After years of ‘protecting’ people from a vibrant nightlife, the Indian nanny state seems to have finally realized that adults can and should be able to go out late at night, passing a law to allow restaurants, malls, cinema, etc to remain open 24×7
For years, many, includi-ng us, have been asking why leisure establishm-ents in the capital and other ma-jor Indian cities can’t stay op-en 24×7, like in the many other global cities that Indians flock to as tourists. Finally, after all these years, it’s the central gov-ernment that’s taken a major step forward by clearing a mod-el law that allows shops, malls, cinema halls and other com-mercial establishments to op-erate 24×7 throughout the year. The Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services) Bill 2016 is advi-sory in nature, and its implementation depends on states. But it does offer the hope that it will prod state governments and police to provide the infrastructure that will allow citizens to have the option of going out any time of the day or night. What’s also welcome is a change in the mindset that women can’t work at night because ‘it’s not safe’ -the model law says it’s imper-ative that it be made safe for them to work any time of the day or night, like men can. Del-hi’s nightlife has reacted with both relief and caution, adopt-ing a wait-and-watch approach to how the local government, administration and police han-dle its implementation.
THE MOVE WILL NOT JUST ADD TO OUR REVENUE, BUT WILL ALSO HELP IN MAKING THIS CITY MORE VIBRANT – RIYAAZ AMLANI, PRESIDENT, NRAI
THE RESTAURANT (AND FOOD) INDUSTRY IS THE SECOND HIGHEST EMPLOYER IN INDIA. THIS MOVE WILL HELP US GENERATE MORE EMPLOYMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO COLLECT MORE TAXES AND REVENUES – ZORAWAR KALRA
IMPLEMENTING THIS WILL TAKE TIME AS WE WILL NEED TIME EXTENSION PERMIS-SIONS FROM VARIOUS LICENSING DEPARTMENTS – PRIYANK SUKHIIJA
PEOPLE ARE WORKING AT ALL HOURS NOW & THIS PRO-VIDES THEM RETAIL OPTIONS AT ANY TIME CONVENIENT TO THEM – AD SINGH
THE F&B SECTOR WILL GET A BOOST, BUT FOR RETAIL, A LONG-TERM IMPACT DEPENDS ON CUSTOMER INTEREST – PUSHPA RECTOR, DLF MALL OF INDIA
`NOW THE POLICE WILL ALSO HAVE TO COME ON BOARD’
It’s a positive step, but we have to look deeper into the policy, study it and see what more can be done for Delhi. But it’s a good step for the revival of the city’s nightlife. Now the police will also have to change its stand and come on board, because it’s the central (tV government’s decision. Let them implement the policy first and then we will take it forward — Kapil Mishra, Delhi Tourism minister
Times View
From law and order’ to ‘culture’, the po-lice and administration have given many reasons against a vibrant nightlife and 24×7 functioning. With this law, it seems the state has recognised that commer-cial leisure activity at night can not only boost revenue and create jobs, it also improves the ‘culture’ of a city, making it more, not less, safe to be out at night. A vibrant nightlife would put Delhi and other Indian cities on the global map of cities that are alive 24×7. The provisions of the law, if followed, would also give women greater freedom to work any-where, anytime, and make the city safer for them. It remains to be seen whether state governments, starting with Delhi, look to take this forward in letter and spirit, or find cultural, administrative and ‘safety’ factors to drag their feet. Or whether the Delhi vs Centre/Delhi Po-lice tussle on every administrative meas-ure trips this opportunity for the capital to go truly global.
THE MOVE WILL BENEFIT ALL STAKEHOLDERS -RESTAURATEURS, CONSUMERS AND GOVERNMENT
A step like this will benefit dif-ferent stake-holders in the long run -restaurateurs, consumers and the govern-ment. There are many peo-ple in Delhi who have no place to go to if they are finishing work by 11-11.30pm, so if there are places in the city that are open till 3 or 4am, it is a huge relief. This surely means an increase in revenue for restaurateurs – when we pay high rentals for 24 hours, then we should be allowed to make use of the space for 24 hours. This move will help us generate more employment – if an outlet decides to operate till 3 or 4am, they have to hire more staff to work in different shifts. The restaurant (and food) industry is the second highest employer in India after agriculture. The government will be able to collect more taxes and revenues. The only thing is that the police needs to be more vigilant to make this work. We have had other cities as case studies to prove that keeping restaurants open till late at night doesn’t mean an increase in crime. – Zorawar Kalra, restaurateur
HUMNE FILMEIN CHALA BHI DI AUR 20 LOG AA BHI GAYE, TOH PROFIT KAHAN HAI?
I think the 24/7 nod is not going to affect cinemas substantially. Restaurants and eateries will benefit the most from this. In cinemas, even day shows don’t have 100% occupancy. Agar humne filmein chala bhi di our 20 log as bhi gaye, toh profit kahan hat? Uska running expense zyada ho jayega. We already have late night shows, and extending it beyond the limit won’t be feasible for us. – Shashank Raizada, president, National Association of Motion Pictures Exhibitors
THE 24X7 MODEL IS PRACTICAL AND IN KEEPING WITH THE WAY THE WORKPLACE IS CHANGING
I believe that the government increasingly needs to review the laws that surround our in-dustry and align them with the various parties involved. A step like this drives restaurants away from residential neighbourhoods, where they can be irritants, and incentivizes them into hubs which are both convenient for customers as well as respectful of noise and traffic is-sues. I think working on the 24X7 model is ab-solutely practical and in keeping with the way the workplace is changing. People are working all hours in line with international markets, and this provides them retail options at a time convenient to them. Also, very importantly, the retail industry is important to our economy and it has been increasingly struggling with the growing shift to online shopping. A step like this will give it a much needed boost and we welcome the initiative. It’s a very progressive move. It gives people what they want, and stimulates the economy with very little downside. –AD Singh, restaurateur
HUMEIN LOGON KO 12 BAJTE HI BHA-GANA NAHI PADEGA
I am hopeful, but I am not celebrating yet. This news is very positive for the in-dustry as a whole and I was so excited when I heard this that I asked my friends if we can go ahead with this im-mediately. But I was told I should be patient and wait for official orders and notices. It would be great if this becomes a reality. Hameln logon ko 12 bajte hi bhagana nahi padega. But this becoming a reality might take time – restaurants will need permissions for time extensions from various licensing departments. This will re-quire changes in the licensing process -from the municipality, the police and the ex-cise department. This will need coordination within various departments, but if the state government gives its nod and this is imple-mented, I am expecting far less trouble than what we face now. – Priyank Sukhija, restaurateur
IF THE CABINET HAS GIVEN ITS NOD, I THINK THE STATE GOVERNMENT WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS FORWARD
If the Cabinet has given its nod, I think the state government will be happy to take something like this forward because the restaurant industry has been pitching for this for long. This will not only lead to higher revenues for the hospitality industry, but will also help boost tourism in the city. No restau-rateur will be willing to stay open 24X7, but even if we are allowed to oper-ate till 2.30- 3am, that can bring about a lot of change in the industry. I will be thrilled if we are able to im-plement this in Delhi. – Shiv Karan Singh, restaurateur
DELIGHTED AND HOPEFUL THAT STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES WILL COOPERATE AND ADOPT THIS MODEL
This is extremely wonderful news and a victory for the NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India). While working within restricted time lim-its, we have been lobbying hard for the past many years for the freedom of operational tim-ings in restaurants. We are delighted – this will go a long way in boosting employment in India. We are hopeful that the state and local authori-ties would cooperate and adopt this model. In Delhi, we just hope that state government finds merit in what the cabinet has approved and this gets implemented soon. This is being perceived as a very positive sign that will not just add to our revenues, but will also help in making this city more vibrant. On our part we will continue lobbying for extension of time limits for restaurants in the city until it is finally implemented. – Riyaaz Amlani, president, NRAI
GOVT’S FINALLY REALIZED OUR CONTRIBUTION TO ECONOMY… BUT WE’LL NEED TO SEE IF PEOPLE WANT TO VISIT THE MALL AT NIGHT
The move is definitely welcome because this is an indication that the government realizes that retail, entertainment and F&B are sectors that contribute to the economy, and is willing to give us additional hours to conduct our business. But having said that, we would have to view this decision very cautiously with respect to the safety and security require-ments. If we are to keep malls open 24×7, safety concerns would need to be looked into before implementing this. The F&B and entertainment sectors will definitely get a boost but for retail, as in shopping, the long-term impact depends on customer interest. So, most importantly, I would say we need to analyse customer feedback. We would have to conduct a customer sur-vey and see if people even want to come to malls at night or not. Only then can we say whether the move is feasible in Delhi-NCR. Customer footfall in malls in Delhi depends a lot on sea-sons as well – there are months when the weather is a factor in determining late night fooffall. All that will have to be looked into as well. – Pushpa Bector, executive vice president, DLF Mall of India.
