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India's premier Restaurant
and F&B Show!

14 April, 2026
Hotel Sheraton Grand, Bengaluru

Restaurant India 2026 - South India Edition

The Restaurant India Summit, now in its 24th edition, stands as one of the nation’s most influential platforms shaping the future of the food and beverage industry. The 2026 South India Edition brings together top restaurateurs, chefs, foodpreneurs, investors, suppliers and hospitality leaders for a power-packed conference. Across two dynamic days, the summit delivers sharp insights on consumer behaviour, emerging technologies, operational excellence and new growth opportunities—paired with unmatched networking and industry-led discussions that define South India’s evolving foodservice landscape.

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Our Speakers

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Hari Balasubramanian

Angel Investor and Mentor

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Pravesh Pandey

Managing Director, Helen’s Place & Roxie

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Prasanna Kumar

Co-Founder, BLR Brewing Co. & Beanlore Coffee Roasters

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Raghavendra Rao

Co-Founder, The Rameshwaram Cafe

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Priyank Singh Chouhan

Director–Culinary & Operations, India & West Africa, JSM Corporation

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Sundheep Reddy

Co-Founder, Mirth Cocktail Bar, Balcony Bar, Azralius

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Seijiro Hirohama

COO, KUURAKU GROUP & MD, KUURAKU INDIA Pvt. Ltd.

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Vikas Pathak

Vice President – Culinary, Stories Brewery, Moai and Macaw by Stories (India, Dubai)

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Speakers Over The Years

Abhijit Saha

Chef-Entrepreneur, Restauranteur and Author

Anand Ramanathan

Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte

Shakir Haq

CEO & Director, NKP Empire Ventures

Gaurav Pande

Executive Vice President & Business Head- Popeyes, Jubilant FoodWorks

Arpita Aditi

Founder & CEO, Dil Foods

Sundeep Singh

Founder & CEO, Bogmalo Foods and Hospitality LLP

Prashant Issar

Managing Director, Bellona Hospitality

Mahesh Reddy

CEO, GoPizza India

R S Dharmendra

COO, Gilly’s Chain of Restobars

Teja Chekuri

Founder, Full Stack Ventures

Shashank Anumula

Managing Director, Café Niloufer

Sanandan Sudhir

Founder & Director of On2Cook India

Amar Ohri

MD, Ohri’s Group of Hotels & Restaurants

Chef Chalapathi Rao

Chef, Restaurateur and Master Chef India (Telugu) Judge

Nikitha Umesh

Naomi Patisserie & Bakehouse and Master Chef India (Telugu) Judge

Teja Chekuri

Founder- Full Stack Ventures

Pankaj Gupta

Owner, Flavour Pot Foods LLP

Gautam Gupta

CEO, Paradise Food Court

Sheetal Patil

CEO, Cream Stone Ice Cream Concepts

Satya Kumar

Executive Chef, Sheraton Hyderabad

Abilash Bellur

Co-Founder, Biggies Burger

Rohit Kasuganti

Founder & CEO, Telangana Spice Kitchen & Terrāi

Saurabh Pramodkumar Shah

Regional Sales Head, On2Cook

Chef Shiv Parvesh

Executive Chef, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Hyderabad International Convention Centre

Amey Marathe

Founder, Amey Marathe Consulting, VP Telangana Chefs Association

R S Dharmendra

COO, Gilly’s

Hemender Reddy

Owner, Cafe Melange and The Moonshine Project

Chef Amanna Raju

Head Chef, Novotel Hyderabad Airport

Chef Yogender Pal

Executive Chef, Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli

Shivneet Pohoja

Executive Chef, ITC Kohenur

Ramit Goyal

National Sales Head Hyperpure by Zomato

Abhishek Bahl

Associate Director – Sales & Head- F&B, Gupshup

Dharmender Lamba

Hotel Manager and Associate Vice President, Trident Hyderabad

Siddharth Arora

COO, Paradise Foodcourt Pvt Limited

Siddharth Singh

AVP Strategy, NuTaste

Twinkle Keswani

Founder, Pisco Hospitality

Muhammad Yusuf

Co-Founder, Bakelore

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Conference Agenda

10:00 -10:15 AM

Welcome Note

10:15-10:30 AM

Inauguration

10:30-11:15 AM

The State of Restaurant Biz in Bengaluru

Dining patterns in urban Bengaluru vs the micro markets
Tech-driven consumer behaviours
Large spaces, bigger investments: What’s pushing the growth metric
Building a Legacy: The Future of South Indian Restaurants

11:15-12:00 PM

Where’s the Money: What’s Attracting Investors Today

What Investors Look for in a Restaurant Brand
The shift from Growth at all cost to profitable model
Exit strategies for both founder and investor

12:00-1:00 PM

Designing Experiences: How Bangalore Became India’s Capital for Experiential Dining

How the city’s young, cosmopolitan audience shaped demand
Evolution from traditional dining to immersive culinary storytelling
What makes Bangalore’s market different from Delhi & Mumbai

1:00-2:00 PM

Networking Lunch

2:00-3:15 PM

Brewing Success: Innovation, Trends, Growth Story

Menu engineering: balancing specialty beverages with high-margin food
Cost realities: rentals, staffing, training baristas, sourcing beans
Single-store to multi-city expansion: what works, what fails

3:15- 4:00 PM

Building a Gold-Standard Restaurant & Cafe Experience

Translating quality into consistency
Innovation vs Experience: Finding the Right Balance
Sustainability as a differentiator, not a checkbox

4:00-5:00 PM

The Bigger the Better: Redefining the Nightlife Culture

Designing large-format nightlife spaces: experience zones, rooftop stages, multi-floor concepts
Microbrewery Trends in Fnb industry
Rise of Cocktail bars and venues
Balancing ambience, acoustics, crowd flow, and safety
Challenges: staffing, licensing, neighbourhood relations, operating costs

5:00-5:45 PM

Beyond Stays: Hotels as the New F&B Destinations

From global imitation to hyperlocal innovation
Wellness is the new normal
Data is the new sous-chef

5:45-6:00 PM

Fireside Chat/Keynote

7:00 PM

Indian Restaurant Awards, Karnataka Edition

HoCat 2025 – Hotel & Catering F&B Conclave

Shaping the future of India’s hospitality and catering industry, HoCat 2025 brings together hoteliers, caterers, chefs, investors, and F&B innovators to explore trends, innovations, and growth opportunities in the HoReCa sector.

9:30 – 10:30 AM

Registration & Networking Breakfast

Premium F&B showcase — coffee, bakery, juices, at Trufrost & Butler Lounge

10:45 – 11:00 AM

Opening Keynote

Hotel & Catering F&B 2030 – Innovation, Experience, and Scale

Pritee Chaudhary

Regional Director- West, FSSAI

11:00 M - 11:45 AM

CEO Leadership Panel

Hotel & Catering Business Models for Growth
How leading brands are blending signature dining, banqueting, and catering extensions

Vishal Vithal Kamat

ED, Kamat Group of Hotels

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

Revenue Strategies

Turning Hotel Restaurants & Catering into Profit Engines
Menu engineering, banquets, delivery, and hybrid business models

12:30 - 01:15 PM

Guest Experience & Brand Identity

From Hotel Buffets to Grand Catering Events: Designing Memorable F&B Journeys
How food defines the guest journey and brand positioning

1:15 - 2:00 PM

Networking Lunch & Live F&B Showcase

Regional & global cuisines, beverage pairings, live cooking stations

2:00 - 2:45 PM

Culinary Leadership Spotlight

The Chef’s Table: Hotels, Catering & Culinary Creativity
Top chefs discuss innovation, sustainability, and future menus

Moderator:

Chef Ishijyot Surri

Executive Chef & Founder, SJI Hospitality

speakers:

2:45 - 3:30 PM

Investment & Financing

Investing in Hotel & Catering F&B – The New Asset Class
PE/VC investors + hospitality CFOs on margins, scale, and expansion

Speakers :

Harshal Dilwali

Director & CEO, Clarissa Hotels & Resorts
Mayank Prasad

Founder & CEO, Curated Catering by Design

3:30 - 4:15 PM

Supply Chains & Sustainability

Farm to Fork in Hotels & Catering: Building Responsible F&B Ecosystems
Local sourcing, food safety, waste management, sustainable catering

Speakers:

4:15 - 5:00 PM

Technology & Innovation

Smart Kitchens & Catering Tech – AI, Automation, and Digital F&B
How hotels and catering operations are transforming with tech

5:00 - 5:45 PM

Closing Panel

Global Lessons for Indian Hotels & Catering: What’s Next in F&B
International + Indian leaders on global benchmarks & local execution

10:00 - 10:45 AM

Opening & Welcome
Kick off the day with event goals and the essentials of coffee & tea service

11:00 – 11:45 AM

Panel: Coffee Bar Mastery
From bean sourcing to latte art—building a best-in-class café experience

From Bean to Cup: Building the Gold Standard in Café Culture
Sourcing, roasting, pouring: Creating the best in-class experience
Innovation vs Experience: How Cafes are building on it

Moderator:

Ashita Marya

CEO, Franchise India

Speakers:

Ranjit Talwar

Commercial Director and India Head, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Rajat Agrawal

CEO, Barista
Sana Bector Parwanda

Co-founder and Director, Zoet

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Fireside Chat: The Future of Café Culture
How sustainability, wellness & digital ordering reshape service.

Moderator:

Punita Kapoor

Managing Editor, Entrepreneur Restaurateur

Speakers:

Shivam Shahi

Shivam Shahi Co-Founder & COO, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Tea on the Table: Culture, Craft, and Commerce
Integrating tea cocktails, food pairing & steep-to-order programs

Brewing Innovation: The Role of Tea in Modern Menu
What’s Trending: Matcha tea, Boba Tea and Sustainable menus
Sip & Savor: The Art of Tea & Pastry Pairing

Speakers:

Kazem Samandari

Founding Chairman, L’Opéra (French Bakery Pvt. Ltd.)
Chef Gauri Varma

Chef and Founder, Confect Sugar Paste
Gaurav Kanwar

Founder, Harjuku Tokyo Café

Samantha Kochharr

MD, Blossom Kochhar Group & Founder, Tea Room
Adnan Sarkar

Founder, Easy Boba

See All »

1:00 - 2:00 PM

Networking Lunch & Tasting
Curated coffee flights and tea tasting stations to sample

2:00 - 3:00 PM

Smart Brewing: The Role of Automation in Beverage Craft

Designing Menu: Choosing the right brew for your brand
How Master brewers are integrating automation without losing "craft"
Data-driven Brewing: What the numbers say

Speakers:

Nitin Dixit

Co-founder, Café Greenr
Mohit Malik

CTO, Chaayos
Gautam Munjal

Founder, Minimalist Hotels & Fika Coffee

Dushyant Singh

Founder, Coffee Sutra
Abhinav Mathur

CEO & Managing Director, Kaapi Machines India Pvt. Ltd
Vaibhav Nagori

Founding Partner, Greenr Café

See All »

3:00 - 4:00 PM

What’s Brewing: Importance of Customer feedback

Consumer expectation and personalistaion
Smart grinders, precision brewers & digital tea infusers in service
Integrating feedback into brand story-telling

Session Lead & Moderator:

Jagriti Motwani

Chief, Cha Chi

Speakers:

Gaurav Wadhwa

Founder & Director, Theos Foods
Samayesh Khanna

Co-founder, Beanly Coffee

4:00 - 4:15 PM

Afternoon Coffee & Tea Break
Experience a rapid-blend demonstration and tea infusion art.

RI 2026

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Why Attend Conference

A Truly Global Marketplace

Source from all over the world in one marketplace that has a selection of top suppliers from around the world.
Great Speakers

India’s most prominent Restaurant show, where more than 500 restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, leaders, investors and experts gather together
The Preferred Launch Pad

Discover new trends and business opportunities with hundreds of new exhibitors and new product launches.
Recognition

Recognizing the Industry Leaders. The Awards will be the biggest in the industry representing the best of Top Restaurants, Restaurateurs, Café, Bars, Bakery and Chefs.

Partners 2026

Lounge Partner
Official Tabulators
Supporting Association

Supporting Partners

Media Partner

Previous Sponsors & Exhibitors

Previous Partners

Supporting Partners 2025

Previous Exhibitors