Hyderabad Edition Speakers
Teja Chekuri
Global Entrepreneur And Managing Partner, Ironhill India
Teja Chekuri
Global Entrepreneur And Managing Partner, Ironhill India
Teja Chekuri is a global entrepreneur who has set up unique restaurant chains across the world. He is currently the Managing Partner at Ironhill India and holds several board level positions in different companies. He co-founded the Godavari Group of Restaurants in the US and under this group he launched Madras Dosa Co (Boston ) , 1947 -Truly Indian (Boston) , Vaanga (Boston) and an Indian Gastrobar “Don’t Tell Aunty” in Boston along with establishing the flagship brand Godavari in 21 locations (Delaware, Toronto, Tampa , Jersey City, Minneapolis, Orange Country, Atlanta, Columbus, Woburn, Philadelphia, Naperville, Houston, Schaumburg, Kansas, Charlotte, Cincinnati , Edison, Hartford, Herndon, Morrisville and Rhode Island). After having established a robust empire on international.
shores, he turned his attention to India. He pioneered the concept of craftbeer in India with the launch of Prost in 2012. While it is still charting its own success story, Teja wanted to look at experimenting more with local favours and create unique mixes with Indian spices that can be added to the brews to bring about an interesting experience for beer connoisseurs. That’s how Ironhill India came about. Since its launch, the brand has established multiple footprints at a rapid pace under his leadership and is still on an expansion mode. This is today the largest and fastest growing chain in India. He continues to add more restaurants with unique flavours to his list with a South Indian specialty restaurant - United Telugu Kitchens ( Vijayawada & Hyderabad ) along with “ishtaa” – a pure vegetarian fine dining restaurant in Hyderabad (2022) that is wowing foodies with its unique menu. Launching a retail brand is on the cards in the near future.
Gautam Gupta
CEO, Paradise Food Court
Gautam Gupta
CEO, Paradise Food CourtIn a career spanning over two decades, Gautam has deep experience in consumer businesses across multiple sectors. First decade of his career was with marquee FMCG companies – Reckitt Benckiser and ITC where he donned various responsibilities in sales, trade marketing and band management areas. His association with Samara Capital started in 2010 with pharmacy Chain – Guardian Lifecare, where he was the CEO before moving to food services sector within Samara portfolio. He was the CEO of Pizza Hut business at Sapphire foods during its early integration phase. Currently he is the CEO of Paradise Biryani, Hyderabad – the largest Biryani player in the country with presence across 10 cities and growing. Gautam holds an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow and also received his B. Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
Chef Amey Marathe
VP, Telangana Chefs Association
Chef Amey Marathe
VP, Telangana Chefs AssociationThe legendary James Beard once said, “being a chef isn’t just the ability to make a fantastic bacon fried chicken, it is about being a leader and a symbol of culinary pride.” It is the moto that multi award winning Chef Amey Marathe has lived by. In his elusive career spanning over two decades’ Chef Marathe has been involved in every facet of bringing together and running successful F&B establishments pan India, and has been associated with some of the top brands across the country like Sun-n-Sand Hotels, St Laurn Hotels, Hard Rock International, Inn Venue Hospitality and Ohri’s. However, the one thing that this seasoned consultant and F&B specialist is known for is his current project on deriving a sustainable cure to food wastage. As the CEO and founder of JSAMEY BIOTECH, he is India’s first Chefpreneur to advocate the virtues of eco-waste disposal. In fact, his future plan includes bringing down wastage in the F&B segment by 45% with a Pan-India presence. A voracious traveller and archiver of traditional cuisine and a regarded teacher, Chef Marathe has been an influential presence when it comes to promoting hospitality as a career among the youth. A mentor to many a chef, he is the vice president of the Telangana Chefs Association, which was curated, structured and implemented by him. And is also a known consultant who has helped shaped many a dining spaces across India. He specialises in reviving ailing restaurants and organizations.
Chef Chalapathi Rao
Entrepreneur, Simply South
Chef Chalapathi Rao
Entrepreneur, Simply SouthChef Chalapathi Rao is an entrepreneur. His entrepreneurial venture is named “Simply South by Chef Chalapathi Rao”. The restaurant has redefined the popular South Indian cuisines and has preserved its rich cultural and culinary heritage. The venture, as well as Chef Chalapati Rao has won numerous accolades from highly esteemed organizations. A highly self-motivated and resourceful Chef, Chef Chalapathi Rao is constantly reinventing his age-old recipes to provide evolved culinary experience to the restaurant's patrons. He is presently in the quest for expanding his venture to global destinations. In addition, Chef Challu - as he is fondly known - by the hospitality and culinary industries - is a high-class content writer. He has authored several concept notes, stories and articles on cuisine for diverse print media. Chef Challu's professional career has spanned over 25 years. Earlier in his career, Chef Challu was the highly acclaimed and successful brand custodian as well as Master Chef of the Dakshin brand - while employed with ITC Hotels. In between his ITC Hotels career of almost two decades and his entrepreneurial journey, Chef Challu was the Corporate Chef with a major hotel group based at Hyderabad
Shivneet Pohoja
Executive Chef, ITC Kohenur
Shivneet Pohoja
Executive Chef, ITC KohenurAn intrinsic streak of creativity and an acquired penchant for world class processes has made Shivneet an accomplished Executive Chef. At the helm of the culinary experiences of the formidable ITC Kohenur at Hyderabad, Chef Pohoja is an alumnus of ITC Hotels’ Hospitality Management Institute, Gurugram.
Over the 2 decades of his culinary journey Shivneet has worked with ITC Hotels’ signature brands such as Peshawri, Pavilion, Westview, Yi Jing and Ottimo. A considerable duration of his career was spent curating bespoke banqueting events for discerning families and organisations.
Having worked in culinary leadership roles across the geography of India in Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Delhi, Mewat and Hyderabad, Shivneet has acquired an in-depth understanding of regional Indian cuisine and culture, a trait that comes in handy when innovating new menus at ITC Kohenur.
In the early part of his career, Shivneet trained extensively at Singapore in contemporary Chinese cuisine and was the all-India winner of the prestigious Bocuse D’or culinary championship, an Olympiad of the culinary world where he also went on to represent the country for the Asia Cup held at Shanghai.
Sanandan Sudhir
Founder & Director of On2Cook India
Sanandan Sudhir
Founder & Director of On2Cook IndiaOn2Cook is the brainchild of Sanandan Sudhir (Sandy) the Founder & Director of On2Cook India. Winner of Several Industrial Design, Engineering & Management Awards and with more than 2 decades of Design Excellence and Leadership experience, Sanandan Sudhir (Sandy) is an Engineer and an alumni of the prestigious National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. He is a true thought leader with a passion to create end to end products focused on IP strategy. An Inventor at heart, he has 32 Global Patents (Granted) & more than 60 Applied For. Sandy is currently focused on bringing this product to the market and oversees the Product Design, Development & Manufacturing including the future Product & IP Strategy.
Ramit Goyal
National Sales Head Hyperpure by Zomato
Ramit Goyal
National Sales Head Hyperpure by ZomatoAs Hyperpure by Zomato's Sales Head, Ramit Goyal navigates and transforms food distribution with strategic expertise to make it easier for restaurants to scale their business. Formerly leading the product function, he fuelled innovation. Ramit's distinction lies in crafting visionary solutions, building consensus, and instilling a culture of data-driven decision-making. His multifaceted approach and commitment make him invaluable in shaping Hyperpure's future in food distribution
Previously Ramit led the product function at Hyperpure. He made major transformative contributions to internet products, leading to innovation and growth.
What distinguishes Ramit is his fervor for crafting visionary product solutions to intricate challenges, building consensus among stakeholders, and implementing scalable solutions. His passion extends to cultivating high-performing teams and instilling a culture of data-driven decision-making and experimentation.
Ramit's multifaceted approach and commitment to excellence make him an invaluable leader in shaping the future of food distribution at Hyperpure by Zomato.
Previously Ramit led the product function at Hyperpure. He made major transformative contributions to internet products, fuelling innovation and growth.
What distinguishes Ramit is his fervor for crafting visionary product solutions to intricate challenges, building consensus among stakeholders, and implementing scalable solutions. His passion extends to cultivating high-performing teams and instilling a culture of data-driven decision-making and experimentation.
Ramit's multifaceted approach and commitment to excellence make him an invaluable leader in shaping the future of food distribution at Hyperpure by Zomato.
Abhishek Bahl
Associate Director – Sales & Head- F&B, Gupshup
Abhishek Bahl
Associate Director – Sales & Head- F&B, GupshupAbhishek Bahl pioneered the concept of online table reservations in India with Bitequest on 2008. He has 15 years of work experience in the FNB domain. An, Ex VP at EazyDiner and head- FNB for Bookmyshow. He started his career with his entrepreneurial venture i.e Bitequest after finishing his Masters in management accounting from the University of Melbourne, Australia. He is currently AD sales and head of FNB at Gupshup
Shashank Anumula
Managing Director, Café Niloufer
Shashank Anumula
Managing Director, Café NilouferShashank Anumula an MBA graduate who joined his father Mr. A Babu Rao in 2011in his journey succeeding in making Cafe Niloufer an integral part of modern Hyderabad. His single vision was evolving the brand with times, and expanding the brand name with top most priority to quality and consistency.
His vision was to scale up the business, however he first focused on standardizing processes before expanding. After 5 years of thorough research on baking cookies, breads, and cakes, with unwavering focus on product consistency, he opened the first Cafe Niloufer outlet at Lakdikapul. This outlet presented to the city a unique tea cafe experience by serving perfect hand-crafted blends in an air-conditioning setting. A first for Hyderabad. Since then he explored the concept of a premium tea cafe and today opened up 5 Cafe Niloufer Outlets in the city, serving upto 1L customers every single day.
During the pandemic, he initiated the company into the FMCG segment with the launch of 3 Cafe Niloufer Tea Powder Blends. The strength of the company today is that it is a place for everyone, ensuring every single person who comes to have chai also has a variety of options that can go along with it.
Dharmender Lamba
Hotel Manager and Associate Vice President, Trident Hyderabad...
Dharmender Lamba
Hotel Manager and Associate Vice President, Trident Hyderabad & Founding President, Telangana Chefs AssociationChef Dharmender is founding President of Telangana Chefs Association and is Hotel Manager & Associate VP, Trident Hyderabad.
He has over 23 years of culinary journey with seven different properties of Oberoi Hotels both in India and abroad. With extensive gourmet culinary experience, he was trained among the top Chefs in India and abroad.
At present he is working with The Trident Hyderabad where he has been driving 480 Million Food and beverage revenue, heading 5 of fine dining food and beverage outlets.
Prior to this he was heading the kitchens of The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt; a top end luxury destination, second to none on the shore of Red Sea.
During his tenure in Hyderabad he has put forward a lot of traditional and modern food concepts to give a sense of adventure, true food and awareness to the people. Few of the concepts were: Incredible cuisines of India, which featured dishes from lesser known culinary regions of India like Madhya Pradesh, Kanyakumari, Bihar, Jammu, and Orissa. Another was Lazzet-e-Rampur and Awadh, an amalgamation of ingredients incorporated from Mughlai, Awadh, Kashmiri and Afghani flavours. Classic cheese and Pasta promotions and Progressive Indian cuisine, all these concepts were studied thoroughly to offer an authentic and unique experience to the guests.
Siddharth Arora
COO, Paradise Foodcourt Pvt Limited
Siddharth Arora
COO, Paradise Foodcourt Pvt LimitedSiddharth Arora is the COO at Paradise Foodcourt Pvt Limited. He has 22 years of experience in Food service industry across the country in Domino’s, Chaayos and Paradise Biryani, have been an operator, strategist and a scaleup lead in these organizations.
He enjoys driving growth through aggressive goal setting, democratizing data and empowerment.
Siddharth Singh
AVP Strategy, NuTaste
Siddharth Singh
AVP Strategy, NuTasteA business post-graduate from prestigious IIM-Lucknow and 12+ years experienced Sales & Marketing Strategist, highly skilled in building entrepreneurial eco-system by commissioning & mentoring cross-functional teams, raising multiple rounds of funding, advising on robust processes while designing, developing and implementing various marketing campaigns to drive bottom line from scratch.
Proficient in formulating and executing critical marketing strategies to boost revenue generation and profits. Adept at fostering stellar business relationships with government machinery, funders, academia, cross-functional teams, clients, and vendors to engage, inspire and provide compelling value to the stakeholders.
Specialties
Cross-functional Team Leadership | Stakeholder Management | Sales & Marketing | Business Development | Revenue Generation | Product Launch | Business Incubation | Training & Mentoring | Business Expansion | Strategic Planning & Execution | Product Roadmap | Project Management | Monitoring & Reporting | Corporate Relationships | Strategic Relationships | Strategic Alliances | Business Partnerships | Solution Designing | Business Analysis | Business Intelligence | Business Expansion | Portfolio Risk Management | Regulatory Compliance | Operational Excellence | Customer Excellence | Automation
Twinkle Keswani
Founder, Pisco Hospitality
Twinkle Keswani
Founder, Pisco Hospitality30 year old F&B Entrepreneur Twinkle Keswani smoothly pivoted from her career in banking to emerge as a young restaurateur. Formerly, the Executive Vice President of Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality, she has conceptualised an array of restaurants across Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Kenya and Dubai and successfully spearheaded some of the most popular brands in the country before venturing out individually. After a six year stint with Silver Beach Hospitality - venturing out as an entrepreneur ultimately led her to Toro Toro in Goa, Pisco By The Beach, Goa - ranked amongst the finest restaurants in the state, Chop in Nairobi, Kenya, Cafe Montagne in the heart of Leh, Ladakh and recently Halo Cocktail Bar & Kitchen in Hyderabad with an upcoming project in Kochi.
Muhammad Yusuf
Co-Founder, Bakelore
Muhammad Yusuf
Co-Founder, BakeloreYusuf’s passion for the hospitality and food industry drew him to the creative space in the confectionary world, which inspired him to pursue a degree in Hotel Management and an MBA in Finance and Marketing, With over 14 years of culinary experience, Yusuf has worked his way up from a trainee to the director of culinary, gaining invaluable experience and expertise along the way. After spending a decade abroad, Yusuf returned to India and noticed that the quality of bakeries was not up to par. This realisation inspired him to co-found Bakelore, where he had a blank slate to create a dynamic brand that would set a new standard in the industry. Yusuf is committed to using the best ingredients and techniques to create products that are both delicious and visually appealing. He is dedicated to ensuring continuous improvement so that brand remains at the forefront of the baking industry. In addition to his culinary expertise, Yusuf is also leveraging his Finance and Marketing skills to create effective strategies that help Bakelore stand out from the competition.
Amar Ohri
MD, Ohris Group of Hotels & Restaurants
Amar Ohri
MD, Ohris Group of Hotels & RestaurantsThere is an air of informal ease and relaxed composure about Amar Ohri. The scion of Ohri’s Group, carries the mantle of (unarguably) Hyderabad’s largest and most popular restaurant chain, rather lightly. The 46-year-old attributes the calmness to his recent tryst with spirituality, during the Covid-induced global lockdowns. Born in Berhampur, Odisha, on account of his father Ravi Ohri’s business projects there as a building contractor, Amar moved with his family to Hyderabad in 1980 as a six year old. He attributes the genesis of the Ohris food brand to the erstwhile Havmor (now Eatmor) restaurant, which his maternal grandfather opened in Basheerbagh in 1976, and which runs to full houses till date. Known for its bestseller chole bhature even today, Eatmor’s heirloom recipe by Amar’s maternal grandmother, captured Hyderabadi palates with its home-made robustness, right from the word go. In fact, the signature dish continues to be made today with the very same secret chole masala, which is prepared only at the Ohri home, “My wife Sonal now makes it.” On completing his education, (BBA from Ecole Lemania in Lausanne, followed by a MBA at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA) Amar returned to Hyderabad in 1998, raring to go. Today, OhrI has 18 brands, and 32 outlets with three more being added soon.
HYDERABAD EDITION Jury
Chef Amey Marathe
VP, Telangana Chefs Association
Chef Amey Marathe
VP, Telangana Chefs AssociationThe legendary James Beard once said, “being a chef isn’t just the ability to make a fantastic bacon fried chicken, it is about being a leader and a symbol of culinary pride.” It is the moto that multi award winning Chef Amey Marathe has lived by. In his elusive career spanning over two decades’ Chef Marathe has been involved in every facet of bringing together and running successful F&B establishments pan India, and has been associated with some of the top brands across the country like Sun-n-Sand Hotels, St Laurn Hotels, Hard Rock International, Inn Venue Hospitality and Ohri’s. However, the one thing that this seasoned consultant and F&B specialist is known for is his current project on deriving a sustainable cure to food wastage. As the CEO and founder of JSAMEY BIOTECH, he is India’s first Chefpreneur to advocate the virtues of eco-waste disposal. In fact, his future plan includes bringing down wastage in the F&B segment by 45% with a Pan-India presence. A voracious traveller and archiver of traditional cuisine and a regarded teacher, Chef Marathe has been an influential presence when it comes to promoting hospitality as a career among the youth. A mentor to many a chef, he is the vice president of the Telangana Chefs Association, which was curated, structured and implemented by him. And is also a known consultant who has helped shaped many a dining spaces across India. He specialises in reviving ailing restaurants and organizations.
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise Media Entrepreneur India & Asia-PacificRitu Marya is the Editor- in- Chief for Entrepreneur India-Asia-Pacific and Franchise India Media, a group company of Franchise India Holdings Limited. She is the Group Editor and leads the editorial desk which comprises business magazines including Entrepreneur, The Franchising World and Retailer together with the Digital media arm of Entrepreneur.com, Franchiseindia.com, wellnessindia.com, indianretailer.com and restaurantindia.in. In her tryst with Business Journalism over the last 16 years, Ritu is regarded as an authority on Startups, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Consumer Businesses, Retail, Luxury to Education, Restaurant, Funding and more. In her role as the Group Editor she meets and interacts with Leading Indian and Global Entrepreneurs and thought-leaders while tracking Startup and Entrepreneurial and consumer business landscape in India and Asia-Pacific.
Earnest Immanuel
Director, IIHM- Hyderabad
Earnest Immanuel
Director, IIHM- Hyderabad
Earnest Immanuel is a highly accomplished professional and the Director of the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) in Hyderabad. With his vast experience and expertise in the hospitality industry, Immanuel has made significant contributions to the institute's growth and success.
Immanuel worked with top hospitality brands like ITC, Taj Hotels and held in various positions in Food & Beverage industry. His interest and Passion towards Teaching made him to join as a Lecturer and worked in Different Hotel Management colleges at Various Positions at his Home Town Tamil Nadu. In 2014, he joined as F&B Lecturer and Beverage Trainer at IIHM Delhi. In 2018 His Hard work and Dedication And Passion towards his Profession made him become Director of IIHM Hyderabad Campus.
Immanuel is known for his exceptional leadership skills and his ability to create an inspiring and motivating learning environment for students. Under his guidance, IIHM Hyderabad has become one of the leading hospitality education institutions in the region, providing students with comprehensive knowledge and practical skills required for a successful career in the industry. By forging strong partnerships with renowned hotel chains and industry professionals, he has facilitated valuable industry exposure and internships for the students, enabling them to gain practical insights and develop essential skills.
Overall, Earnest Immanuel is a visionary leader who has played a pivotal role in shaping the success of IIHM Hyderabad. His commitment to quality education, combined with his industry experience and passion for hospitality, has empowered numerous students to embark on rewarding careers in the field. Through his relentless efforts, Immanuel continues to elevate the standards of hospitality education and inspire the next generation of professionals in the industry.
Previous Speakers
KAILASH GUNDUPALLI
Director of Culinary, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre
KAILASH GUNDUPALLI
Director of Culinary, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre
Bringing over 20 years of proficient hospitality experience & over 10 years of experience within the Accor Family, award-winning Executive Chef of the year 2018, Chef Kailash is leading the culinary operations at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre since Feb 2020.
He has comprehensive experience in various Kitchen outlets and banquet operations for domestic and international hotels and resorts.
A culinary innovator known for producing top quality, creative products, contributing to revenue growth while simultaneously reducing Food & Beverage, and labour costs.
Proven ability to lead successful Multi-Outlet Fine Dining and High-Volume operations, while committed to creating memorable dining experiences for all guests. Being a food and beverage enthusiast, Chef Kailash enjoys experimenting and improvising with diverse flavours and cooking styles to suit the modern day palate.
In his role, Chef Kailash predominantly undertakes the formulating and implementing of the departmental standard operating procedures, ensuring smooth running of operations, interacting with guests to understand their requirements and providing the best of hospitality and F&B experience while constantly innovating styles to provide a greater gastronomical exposure.
Prior to joining Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC, Kailash has been associated with renowned hotels like Grand Sukhumvit Bangkok, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, ibis & Novotel Bangalore Techpark, Hilton London Paddington, Du Vieux Port Hotel & Restaurants - Montreal, Four Points by Sheraton Hotel - Toronto, Hockley Valley Resort.
A master graduate in culinary management from Georgian College, Canada, Chef Kailash likes to travel, play golf and cricket in his spare time.
DR. V RANGAIAH SETLEM
CEO, Indigene Protein Foods Private Limited
DR. V RANGAIAH SETLEM
CEO, Indigene Protein Foods Private Limited
Dr Setlem is a leading-edge professionals in the field of wellness and beyond. Manufacturing 20+ unparalleled health and wellness products in their world class unit – Indigene Protein Products Pvt Ltd in Hyderabad, this self-paced person dedicated his breath & time for developing world class ready to eat food products through existing technologies without altering ingredient’s fundamental benefit of action thereby retaining the micro nutrition and bio availability.
A seasoned entrepreneur for over 25 years, was into corporate agriculture, Packaged water in India and with Nutritional Products/ Dairy & Beverage Products manufacturing in Oman expanded business operations multinationally. In 2018, founded Womenova Agro Food Park Pvt Ltd in the sidelines of Indigene Protein Foods Pvt Ltd.
Dr Setlem graduated in Veterinary Science from A.P.Agricultural University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, obtained his Masters degree in Dairy Business Management from the same University. Later he obtained his higher qualification in Nutrition from Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman. And, he developed some recipes in association with in CFTRI, Mysore, NDRI, SQU-Oman [Textured Soya Proteins], South Dakota State University, USA [Whey Protein Foods]. He has authored several publications of international repute and Member in many International boards, organizations related to Food Industry & Trade, Speaker in many workshops and conferences of Food Industry & Trade and attended close to 70 seminars/workshops/conferences connected to Livestock/ Agri Food Industry conducted by international / National organizations such as CII during the past five years.
SHIVNEET POHOJA
Executive Chef, ITC Kohenur
SHIVNEET POHOJA
Executive Chef, ITC Kohenur
Shivneet Pohoja is Executive Chef at ITC Kohenur, with over 2 decades of experience in running signature cuisine restaurants, bespoke banqueting and managing a complex portfolio of F&B outlets as Executive Chef since 2012.
He is a specialized in north west frontier , contemporary Chinese and Sustainable Indian cuisine including farm to fork, swasthya cuisine and plant based cuisine.
DHARMENDER LAMBA
Executive Assistant Manager - Food and beverage, Trident Hyderabad
DHARMENDER LAMBA
Executive Assistant Manager - Food and beverage, Trident Hyderabad
Chef Dharmender is founding President of Telangana Chefs Association and is Executive Assistant Manager - Food and beverage, Trident Hyderabad. He has over 22 years of culinary journey with seven different properties of Oberoi Hotels both in India and abroad. With extensive gourmet culinary experience, he was trained among the top Chefs in India and abroad.
At present he is working with The Trident Hyderabad where he has been driving 480 Million Food and beverage revenue, heading 5 of fine dining food and beverage outlets. Prior to this he was heading the kitchens of The Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt; a top end luxury destination, second to none on the shore of Red Sea.
During his tenure in Hyderabad he has put forward a lot of traditional and modern food concepts to give a sense of adventure, true food and awareness to the people. Few of the concepts were: Incredible cuisines of India, which featured dishes from lesser known culinary regions of India like Madhya Pradesh, Kanyakumari, Bihar, Jammu, and Orissa. Another was Lazzet-e-Rampur and Awadh, an amalgamation of ingredients incorporated from Mughlai, Awadh, Kashmiri and Afghani flavours. Classic cheese and Pasta promotions and Progressive Indian cuisine, all these concepts were studied thoroughly to offer an authentic and unique experience to the guests.
SHANKAR KRISHNAMURTHY
Partner & Chef, Fusion9 Hospitality
SHANKAR KRISHNAMURTHY
Partner & Chef, Fusion9 Hospitality
Chef-par-excellence Shankar Krishnamurthy may have entered the industry by accident but every move he has made after that has endeared him to people who have relished his signature dishes. From Heads of States & Countries to High profile Industrialists, Matinee Idols to Royalty, Socialites to Corporate Giants, Mega Weddings to Pop Concerts, he has the distinction of catering to practically every segment besides the who’s who of India.
Over a career spanning over 3 decades, Chef Shankar has become a brand to reckon with. His expertise includes Indian, Italian, Greek, Thai, Lebanese, Mexican, Chinese, Latin American, Japanese, British, Spanish, American amongst others. What sets him apart, is his ingenious signature twist to every recipe. From a 5-star chef to restaurateur, he has won many hearts through their stomachs.
Since then, over the last 2 decades, went on to open 15 restaurants of different cuisines, in Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi. Fusion9, Deli9, Deli9 Bistro, Siaa, Spoil, The Glass Onion, F9 Test Kitchen to name some.
Along this banqueting and institutional catering took off, catering to large scale MNCs and is now delivering an average of 25000 meals/day, 24/7 from an 40000 sft. central kitchen.
Chef Shankar’s newest passion project, Tom & Nori is an American Asian bistro; a casual diner which will put out happy plates of dimsums, baos & spicy noodles, while also being a focal point for mouth-watering hot dogs, tacos & juicy burgers.
For anyone who is acquainted with Chef's work, they would know that he is always upping the standard of food in the city and challenging himself to bring something new to the table.
This year he has taken over the role of Chapter Head for the newly formed NRAI Hyderabad, and aims to evolve the F&B scene in Hyderabad.
CHEF CHALAPATHI RAO
Entrepreneur, Simply South
CHEF CHALAPATHI RAO
Entrepreneur, Simply South
Chef Chalapathi Rao is an entrepreneur. His entrepreneurial venture is named “Simply South by Chef Chalapathi Rao”. The restaurant has redefined the popular South Indian cuisines and has preserved its rich cultural and culinary heritage. The venture, as well as Chef Chalapati Rao has won numerous accolades from highly esteemed organizations.
A highly self-motivated and resourceful Chef, Chef Chalapathi Rao is constantly reinventing his age-old recipes to provide evolved culinary experience to the restaurant's patrons. He is presently in the quest for expanding his venture to global destinations.
In addition, Chef Challu - as he is fondly known - by the hospitality and culinary industries - is a high-class content writer. He has authored several concept notes, stories and articles on cuisine for diverse print media.
Chef Challu's professional career has spanned over 25 years. Earlier in his career, Chef Challu was the highly acclaimed and successful brand custodian as well as Master Chef of the Dakshin brand - while employed with ITC Hotels. In between his ITC Hotels career of almost two decades and his entrepreneurial journey, Chef Challu was the Corporate Chef with a major hotel group based at Hyderabad.
NEEHAR B
Founder, Churrolto
NEEHAR B
Founder, Churrolto
Neehar is the founder and visionary for the popular Hyderabad F&B brand , Churrolto. Which came into existience out of just pure passion for food and technology. Getting them both together is his daily job at churrolto. He stands as a leader for a world class team of 120 people and growing each day.
SIDDHARTH ARORA
COO Paradise Foodcourt Pvt Limited
SIDDHARTH ARORA
COO Paradise Foodcourt Pvt Limited
22 years of experience in Food service industry across the country in Domino’s, Chaayos and Paradise Biryani, have been an operator, strategist and a scaleup lead in these organizations. I enjoy driving growth through Aggressive goal setting, democratizing data and empowerment
GAUTAM GUPTA
CEO, Paradise Foodcourt
GAUTAM GUPTA
CEO, Paradise Foodcourt
In a career spanning over two decades, Gautam has deep experience in consumer businesses across multiple sectors.
First decade of his career was with marquee FMCG companies – Reckitt Benckiser and ITC where he donned various responsibilities in sales, trade marketing and band management areas.
His association with Samara Capital started in 2010 with pharmacy Chain – Guardian Lifecare, where he was the CEO before moving to food services sector within Samara portfolio.
He was the CEO of Pizza Hut business at Sapphire foods during its early integration phase. Currently he is the CEO of Paradise Biryani, Hyderabad – the largest Biryani player in the country with presence across 10 cities and growing.
Gautam holds an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow and also received his B. Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi.
