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South India Edition

Conference Overview

The Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2023 is a powerhouse of current trends and visionary messages aimed to ignite new ideas in the HoReCa space. Led by the top leaders and changemakers in the Restaurant industry, FCIC 2023 is a combination of Awards, Exhibition and Conference designed to provide a platform to the who’s who of the industry to come together and brainstorm on the future course of action in this space and setting the trend for all stakeholders to follow in.

Eminent Speakers

CONFERENCE CHAIRPERSON
CHEF HEMANT OBEROI

Founder, OB Hospitality and Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa
Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi

FIRESIDE
CHAT
ZORAWAR KALRA

Founder & Managing Director,
Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.

KEYNOTE
SPEAKER
Chef Abhijit Saha

Founder & Managing Director,
Ace Hospitality & Consulting

RAJAT AGRAWAL

Chief Executive Officer,
Barista Coffee Company Limited

Sachin Pabreja

Co-Founder & CEO,
EazyDiner

Chef Chalapathi Rao

Cuisine Designer & Partner – Simply South, MasterChef India (Telugu) Judge, TEDx Speaker

Swarnalatha Ravi

Director,
Namma Veedu Vasanta Bhavan

Chef Saby

Chef, Mentor, President – Young Chefs Association of India (YCAI), Restaurateur & Entrepreneur

CHEF KOUSHIK S.

Celebrity Chef, Consultant, MasterChef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude

MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria

TV Host, Author, TEDx Speaker, Entrepreneur, Educator

DHIMAN DAS

Executive Director,
K.C. Das Private Limited

CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR

Executive Chef & Vice President,
Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi
& President, Indian Culinary Forum

RASHMI DAGA

Founder & CEO,
FreshMenu

SHWETA RAVI

Director,
Nandhana Group of restaurants

Chef K. thiru

Principal,
Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration

CHEF VIKAS SETH

Chef & Culinary Director,
Embassy Leisure

Manish Guptaa

Director – Digital Marketing & Technology,
Pizza Hut India, Yum! Brands

RAYMOND ANDREWS

Co-Founder,
Biryani Blues

KUSHANG

Co-Founder & CEO,
SupplyNote

KAMAL DEEP SINGH

Chief Executive Officer,
Drunken Monkey

Mukesh Tolani

Co-Founder and Director, Toit Beer Co., pH4 Food & Beverages Pvt. Ltd.

PRAVESH PANDEY

Director – Roxie, Handcrafted Restaurants Pvt Ltd;
Ex-Director – Byg Brewski Brewing Company

TEJA CHEKURI

 Managing Partner,
Ironhill India

Raghavendra Rao

Co-Founder & CEO
The Rameshwaram Café

Mahesh Reddy

Chief Executive Officer,
GOPIZZA

Sanchari Chowdhury

Campus Director – IIHM Bangalore and Head – South; Co-Chairperson, Hospitality, Tourism & Travel Expert Committee- Bangalore Chamber of Industry and commerce (BCIC ) Karnataka

Rajneesh Raman

Co-Founder & COO,
Celcius Logistics Solutions

Sona Mantri

Founder & CEO,
Sprinteriors – B2B Designers Pvt. Ltd.

DR. ABHINAV SAXENA

Founder,
Cloud Kitchen Network

BIRAJA ROUT

Founder,
Biggies Burger

Senthil Kumar

Chief Business Officer,
Dindigul Thalappakatti

Nicolas Grossemy

Co-Founder,
Paris Panini

ABHAY KEWADKAR

Founder & Managing Director,
Fox In The Field

Jatinder Pal

Executive Chef,
Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield Hotel & Convention Center

Chef Anupam Gulati

Director – Culinary,
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Bangalore

Vinod kumar NV

CEO & Managing Director,
SNN Foods

SANANDAN SUDHIR

Founder & CTO,
On2Cook India

Raunak Kundu

Founder,
Bangalore Foodies Club & Secret Sauce Behind a Successful Restaurant

Noufal Narikkoli

Founder & CEO,
Zaitoon Restaurant and Grill

AJAY NAGARAJAN

CEO,
Total Environment Hospitality, Windmills, Brewery & Restaurant

RAHUL TIRUMALAPRAGADA

Founder and CEO,
Makers of Milkshakes

SHIVNAYAN AGGARWAL

Market Transformation Manager,
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)

Alina Alam

Founder & CEO,
Mitti Cafe

Disha Oberoi

Radio Jockey,
Superhits 93.5 RED FM

& Many More to Join…

Conference Agenda

  • The Indian restaurant industry outlook
  • Increased demand for local and organic food
  • ‘Seasonal’ becomes regular on menu
  • Going environmentally conscious with focus on sustainability
  • Emergence of plant-based and vegan food options
  • Speciality & fusion, the way forward
  • Delighting customers with insta-worthy décor
  • Your vibe attracts your tribe – Making the most of music, lighting, technology, and other elements to create the right ‘vibe’
  • Service that revolves around the customer – Value of empathetic & pro-active staff
  • Turning your customers into restaurant brand ambassadors – Personalizing the guest experience
  • People, Growth, and Technology: How top brands are doing it all
  • The key to growth and gaining competitive advantage
  • Rebuilding teams for better-prioritizing initiatives and technology investment decisions to scale operations
  • Testing the waters to go global
  • Digital transforming the dining experience
  • Adoption of technology to enhance customer experience and streamline operations
  • Key technologies propelling the Food Tech industry
  • Robotics & automation enabling efficient food production
  • How much tech is too much for F&B business?
  • Restaurants and cafes bringing state-wise cuisine on platter
  • Experimenting with new dishes
  • Promote the diversity and richness of the region’s culinary heritage
  • Fusion of regional cuisine with other cuisines
  • Increase in street food culture and rise of specialty cafes
  • Emphasis on traditional cooking techniques and authentic ingredients
  • Use of technology to promote regional cuisine
  • Risks and rewards of going all out with speciality cuisine
  • Carving a niche in the world of flavors to rule customers heart
  • The future of menu innovation – keeping it short and simple
  • Government’s role in promoting regional cuisine
  • The Business elements of owning a Restaurant
  • Mastering the Culinary Arts
  • Importance of SOPs – Housekeeping, Catering, Inventory, Health & Safety
  • Calculating and Analyzing the Profitability of a Dish
  • Going digital from the front-end to back-end operations – Catalyzing growth using Integrated Restaurant Management Systems & Tech

What you’ll see in the festival

This year, the Exhibz International Food Festival will be upgraded with lots of  activities and sub-programs

Session 1

Session 1

What are we eating in 2023?

1
Session 2

Session 2

Going global with local

2
Session 3

Session 3

Expansion of regional cuisine beyond their traditional boundaries

3
Session 4

Session 4

Food Tech accelerating food transformation

4
Session 5

Session 5

Building the new-age restaurant

5

A Few of the previous editions Eminent Speakers

Padma Shri Sanjeev Kapoor

Masterchef & Entrepreneur

Padma Shri
Dr. Pushpesh Pant
Indian Academician, Food Critic and Historian
Chef Kunal Kapur

Founder & MD,
Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. & Judge (MasterChef India)

Zorawar Kalra

Founder & MD,
Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. &
Judge (MasterChef India)

Chef Atul Kochhar

2 Time Michelin Starred Chef,
Restaurateur & Entrepreneur

Chef Ranveer Brar

Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, Tv
Show Host, Masterchef India Judge,
Author & Food Film Producer

Riyaaz Amlani

CEO & MD,
Impresario Handmade Restaurants

Sanjay Vazirani

Chief Executive Officer,
Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt. Ltd

Anurag Katriar
Trustee, NRAI (Voice of the Indian Restaurant Industry) & Founder & Managing Director, Indigo Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.
Rahul Singh

Founder & CEO,
The Beer Café

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

Rocky Mohan

Brand custodian, Old Monk,
Author, Founder, Gourmet
Passport & Chef Pin

Raghav Joshi

Co-founder,
Rebel Foods

Dr. A.K. Tyagi

Executive Director,
Haldiram Group of Companies

Eshwar K Vikas

Co-founder & CEO,
Mukunda Foods

Kabir Advani

Managing Partner, Berco’s

Samir Kuckreja

Founder & CEO,
Tasanaya Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

Sagar Daryani

Co-founder & CEO,
Wow! Momo Foods

Chef Amrita Raichand

TV Host & Judge | Lifestyle Chef |
India’s Cultural Ambassador|
Tedx Speaker

Chef Shipra Khanna

MasterChef India Season 2
Winner, Cookbook Author,
TV Host/Producer & Consultant

Tarak Bhattacharya

Executive Director and CEO,
Mad Over Donuts

Dr. Vikram Kamat

Founder Chairman,
The VITSKamats Group

Gauri Devidayal

Co-founder, Food Matters Group

Chef Ajay Chopra

Chefpreneur, Restaurateur,
Consultant & Judge
(MasterChef India)

Rajat Wahi

Partner,
Deloitte Consulting, India

Chef Abhijit Saha

Founder & Managing Director,
Ace Hospitality & Consulting

Chef Saby

Chef, Mentor,
Restaurateur & Entrepreneur

Pushpa Bector

Executive Director,
DLF Retail

Chef Koushik S.

Celebrity Chef, Consultant,
Master Chef Tamil Judge &
Founder, Eatitude

Chef Davinder Kumar

Executive Chef & Vice President,
Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi
& President, Indian Culinary Forum

Pawan Shahri

Founder & CEO, Chrome Asia
Hospitality Pvt Ltd.

Rakshay Dhariwal

Founder & Managing Director,
Pass Code Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

Abhayraj Singh Kohli

Founder, Tori, Grandmamas Café,
MRP & The Roll Company

Aditi Dugar

Director & Founder, Masque &
Urban Gourmet India Pvt. Ltd.

SONAL HOLLAND

Master of Wine, Founder Director,
Soho Wine Consultants & Sonal
Holland Wine Academy

Chef Sudhir Pai

Chef & F&B Consultant,
Pai & Associates

Dheeraj Gupta

Founder and MD,
Jumboking

Jasmit Tibb

Managing Director,
Tibb’s Frankie

Pravesh Pandey

VP – Restaurant Success, Zomato &
Shareholder and Former Director,
Byg Brewski Brewing Company

Anubhav Sapra

Founder & Foodie-in-Chief,
Delhi Food Walks

Chef Rakhee Vaswani

Founder,
Palate Culinary Academy

Vaniitha Jaiin

Founder, The Perfect Pour

Bansi Kotecha

Co-founder,
Kytchens

Chef Ananya Banerjee

Author, Consultant, Founder & CEO,
Ananya Banerjee Consulting Services

Rajendra Kalkar

President – West,
The Phoenix Mills Ltd.

Sandeep Ghosh

Business Head,
DS Spiceco Pvt. Ltd.

Chef Aanal Kotak

Chef & Co-founder,
TSK Hospitality LLP

Shailee Chatrath Tyagi

Director, Organised Trade Channels,
Pepsico India Beverages

Raymond Andrews

Founder,
Biryani Blues

Sanjay Vazirani

Chief Executive Officer, Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt. Ltd.

Chef Hemant Oberoi

Founder, OB Hospitality and Hemant Oberoi Hospitality Goa
Founder, Michelin Selection Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi

Zorawar Kalra

Founder & MD,
Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. & Judge (MasterChef India)

ROCKY MOHAN

Brand custodian,
Old Monk, Author
Founder,
Gourmet Passport & Chef Pin

Awards Overview

Food Connoisseurs India Awards – South India Edition is where the best of the F&B industry come together to raise a toast to those who deserve. This award is for everyone who has elevated the levels of the F&B industry while remaining true to the core of customer service and customer satisfaction, irrespective of the size, scale, capital, or business model.

Esteemed Awards Jury

CHEF ABHIJIT SAHA

Founder & Managing Director,
Ace Hospitality & Consulting

Chef Saby

Chef, Mentor, President – Young Chefs Association of India (YCAI), Restaurateur & Entrepreneur

CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR

Executive Chef & Vice President,
Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi
& President, Indian Culinary Forum

Chef Chalapathi Rao

Cuisine Designer & Partner – Simply South, MasterChef India (Telugu) Judge,
TEDx Speaker

Chef K. thiru

Principal,
Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration

CHEF KOUSHIK S.

Celebrity Chef, Consultant, MasterChef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude

MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria

TV Host, Author, TEDx Speaker, Entrepreneur, Educator

Award Categories

RESTAURANT AWARDS

RESTAURANT AWARDS


CLOUD KITCHEN AWARDS

CLOUD KITCHEN AWARDS

CUISINE  AWARDS

CUISINE AWARDS


CAFE & BAKERY AWARDS

CAFE & BAKERY AWARDS

DESIGN AWARDS

DESIGN AWARDS


NIGHTLIFE AWARDS

NIGHTLIFE AWARDS


NEWCOMER AWARDS

NEWCOMER AWARDS


INDIVIDUAL HONOURS

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS


SPECIAL AWARDS

SPECIAL AWARDS


Previous Awards Jury Members

PADMA SHRI SANJEEV KAPOOR

Masterchef & Entrepreneur

CHEF KUNAL KAPUR

Celebrity Chef, Restaurateur, TV
Personality, Judge (MasterChef India),
Author & Food Researcher

Sanjay Vazirani

Chief Executive Officer, Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt. Ltd.

ZORAWAR KALRA

Founder & MD, Massive Restaurants Pvt.
Ltd. & Judge (MasterChef India)

KUNAL VIJAYAKAR

Broadcaster, Food Writer, Author,
Actor And Television Personality

CHEF AJAY CHOPRA

Chefpreneur, Restaurateur,
Consultant & Judge (MasterChef India)

CHEF ABHIJIT SAHA

Founder & Managing Director,
Ace Hospitality & Consulting

CHEF SABY

Chef, Mentor, Restaurateur
& Entrepreneur

CHEF KOUSHIK S.

Celebrity Chef, Consultant,
Master Chef Tamil Judge & Founder, Eatitude

CHEF DAVINDER KUMAR
Executive Chef & Vice President, Le Meridien Hotel, New Delhi & President, Indian Culinary Forum
AMEETA AGNIHOTRI

Award winning Food Critic & Author

A few of the Previous Partners & Exhibitors

Festival Gallery

This year, the Exhibz International Food Festival will be upgraded with lots of  activities and sub-programs

REACH US Get Direction to the Event Hall

From the blog

This year, the Exhibz International Food Festival will be upgraded with lots of activities and sub-programs

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Met Gala planner to

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West Elm Exhibz light

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New Digital Man beast

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