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NRAI to form chapters to increase national presence

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has decided to form chapters that will enable it to voice developments in the restaurant industry and streamline its representation. Its newly-elected president, Vikram Bakshi, said that the chapters would be based on zones and cities, which will be decided soon. "We have formed a sub-committee for them to etch out the functional aspect of the chapters," he said.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) also represents restaurants, but restaurateurs feel that it is not enough. According to Bakshi, the policy-makers in the government are still very conventional and they need to be informed about the potential that the F&B sector collectively has. "There is a need to see restaurants beyond singular units, which gets easily sidelined when compared with five-star hotel revenue earnings," he remarked.

Formation of chapters will be a step towards creating an active organisation with proper representation from across the country. This will ensure that NRAI gains national recognition and doesn't remain Delhi-centric, which is the association headquarters.