NRAI Bengaluru Chapter Hosts Knowledge-Focused Industry Meet on Safety, Sustainability and Business Longevity

The Bengaluru Chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) successfully hosted a knowledge-driven learning and networking session for its members with over 60 restaurant owners and industry stakeholders in attendance.

Mr. Sampat Raj, District Fire Officer - Secretariat, Vidhana Soudha, delivered an in-depth session to members about critical fire safety protocols, compliance standards, and preparedness measures required for restaurant operations. The session included a detailed Q&A session, where restaurateurs could get practical advice. NRAI Bengaluru has announced plans to hold multiple fire safety training programs in collaboration with the Fire Department to ensure that member outlets are fully compliant with safety regulations.

The event also included a podcast-style learning session with three veteran leaders – Desmond Rice, Rajesh Rajaram, Prem Koshy from Bengaluru's food and beverage industry, who collectively have over 120 years of experience. The speakers provided valuable insights into overcoming operational challenges, adapting to changing consumer preferences, and establishing long-term sustainability in an increasingly competitive industry.

In addition to the evening's discussions the biggest draw was the onboarding launch of ownly which has been a complete brainchild of BANGALORE NRAI and a prototype model for all India. For over a year NRAI Bangalore and Delhi have been in talks with Rapido to create a third space in delivery ecosystem. Today’s NRAI BANGALORE onboarding launch was a result of multiple brainstorming sessions between Bangalore NRAI chapter and Rapido top management.  Ownly (Rapido) team, represented by Mr. Rizwanullah MD Shaikh, Vice President - Supply Acquisition & Operations, presented its upcoming restaurant-first food delivery model. The platform aims to disrupt the current delivery ecosystem by offering NRAI members zero commission, delivery fee, or discount. During the interactive session, members actively engaged with the team by asking questions and sharing their perspectives.

"The vision of the NRAI Bengaluru Chapter is to establish a strong, collaborative, and well-represented restaurant community at the grassroots level. The proposed Marshall Programme aims to empower members locally, speed up the resolution of area-specific challenges, and encourage collective action. By increasing on-the-ground engagement, we hope to build a more resilient and unified ecosystem for Bengaluru's restaurant industry," said Ananth Narayan, NRAI Bengaluru Chapter Head.

Through such initiatives, NRAI Bengaluru reaffirms its commitment to capacity building, advocacy, and collaboration by providing platforms for restaurateurs to learn, adapt, and grow in a dynamic business environment.