FOCUS ON FOOD ADULTERATION, ALTERNATIVE FUELS, FIRE PREVENTION AND MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING BEST PRACTICES

Mumbai, April 28: The Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) – HRAWI will bring together the hospitality fraternity for the 7th edition of its HRAWI Conclave & Awards for ‘Empowering Hospitality’ on Wednesday, 29th April 2026 at Regenta – The World in Surat, Gujarat. The flagship event serves as a high‑impact platform for knowledge exchange and developments, bringing together hotel owners, restaurateurs, operators, suppliers and industry experts to deliberate on key issues shaping the hospitality sector. The event will also honour excellence through the prestigious HRAWI Awards.

The upcoming edition will focus on critical and emerging operational priorities, including discussions on Understanding Adulteration in Dairy Products & Raw Materials used in Hospitality Industry, Prevention of Fire By Good Maintenance and Good Housekeeping and Induction as an alternative to Conventional Fuels. The sessions will be followed by a presentation by the BRCM College of Business Administration on Developing Tourism in Surat Economic Region (SER) in alignment with NITI Aayog’s Economic Master Plan.

The conclave will open with remarks by Mr. Arun Shetty, President and Mr. Sanat Relia, Vice-President, Southern Gujarat Hotel & Restaurant Association, followed by a welcome address by Mr Nirav Gandhi, Sr. Vice-President, HRAWI. Special address will be delivered by the Guests of Honour – Mr Sumit Kumar, IRS, Pr. ADG, DGTS, MZU, Customs & Central Excise Department, Ministry of Finance and later in the day, by Mr Nikhil Madrasi, President, SGCCI. The Chief Guest for the event is Shri M Nagarajan, IAS., Commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation.

“The 7th HRAWI Conclave is designed to empower our members with relevant, forward-looking knowledge and practical insights. From food safety regulations to alternative fuel adoption and critical aspects such as food adulteration in the industry, maintenance and housekeeping best practices to prevent fire as well as the adoption of alternate fuels, the agenda reflects the evolving priorities of our industry. We look forward to meaningful discussions that will strengthen operational resilience and industry preparedness,” says Mr Nirav Gandhi, Sr. Vice-President, HRAWI.

The conclave will feature eminent speakers and domain experts across regulatory, safety and operational disciplines, including Mr A M Patel, (FSMS & BRCGS Lead Auditor) Safe Foods (Science & Technology Institute); Mr Viren Shah, Jivraj Tea and Mr Yashpal Patel, Vijay Dairy for the first session and Mr Basant Kumar Pareek, CFO, Surat; Mr Harish Sharma, Karcher India / Mr Rahul Singh and Mr Dheeraj Gaur, Gujarat Gas for the second. Alongside the knowledge sessions, the HRAWI Awards will recognise outstanding contributions and best practices across the hospitality sector, celebrating individuals and organisations that are setting benchmarks in service excellence, innovation, safety and sustainability.