap of a five-star hotel, is a one-of-itskind hotel school this campus is equipped with the stateof-the art infrastructure and latest teaching aids, including
smart podiums. The campus set up from the current
academic year, that is 2015-16, offers excellent academic
facilities for budding professionals. Our vision is to be a
leader in hospitality education and we intend to offer a
globally competitive course and infrastructure. We aim to
contribute significantly in the supply of trained manpower
to the hospitality industry.
WHAT ARE THE ROADBLOCKS TO PROMOTING
HOSPITALITY EDUCATION?
A lack of proper infrastructure and a shortage of skilled
trainers in rural areas are roadblocks in spreading tourism
A well-rounded hospitality
management education must include
and customise the curriculum and
teaching methodology
awareness and tourism-related service providers in remote
parts of the country. Also, the mushrooming of institutes
with standard infrastructure and teaching facilities are
resulting in poor placement records and are discouraging
a segment of students wanting to take up a career in the
hospitality industry. The turnover rate and attrition rate of
manpower is comparatively high vis-a-vis other sectors. The
entry-level salary is fairly low, as in this industry compared
to other industries.
WHAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR WELL-ROUNDED
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT EDUCATION?
A well-rounded hospitality management education must
customise the curriculum and teaching methodology,
as per the needs and changing requirements of the industry.
The teaching methodology adopted by the institutes
must reflect industry needs and the learning should be
student- oriented. At AIH&TM we have made an effort to
maintain a balance between the course curriculum as well
as overall development of the students. As we say, ‘It is
just the beginning’.
SPA
Manpower
requirement
for spas to
grow by 162%
As per a recent survey conducted by the Sec
Sector Skill Council, the
spa industry is set to grow by 68 per cent in the next two years.
Dr Kalathil Harish, Director Spa - Group Coordination
C
– Training,
The Park Hotels, discusses the needs of the sector.
WHICH ARE THE MOST PROMINENT DESTINATIONS AND MARKETS FOR WELLNESS TRAVELLERS WORLDWIDE?
The most prominent market for wellness travel is Europe,
followed by the US. The destinations for spa are Switzerland and France. Though Asian markets have increased
their influence since the last five years, Europe remains the
most popular destination for wellness travellers. Europe has
traditionally been a spa destination and destinations like
Thailand and India are now considered major players in the
sector. However, there is still a long gap between the leaders
and us.
WITH THE WELLNESS AND MEDICAL BOARD
SET UP BY THE GOVERNMENT RECENTLY, WHAT
EMERGING TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN INDIA?
The setting up of the board is a good trend. The establishment of the Sector Skill Council (SSC) for the wellness and
beauty industry is also a good way of giving direction. The
major issue that needs immediate attention is the lack of
skilled manpower. A lot of manhours are spent on this by
every centre. As per the recent survey conducted by SSC, the
spa industry is set to grow by 68 per cent in the next two
years and owing to this the manpower requirement is set to
grow by a whopping 162 per cent.
HOW WOULD YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN
RELAXING AND RECOVERING, INTERNATIONAL
AND INDIAN THERAPIES?
Traditionally, a spa is looked at as a place of relaxing and
general recovery. Lately, the trend in established spas has
turned towards wellness services. Many of the contemporary
spas use western therapies and their menu revolves around
a few main traditional massages like ‘Swedish Massage’,
‘Deep Lymphatic drainage massage’ and ‘Deep tissue or
Mayofascial massage’. Indian therapies essentially stem from
60
SPA
The major change that has occurred
because of the increased number of day
spas is in the pricing of spa therapies.
Customers have various options now
the Ayurvedic Panchkarma treatments. There are also many
enterprising spas that use ‘Siddha Marma’ techniques and
other traditional therapies in their spa.
WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT INGREDIENTS
USED IN YOUR THERAPIES? AND
FROM WHERE DO YOU SOURCE
THESE INGREDIENTS?
In Aura, we use natural ingredients for our therapies and
massages. All our oils are made from natural oils and
essential oils. We source our essential oils from the
distillers directly from the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE OF GUESTS
TO THE SPA? WHICH THERAPIES ARE MOST
POPULAR AT AURA?
The Aura brand is an established brand of The Park. We
have been successful in all the cities where we have our
presence. We have a good list of loyal clientele–those who
seek high-end quality spa services. To point out a single
popular therapy is difficult as it varies from city to city. Our
signature massages and natural facials are very popular
among our clients.
WHAT NEW OFFERINGS DO YOU HAVE FOR
SPA JUNKIES?
Our menu is customised for each city. Over and above the
set menu, we also offer seasonal packages. We design
packages that are ideally suited to the skin and
general well being.
WHAT IS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY TO
INCREASE THE BUSINESS?
We have a very strong marketing team in every hotel. We
use the traditional media spaces as well as modern tools
like social media networks and search engines.
ARE DAY SPAS CHANGING THE NATURE OF
THE GAME? DO YOU OFFER THESE IN YOUR
5-STAR HOTEL PREMISES?
The sudden explosion of various day spas in major and
minor cities has made the spa industry a very competitive one. Customers have various options now. The major
change that has occurred due to the increased number of
day spas is the pricing of spa therapies. It is no longer a
luxury nor a fiefdom of 5-star hotels. In our spas, we are
consistent with our pricing and have a good loyal clientele.
This is a loyalty-based industry, so we follow set service
standards and these are impeccable and consistent.
Products&Services
PRODUCTS
62
VITRA INTRODUCES FAMOUS DESIGNER
CHRISTOPHE PILLET TO INDIA
¢ VitrA, the bathroom solutions brand of Eczacıba, Building Products Division of Turkey brings designer
Christophe Pillet to India. Christophe Pillet has won international acclaim for the quality of his creations
and their wide spectrum. Be it architecture or furniture or the design of objects, he has been associated
with the finest brands and with projects of ever-increasing prestige. He has transformed the Lancel
boutiques across France and the rest of the world, designed the new Hotel Sezz in St Tropez, and the
restaurant Maison Blanche in Fes and Casablanca, and created the stands for Renault at international
automobile shows. The scope and the variety of his projects has been phenomenal.
SPRINGFIT INTRODUCES I SLEEP
¢ The brand new I Sleep by Springfit is a new benchmark in the mattress industry. It is the world’s
first and only mattress that is infused with Aqua Pocketed Technology and combine Thermogel Memory
Foam, with the revolutionary, patented Smart Latocell and Aquacell Technology. In this many internal
chambers work together to naturally and continuously adapt to your body’s every position- all without
any motors and electronics. Unlike hot, sinking and hard-to-move sensations that are normally
associated with traditional memory foam mattresses. I Sleep is the only mattress that ‘knows, reacts and
responds’ with your every move, while Thermogel Memory Foam stimulates temperature regulation for a
cool and comfortable sleep all night long and to re-energise you for the new morning. With such cutting
edge technology, the I Sleep from Springfit is truly the best mattress which makes you feel so good that
you’ll never feel like getting out of bed.
PRODUCTS
OZONE’S NEW WARDROBE
SLIDING DOOR SYSTEMS
¢Ozone has recently
introduced a Wardrobe
Sliding Door System for
effortless door gliding.
Sliding doors on wardrobes
are in vogue nowadays as
they manage to provide a
designer, trendy and classy
look within the limited
space available. Besides,
sliding doors are a
convenience to a hotel’s
guests. These systems from
Ozone not only provide
comfort to the user but
also gel well with modern
furniture styles and interior
aesthetics. Wardrobe Sliding
Door Systems from Ozone
come as a top sliding system
and a bottom sliding system.
PARRYWARE PRESENTS VERVE
¢Parryware, a contemporary bathroom solutions brand, presents its brand-new range of faucets–Verve. With fine designs, clean
lines and a contemporary profile, the collection adds simplicity and elegance to bathrooms and outlines style subtly. It is designed
to fit any modern bathroom perfectly and complements a wide variety of bathroom designs. Verve has a varied range of single
lever faucets. It comprises Cold Taps, Basin and Kitchen Mixers, and Concealed Diverter and Shower Mixers. These have all the
immaculate functionalities, including durable ceramic values and corrosion resistence and have a lasting finish.
EVENTS
GLOBAL CULINARY EXCHANGE 2015
G
lobal Culinary Exchange 2015,
a knowledge-intensive one-day
culinary conference was held in
Hotel ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Organised by
Indian Federation of Culinary Associations
(IFCA) the conference turned out to be a
memorable one for 300+ delegates as they
had the opportunity to meet many of the
World Chefs Association Board Members.
World Chefs represents nine million chefs
across the world. With 110 member
countries, World Chefs can as well be
regarded as the UN of the culinary world.
The Global Culinary Exchange 2015 was
held a day after the Board Meeting of
the World Chefs Association. For the first
time in its 85-year-history, World Chefs
Association has conducted their board
meeting in India and IFCA proudly hosted
the board meeting in India.
The one-day conference, The Global
Culinary Exchange, is conceived to serve
as a platform to discuss new perspectives
and trends in the culinary space. The Global
Culinary Exchange provided a perfect
setting for knowledge sharing, catching
up with the current trends in the
global culinary scenario and network with
some of the best minds in the
global culinary space.
BCIHMCT
PARTICIPATES IN
SWACHCH BHARAT
ABHIYAAN
I
n continuation to “Excellence in Education” under
IHG Academy, the MOU signed between Banarsidas
Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering
Technology and Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla,
the two institutions participated in IHG Walkathon on
September 21, 2015 to support the cause of making
India and its tourist destinations clean. This initiative was
in support of the biggest cleanliness drive The Swachch
Bharat Abhiyaan. The students along with faculty members
joined the team of Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla
for a six kilometer walkathon cum cleanliness drive from
the hotel to Tughlakabad, to spread the message of
keeping the surroundings clean for sustainable tourism.
The event was a great success and the efforts of students
and hotel employees were appreciated by one and all.
64
APPOINTMENTS
NEW
ROLES
appointments
NEERAJ GOVIL
SAEID HEIDARI
COLETTE PEREIRA
Market Vice President – South Asia
Marriott International
General Manager
JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar
Mixologist, Rromano’s Lab
JW Marriott hotel Mumbai Sahar
Marriott International has
appointed Neeraj Govil as Market
Vice President for South Asia. Prior to
this, Govil was General Manager at the
Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre,
&KLQD$VSDUWRIWKHFRUH$VLD3DFLÀF
leadership team, Govil will be responsible
for creating and executing a strategic road
map that will focus on establishing brand
positioning and effectively expanding the
market share of the Marriott portfolio
in South Asia. With over 14 years in
the hospitality sector, Govil brings
international experience and expertise.
L
L
Saeid Heidari brings with him 25
years of hospitality experience in
Marriott hotels across the Middle East
and Europe. This was followed by his
move to India as the General Manager
of the Renaissance Mumbai Convention
Centre Hotel and Lakeside Chalet Marriott
Executive Apartments, Mumbai. His
earliest appointment in the hospitality
industry was as a Security Manager after
ZKLFKKHFKDQJHGKLVÀHOGRIH[SHUWLVH
to food and beverage. Heidari has
commendable exposure. He has graduate
degrees in Chemical Engineering and Law.
Colette Pereira is now the Mixologist at
Romano’s Lab, JW Marriott hotel Mumbai
Sahar. With over 15 years of experience in
administration, marketing and publicity, she now
looks into the innovations and research at
Romano’s Lab, the scintillating bar which
compliments Romano’s, the home-styled
Italian restaurant. Pereira started her stint
with bartending as an assistant bartender
with Hakkasan Mumbai. She has handled
PR activities for restaurants like Mangi Ferra,
Taxi and Fluid Spice, was associated with IMG
(Lakme India Fashion Week) and has assisted
teams with various assignments.
L
KAMALJIT SINGH
VIKAS GROVER
Resident Manager
Alila Diwa Goa
Executive Chef
Park Plaza Ludhiana
Kamaljit Singh has been promoted to Resident Manager
of AlilaDiwa Goa. Before this, Singh was the Executive
Assistant Manager, F&B. He brings with him over 18 years of
experience, having worked as Director, F&B, at the Radisson
Blu Resort, Goa before joining Alila Diwa Goa. He has also
worked with other hospitality brands such as Sheraton
Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, Maldives, Radisson Plaza
Resort and Spa, Kerala and Radisson White Sands Resort,
Goa. He did hotel management from Saptagiri College of Hotel
Management, Mangalore.
L
L
66
Vikas Grover has joined Park Plaza Ludhiana as
an Executive Chef. He brings with him more than
25 years of experience. With a broad background
in extensive a la carte operations and a passion for
the culinary art, he is a master of Continental and
Hyderabadi cuisine and brings a host of new innovations
and ideas to the hotel. He is versatile as far as unique
cuisines are concerned and is skilled in the different
cuisines of the world, combining them in ways inspired by
the current trends in the industry.
APPOINTMENTS
AMIT KUMAR
ADITYA SINGH
RISHABH JAIN
General Manager
Hilton Chennai
Director Sales and Marketing
Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi
Associate Director of Sales
Crowne Plaza Jaipur
Hilton Chennai announced the
appointment of Amit Kumar as
General Manager. With over 17 years
of experience, Kumar has worked
with Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces,
The Leela Palaces, Hotels and
Resorts and Starwood Hotels and
Resorts. He joined Hilton Worldwide
in July 2014, taking charge of
operations for Hilton Chennai. Before
joining Hilton Worldwide, Kumar
led the menu planning, forecasting,
budgeting, resource planning and
quality and cost control processes as
Executive Assistant Manager, F&B,
The Lalit, Mumbai.
L
Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi has
appointed Aditya Singh as its
Director for Sales and Marketing. He
will be spearheading the Room Sales,
Catering Sales, Marketing and Revenue
divisions in addition to building and
honing a dynamic sales team. He brings
with him an experience of over 19 years.
He was recently associated with the
Kempenski Ambience Hotel, Delhi as its
Director of Sales and Marketing. Prior to
this, he headed Sales and Marketing in
hotels such as The Grand, JW Marriott
(Chandigarh) and Hyatt Regency Delhi.
Singh has expertise in pricing strategies,
property reactive sales, proactive sales
accounts and segment sales, local and
social catering sales and destination sales.
L
L
Rishabh joins Crowne Plaza Jaipur
as Associate Director of Sales in
the soon to be commissioned hotel.
He will be responsible for business
development, sales operations and
ensuring that the hotel is set up for
success. He comes to Crowne Plaza
from the Jaipur Marriott Hotel, where
he was working as Associate Director
of Sales and was instrumental in
driving sales and positioning the
hotel correctly. Prior to this, he was
associated with the Taj, Starwood and
The Park. He is a post graduate in
business management from the ITM
Business School, Mumbai.
HAPPENINGS
The Grub Fest
RETURNS TO THE CAPITAL
C
he second edition of The Grub
Fest will take place from October
23-25 at the Ambience Lawns,
Gurgaon. The Grub Fest is the
brainchild of young entrepreneurs
Aman Kumar, Arjun Jain, Chaitanya
Mathur and Mani Singh Cheema.
The first edition of the fest was held
a few months ago at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium, Delhi and witnessed
a footfall of around one lakh
food enthusiasts, 70 participating
restaurants and a line up of chefs
and entertainment.
Delhiites got the opportunity to
savour a variety of cuisines including
Lebanese, Chinese, North Indian,
Italian, Mughlai, Mexican, Coastal,
Sushi, amongst others. Exhibitors
included Royal China, Fio, Townhall,
Smokeys, Zizo, À Ta Maison & PCO,
Khan Chacha, Punjab Grill, Zambar,
Holy Smoke and many more. Many of
these are on board for the upcoming
edition. New names like B Bar,
Social, Indigo, Indigo Deli, Backyard,
Urban Pind, Zerzura, Room Service,
amongst others, are expected to
participate in this. The fest also
gives a chance to interact with
the business fraternity of the F&B
industry. Small businesses, start-ups,
blogs and tech savvy entrepreneurs
in the food space can also showcase
their products.
ROCKTOBERFEST AT
HARD ROCK CAFE
2
alling it an amalgam of American Rock ‘n’ Roll and Oktoberfest, Hard Rock Café has brought a
month-long Rocktober Fest that goes
on till November 8 at Saket, Delhi,
and Gurgaon. It brings with it high
octane music, an interesting menu, a
variety of international beers, shandy,
beer cocktails and entertainment.
Speaking about this, Vikram
ram Varma,
AVP- Marketing for JSM Corporation said, “The Hard Rockk
Cafe, for the last 43
years, has served a legendary dining experiencee
with a side order of Rockk
‘n’ Roll history. Rocktober
er Fest
will be a power packed month
packaged with good music,
sic,
food and beverage. Our
68
guest will get a taste of
two cultures - American Rock-n-Roll and
German Oktoberfest.
From pre-gigs for Hornbill Festival to MTV
Xtreme promotional
gigs and the Puddle of
Mudd India tour, we
want to keep the rock
fans engaged.”
International bands are
Inte
trying for a contest where five
bands in each city will battle
it out to win a chance to play
at the December
Dece
Hornbill festival
which takes pplace in Nagaland.
Hornbill On To
Tour is a three-city tour of
concerts held
he over two months in
Mumbai, D
Delhi and Bengaluru.
RNI No. DELENG/2000/1230
Posting Date 15-20 (Every Month)
No. U(C) - 306/2015-2017
Postal Reg. No. DL (ND)-11/6173/2015-16-17 NDPSO-1
Date of Publication 12-10-2015

fhrai - ddppl

Transcription

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