Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2026
South India Edition
- 4th - 5th February 2026 | Royal Orchid Resort & Convention Centre, Bengaluru
The Event
Bringing together this transforming marketplace under the same roof, Industry Live presents Food Connoisseurs India Convention – South Edition (FCIC South) - a curated, premium B2B platform that delivers strategic depth, sector insight, and high-touch networking.
Industry Beacon
Industry Leaders, Chefs & Food Enthusiasts
EVENT COUNTDOWN
Turn opportunities into achievements!
Visionary Networks
Wisdom from Trailblazers
Innovation Unleashed
Recognising Culinary Titans
Speakers
Conference Chairperson
Dr. (Chef) K. Thiru
Founding Dean,
The School of Hospitality Management, Mahindra University
vikram cotah
CEO,
GRT Hotels and Resorts
Tapan Vaidya
Group CEO – Papa Johns India/UAE/KSA/Jordan
shakir haq
CEO, NKP Empire Pvt. Ltd
(Empire Restaurant, Karama, EasyBites, Vegetarea, Empire Juice)
Prasanna Venkatesh
Co-Founder,
Madras Coffee House
Balachandar R
Executive Director,
Junior Kuppanna Kitchens Pvt Ltd
tarun mahadevan
CEO & Managing Director,
Advantage Foods
Anand Krishnan
Director,
Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan
Ganesh Poojari
Director,
Central Tiffin Room (CTR)
rajat luthra
CEO,
Third Wave Coffee
robinder singh
Chief Operating Officer,
Paradise Biryani
Ananth Mandra
Managing Partner,
Kritunga Restaurants Chain
H.R. Jayaram
Founder, The Green Path
(Eco Hotel, Organic Restaurant, Banquet Halls, Organic Store & Sukrishi Farm)
Santhosh Sriram
Owner, RRI Hospitality Private Limited (Hakuna Matata, Brahma Brews, The Palms Brew & Kitchen, Indian Biere House)
mukesh tolani
Co-Founder and Director,
Toit Beer Co.,
pH4 Food & Beverages Pvt. Ltd.
dr. pratekk Chaturvedi
COO,
Ironhill India
Mr. Ajit GS
Founder, Crimson and Clover Hospitality India Pvt Ltd,
(Flo, CBD, Rasai , Cafe Del Sol , Bento Lab , Chat Chatore & Curry Express)
Pravesh Pandey
Founder & CEO,
PP Ventures (Roxie, Helen’s Place & One Floor Down)
hemender reddy
Founder,
Sribhog Hospitalities & MAK Hospitality, The Moonshine Project, EXT by Moonshine Project, Bistro Melaange, Aromas of Dakshin
vimal sharma
Chief Executive Officer,
SMOOR Chocolates
Subramanya Holla
President,
Bangalore Hotels Association
ankur sharma
Co-Founder,
Rebel Foods
chef shriram rajendran
Chef, CEO, Author- The table book of desserts, Foodpreneur,
Founder -The Table India, Mapo Hakka Chinese, Butter Crust Pizzeria
Kn vasudeva adiga
Founder & Managing Director,
Paakashala Chain of Restaurants & Nandi Upachar Restaurant (Banquets, Party Halls)
raghavendra rao
Co-Founder & CEO,
The Rameshwaram Café
angad singh
Director,
Kake Di Hatti
dhruv singh
Founder & CEO,
Chelvies Coffee
Veerendra n Kamat
Managing Director,
Kamat Hotels & Restaurants
jayanth narayanan
Founder,
Pearltri Foods Pvt Ltd & Mani’s Dum Biryani
Chef ramsamy selvaraju
Corporate Chef,
Taj Group of Hotels
Chef Chalapathi Rao
Cuisine Designer & Partner,
Simply South, MasterChef India (Telugu) Judge, TEDx Speaker
Chef Koushik S
Chef, Founder – Eatitude Consultants, MasterChef India Tamil Judge, TEDx Speaker
Chef Rakesh Raghunathan
Celebrity Chef, Food Historian &
MasterChef India Judge (Tamil)
chef vikas seth
Chef & Culinary Director,
Embassy Leisure
chef vinod bhati
Executive Member,
Indian Culinary Forum, IFCA, WACS
diksha pande
Co-Founder,
Samosa Party
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu
Food Writer & Journalist,
Author-NY, Al Jazeera, The National, Fodors, Whetstone, GBH, Eaten, Nikkei Asia, Mint Lounge
Chef Johnson Ebenezer
Chef Patron & Co-founder, Farmlore, Omnisense, loreblr
chef abhijit saha
Founder & MD, Ace Hospitality & Consulting
Chef-Owner – Lyfe & Rosmarino Restaurants, Bangalore
Senthil Kumar
Chief Business Officer,
Dindigul Thalappakatti Restaurants
Abhinav Mathur
Managing Director,
Kaapi Machines
sona prakash
Managing Director,
Drizzle Hospitality Group
Premkumar gt
Vice President, JSM Corporation
(Asilo, Shiro, Hard Rock Cafe, California Pizza Kitchen)
maniram selvaraj
Fourth-Generation Entrepreneur,
Dindigul Ponram Biriyani
chef vikram simha akula
Culinary Director,
KitchenomiKs
g k pramod
Author, Mentor, Serial Entrepreneur, Co-Founder – Iyengar’s Oven Fresh, Coffee Confessions, Casa Picossa Tropical Terrace, Bengaluru Belly
R.S. Dharmendra
Senior Vice President – Hospitality & Tourism, Sona Valliappa Group
Chef Rajmani Upadhyay
Chef, Restaurateur, Consultant &
Founder/Director – Concept Canvas
Dhruv Kohli
Founder,
Boba Bhai
Sunita Reddy
Chief Architect,
ACME Designers
gopichand cherukuri
Founder,
Indian Craft Brewery
Chef Michel Christmann
Founder & Executive Chef,
Rasa Table
Anamika Desai
Founder & CEO,
Miku’s Kitchen
Swathi Varun
Founder,
Yellow Spoon
Ms. Lakshmi Sridhar
General Manager of Novotel Visakhapatnam Varun Beach and The Bheemli Resort managed by Accor.
swapn randhawa
Vice President,
Spaceman Spirits Lab (SAMSARA)
raunak kundu
Founder,
Bluchisel Business Solutions
Prakash G
Managing Partner,
The Nachiyar cafe
sunil mishra
Brand Head,
BIGGUYS
& Many More to Join…
Conference Agenda
- – South India’s HoReCa 2025 – The Growth Engine of Indian Hospitality
- – How South India’s food habits are reshaping national menus
- – ₹12 trillion HoReCa market and where the next ₹500 billion will come from
- – Bengaluru’s tech-food boom, Chennai’s luxury dining rise, Hyderabad’s regal comeback
- – Tier-2 treasures: Mysuru, Madurai, Vijayawada — the quiet goldmines
- – Travel, tourism & corporate dining fuelling premium demand
- – Regional cuisines as India’s next big export
- – “Instagram-first” food — the dish as the marketing budget
- – Flexitarian flavours: plant-based, protein-rich, flavour-loaded
- – From millet magic to Michelin dreams
- – Hyper-local sourcing for authenticity that sells
- – Health-forward menus for the wellness generation
- – Retro comfort food meets modern plating
- – Incorporating global influences
- – Experiential dining and menu customisation
- – Click, Order, Repeat – Digital domination in dining
- – Where hospitality meets swipe culture
- – Cloud kitchens & app-first dining leading the way
- – QR menus, instant reorders, and the zero-wait revolution
- – AI-powered upselling: reading customer cravings in real time
- – Social commerce via WhatsApp & Instagram DM
- – Personalisation that makes customers feel like VIPs
- – Farm-to-fork partnerships with local growers
- – Zero-waste kitchens and composting models
- – Packaging innovations consumers are ready to pay for
- – The rise of climate-conscious diners
- – Energy & water efficiency in new-age kitchens
- – Consumer willingness to switch for sustainability
- – Green certifications as a brand differentiator
- – The ROI of going sustainable
- – The Billion-Dollar Sip – From filter coffee to craft cocktails
- – Heritage brews, modern margins – premiumising filter coffee, coconut water & buttermilk
- – Tech-infused machinery for beverages: coffee, tea & more
- – The Rise of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) – cold brews, iced teas & health juices
- – Functional & fortified beverages: probiotics, adaptogens & Ayurveda
- – Tourism as a beverage multiplier – vineyards, distilleries & tea trails
- – Home & on-demand premium drinking – mixology kits & D2C models
- – Investor insights: high-return beverage segments & scalability
- – In HoReCa, your back-end can make or break your brand
- – Tech-powered supplier–restaurant integration for consistency
- – AI with a 6th sense – predicting diner demand
- – Direct farm partnerships vs aggregator platforms – ROI battle
- – Cold chain upgrades to meet evolving demands
- – Ingredient traceability & consumer trust
- – Taming price swings without compromising quality/profits
- – Balancing leisure, business & “bleisure” supply needs
- – Consumers embracing “experience over ownership” in dining
- – New formats, new fortunes, and dining spaces of tomorrow
- – Multi-brand cloud kitchens hyper-targeting neighbourhoods
- – Gourmet food trucks as luxury casual
- – Curated food halls for urban shoppers
- – Pop-up restaurants as brand-testing grounds
- – Co-working kitchens for catering startups
- – Modernising traditional recipes without losing authenticity
- – Cross-border collaborations with global chefs
- – Packaging regional cuisine for ready-to-eat & export markets
- – Pairing heritage dishes with modern beverages
- – Culinary tourism trails: creating destination dining
- – Showcasing South Indian cuisine in Michelin & global awards
- – Social media virality for regional dishes
- – Business value of preserving culinary heritage
- – New-age chefpreneurs and their influence on trends
- – From chefs to service stars — people who make brands iconic
- – Digital training tools for service & kitchen staff
- – Attracting Gen Z talent into hospitality
- – Skill-building for fusion and multi-cuisine expertise
- – Employee wellness as a retention strategy
- – Gig economy models in catering & events
- – Storytelling through staff – turning teams into brand ambassadors
- – The Microbrewery Movement – Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Chennai leading
- – Untapped cities poised for craft beer growth
- – Diversifying the tap list beyond beer
- – Nightlife 2.0 – lounges, speakeasies & café-bars redefining evenings
- – Local meets global on tap – South Indian ingredients in brews
- – Experiential drinking spaces with music, comedy & community
- – Sustainable bar models – zero-waste brewing & renewable energy
- – Navigating licensing reforms & city policies
- – Why your interiors are your silent brand storytellers
- – Harnessing customer-generated content for trust and buzz
- – Crafting signature cocktails/mocktails that tell your story through mixology
- – Infusing local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients in food & cuisines
- – How plating & crockery enhance perceived value with trends in minimal, eco-friendly and luxury tableware
- – Beyond the Plate – Design & Flavour Disruption in creating Palate-pleasing food by Chefs & Restaurants
- – Customised crockery as a branding tool
- – Building systems, SOPs, and tech infusion for consistency
- – Personalisation in guest experiences
A Few of the Previous Speakers
PADMA SHRI AWARDEE Dr. Pushpesh Pant
Indian Academician, Food Critic & Historian
PADMA SHRI AWARDEE DR. CHEF DAMU
Celebrity Chef & Brand Ambassador GRT Group of Hotels, President- South Indian Chefs Association
PADMA SHRI SANJEEV KAPOOR
Masterchef & Entrepreneur
CHEF HEMANT OBEROI
Founder, OB Hospitality and Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa
Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi
CHEF MANJIT GILL
President, IFCA; Managing Director, Eco Green Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
CHEF RANVEER BRAR
Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, TV Show Host, Masterchef India Judge, Author & Food Film Producer
CHEF SARANSH GOILA
Celebrity Chef & Founder, Goila Butter Chicken
ZORAWAR KALRA
Founder & MD, Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. & Judge (MasterChef India)
CHEF SURESH PILLAI
Founder, RCP Hospitality
CHEF SANJAY THUMMA
Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur, Chef @ Vahrehvah.com
DR. (CHEF) K. THIRU
Founding Dean, The School of Hospitality Management, Mahindra University
CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR
Vice President,
Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi
& President, Indian Culinary Forum
CHEF KUNAL KAPUR
Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, TV Personality, Judge (MasterChef India), Author & Food Researcher
CHEF CHALAPATHI RAO
Cuisine Designer & Partner – SIMPLY SOUTH, Masterchef India (Telugu) Judge, TEDx Speaker
CHEF KOUSHIK S.
Celebrity Chef, Consultant, Master Chef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude
dia)
CHEF AMIT GOTHWAL
Executive Chef Ashok Hotel, Former Executive Chef, President’s Sectretariat
CHEF MONTU SAINI
Executive Chef – ITDC- Parliament House, Sr. Executive Chef – President’s Secretariat (June 2015 – August 2020), Former Member To Le Club Des Chefs Des Chefs (CCC) (Since June 2015), CCC – Club Of Personal Chefs Of Heads Of States & The World’s Most Exclusive Gastronomic Society
CHEF PANKAJ BHADOURIA
TV Host, Author, TEDx Speaker, Entrepreneur, Educator
ARUN ADIGA
Managing Partner, Vidyarthi Bhavan
SWARNALATHA RAVI
Director, Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan
RAGHAVENDRA RAO
Co-Founder & CEO, The Rameshwaram Café
SHAKIR HAQ
CEO, NKP EMPIRE VENTURES PVT LTD (Empire Restaurant, Empire Juice, EasyBites, Karama Restaurant, Vegetarea)
SWETA RAVI
Director,
Nandhana Group of restaurants
SANGEETHA MARUTHAPANDIAN
Director, Anjappar Chettinad Restaurant
SANJANA SURESH
Partner, Sangeetha Veg Restaurant
M. HAFEES AHMED
Director, Ambur Star Briyani International Private Limited
ESHWAR K VIKAS
Co-Founder & CEO, Mukunda Foods
CHEF SASHI JACOB
Vice President (Food & Beverage), Villa Maya & Baker’s Arch; Mentor, Creative Head, Visionary Designer, Curator of memorable experiences & Jury Member for multiple culinary competitions
MUKESH TOLANI
Co-Founder and Director, Toit Beer Co., pH4 Food & Beverages Pvt. Ltd.
BERT MUELLER
California Burrito
TEJA CHEKURI
Managing Partner, Ironhill India
DEEPA HALL
Managing Partner, Ironhill India
SID MARCHANT
Co-Founder,
Good Flippin’ Burgers & FLYP Coffee
MAHESH REDDY
Chief Executive Officer, GOPIZZA
PRASHANT ISSAR
MD – Bellona Hospitality Services Limited & MD and Founder- Stratix Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
RAMAKRISHNA GANESH
Investor and Partner, Multiple Ventures,
Sally and Street by 1522
KARAN KAPUR
Executive Director, K Hospitality Corp
YANGDUP LAMA
Entrepreneur, Beverage Consultant, Author & Co-Founder, Sidecar and Cocktails & Dreams Speakeasy and Partner, Drinks India Company
SONAL HOLLAND
Master of Wine, Founder Director, Soho Wine Consultants & Sonal Holland Wine Academy
ROCKY MOHAN
Brand custodian, Old Monk, Author, Founder, Gourmet Passport & Chef Pin
AVINASH KANT KUMAR
President, Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd.
RAGHAV JOSHI
Co-founder, Rebel Foods
DHIMAN DAS
Executive Director,K.C. Das Private Limited
AVINASH KAPOLI
Co-Founder, Kompany / Jamming Goat
SANCHARI CHOWDHURY
Campus Director – IIHM Bangalore and Head – South; Co-Chairperson, Hospitality, Tourism & Travel Expert Committee- Bangalore Chamber of Industry and commerce (BCIC ) Karnataka
AKASH KALRA
Managing Director, United Group
AKSHAY BALWANI
Director, Upper Crust Foods Private Limited (Sbarro Pizza India
BALACHANDAR R
Executive Director, Junior Kuppanna Kitchens Pvt Ltd
TARAK BHATTACHARYA
Executive Director and CEO,
Mad Over Donuts
RAYMOND ANDREW
Founder, Biryani Blues
B.A.R. MOHAMED ALI
Chairman & Managing Director, Narmada Group of Hotels
NITIN TANDON
Food stylist, Chefpreneur,
& Educator
BIRAJA ROUT
Founder,
Biggies Burger
NICHOLAS GROSEMI
Co-Founder,
Paris Panini
ROHIT KASUGANTI
Founder & CEO, Telangana Spice Kitchen & Terrāi
MANISH GUPTAA
Director – Digital Marketing & Technology,
Pizza Hut India, Yum! Brands
CHEF RAKESH SETHI
Corporate Executive Chef, Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group
RASHMI DAGA
Founder & CEO, FreshMenu
NOUFAL NARIKOLLI
Founder & CEO,
Zaitoon Restaurant and Grill
ABHAYRAJ SINGH KOHLI
Founder, Tori, Grandmamas Café, MRP & The Roll Company
RAHUL SETH
Co-Founder,
Burger Singh
VIJAY DALWANI
Chairman,
DNY Hospitality
RAJAT AGARWAL
Chief Executive Officer, Barista Coffee Company Limited
MARICHI MATHUR
Sr. Vice President Retail, ONDC
CHEF SHREEYA ADKA
MasterChef India Tamil Judge, Founder / Chef – The French Door
SHIVNAYAN AGGARWAL
Co-Founder,
Burger Singh
SUNITA REDDY
Chief Architect, ACME Designers
CHEF SHRIRAM RAJENDRAN
Chef, CEO, Author (The Table Book of Desserts), Foodpreneur, Founder (The Table India, Mapo Hakka Chinese, Butter Crust Pizzeria)
BOBBY PATEL
Co-Founder and Culinary Director, Trinetra Venture (Thyme & Whisk, MadDoh, Tribes)
ARUN PRASANNA
Corporate General Manager – Byg Ventures Pvt Ltd
Awards Overview
Esteemed Jury Members
Padma Shree Awardee Dr. Pushpesh Pant
Indian Academician, Food Critic & Historian
Chef harpal singh sokhi
Celebrity Chef, Coach & Restauranteur
chef kunal kapur
Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, TV Personality, Judge (MasterChef India), Author & Food Researcher
CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR
Vice President, Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi & President, Indian Culinary Forum
CHEF AMIT GOTHWAL
Executive Chef, The Ashok Hotel,
Former Executive Chef- President’s Secretariat
Dr. (Chef) K Thiru
Founding Dean,
The School of Hospitality Management,
Mahindra University
CHEF KOUSHIK S.
Chef, Founder, Eatitude Consultants, MasterChef Tamil Judge & TEDx Speaker
Chef Rakesh Raghunathan
Celebrity Chef,
Food Historian &
MasterChef India Judge (Tamil)
CHEF CHALAPATHI RAO
Cuisine Designer & Partner – Simply South, MasterChef India (Telugu) Judge, TEDx Speaker
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu
Founder, OB Hospitality and Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa
Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi
Award Categories
RESTAURANT AWARDS
CLOUD KITCHEN
CUISINE AWARDS
CAFE & BAKERY AWARDS
DESIGN AWARDS
NIGHTLIFE AWARDS
NEWCOMER AWARDS
INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
SPECIAL AWARDS
More than 200 Categories to Choose from...
Previous Jury Members
PADMA SHRI AWARDEE Dr. Pushpesh Pant
Indian Academician, Food Critic And Historian
PADMA SHRI AWARDEE DR. CHEF DAMU
Celebrity Chef & Brand Ambassador GRT Group of Hotels, President- South Indian Chefs Association
PADMA SHRI SANJEEV KAPOOR
Masterchef & Entrepreneur
CHEF HEMANT OBEROI
Founder, OB Hospitality and Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa
Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi
CHEF MANJIT GILL
President, IFCA; Managing Director, Eco Green Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
DR. (CHEF) K. THIRU
Founding Dean, The School of Hospitality Management, Mahindra University
Chef Chalapathi Rao
Cuisine Designer & Partner – SIMPLY SOUTH, Masterchef India (Telugu) Judge, TEDx Speaker
Zorawar Kalra
Founder & MD, Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. & Judge (MasterChef India)
Chef Koushik S.
Celebrity Chef, Consultant, Master Chef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude
dia)
Chef Suresh Pillai
Founder, RCP Hospitality
Chef Davinder Kumar
executive Chef & Vice President, Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi & President, Indian Culinary Forum
CHEF HARPAL SINGH SOKHI
Celebrity Chef & Entrepreneur
Sanjay Vazirani
Chief Executive Officer, Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt. Ltd.
Chef Ajay Chopra
Chefpreneur, Restaurateur, Consultant & Judge (MasterChef India)
Chef Abhijit Saha
Restauranteur, Food & Beverage Consultant, Oenophile And Author
Chef-Owner – LYFE, Farm To Fork Restaurant, Bangalore
Chef Sanjay Thumma
Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur, Chef @ Vahrehvah.com
Chef Kunal Kapur
Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, TV Personality, Judge (MasterChef India), Author & Food Researcher
CHEF RITU DALMIA
Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, Owner of multiple acclaimed restaurants worldwide, Popular TV host & Author of several Cookbooks.
Kunal Vijayakar
Broadcaster, Food Writer, Author, Actor and Television Personality
SHATBHI BASU
Director,
Creative Consultants &
STIR Academy Of Bartending
Chef Shreeya Adka
Masterchef India Tamil Judge, Founder / Chef – The French Door
CHEF VARUN INAMDAR
Chef, Chocolatier, Food Stylist, Author, Food Film Maker, Brand Advisor & Consultant
Chef Sanjyot Keer
Celebrity Chef, Founder, Your Food Lab, Content Creator, Food Brand Adviser
Chef Saby
Chef, Mentor, Restaurateur & Entrepreneur
Chef Aanal Kotak
Celebrity Chef & Co-Founder,
TSK Hospitality LLP
MASTERCHEF PANKAJ BHADOURIA
TV Host, Author, TEDx Speaker, Entrepreneur, Educator
CHEF MARINA BALAKRISHNAN
Chef & Founder,
Oottupura
Chef Shaun Kenworthy
Chef, Restaurateur, Consultant, Food & Travel writer
CHEF MICHAEL SWAMY
Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur,
Food Stylist, Author
Chef Nikitha Umesh
Pastry Chef, Entrepreneur, Celebrity Chef & MasterChef India Judge (Telugu)
CHEF ANANYA BANERJEE
Author, Consultant, Founder & CEO,
Ananya Banerjee Consulting Services
CHEF SHERRY MEHTA
CEO, The Nomad Foodie, Award winning Chef Restauranteur, F&B Consultant, Food TV Show Judge, Pop-up Specialist
Ameeta Agnihotri
Award winning Food Critic & Author
