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11th June 2026 | NESCO Centre, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai
Thank you for making the Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2025 – West India Edition a Grand Success!
11th June 2026 | NESCO Centre, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai
Time
Session
09:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Conference Registration along with Networking Tea
10:00 AM - 10:05 AM
Welcome Address
10:05 AM - 10:15 AM
Inaugural Keynote Address
10:15- 11:05 AM
Session Partner
Superfoods Partner
Session 1: The West India F&B Power Curve: Decoding a region where legacy taste meets luxury aspiration
West India’s evolving diner preferences, hyperlocal nuances, and rising experiential trends
Starting a Restaurant, QSR, Cloud Kitchen or F&B Business—how to tackle its Pros & Cons
How cities are redefining culinary experimentation
The role of cultural nostalgia in menu engineering
Market insights: understanding hyperlocal preferences
Behavioural shifts—solo dining, late-night ecosystems & brunch culture
Rise of experiential gastronomy and chef-driven storytelling
The competitive matrix: national chains vs homegrown powerhouses
Speakers
Mr. Ranbir Singh Nagpal, CEO, Yazu Hospitality
- Mr. Abhayraj Singh Kohli, Founder, Tori, Grandmamas Café, MRP & The Roll Company
Mr. Amrut Mehta, Director, Little Italy
Ms. Niketa Sharma, Founder, Blah, Thane Club, Vivi, Magna, South Stories, Masalader and ITI
- Mr. Vishal Desai, Director, Rupa Group (Le Meridien, Navi Mumbai: Mizuki, Basil & Beans, Madurai Bhavan & Piccolino)
- Ms. Swathi Varun, Founder, Yellow Spoon
11:05 AM – 11:15 AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS – The Business Behind the Plate: What It Really Takes to Build a Food Empire
- Mr. Narayan T Poojari, Founder, Shiv Sagar Group
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Session 2: The Restaurant of the Future—Tech, Talent & Transformation
- Creating intelligent, human-centric F&B ecosystems
- AI-enabled forecasting, staffing & service orchestration
- Robotic kitchens, smart appliances & automated inventory discipline
- Bridging the skill gap—crafting a future-ready culinary workforce
- Guest experience personalisation powered by data
- Strengthening back-of-house efficiencies through IoT
- Future POS ecosystems—omnichannel integration & payment fluidity
- Sustainability-led design: energy optimisation & waste minimisation
- Sustainable Packaging Systems: Waste Reduction, Material Innovation & Microplastic Risk
Speakers
- Mr. Vikas Panjabi, Co-Founder & MD, The Chocolate Room (India) Pvt Ltd
- Mr. Sachin Pabreja, Co-Founder & CEO, EazyDiner
- Mr. Sumit Govind Sharma, Founder & Director, Monarch Liberty Hospitality (MLH)
- Chef Sudhir Pai, Chef Consultant and Treasurer, Western India Culinary Association
- Mr. Shubham Tibberwal, Business Head (Food Services) Pakka Limited
- Mr. Prashant Narula, Vice President of Business Development & Operations at Prasuk Jain Hospitality
12:00 PM – 12:40 PM
Session Partner
Ready-to-Eat Innovation Partner
Session 3: Culinary Creativity & Menu Innovation – Where bold ideas meet regionally-rooted authenticity
Navigating the balance between hyperlocal flavours & global formats
Ingredient innovation—millets, coastal produce, microgreens, global food, vegan
Seasonal engineering for cost, consistency & variety
Sweet spot of indulgence—reinventing mithai, customized pastries, cakes & dessert artistry
Crafting iconic signature dishes with staying power
Elevating food gastronomy through Menu R&D
Creative plating & design trends for modern Indian dining
Speakers
- Chef Michael Swamy, Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur, Food Stylist, Author
- Ms. Shikha Nath, Culinary Director, Charcoal Concepts
- Mr. Gurmeet Arora, Founder & CEO, Flax
- Ms. Anamika Desai, Founder & CEO, Miku’s Kitchen
- Chef Tushar Malkani, Executive Chef ICONIQA, Mumbai
- Chef Altamsh Patel, Director culinary, Hilton Mumbai International Airport and Jt. Secretary, Western India Culinary Association
12:40 PM – 1:35 PM
Session 4: The ‘Profitability Stack’ for Modern Restaurants – Decoding the economics behind sustainable success, franchising & expansion in the F&B Landscape
- Identifying profit power-centres across menu, manpower & marketing
- Unlock the blueprint for expanding — from cozy cafés and high-energy QSRs to dessert bars and artisanal bakeries & more
- Essentials of creating scalable concepts—how structured franchise models accelerate growth
- Best-in-class cost control & dynamic pricing
- Franchising as a Profit Multiplier
- Building revenue durability—delivery + dine-in balance
- Vendor negotiations, local sourcing & backward integration
- Smart planning for long-term ROI
- Understanding the new-age investor lens
- Profitability benchmarks for premium, midscale & QSR formats
- Tapping the 3 Cs of marketing in HoReCA — changing consumer preferences, competition, and curbing dependency on third-party platforms
- First-Party Data is the New Gold: Building Direct Customer Relationships
- Hyperlocal & Moment Marketing: Winning Customers in Real Time
Speakers
Mr. Mukesh Katotara, Executive Director & CFO, Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group India
Mr. Kushal Andakat, Managing Partner, SARAZA a unit of cuisine Nutrition Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Ishaan Bahl, CEO, Risa Hospitality
Mr. Gaurav Kanwar, Founder & CEO, Harajuku Tokyo Cafe
Mr. Aadetya Agarwal, Head of sales and marketing, Bachelorr’s (since 1930’s)
Ms. Shraddha Motipara, Head of Marketing, Nando’s India
1:35 – 2:15 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH
2:15 PM - 3:05 PM
Session 5: Hospitality Leadership for the New Era – Building resilient, people-forward environment in Hotels
Talent wars—attracting & growing the right people
Culture-building strategies for multi-unit F&B groups
Leadership agility in a volatile hospitality environment
Emotional intelligence & empathy-led service delivery
Training frameworks that create lifelong hospitality professionals
Crisis response playbooks for operations & reputation
Gender diversity, inclusivity & modern workforce expectations
Speakers
- Mr. Sachin Maheshwari, Cluster General Manager and F&B Alchemist with Accor
- Mr. Rajiv Kohli, Cluster General Manager, Thalassa Beach Resort & Anemos Living Boutique Resorts & Spa
- Mr. Rahul Makhija, General Manager, The Park Navi Mumbai
3:05 PM – 3:15 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS – Beyond Taste: Building Scalable Culinary Experiences in India
- Chef Gautam Mehrishi, Corporate Executive Chef, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited
3:15 PM – 4:10 PM
Session Partner
Mixer Partner
- The booming craft mixology scene of West India, craft beers, new flavours, authentic taste
- Non-alcoholic beverage innovation—functional, fermented, botanical
- Bar tech, food pairing with drinks, ambience & innovation in breweries, bars, lounges and nightclubs
- Designing beverage programmes with purpose and storytelling
- Local terroir—Goan spirits, Indian wines, artisanal distilleries
- Beverage profitability: margins, menu design & pairing strategies
- Evolving consumer expectations at bars & lounges
- How unique bars are redefining menus with signature infusions, craft techniques & regional ingredients
- From Vineyard to Kitchen: Pairing with Purpose
- Experiential Dining as a Brand Strategy – Moving beyond food to create immersive concepts
- Harmony on the Palate: Food & Beverage Synergy
Speakers
- Ms. Neeti Goel, Director, Avan Ventures Pvt Ltd.
- Mr. Nikhil K Rochlani, Managing Partner, Butterfly High and KYMA
- Mr. Aman Chawla, Founder/ Director, Nami Foodbev Pvt Ltd
- Mr. R.S. Dharmendra, COO, Icon Hotels, Bhagini Hospitality Pvt Ltd
4:30 PM ONWARDS
AWARDS REGISTRATION
5:00 PM - 5:45 PM
NETWORKING COCKTAILS
5:45 ONWARDS
AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY FOLLOWED BY NETWORKING DINNER