Regulations a ‘500-pound gorilla’, this industry needs to unite in strength.
NRAI president Riyaaz Amlani veered away from the set menu of a keynote speech by sending out a call to action for restaurateurs. To an audience of 400 at the 5th Indian Restaurant Congress, his frank speaking brought to the fore the key challenges this industry finds itself in, including calling out the government for their immense red tape and heavy handed approach.
Switching between his role as NRAI president and founder of a successful restaurant company (Impresario), his call to action included examples of NRAI’s decades-long effort in helping various governments become business-friendly with updated laws. “Its nice to see such a big audience here today. A few years ago, such events got 30-40 people together, now we’re filling up the room. This industry is already bigger than Bollywood and is among the fastest growing sectors in India. Its time to come together, join the NRAI and take things forward in your area,” he said, drawing loud applause.
Getting his point across, Amlani’s termed the government’s current red tape of regulations and licences as ‘a 500-pound gorilla’. “There are challenges in all businesses, in ours (Restaurants, food service) having 30+ licences just does not make sense. The NRAI is lobbying hard towards a single window system with quick clearances. We’re getting there,” he said.
As if on cue reiterating NRAI’s continuous lobbying with it, the AAP-led Delhi government announced a slew of restaurant-friendly initiatives, such as new tourism hubs and better use of terraces and open spaces, an issue that’s troubling a large number of the NCR’s restaurants.
Repeatedly receiving rounds of applause, Amlani concluded the inaugural presentation with coming back to his focal message, a call to action for all of India’s restaurateurs to ‘unite in numbers and strength to make business conditions favourable’.
The NRAI was an official partner of the 5th Indian Restaurant Congress, organised by Franchise India at the JW Marriott Aerocity, Delhi from September 25-26, 2015.
