Member, Managing Committee, NRAI

MD, Mirah Group 

Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Gaurav Goenka always knew that he would have to tread his own path. His father, the legendary Mr. O. P. Goenka, one of India’s most successful entrepreneurs, encouraged Gaurav to find his  calling. The traditional family business was of real estate, chemical exports, government tenders and corporate gifting. Mirah Group was founded in 1986 and Gaurav joined it in 2004, working in its real estate arm, after successfully completing his M.Sc. in Economics from the University of Wales (UK). It’s here that he began charting his own trail in hospitality – something he had always been passionate about. He knew that not only is there immense scope for growth in the segment but also a desperate need to improve standards and broaden our horizons.

In 2004, Mirah Hospitality ventured into hospitality with Citrus Lonavla, a boutique property that was to become a landmark in the tourist town. The idea was to fill the gap in the affordable luxury segment. Earlier, people had to choose between a 5-star that was often unaffordable or a basic guesthouse that didn’t have satisfactory levels of service and infrastructure. Citrus filled in the gap perfectly, providing great levels of service at reasonable prices and soon became the preferred choice of thousands of vacationers. The success of Citrus Lonavla encouraged Gaurav to expand its base. Today, there are 17 Citrus hotels in India and the road map is set to take the tally to 50 soon. The hotel’s signature restaurants, high levels of service, private theatres and luxury rooms are the hallmarks of the brand. As Citrus firmly gained foothold in the industry, Gaurav invested in Rajdhani – a first of its kind authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati thali restaurant. This was to become Mirah’s flagship brand, ringing in many firsts and raking up the awards, one after the other. Today, there are 30 Rajdhani outlets in India and Oman. The number is set to rise sharply over the next 2 years, with aggressive expansion plans in India and abroad in place 2009 and 2010 were years of assertive growth for Mirah Hospitality, under Gaurav’s visionary leadership. The Group diversified with brands like The United Sports Bar & Grill (the erstwhile Manchester United Café Bars), Café Mangii, Falafels, Palette and Nouvelle in just 24 months.

Mirah Hospitality has strategically invested in Impresario (Smoke House Deli, Tasting Room, Socials), Himesh Foods Pvt. Ltd. (Mad Over Donuts) and Massive Restaurants (Masala Library, Made in Punjab, Farzi Cafe and Mithai), a part of Gaurav’s plan in expanding the group’s presence. With these quick and strategic investments, Mirah Hospitality now has presence across food categories, from a Sports bar, Italian gourmet and Lebanese cuisine to Donuts, Food courts and Institutional catering. There’s hardly a Hospitality requirement that Mirah cannot cater to, within its group brands. In a short span of time, Mirah Hospitality has become a force to reckon with in the hospitality industry.