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Ayodhya's tourism is getting a big boost as three well-known hotel chains - Radisson, Taj, and ITC - are coming to the city. This is because more and more people are visiting Ayodhya for its historical and religious significance. The new luxury hotels will not only show that Ayodhya is becoming a popular tourist spot but also help in the city's economic and infrastructural development.

Taj's Arrival:

Taj, a famous luxury hotel group, is also entering Ayodhya with a premium hotel. Taj is known for its impressive architecture and excellent service, and its presence in Ayodhya will add a touch of luxury to the city's tourism. Taj is planning to have two hotels – one under the Vivanta brand and another Ginger hotel.

Radisson's Plan for Ayodhya:

Radisson, a well-known hotel brand, is getting ready to open a luxury hotel in Ayodhya. The hotel is expected to have top-notch amenities, blending modern comforts with a traditional touch. Radisson aims to provide a unique and immersive experience for travelers looking for luxury in Ayodhya.

ITC's Sustainable Luxury:

ITC Hotels, known for their focus on sustainability and luxury, are joining Ayodhya's hospitality scene. The ITC hotel in Ayodhya will prioritize eco-friendly practices while maintaining high-service standards.

Cygnett Hotels & Resorts:

Cygnett Hotels & Resorts is also bringing a new hotel to Ayodhya, called Cygnett Collection KK Hotel. It has 41 rooms, each designed with modern amenities and stylish details.

 "We are thrilled to establish our presence in the spiritually significant city of Ayodhya. With the completion of the Ram Temple in January 2024, Ayodhya is poised to become a global tourism hub and spiritual center, attracting visitors from all corners of the world. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi envisions Ayodhya as a must-visit destination for future generations, making this the perfect time for Cygnett Hotels & Resorts to enter the Ayodhya market. We are excited about the growth prospects in terms of both tourism and infrastructure development," said Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder & Managing Director of Cygnett Hotels & Resorts.

The arrival of these luxury hotels is not just good for tourists; it's also a big boost to Ayodhya's local economy. The hospitality sector creates job opportunities and supports local businesses. The collaboration between these hotels and local suppliers will contribute to Ayodhya's overall growth. The decision by Radisson, Taj, ITC, and Cygnett to open luxury hotels in Ayodhya shows that the city is becoming more popular among tourists. As the hospitality sector invests in the city's development, Ayodhya is on its way to becoming a destination for both spiritual seekers and those looking for luxury experiences.

According to NRAI India Food Services Report 2019, the country's economy is firmly set on a growth path, with its GDP rising to 7.1% in 2018 and expected to reach growth by 2023. With factors such as urbanisation, rising income levels and improved investment climate, the foodservice sector has a huge opportunity. The sector has observed a tremendous development in the past three years, which grew at 11 CAGR during 2015-16 to 2018-19. The sector is estimated at Rs 4,23,865 crore in 2018-19 and is projected to reach Rs 5,99,784crore at CAGR of 9% by 2022-23.

Post-election results, the food and beverage (F&B) industry, especially the restaurant segment, is hopeful of the changes the newly-formed Government of India will bring forth. 

GST in the Restaurant Industry

Mihir Desai, Co-founder, The Bar Stock Exchange, says, "In the interest of the F&B industry, the new Government must review the GST rates for our industry from 5% to 12%; by allowing ITC (Input Tax Credit), the Government, in the last term, brought down GST Tax considerably down from 18% to 5% and disallowed ITC for restaurant industry. The new GST norms increased the cost on rentals, assets, royalties and fixed cost. Whereas the customers are charged 5% GST. Further, restaurants pay 18% GST on rentals, assets and fixed cost. We would like to request the Government to look into this as this has impacted the growth of the F&B industry."

Single-Window Clearance for Licenses

Vikrant Batra, Founder, Cafe Delhi Heights and Nueva, says, “Last few years have been a roller coaster ride for the restaurant space. With many changes levied on the industry from GST to liquor licensing, stricter laws and more, we are hoping for some positive changes with the coming of the new Government.”

Vikrant Batra feels there should be single window clearance for licenses for the restaurant businesses. “We are expecting a boom in the travel and tourism industry, thereby, bringing in more tourists and well-educated travellers, providing a bigger and a better platform to our cafes and restaurants on the worldwide front. With increased transparency in the laws and government operations regarding licensing and taxation, the restaurant industry is hoping to benefit from the GST inputs similar to that of previous years, making it easy to run and innovate in the industry. Single-Window clearance for licenses and ease in the licensing process would be another expectation from our end. Benefits from CSR initiatives are also expected along with other benefits and respites for the industry from the newly-appointed Government of India,” he says.

According to Vikrant, “the food industry being one of the top contributors to the country's economy, also expects a positive hand from the government in topics related to employment taxes, etc.”

Chef Tarun Sibal, Director, One Fine Meal, Delhi, is also of the view that single-clearance window should be there. "The second term and a bigger mandate get me hopeful that the Food and beverage industry and Food and beverage entrepreneurs will see better days ahead in terms of policy procedures and the ease of doing business. A single window clearance for the restaurant industry, clearer and actionable norms, departments that guide instead of just audit should be on the cards," he says.

Closing Time of the Restaurants

On the contrary, Aditya Wanwari, Founder Partner, SHOR and Kale and Kaffe, feels it is good to reduce GST as it makes the consumers happy. He says, “A good thing that the Government has done is reducing the GST from 18% to 5%. This has made the customers quite happy.”

“What I expect from the new Government is that they should increase the closing time of the restaurants from 1.30 am to 3 am. This could also boost up the food and beverage business and more employment opportunities. If this is done, the employment rate would increase to a decent percentage.  I would like the new Government to ease the BMC in terms of allowing outside areas/rooftops to serve food and beverage. The licensing should be done and regulated online to avoid tedious paperwork,” adds Aditya Wanwari, Founder Partner, SHOR and Kale and Kaffe.

Pro-business Reformist Policies

Kausshal Dugarr, Founder and CEO of Teabox, wants the Government to continue its pro-business reformist policies and simplify the Indian taxation system for the F&B industry. He says, “The expectation from the Government at a macro level is to continue its pro-business reformist policies and Make in India initiatives along with simplification of the tax system. As a home-grown global brand that sells to consumers in 117 countries, we would want the Government to support our journey of creating mega brands from India and help us cut the red tape we face in the export of food products, especially in B2C formats. In addition, we would want the Government to reduce transactional costs dealing with government agencies.”

Kumar Saurabh, co-owner, Lub Lub Lebanese, Gurugram, says, "Expectation from the new Government is to give ease of business by bringing in norms and policy which favours restaurant industry, i.e., reinstating input credit on rentals and allow loans for growing business on encouraging terms."

Gaurav Dewan, COO and Business Head, Travel Food Services says, "The potential growth of the travel retail sector lies with the development of railways, highways and aviation. The Rs 7500 Cr budget, set aside for railway redevelopment plans, is an indication to the potential that the sector holds for the travel retail industry. In the last term, the Government opened up the railway ecosystem and allowed the partial entry of private players in the sector. The growing railway network coupled with active private players within the sector will lead to the elevation of the travel retail sector to international standards. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has also taken positive steps towards the development of the highway network in India through the Bharatmala scheme which has recently finalised highway contracts worth around INR 3 Trillion. This growth in infrastructure allows the travel retail industry to accommodate multiple private players, which will provide an impetus to the already growing highway segment."

Talking about the previous developments, Gaurav Dewan says, "While the industry has seen growth in the aviation segment, recent developments such as the grounding of Jet Airways has led to an imbalance in airfares which has affected the industry adversely. With new promises, we foresee proactive involvement from Government bodies to regulate such situations. Lastly, the re-introduction of the input tax credit for the F&B industry has been on the table for a while and effective implementation of the same would go a long way to provide stability. With such a robust leadership at the helm, we anticipate the Government to implement more positive policies and reforms to facilitate the industry's growth in the coming years."

Commercial Activities in Open Areas

Arpan Gupta, Founder & MD, Anglow, wants the Government to allow commercial activities in the open areas to generate more revenue from the businesses. He says, “If the Government allows commercial activities in the open areas(s) and terrace(s) that would not only add a huge amount to the restaurant industry’s growth but also generate revenue for the Government.”

He also feels, “The hospitality industry, like every other sector in the Indian economy, is liable to pay multiple taxes and with the GST coming in, the reduction of taxes on a bill has become a soothing site for the customers. But there is hardly any difference in the price they pay. Currently, restaurants can't claim the Input Tax Credit on the GST. So, the cost and taxes that a restaurant pays for its supplies are very high which in return leads to an increase in the basic price of a food item on the menu. We would like the new Government to allow us to claim Input Tax Credit (ITC), so that we, as restaurateurs can foredeal over our purchase and reduce our prices, so even the customers get the benefit from the application of GST.”

Policies in the Hospitality Industry

Amey Marathe, Vice President of Telangana Chefs Association and Founder & CEO at JSAMEY Biotech, feels there is a need to revive the policies in the hospitality industry too. He says, “I want Government to re-look at the policy’s pertaining to hospitality. Most of them are outdated.” Speaking about food safety law, he tells Restaurant India, “Food safety laws differ from state to state, proper training to food safety department is needed; chefs should be made part of these committees and for ease of business.”

Another issue is getting licenses for the restaurant business. He says, “People have run from pillar to post to get various necessary licenses and at the time the laws concerning them are also contradicting.”

Swachh Bharat Campaign for Restaurants Too

Amey Marathe, Vice President of Telangana Chefs Association and Founder & CEO at JSAMEY Biotech, further adds, “We need to make India a safer place to eat. Indians eat every day in lakhs of restaurants which have very low hygiene and sanitation; these practices are non-existent. Swacch Bharat needs to get into hotels and restaurants too.”  Amey Marathe, Vice President of Telangana Chefs Association says he “would love to contribute and collaborate with the Government” for the growth of the industry.

Incubate Startups

Mithun Appaiah, CEO Innovative Foods Limited, Brand Sumeru, says, “The new Government must lay impetus on exports by opening new market opportunities for food brands to cater to large global demand. This, in turn, helps to improve our GDP and indirectly farmers to garner better pricing. Another key area is to incubate startups in the Agri-food space by ensuring they are provided with all the support to start, operate and scale their business.Also creating an environment with global exposure to bring technology as well as agricultural know-how into the food business.”

How did food happen to you?

A man is what he eats. There is nothing else in this world that stimulates all our five senses.  Given the diversity, you could go on eating new cuisines everyday yet require 12 Lives to live to taste all the varieties available. And by then I am sure we would have explored more cuisines.

What was the whole idea providing consulting to restaurant brands?

I believe managing and operating a restaurant is an art. Having an educational background along with work experience with some of the most renowned brands in the industry like the Marriott group helps other restaurant brands in their growth. Hence, we as a hospitality company started taking up management for restaurants apart from our owned ones.

How is your service unique from others in the industry?

We believe in creating a human touch in everything we do. Our company offers a complete set of services required to run a restaurant or a hotel and with a bunch of young minds and experienced teammates, thereby making us unique.

When did you think of opening your own restaurant?

Having our own restaurant was always on my mind. However; in the beginning of 2017 I worked upon my dream project which had its own unique concept which involved a good amount of research work and a well experienced team. Once everything amalgamated we opened our first restaurant in May 2017.

How much money you have put in to come with this concept?

Well, the key is that you invest only the amount you are sure to get the return of. Feasibility study has to be very important. If you ever want to calculate a rough approx just multiply your sq. ft area with INR 8000. You should get an estimated figure to begin your work with. But remember, location is the most important thing here.

You change your restaurant menu every 14 days with one international and one Indian cuisine. What is the idea?

Mondo Fine Dine being my first restaurant, I wanted to have a unique concept which would educate people about various international cuisines. Hence, we started with the concept of changing our menu every fortnight.

How much do you believe in local and sustainable eating?

Firstly both the terms are not same. We use a lot of local vegetables which are bought and sold to us directly by the agri community from the forests. Have you ever tasted a smoked bamboo or something which is called chicken spinach? I believe more than anything, the ingredient has to be sustainable, cause remember everyone will taste it in the future.

What is your favourite part of playing with flavours?

I love breaking the flavors. It takes a lot of patience to find out the complimenting flavours which help in breaking the flavor. One has to keep in mind that he cannot play with the texture of the key ingredient of the star of the dish. He could end up finding a new complimentary flavour all together. As once we mixed Kafir Lime, Curry leaves and Sugarcane to create the highest selling drink of MONDO.

What trends you see going forward that will disrupt the food biz?

Molecular, Nitrogen foaming and Fusion. These started with complimenting flavours and now the texture and state of the dish is first decided before deciding the dish. I believe that ingredients should be given respect. They go through a lot before reaching your table.

What is your expansion plans?

I believe in moving forward slow and steadily hence, we are expanding slowly and shall be announcing about the same soon.

Two days after the railway budget brought hope to food lovers to get a bite of their favourite pizza and cappuccino in train, the much awaited budget by the BJP led government did not prove to be fruitful to the restaurant, hotel, FMCG or the food and retail industry as a whole.

With increase in the service tax, the government is expecting higher revenues making manufacturing and retail industry more competitive. But there is no good news for the food lovers in the country. With an increase in service tax at the restaurants and cafes where customers will have to pay now approximately 14 per cent in the country , eating out at your favorites brands like Lite Bite Foods, Subway, Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, Pita Pit will make you pay more for your favorite Zinger Burger or the Falafel roll or the tasty Indian gravies at Zambar.

Hike in service tax would negatively impact QSRs as it is an extremely price sensitive market in an increasingly competitive market.

Commenting on the same, Gaurav Goenka, MD, Mirah Hospitality, believes, “The budget overall has been very positive keeping the growth of nation in mind. The only deterrent according to me is the increase in service tax to 14 per cent.”

“Inflation has always been a big cause of worry, directly affecting raw material costs which cannot be passed on entirely to the consumers. Biggest takeway from this budget is the proposed implementation of GST starting April 2016 which will eventually help curbing inflation along with other planned measures,” says Anun Dhawan, Pita Pit.

On the other hand, the tech-food industry which is seeing a robust growth these days will be badly affected by the budget proposal to levy service taxes for online and mobile advertising which experts believe will adversely affect the industry’s growth.

“Currently, India’s exponential mobile penetration and app consumption patterns are driving the growth of the mobile advertising industry and this development could hamper innovative efforts of the entire ecosystem comprising of mobile development start-ups, food tech start-ups advertisers and publishers. And we would love to have a more future focused policy regarding this particular aspect of the budget,” shares Zafar Rais, CEO, MindShift Interactive.

The upward revision of service tax may be detrimental to the growth of the hospitality industry. Now, consumers will have to spend more on the services which is going to reduce spend on eating out and consequently affecting growth of restaurant and hotel industry.

Meanwhile, the railway budget proposed by Suresh Prabhu is likely to spur growth of food industry. With announcement of tie-ups with brands like CCD, Domino’s, JumboKing and Subway, the travelers would now be able to choose their meal according to their taste without compromising on the quality.

The railway budget is progressive in its outlook and would open opportunities for the growth of the Indian food industry. The association of IRCTC with leading food brands is indicative of the evolving food preferences of the Indian consumers.

Commenting on the same, Harneet Singh Rajpal, Senior VP-Marketing,  Domino's Pizza India, says, “ This is qualitatively a big opportunity and we are very positive about it, but we cannot ascertain it's quantum without a trial of consumer response to this new service and also logistical feasibility of delivering hot and tasty pizzas on train seats. We are doing a limited trial along with IRCTC on 19 trains and 12 stations. We would analyze the results after the trial and then move forward accordingly.”

“This is a win-win situation for all the stake holders, including passengers who would get an interesting and diverse menu to choose from and the partnering brands which will benefit in terms of sales, revenues and consumer outreach,” says, Manpreet Gulri, Country Head, Subway India.

The move will also bolster the perception of Indian railways as being tandem with growing consumer needs for quality and value-laden offerings. But there are still major loop hole that need to be covered up.

“They have made some announcements about the plan, but they don’t have clarity as yet, but if the government brings it in real it will be a very good option for passengers to get more healthy and hygienic food while boarding a train. But there is more refinement required, the supply chain is already there but the space at the station is major problem as the government has nothing concrete to offer,” shares Dheeraj Gupta, Founder and MD, JumboKing.

Thus, we can say that the Budget is positive in general for the corporate sector with government proposal to bring down Corporate tax levels to 25 per cent in four years time.

Pic Courtesy: PIB on Twitter

Hospitality industry has become the largest employer of women in the current date. According to a report published by Times of India (dated February 23, 2013) in south India and West Bengal, 55- 60 percent of the employees in hotels are women while in Maharashtra , Punjab and Delhi the figure is 40- 50 percent. The percentage is lowest in Jammu and Kashmir, UP and Bihar. With Mumbai being the financial hub of not just Maharashtra but the nation, it is but natural that a large chunk of hospitality jobs in the city, which has topflight hotels and airline operations are performed by women. Out of the 3 regions of study Karnataka shows the best result in this lot with 13.4 percent female and 86.6 percent male workers in this industry. West Bengal lies in the middle with 9.38 percent female and 90.62 percent male employees.

The hospitality experience would prove to be quite incomplete, without the charming smile of a woman at its outset. The feminine touch indeed lends grace and elegance to the hospitality industry.  In fact, it would only be fair to say that the industry today holds more potential for women than ever before.

“At McDonald’s, we offer equal and diverse opportunities. No discrimination on sex, religion or socio economic background is done when we hire employees. Women also get equal and diverse opportunities. Having the right people at the right place in the right job is the motto of McDonald’s. We have a very extensive performance development system on individual career and development path. Thus women become an equal partner. We have 30-40 percent of women workforce in India,” says Smita Jatia, Managing Director Mc Donald’s India (West and south).

A report published by CSR says “Overall, more women are entering the job market. All HR managers that we approached confirm that the percentage of women managers in their company has increased over the past 5 years.”