Led by Top Leaders in the Restaurant industry and the brightest professionals in food service, the Indian Restaurant Congress 2023 is power packed with hot trends and visionary messages designed to spark new ideas. Connect with the industry's game changers and gain valuable takeaways from the latest and greatest in food service innovation. There's something for everyone!

Session 1: Time:
10:00-10:15 am
Welcome Note Ms. Ritu Marya
10:15-11:45 am
Inaugural Session
Restaurant Industry 2023 & Ahead: Exploring Challenges & Growth in a Developing market
Merrill Pereyra
Managing Director, Pizza Hut at Yum! Brands India Subcontinent & Conference Chairperson, IRC 2023
Anjan Chatterjee
Founder & MD, Speciality Group of Restaurants
Akshay Bector
Chairman & MD, Cremica Food Industries Ltd
11:45-12:00 am
Networking Tea
12:00-1:00 pm
How restaurant brands are scaling and maintaining unit economics
  • Soul & Scale: Bringing Customer’s Back to the Table
  • Investing in restaurant technologies that excite diners
  • Curating Experience, Captivating Diners
  • Key strategies to wow! Your customers
Session Lead & Moderator
Rajat Wahi
Partner, Deloitte
Speakers
Rajat Agarwal
CEO, Barista
Vishal Jindal
Founder & Co-CEO, SkyGate Hospitality Pvt. Ltd
Shammi Agarwal
Director, Pansari Group
Avinash Kant Kumar
President, Jubilant FoodWorks
Manish Mehrota
Culinary Director, Indian Accent
1:00-2:00 pm
Networking Lunch
2:00-2:45 pm
Meeting the Future Leaders: How These New Age Restaurateurs are Re-writing the food service rules
  • Influences and Trends Impacting Restaurant Business
  • Hunger for More: Innovation over Continuation
  • Delivery, menu, payment and customer: What Future Holds for these Brands
Lead & Moderator
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise India
Speakers
Pawan Shahri
Co-Founder, Chrome Hospitality
Raghav Verma
Co-Founder, Chaayos
Vikrant Batra
Co-Founder, Dhansoo Café & Café Delhi Heights
Shivam Shahi
Co-Founder and COO, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters
2:00-2:45 pm
From Investment to Partnership: How Investor Relation has changed
  • M&A and the Future of the Restaurant Business
  • How VC funding is changing the food game
  • Taking your restaurant Public
Lead & Moderator
Rajat Tuli
Partner, Kearney
Speakers
Tarun Khanna
Partner, CX Advisors LLP
Karan Makan
Founder & MD, Quantum Oakmen Partners
Amit Bagga
Co-founder, CEO & CMO, Daryaganj Hospitality
Archana Jahagirdar
Managing Partner, Rukam Capital
2:45-3:00 PM
Keynote:
Ashok Pandey
Business Head- India, Lee KumKee International Holdings Ltd
3:00 - 3:45PM
Redefining the Catering Industry: How Restaurants are taking a bigger pie of it
  • Experience-based Catering: How new age caterers are changing the game
  • Progress towards Greater Sustainability: From ingredient to engaging with ecologically conscious vendors
  • Fusion of Daily Life cuisines
Session Lead & Moderator
Nandini Banerjee
Managing Editor, Retailer Media
Speakers
Gautam Chaudhry
Director, Demiurgic Hospitality
Savar Malhotra
Founder & CEO, The House Party
Anuj Wadhawan
Chef Partner – Ah So Yum & Reve Modern French Bistro
Rishabh Dang
Director, Seven Seas Hospitality
2:45-3:45 pm
Is Global Growth the Future of restaurants?
  • Lessons Learnt: What top brands have pushed outside their home turf to be a global brand
  • Betting on the biz: Monitoring the right time and Markets to go global
  • Passion over possession: Choosing the Right Partner for Growth
Session Lead & Moderator
Rupali Dean
Food Critic & Curator ShefsAtTheLeela& Chef Connect
Speakers
Syesha Kapoor
Associate Director, Silver Beach Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt. Ltd
Teja Chekuri
Global Entrepreneur and Managing Partner, Ironhill India
Tarun Mahadevan
Managing Director, Advantage Foods
Harpal Singh Sokhi
Energy Chef of India, TV Anchor, Restaurant Brand owner and Consultant, Author
Shakir Haq
CEO, NKP Empire Ventures Pvt. Ltd
3:45-4:00
Keynote:
K Sailendra
Executive Director (LPG), Marketing Head Office, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
3:45-4:30 pm
Supply Chain Innovation: Why It’s Time to Merge Physical and Digital
  • How Kitchen is playing an important role in digital atmosphere
  • Enabling best technology and supply chain to grow biz
  • Innovation focused on time and value for money
Session Lead & Moderator
Nandini Banerjee
Managing Editor, Retailer Media
Speakers
Nishant Choubey
Partner, Saatvik Delhi
Dr Nitin Shankar Nagrale
CEO India & Emerging Markets @ Quality New Zealand & Founder, HpmF
Vaibhav Bhargava
Executive Chef, CHO- Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar
3:45-4:30 pm
Session Partner: Food Service India Strategic alliance for growth and operational efficiency.
  • What should restaurants do to scale
  • How they can create operational efficiency
  • Fsipl offerings are about minimising input, optimising output, ensure scalability and eventually ensuring growth.
  • How brands need a strategic partner and how food solutions companies help their growth.
  • Real estate collaboration for best locations
Lead & Moderator
Nitish Jha
Ex-foodpreneur, Angel Investor & Growth Consultant
Speakers
Tarun Sibal
Co-Founder & Chef, Titlie Goa
Om Nayak
Chef & Co-Founder, The Pasta Bowl Company & Bombay Meri Jaan
Ashish Gupta
Vice President, Pacific Mall
Akash Kalra
Owner & MD, United Group
4:30-4:40 pm
Keynote
Speakers
Charan Narang
Head- Food Services, General Mills India Private Limited
4:40-5:30 pm
Baking Success: How Cafe and Bakery Biz has grown in India
  • Rise of new age bakery, patisserie cafes & chefs
  • Personalising experience: Creating a healthier menu for new age customers
  • Tasting success via expansion
Lead & Moderate
Chef Gauri Verma
Founder, Confect Sugar Paste
Speakers
Nishant Sinha
Promoter, Roastery Coffee
Kazem Samandari
Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, L’Opéra (French Bakery Pvt. Ltd.)
Neha Lakhani
Co-founder, ArqMithai and Troublesome Duo
Gaurav Wadhwa
Founder Director, Culinary Head & Co-owner, Theos Food Pvt Ltd
Sahil Mehta
Founder, Paris my love & Partner, Tedco Goodrich Chefs Academy (TGCA)
4:30-4:40 pm
Foodtainment: How Food and Entertainment has become one
  • The rise of new age malls, entertainment spaces
  • Food & Movies : How food and cinema found hit a great note
  • Resizing Restaurants: What becomes bigger, what goes smaller
  • The Changing Food Courts: Making Guest Experiences Count
Lead & Moderator
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise India Group
Speakers
Varun Tuli
Managing Director, The Yum Yum Tree Group
Rahul Singh
Chief Operating Officer, PVR INOX Limited
Vejay Anand
CEO, Ironhill India
Carl Gould
Founder, Stumpy’s Hatchet House, US
Karan Kapur
ED, K Hospitality Corp
10:30-11:30 am
How Cloud-kitchen & Delivery is Changing the Food Biz
  • Minimizing operational cost: Re-thinking kitchen equipment and ease of logistics
  • Finding Menu efficiencies– Single kitchen model vs Multiple Menus in a single kitchens
  • Host kitchens – Are they here to stay
Session Lead & Moderator
Ankur Singh
Principal, Kearney
Speakers
Mohit Dang
Co-Founder,
Currynama By Seven Seas
Vedant Pasari
Founder, Edabba
Veer Anukul Chandhok
CEO, Dana Choga Restaurants
Varun Madan
Founder & CEO, Salad Days
10:30-11:30 pm
Staying One Bite Ahead: Understanding Customer Trends Better
  • Menu Trends by Leading Chefs From India and Global Markets
  • The Lost Recipes make a comeback: Regional cuisines, multi-cultural flavors and Reinvented Foods
  • New age menu innovation: moving towards a Sustainable Futures
  • Healthy is trending: How restaurants are integrating a clean and nutritious menu strategy by new balanced options or cleaning up items
Speakers
Dhruv Oberoi
Executive Chef, Olive Qutub, The Grammar Room, Bar Serai
Kavita Devgan
Writer, Nutritionist
Mayank Tiwari
Group Executive Chef, PVR Cinemas
Nitin Dixit
Co-Founder, Greenr Cafes
11:30-11:45 am
Keynote Session
Vaibhav Anand
Commercial Development Head - North, Nestlé Professional
11:30-11:45 am
Keynote Session
11:45-12:45 pm
The Future of omni-channel in restaurants: What innovation look like for these chains?
  • How data can help in better decision making
  • New and Exciting: Embracing Trends that sets you apart
  • Innovating for Growth: leveling up 2023 people strategy
Session Lead & Moderator
Ritu Marya
Editor-in-Chief, Franchise India
Speakers
Mahesh Reddy
CEO, GOPIZZA India
Tarak Bhattacharya
ED & CEO, Mad Over Donuts
Neelam Singh
Founder & CEO, The Burger Company
Sunil Chauhan
Founder, FabCafe
Varun Tuli
MD, Yum Yum Tree Group
11:45-12:45 pm
The Rise of Hotel Restaurants: How Top executive Chefs are creating a different flavours
  • With F&B being a cornerstone of most hotels, what are the best ways to maximize revenue in a restaurant space?
  • What are the key elements in play for revamping the hotel restaurant scene?
  • What innovative models are being used?
Session Lead & Moderator
Vineet Manocha
Culinarian, Kitchen Coach & F&B Strategist
Speakers
Anurudh Khanna
Director of Culinary, Marriott Hotels
Davinder Kumar
Vice President – F&B (Production) & Executive Chef At Le Meridien
Gagandeep Singh Sawhney
Executive Chef, Shangri La Group
Gagandeep Singh Sawhney
Executive Chef, Shangri La Group
Sudeep Goenka
Director, Goldiee Group
1:00-2:00 pm
Networking Lunch
1:00-2:00 pm
Networking Lunch
2:00-2:45 pm
How Automation has Changed Food Service
  • POS and Restaurant technology: making decision better
  • AI & Voice Ordering: Taking digital to next level
  • Customer facing automation: The rise of QR codes, payments, and face technology
  • Robotic kitchens: How automation is helping the back-of-house biz
Session Lead & Moderator
Prof. Ganesh Bagler
Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIIT-Delhi
Speakers
Shreh Madan
Co-Founder, Burgrill
Thomas Abrahim
Executive Vice President, VRO Hospitality
2:00-2:45 pm
New Age Beverages Brands
  • Rise of the Resto-Bar: Delighting with Custom Beverage Experiences
  • Beyond The Food: How bar Teams are ruling the top restaurants
Lead & Moderator
Amin Ali
Food Critic & Writer
Speakers
Pravesh Pandey
Co-Founder, Roxie
Rakshay Dhariwal
Founder and Managing Director, Pass Code Hospitality
Ranbir Nagpal
CEO, Indus Hospitality, Founder of YAZU Pan Asian Supper Club & Co-Founder, Juliette Ristorante & Bar
Shivam Dua
COO, Effingut Breweries
2:45-3:30 pm
Building Customer Loyalty: How to Beat Competition via a Happy Customer
  • Is Social-media your key to loyalty
  • Driving Value & Business: Building IT partnerships to leverage customer growth
  • How Voice and AI is driving customer satisfaction
Session Lead & Moderator
Punita Kapoor
Deputy Editor, Entrepreneur India
Speakers
Nilabh Banerjee
AVP, Biryani Blues
Gaurav Narang
Founder, Coffee Culture
Viren Dsilva
Co-Founder, Good Flippin Foods Pvt Ltd
2:45-3:30 pm
Pouring Brands: Understanding the Nightlife Generation
This session will explore what this next consumer generation is eating and drinking, and where, when and how they are consuming it.
  • How this generation differs from previous generations
  • Patterns of Food & Drink Binging
  • How Big is Big for Nightlife Restaurant and Bar
Lead & Moderator
Nandini Banerjee
Managing Editor, Retailer Media
Speakers
Prateek Chaturvedi
Director, COO, BrewDog India
Sandeep Verma
Mixologist and Owner, The Howling Wolves
Monish Rohra
Owner, HOP, Veranda & Executive Enclave
Saurabh Luthra
Founder, Romeolane
3:45- 4:15 PM
Maximizing Profitability and Reducing Costs
  • Adapting to a volatile market with a little real estate and operations creativity
  • Building a data-driven culture
  • Menu and Inventory Management
Speakers
Sundeep Singh
Founder, Uncle Peter’s Pancakes
Sid Merchant
Co-Founder, Good Flippin Foods Pvt Ltd
Gurpreet S. Gehdu
Director Culinary, Habbit
4:15-5:00 pm
Franchise Innovation
Deepak Yadav
CEO, Francorp India
4:15-5:00 pm
Design That Attract Customers
Speakers
Ridhima Singh
Director, Estrela Hotel and Resorts
Ar. Abhigyan Neogi
Founder and Principal Architect Chromed Design Studio

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