Author: P Krishna Kumar

For businesses, creating an inclusive workplace is not only about giving marginalised communities an opportunity; it can also translate into deep organisational loyalty when people are given a sense of belonging and a clear path to grow, according to Keshav Suri, Executive Director, Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, and founder of Keshav Suri Foundation, which fights for equal rights for marginalised and discriminated people and communities including LGBTQ+. Speaking to HospitalityBiz India on the sidelines of a certification ceremony of tribal students from Manipur, Nagaland and J&K sponsored by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs at The Lalit Suri Hospitality School, Suri…

While the biennial Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), organised by the Kerala Travel Mart Society, has been a front-runner among tourism B2B shows in India for over 25 years, showcasing Kerala’s tourism attractions, products and capabilities, stakeholders are exploring innovative ways to keep buyers—both international and domestic—engaged. From recreating village tea stalls and showcasing local artists and artisans to celebrating local legends, tourism stakeholders in Kerala are leaving no stone unturned to enhance the appeal of their products and destinations. Even local hotel groups with a network of luxury hotels and resorts are no longer putting up cozy, designer pavilions to…

Came to India in 2021 to head the kitchen of Delhi’s sought-after nightclub, Khubani, at Hyatt Andaz Aerocity, Chef Gokhan Kesen, has made India his second home, having taken up several hi-profile F&B projects across India, in the last five years.  As another 100% Turkish kitchen in Delhi NCR is shaping up in Bianchi at sector 48 Gurugram, where Chef Kesen is joining hands as Brand Ambassador with restaurateur Dhruv Chawla, the eighth generation Ottoman Chef, shared his experiences of working in India and his core philosophies in life. “With Bianchi, I am returning to Delhi NCR with my second…

Jyotsna Suri, CMD of Lalit Suri Hospitality Group has advocated strong and massive collaborative efforts between the government and the private industry stakeholders to overcome the talent and skill crunch the hospitality industry is facing in the country. She said this to Hospitalitybiz India on the sidelines of a certification ceremony of over 70 youngsters drawn from three states – Nagaland, Manipur and J&K – and supported by the Tribal Affairs Ministry, Government of India at the Lalit Suri Hospitality School (TLHS). The students who have completed three months skill training at the TLHS campus at Badkal, Delhi NCR, will…

Royal Orchid Hotels Limited (ROHL) is looking to significantly scale its managed and franchised portfolio by leveraging the management capabilities it has built over the years, with Z by Regenta emerging as a key growth engine under its Vision 2030, according to Keshav Baljee, Executive Director, ROHL. In one of his first media interactions since taking charge as Executive Director in February, Baljee said his mandate is centred on strengthening the company’s management business, accelerating the Regenta portfolio and driving the Z by Regenta brand, alongside building out the company’s recently signed strategic partnership with Hilton for Hampton by Hilton.…

Mizoram’s move to open its doors to locally produced wine could provide the trigger for the Northeast to emerge as India’s next major wine-producing region, with abundant tropical fruits, favourable policy changes and growing demand for softer alcoholic beverages creating new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs. Speaking to HospitalityBiz India, Francis Lalmalsawma Sailo, Coordinator for Northeast India, All India Wine Producers Association (AIWPA), said the region has the raw material and growing policy support to build a distinct fruit-wine industry, rather than compete directly with established grape-wine markets such as Maharashtra and Karnataka. Sailo, who is also a member of…

“At Madhubhan Resort & Spa, environmental sustainability is inbuilt. We have been practicing it for the last 18 years,” Manohar S Gurung, president of Madhubhan Resort & Spa,  a standalone luxury resort in Anand, Gujarat, said setting the tone for the conversation. The resort’s green initiatives have been recognised recently by the FHRAI, when they bestowed the resort with the Best Luxury Resort category for Green practices, at its Varanasi Convention.   Situated in Anand, the milk capital of India,  Madhubhan Resort & Spa, has the distinction of being the first 5-star-deluxe resort of Gujarat.  Although the hospitality landscape of…

Two years into its operations, The Qualia Resort Club & Brewery is seeking to strengthen its position as a differentiated hospitality destination in Udaipur, bringing together a luxury resort, craft brewery and nightclub under one roof. Located in Debari at the foothills of the Aravalis, the property was conceived around a proposition that is still relatively uncommon in the City of Lakes—a destination where guests can stay, dine, experience freshly brewed craft beer and party at a dedicated nightclub without having to move between venues. “We wanted to set up a restaurant and a brewery with a nightclub,” said Neeraj…

Suryaveer Singh, newly elevated Chief Executive Officer of Trance International Hotels & Resorts, plans to take the hotel management company’s portfolio to around 30 properties over the next five years, with a strategic focus on the largely underserved four-star resort segment outside major cities and towns. Singh, who co-founded Trance International Hotels with his father and veteran Taj Group hotelier Veer Vijay Singh in 2015, said the company sees significant opportunity in developing and managing quality resorts in markets that have traditionally received limited attention from large hotel operators. A graduate of École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) and a qualified…

Veteran hotelier and VW Hospitality Consultancy founder and CEO Vijay Wanchoo has called for a rethink of the hospitality industry’s work culture to align with the aspirations of the younger generation, while urging hotels to adopt a more rigorous and proactive approach to food safety and hygiene. Wanchoo was speaking to HospitalityBiz India ahead of the formal launch of his book ‘A Journey of Hospitality: Checked in by Fate’, to be hosted by The Park Hotel in New Delhi later this week. The book, nearly a decade in the making, and soft-released a few months ago, chronicles his journey through…