The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), Bengaluru Chapter, hosted a powerful and inspiring session dedicated to inclusive entrepreneurship and meaningful employment for persons with disabilities. The event featured Alina Alam, Founder of Mitti Café, whose journey has redefined inclusion within India’s food and beverage ecosystem.
The initiative was conceptualised and led by Ananth Narayan, Chapter Head – NRAI Bengaluru, with the support of the chapter’s leadership team, including Co-Chapter Head Shakir Haq; Secretaries Nakul Rajaram and Sharath Rice; Treasurer Siddanth Vinod; Joint Treasurer Dheeraj Kumar; and the wider NRAI Bengaluru team.
During the session, Alam shared her inspiring journey of building Mitti Café into one of India’s most impactful social enterprises. Today, Mitti Café operates nearly 70 outlets across prominent locations, including the Supreme Court of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, major airports, and leading corporate parks, creating dignified employment and skill-development opportunities for thousands of persons with disabilities.
Recognised by the President of India and honoured by global institutions such as the United Nations and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Ms Alam’s work stands as a compelling example of how inclusion can be scaled sustainably within the mainstream economy.
Building on this vision, the NRAI Bengaluru Chapter announced a dedicated training and placement initiative aimed at enabling member establishments to actively employ and integrate persons with disabilities within the hospitality sector. Members from NRAI, BHA, BBHA, and WMAB collectively pledged to foster more accessible and disability-friendly workplaces.
Speaking at the event, Ananth Narayan, Head – NRAI Bengaluru Chapter, said:
“The food and beverage industry has a unique ability to create people-first, inclusive workplaces. This initiative is about moving beyond intent and building structured, sustainable employment pathways for highly-abled individuals. Inclusion is not just a social responsibility—it is a business imperative that strengthens teams, service quality, and the industry as a whole.”
The evening was marked by several heartfelt moments, including the presentation of tokens of appreciation to the Mitti Café team, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony celebrating the spirit of inclusion and the invaluable contribution of specially-abled professionals to the F&B industry. The celebration concluded with a hosted dinner for the Mitti Café team, warmly applauded by attendees.
The venue, hospitality, and F&B for the evening were graciously hosted and sponsored by Arvind of The Bier Club, Lavelle Road, whose support added warmth and character to the occasion.
The event concluded with a felicitation by Rezwan Razack, Joint Managing Director, Prestige Group, reaffirming the NRAI Bengaluru Chapter’s commitment to building a more compassionate, inclusive, and forward-looking hospitality industry.
Through this initiative, the NRAI Bengaluru Chapter reinforced its commitment to responsible growth and inclusive industry practices, encouraging member restaurants to adopt structured employment opportunities for highly-abled individuals.
