Mr. Samir Kuckreja
President, NRAI & Founder & CEO, Tasanaya Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Samir Kuckreja has over 23 years of experience in the hospitality industry. He has worked in a variety of leading domestic and international brands and with a private equity fund. His key skills include operations, business development, franchising, strategy, concept creation, interiors, kitchen design, menu planning, fund raising, financial management and a strong industry network.

Mr. Kuckreja set up Tasanaya Hospitality Private Limited in September 2012 – a company that specializes in advisory/consultancy work for the hospitality and retail industries. Areas of work include advising start-up concepts, foreign chains on entry strategy, existing chains on operations improvements, menu and cost optimisation, new store planning, systems and franchising, restaurant companies on fund raising/stake sales, private equity/venture capital funds on acquisitions, service providers in India and abroad on market penetration and customer acquisition.

He completed his high school from The Doon School, Dehradun, and has done a BA in Economics Honours from St. Stephens College, Delhi. This was followed by a BS in Hotel Administration from Cornell University, USA. After graduating from Cornell, he worked with the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, USA and subsequently with a chain of bar & grill restaurants in North Carolina, USA.

Mr. Kuckreja was the CEO & Managing Director of Nirula’s from June 2006 till April 2012 and looked after Operations, Business Development and Marketing. He also headed a consultancy company for the group in which he successfully completed numerous kitchen design projects and handled distribution of a range of imported kitchen equipments.

He was the Business Development Manager for the Indian Subcontinent with Yum Restaurants in Delhi for 3.5 years and set up over 100 Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants in the region. This included site selection, restaurant design, construction and franchising.

Mr. Kuckreja was the Joint Managing Director of Mars Hotels & Restaurants in Mumbai for 2 years and responsible for expanding their Gordon House Hotel chain, Not Just Jazz by the Bay, Birdy’s Cake Shops and other brands to Pune and Bangalore.

Mr. Kuckreja has been the President of National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) since September 2009. The Association represents the leading domestic and international independent and chain restaurants with over 1100 members across 20 states of India. Key activities include advocacy with the government, training, industry research, networking events and seminars. He has successfully spearheaded the Association’s work in various areas including getting changes in licensing norms; favorable judgment in the hookah case at the Delhi High Court; tie-ups with leading organisations for partnerships on industry events and increasing the membership base in different cities.

Mr. Kuckreja received the ‘Indira Super Achievers Award’ in 2008, an honour given to talented professionals for significant achievements in their industry and valued contribution to their organisation. He was awarded the ‘Most Admired Retail Professional of the Year: Food Service’ at the Images Food Forum in Mumbai in March 2011 for his work at Nirula’s and the Restaurant Association.