NRAI hosts restaurant industry conclave in Hyderabad, AGM held outside Delhi for first time

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 13 : The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) Hyderabad Chapter hosted Indian Restaurant Conclave 2022 at Hyderabad in the presence of over a thousand delegates which included stakeholders of the restaurant industry, prominent restaurateurs of India, foreign delegates, investors and senior officials.
The conclave was inaugurated by Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao. It is the first time that NRAI hosted its AGM outside Delhi.
The Hyderabad chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), through its collaborative efforts with the Commerce and Industries Department of Telangana Government, has unveiled a first-of-its-kind application in India, for the food service sector through the TS-iPASS portal, a release said.
"Telangana has become the first state to launch a Single Window application TS iPASS portal to ensure ease of business for hoteliers. The portal will ensure a streamlined and faster process of licenses through a single window within 15 days vis-a-vis an earlier time period of eight months. Providing the upcoming hoteliers and restaurant owners a less cumbersome process and thus enhancing the region's ease of doing food and beverages business," it said.
The TS iPASS portal will not only be applicable to restaurants, bars, and food outlets, but also to kiosks, bakeries, cafes, and cloud kitchens.
The release said that Rs 500 crore investment has been committed by Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Mc Donalds, Almond House and Wow Momo towards the state's "Invest In Telangana" Initiative.
The conclave included panel discussions by the eminent leaders of the industry. In addition to the workshops, the experts also discussed the upcoming future trends in the industry. The conclave witnessed over 50 speakers discussing topics such as real estate trends across India in F&B, creating a successful cloud kitchen business, and technologies in F&B.
Kabir Suri, President, NRAI, said the association has over the years been instrumental in resolving the pressing issues of the F&B Industry.
"With changing demographics, evolving consumer behaviour, and preferences, the demands have transformed the F&B industry. There is a continuous need to ensure food security with the growing population and the F&B industry is one of the vital ones, intertwined in the daily lives of people. A progressive approach by NRAI has alleviated these challenges of the changing times, poising the F&B sector to reach new heights," he said.
Chef Shankar Krishnamurthy, Chapter Head, NRAI, Hyderabad said they have been at the forefront of supporting restaurants of every size in the sector. "Restaurants and food service businesses were some of the first economic activities severely impacted by the pandemic. Our chapter plays a key role in promoting skills and career opportunities for industry professionals through the 'Hospitality Sector Skill Council."
Shaaz Mehmood, Founder of NRAI, Hyderabad Chapter & Member, MC, NRAI- National said the idea for the Hyderabad conclave was not only to voice the need of the restaurants but also for anybody working in the Food & Beverages space.
NRAI Hyderabad Chapter also threw light on some of its impactful CSR initiatives. 'Mission Khana' in line with child welfare and food security provides 300 hot meals per day to the underprivileged children and homeless in the city and targets to scale up to 1000 hot meals per day.
'Mission Kaam' aims to elevate the underprivileged sections and help create a skilled and employable workforce for the restaurant industry.
During the conclave, 22 appointment letters were issued and accepted by young students, the release said.
The release said in recognition of their contribution in taking "Hyderabadi food" across borders and on the world map, the Indian Restaurant Conclave 2022 felicitated Ali Hemmati of Paradise Food Court, Mohammad Abdul Majeed of Pista House and Anumula Baburao of Cafe Niloufer.