Restaurant India awards Telangana Edition Agenda 2026

Conference Agenda

5:30 - 5:45 PM

Welcome Note

5:45-7:00 PM

Rethinking Restaurants: Unlocking the Real Business Potential of Restaurants

From Regional Pride to World Stage: Why Chennai should be the next food capital
Collaborate, Connect and Grow
Long-term sustainability—where to invest in 2026 and beyond
Addressing the talent crunch and professionalizing the workforce

7:00 - 7:15 PM

Valedictory Keynote and Beginning of Awards

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.

Conference Schedule

Conference Agenda

5:30 - 5:45 PM

5:45-7:00 PM

7:00 - 7:15 PM

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

12:00 - 12:15 PM

HoCat 2025 – Hotel & Catering F&B Conclave

9:30 – 10:30 AM

10:45 – 11:00 AM

11:00 M - 11:45 AM

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM

12:30 - 01:15 PM

1:15 - 2:00 PM

2:00 - 2:45 PM

2:45 - 3:30 PM

3:30 - 4:15 PM

4:15 - 5:00 PM

5:00 - 5:45 PM

11:00 - 11:30 AM

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

12:30 - 01:15 PM

10:00 - 10:45 AM

11:00 – 11:45 AM

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

12:00 - 1:00 PM

1:00 - 2:00 PM

2:00 - 3:00 PM

3:00 - 4:00 PM

4:00 - 4:15 PM