Nashik Special, HICAP, Express Inn, Kohinoor, Puff&Roll

2. E d i t
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 1
Dear Friends
For almost 30 years, HICAP has been the unequaled exclusive annual gathering for
key players in the Asia-Pacific’s hotel community, attracting the most influential owners,
developers, professional advisors, hotel chain & management companies, architects &
designers, government tourism officials and media is HICAP. Launched in 1990, HICAP
has grown substantially over the years and last year 800 delegates (29 % of delegates
were Chairman/CEO/President/Owners) from 30 countries made their presence felt at the
event. This year will be no different as delegates will converge into Hong Kong at a new
location - The first Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong with one of the largest hotel MICE
facilities in the city from 17-19 October. We have done a preview this all important event.
In this issue we have taken a focus on Nashik - the city of temples, city of Kumbh
Mela, the largest peaceful religious gathering in the world, city with an excellent mix of
history and culture, city of grapes and wineries, city with picturesque surroundings and
scenic beauty, city with world class hotels and some of the top industries. Thanks to the
Kumbh Mela held a few years back Nashik got a major facelift as all three government
machineries - central, state and district plus Nashikites did a fabulous job and now has an
excellent infrastructure. Today Nashik is a city that welcomes all, be it pilgrims, tourists,
corporate, investors and even sommeliers with open arms.
We have again a focus on Express Inn is of the few hotels that keeps reinventing itself
providing the best services to its guests - they have introduced London Bubble Co at Aster
restaurant, launched “Express Chai Katta” (a concept in western world where you have
afternoon high tea with snacks), they relaunched their roof top restaurant After Dark -
celebrating the authentic flavors of Awadh curated by the celebrity Chef-Rehman
Mujeebur. Another new addition was the Sohum Spa.
We have also focused on Nashik based bakery chain Puffs-n- rolls. Established in 2001
as a manufacturer of Bakery & Confectionery products Puffs-n- rolls soon established
itself as a preferred choice for Nashikites for any baked goodies and cakes. We have
interviewed Shahrukh Hoshi Patel founder and MD, Puffs ‘n’ Rolls.
Nashik takes pride in having one of best international residential schools in India.
Fravashi International Academy has is not only well known for its academic excellence
but also for its par excellence in sports education, visual and performing art and other
extracurricular activities. FIA is a co-educational day cum boarding school with
Cambridge Curriculum.
Apollo hospital – one of Nashiks largest hospitals not only looks impressive from
outside but with 120 beds (and a capacity to expand to 150 beds) + excellent
infrastructure with latest medical equipment’s and some of the best doctors is equally
impressive from inside too. The hospital caters to a lot of specialized fields including
Cardiology, Cardiac surgery, Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Orthopaedics and joint
replacement, Nephrology, Urology, Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery, Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Reconstructive surgery, Minimally
invasive surgery, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care and Dental surgery along with
diagnostic services (Radiology, Pathology, Physiotherapy and dietary services).
While Mumbai has several hotels, Kohinoor group has created a niche for itself with
two distinctive properties – Kohinoor Continental and Kohinoor Elite both targeting
select audiences and being quite successful. Kohinoor Group is all set for the group’s first
International participation at ITB Asia.
Editor - Chandragupta Amritkar, Managing Editor - Chandra Talware, Design - Manoj Durgam
Contact - Global Destinations, B-701, Customs Colony, Military Rd, Marol, Andheri(E), Mumbai-400 059, India.
Phone - 91-22-29252569, Mobile - 9223419060 / 9969935878 e-mail: globalfeatures@rediffmail.com
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Printed and Published by Chandragupta Amritkar on behalf of Global Features B-701, Customs Colony, Military Rd, Marol, Andheri(E), Mumbai-400 059
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Global Technologies makes all efforts to ensure that the information published is correct and reliable. However the publication holds no responsibility for
any inadvertent errors, commissions or opinions expressed.
Chandragupta Amritkar
Editor
chandraguptaa@hotmail.com
editor@globalfeatures.info
An Indian publication, Global Destinations
framed in a Ministers office

4. City Focus
C o n t e n t s
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 20184
Destination Nashik
eSmart
.........................20
Curtain Raiser
HICAP
........................06
Fravashi
.........................15
Education
Nashik
........................08
Bakery
............................22
Hospitality
Kohinoor
........................28
Express Inn
........................12
Airlines
Ethiopian
........................30
Industry
Gastronomy
Hospitality

5. C u r t a i n R a i s e r
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 20186
F
or almost 30 years, HICAP has been the unequaled An
exclusive annual gathering for key players in the Asia-
Pacific’s hotel community, attracting the most influential
owners, developers, professional advisors, hotel chain & manage-
ment companies, architects & designers, government tourism
officials and media is HICAP. Launched in 1990, HICAP has
grown substantially over the years and last year 800 delegates (29
% of delegates were Chairman/CEO/President/Owners) from 30
countries made their presence felt at the event. This year will be
no different as delegates will converge into Hong Kong at a new
location - The first Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong with one of the
largest hotel MICE facilities in the city from 17-19 October.
HICAP focuses on the current issues facing the industry and is
an ideal event not only to get insights into the latest in the hospi-
tality world but also as a great networking platform. Starting from
the QuickLink networking session - the fastest way to meet
between as many as 40-80 new people in an hour, QuickLink
takes place just before the opening cocktail reception. The
opening reception is on 17 October from 6:30pm-8:30pm at The
Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong. The networking gala is scheduled on 18
October 2018 at the InterContinental Hong Kong thus providing
lots of opportunities to connect and catch up with contacts and
new acquaintances. As with every year HICAP has an amazing
list of speakers.
The HICAP Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to
Anil Thadani, Chairman of Symphony Asia. This award
honors exceptional individuals who have distinguished them-
selves through their accomplishments and contributions to
expanding, enhancing and advancing the hotel industry in the
Asia Pacific region and the world. Anil Thadani based in
Singapore has worked in the Asia-Pacific region since 1975 and
been involved in Asian private equity since 1981 when he co-
founded one of the first private equity investment companies in
Asia. During his 37-year investment career he has been an active
investor in the hospitality industry.
The winners for the HICAP 2018 Sustainable Hotel Awards
include The Peninsula Beijing in Beijing, China in the category
of Sustainable Design and is Beijing’s first BREEAM-accredited
renovated hotel. In the category of Climate Action, the winner is
Six Senses Fiji Resort in Malolo Levu Island, Fiji. This 24-room
and 10-residence resort has maximized its potential for climate
action given its size and location. Powered by one of the largest
solar installations in the southern hemisphere and backed by Tesla
battery packs, 100% of its energy – including its desalination
needs – are met by renewable energy. In the category of Positive
Community Impact, the winner is El Nido Resorts in Palawan,
Philippines.
On the awards front The Rising Star Asia Pacific Award aims
to nurture the aspirations of the industry’s next generation. Held
in conjunction with the International Society of Hospitality Con-
sultants the 2018 Rising Star Award Recipient is Kieran Bestall,
Senior Manager Development – Middle East & Asia Pacific,
Hilton Worldwide.
HICAP: An excellent networking opportunity
As top end hotel professionals gear up to attend Asia Pacific’s most coveted Hotel Conference HICAP,
Hong Kong, Chandragupta Amritkar previews this all important event

6. N
ashik the city of temples, city of Kumbh Mela, the largest
peaceful religious gathering in the world, city with an
excellent mix of history and culture, city of grapes and
wineries, city with picturesque surroundings and scenic beauty,
city with world class hotels and some of the top industries.
Thanks to the Kumbh Mela held two years ago Nashik got a
major facelift as all three government machineries - central, state
and district plus Nashikites did a fabulous job and now has an
excellent infrastructure. Today Nashik is a city that welcomes all,
be it pilgrims, tourists, corporate, investors and even sommeliers
with open arms.
Nashik is well known for its hospitality and has quite a few
branded and home grown hotels. Seeing the potential many more
International chains are investing in Nashik. One of the few
hotels that foresaw a business opportunity way back in 2010 was
Shelar Properties Pvt Ltd who opened the hotel with around 100
rooms, the largest inventory in Nashik. But within a year they
added another 96 rooms making it a 196 room hotel - raising
quite a few eyebrows on the feasibility of the venture from their
own fraternity. “We have proved that a 200 room hotel can do
good business if they provide excellent service and good quality
food. Today we do a year round occupancy of 80% and on certain
days 100%. Our restaurants are doing roaring business and we are
today the preferred choice for MICE or weddings in Nashik
district,” said a jubilant Vikas Shelar, Director, Express Inn.
Nashik which is also known as "The Wine Capital of India”,
thanks to the numerous wineries spread across the district. Also
Nashik valley wine quality is much appreciated globally. Sula
Vineyards was one of the first to put their wines on a global
platform.
On the industry front Nashik has seen rapid growth in the last
decade. There are main five industrial zones in the city - Ambad,
Satpur, Igatpuri, Dindori and Sinnar. There are plenty manufac-
turing and engineering industries, Auto companies, OEMs,
ancillary units, pharmaceutical units etc. Nashik also is well
known for onions, pomegranates, grapes and tomatoes which are
even exported.
Maharashtra has also declared that it will develop Nashik as an
IT hub. Thus there are innumerable options for a business
investor to look at Nashik. Its close proximity to both Mumbai
and Pune can help investors to look at startups in Nashik.
For the growth of any city good educational institutes are very
important. Apart from standard colleges for arts, commerce and
science, Nashik today has various institutions catering to all
major sectors like management, engineering, medical, media,
architecture, hospitality etc.
The new airport terminal
The Nashik Airport located at Ozar, 20 km from Nashik has
been opened and closed several times for passenger travel.
Owned by Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited
the airport has been
primarily used to
develop, test and build
aircraft for the Indian
Armed Forces (IAF).
Finally in 2014 a
new passenger terminal
was inaugurated
though the first flight
took off only in
December 2017. The
new terminal building,
spread over 22 acres
with 8,267 sq metre
built-up area can
accommodate 300 pas-
sengers. The adjoining
C i t y F o c u s
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 20188
Nashik: Growing Rapidly apron can handle up to six aircraft. Currently Air Deccan flies to
Mumbai, Pune and Jet Airways flies to New Delhi. Flights to
Goa, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad are expected to begin soon.
Having the foresight Express Inn have taken the lead by starting
a lounge at the airport.
Nashik – A city of Temples
Nashik is one of the holiest places for Hindus. This historical
town of Legendary Lord Rama, who lived in Panchvati area of
Nashik, with his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, during his
years of exile is today a mix of old age culture and modernisation.
Some important places worth a visit are
Panchavati - the perfect place to start a tour. It was the place
where Lord Ram, Lakshman, and Sita made their home while
serving the exile. The word Panchavati literally means 'garden of
five banyan trees'. The trees are still in existence on the temple
premises. Ramkund - one of the holy kunds located on Godavri
River was built in 1696 by Chitrarao Khatarkar, on the spot where
it is believed that Rama and Sita took their bath. Many devotees
frequent here to have a holy dip. Kalaram Temple – is complete-
ly build of black stone (thus giving the temple its name) and the
tip is made up of 2 tons of gold. Built by Sardar Odhekar of
Peshwa in 1790, the temple is 70 ft high with beautifully sculp-
tured idols of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshman. Sita Gufaa - near
Kalaram temple is the cave where Sita was staying when Ravana
came to kidnap her. The Shiv linga that she worshiped is still
there in the cave. Tapovan – the place where Laxmana, cut the
nose of Shurpanakha, the sister of Ravana is a nice green zone.
Kapileswara Temple - dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the
oldest temples in Nashik and located on river Godavri. Generally,
all Shiva temples have an idol of Nandi Bull, which overlooks its
master's sanctum but this temple is an exception as there is no
Nandi Idol on its premises. Modakeshwar Ganesh Temple -
where idol is believed to be self-emerged ie, 'Swaymbhu'. The
temple derives its name from the 'Modak' Lord Ganesh's favorite
dish. Veda Mandir - imparting Indian culture, Vedas and Puranas
attracting students from across the globe. Free training and
education on Ved-Puranas is given to all students.
Pandav Leni Caves - located on the Trivashmi hills are a
cluster of Hinayana Buddhist rock cut caves dating from around
the 1st century BC to the 2nd AD. Most of these have outstand-
ing sculptures with icons of Buddha, Jain Teerthankara Vrishab-
hdeo, Ambikadevi, Veer Manibhadraji and Bodhisattva.
Dadasaheb Phalke Samarak - the founder of Indian cinema and
film Industry born in
Nashik. This memorial
is a tribute to this
producer of Indias first
movie 'Raja Har-
ishchandra'. Spread
across 29 acres with a
nice garden in its
courtyard the smarak
contains a meditation,
a conference hall and
an exhibition center
apart from displaying
the works of the Dadasaheb Phalke. Chambharlena - perched on
top of the hill at an elevation of 400 feet is this holy place of the
Jains - the sacred spot of Teerthraj Gajpantha. The popular belief
is that Chamaraj the King of Mysore built Chambharlena in 600
BC. Hence the caves obtained the name "Chamer Caves".
Jain Mandir - on the outskirts of Nashik this gigantic temple
complex is dedicated to Jain saints. This shrine consists of a
three-storied architectural grandeur of its own type different than
the other temples. ‘Jain Mandir’ is a popularly called name for
Shree Dharmachakra Prabhav Tirth, which is constructed using
white marble and pink sand and without any use of steel, cement
or modern building material. Muktidham Temple - built with
white marble it displays almost all the gods and goddesses of the
Hindu pantheon. It also showcases the facsimile of all the 12
Jyotirlingas of India. It is believed that a holy dharshan of this
shrine provides as much virtue as a visit to four holy places. 18
chapters of the Gita are inscribed on the walls. Veer Savarkar
Smarak - Bhagur is the birth place of the freedom fighter,
Swatanrya Veer Savarkar. There is also a beautiful temple of
"Bhagur Devi".
Trimbakeshwar-
It enshrines one of
the 12 jyotirlingas
dedicated to Shiva.
The entire black
stone temple with its
appealing architec-
ture and sculpture
was built in 1730 by
Peshwa Balaji Baji
Rao (Nanasaheb).
C i t y F o c u s
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 9

8. E
xpress Inn is of the few hotels that keeps reinventing itself
providing the best services to its guests. This visit was no
different as they had introduced London Bubble Co at
Aster restaurant, clearly visible from the lobby and equally
tempting. “The whole idea is to offer a wider experience of
waffles and their numerous form of flavours and types including
bubble waffle wraps, pocket waffles, and bubble milkshakes to
our guests. This idea of Bubble waffle originated in Hong Kong
gradually spread across the globe and now it’s introduced in
Nashik by Express Inn. Also waffles are 100% vegetarian and a
great dessert offering,” said Vikas Shelar, Director, Express Inn,
Nashik.
It being monsoon time when I visited, the Express Inn team had
launched “Express Chai Katta” (a concept in western world
where you have afternoon high tea with snacks) which became
quite popular with Nashikites. Reasonably priced it became a
place where you can chat and relish a wide range of tea varieties
along with snacks like pakodas, vada pao, bun maska + an assort-
ment of desserts. I thoroughly relished the bun maska after
several years.
“This is not all, if you can stay for a night more we are
relaunching our roof top restaurant After Dark tomorrow night.
This time we will be celebrating the authentic flavors of Awadh
curated by the celebrity Chef-Rehman Mujeebur. I am sure like
earlier we will soon be back as the best dining experience in
town,” said an emphatic Vikas Shelar.
As always Express Inn was kind enough to put me in the Pres-
idential Enclave Floor and I found that again the team had added
one more revenue stream while giving the guests a classy experi-
ence. Freesia: The Lounge, centrally located on the Presidential
Enclave Floor with European classic interiors and a classical
setting with a rare collection of books and novels has been
opened up for the top end clientele who would like to have a
classy cocktail gathering or a family dinner. The Lounge can
accommodate up to 16 persons.
Another new addition was the Sohum Spa and I was pretty
impressed by the massage as well as the saloon.
Rooms
With a total of 197 rooms and suites divided into different sub-
categories the hotel is able to provide state-of-the-art facilities to
its guests. Apart from being economically priced for the luxury
provided the hotel has a unique offering of family rooms for a
family or a group of four (one of the rare five star hotels to have
family rooms). “Being a holy city we understand this need for
family rooms where all of them want to stay close especially
during religious events,” said Narayan Shelar, founder and
Chairman Express Inn. Another plus point for the hotel is
H o s p i t a l i t y
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201812
Express Inn: A destination in itself
Located on Mumbai Agra highway is a hotel that you cannot miss. Standing in all its grandeur Hotel
Express Inn, a business luxury hotel has created a niche for itself and is rated among one of the best
in Maharashtra, India.
serviced apartments, especially for expats who are more comfort-
able staying in fully furnished apartments with kitchen,
bathroom, living room and bedrooms as they stay for long
durations.
But the Presidential Enclave has become an envy for many
hotels including the branded ones.
The Presidential Enclave Floor has been specifically created
for the top end clientele who come from across the globe and look
forward for the same luxury that they get in hotels worldover.
Built on the top-most floor of the property the Presidential
Enclave provides a sprawling view of the city on one side and the
famous Pandav-Leni on the other. The Presidential Enclave Floor
consists of five suites, one Chairman Suite, one Presidential
Suite, Freesia Lounge with a library and a Smoking Lounge.
The 1800 sq. ft. Presidential Suite at Express Inn is an experi-
ence with It's implicit European style planning, architecture and
stylistic layout along with a plasma TV, a lounge area, washrooms
with a Jacuzzi, steam, a huge dressing zone with full-length
mirrors and a personal GYM to keep one fit on the go. It's antique
feel furniture and unique works of art with a bar and an attached
secretarial room makes it ideal for visiting dignitaries and politi-
cians.
Another feather in the cap has been the introduction of Eva
floors exclusively for women to provide them complete privacy
and the assurance of 100% safety and security. The housekeeping
staff for these rooms are all the fairer sex assuring the comfort
feeling to the lady guests. “Many of our single women guests are
quite pleased with this special floor and we have received
excellent reviews and heartfelt appreciation from lady travelers,”
said Ravindran Nair, GM, Express Inn Nashik.
Dinning
Excellent F&B has always been a forte of Express Inn. Its
signature restaurants and cafe's offer all guests a wide variety of
food options – add to this its recently added London Bubble Co
making it also an exclusive desserts option for dinners.
Aster - The Coffee Shop is a 24 hours multi-cuisine restaurant
with different cuisines from different parts of the globe providing
a gastronomic delight to each of its guest. An ideal spread of
breakfast buffet has made it a delight for the guests. The lounge
bar, Le Bar Salon offers a varied range of exotic beverages,
cocktails/drinks and light food to its patrons along with foot
tapping music played by r in-house DJ. Nashik's highest Sky
Lounge - After Dark has been reopened and as mentioned earlier
will cater to Awadh food.
H o s p i t a l i t y
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 13
One of the major reasons
for the success of Express
Inn is attributed to a
dynamic youngster of just
27 years - Vikas Shelar,
Director, Express Inn,
Nashik. He started his
career with Express Inn,
Mumbai when he was just
21 years. Working late if
required he was able to
make this 30 room with 5
F&B outlets hotel a
success. Seeing this the
owners decided to give me a major task to handle –
their new Express Inn Nashik hotel with 197 rooms
with 5 banquet hall and 3 F&B outlets. When he took
over the hotel in 2013 it was doing 50-55 %
occupancy and banquet occupancy was around the
same. In a span of 5 years he brought occupancy
levels to 80+%, banqueting – 85%, several
corporate tie-ups, global tie-up with Preferred
Hotels, member of associations like FHRAI, PATA,
ICPB. He also successfully launched a Privilege
Membership Card for Express Inn which was an
instant hit and generating substantial revenue for
the hotel. “All this should not have been possible
without the able guidance of our founder and
Chairman Narayan Shelar and the vision that he
foresaw in my abilities,” said Vikas Shelar.
Vikas Shelar

9. Banqueting and MICE
Express Inn has some of the best banqueting facilities in
Nashik and excellent F&B to back it. Express Royale, is ideal to
handle traditional weddings and grand conferences for 800 +
guests at a time. Grandeur is ideal for a corporate conference or a
festive ring ceremony, high-end social get-togethers or kitty
parties or any other kind of gathering upto 300 guests. On the
other hand Harmony – Banquet Lounge, Symphony and Board
Room cater to less number of guests make it a good option for
short business meetings or seminar, an intimate engagement or
birthday celebration. All venues are well equipped with latest
technologies and gadgets.
“Express Inn Nashik is a member of Preferred Hotels and
resorts who market Express Inn for MICE in 60 countries through
their Network. We cannot miss to mention the personal touch you
and your publication Global Destinations which has supported us
for the start and helped us grow our business network both
within India and globally,” said Vikas Shelar.
Connecting with leading online portals, wedding
planners, event management companies and PCO's is a
regular process for Express Inn team. Banner promotion
between Nashik - Mumbai – Pune is a reglar feature as well
as advertising in leading publications. Active participation
in trade shows like ITB, WTM, FITUR, IITT, OTM,
SATTE, ITM, TTF, International Travel Roadshow (India)
has helped them showcase the property.
Add to this they have an excellent fitness center, a spa,
salon, Club X which has billiards, table tennis, play station,
nutrition parlour and the one and only squash court in
Nashik.
This luxury hotel is fast becoming a wedding destination. In
addition to stylish wedding accommodations Express Inn
provides free assistance from certified wedding planners who
help the clients with everything from invitations to wedding
cakes to decorations to memorable farewells.
The privilege card
The hotel also has tasted great success with its privilege card. I
was able to notice quite a few guests from a marriage event at
Express Inn moving with specially designed box for privilege
card and using it. When I mentioned this Vikas Shelar smiled and
said, “It’s really a privilege to have our privilege card. But jokes
apart this was to attract citizens of Nashik and surrounding towns
so that they can also experience their towns best hotel and its
facilities at a discounted price. Already our guests, travel agents
and media have been rating Express Inn Nashik as one of the best
hotels in Maharashtra. We have already been able to cater to both
International and domestic travellers. But the privilege card will
enable guests who may never have come to stay and experience
Express Inn facilities to do so now. In the pack we have included
a free room night stay and several coupons for F&B as well as
SPA and other facilities. In turn this card will help us in a big way
to attract residential weddings and social events thus increase our
revenue substantially.”
Having tied up with Preferred Hotels and Resorts guests who
become members of iPrefer Hotel Rewards (one of the world’s
largest loyalty program for independent hotels) can earn points in
over 600+ participating iPrefer Hotels within Preferred Hotels &
Resorts. iPrefer members earn points for each stay which go
towards reward certificates which can then be redeemed.
H o s p i t a l i t y
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201814
I
t was while talking to my good friend, Shahrukh Hoshi Patel
founder and MD, Puffs ‘n’ Rolls – the famous Nashik based
bakery chain, on the best school in Nashik that we can focus
in the magazine, his instant answer was Fravashi World. “Its not
just because the school is of International repute but you have to
meet Ratan Luth, Chairman of Fravashi World and Fravashi
International Academy who has truly spearheaded quality
education in Nashik,” said Shahrukh.
And how true he was – meeting Ratan Luth in his gorgeous and
spacious bungalow was truly a pleasure and an informative inter-
action.
The Fravashi International Academy (FIA) is spread across
39.2 acres of lush green land has some of the best infrastructure
and facilities comparable to the Top International Schools in
India. “Locations like Lonavala, Panchagani, Ooty, Dehradun,
Shimla, Mussoorie are all blessed with excellent climate making
them ideal for residential schools but Nashik also is blessed with
good climate. Also being close to Mumbai and Pune gives an
added advantage. Keeping all this in mind 16 years back we
started the first International school in Nashik and today I can
proudly say it’s considered to be among the top 10 residential
schools in India,” said Ratan Luth who has 35+ years’ experience
in running schools. His passion for education is clearly visible as
we interacted and the accolades that he has won for his work are
quite appreciable - Nashik Ratna Award by Nashik News, 2018,
Suryadatta Corporate Excellence Award, 2017 and Most Influen-
tial Education Leader by Asia One White Swan Awards 2016 are
the most recent ones.
FIA is a co-educational day cum boarding school with
Cambridge Curriculum. The school encourages an integrated
approach to learning, where subjects are taught in relation to each
other and not in isolation so that students grasp the holistic
picture and the relationship between component parts. Moving
beyond textbooks, teachers plan engaging activities for students
to develop basic academic skills and concepts through hands-on
integration of the arts, humanities and sciences.
“A good curriculum is what finally counts. Any Tom, Dick and
Harry claims to run an International school but there are norms to
be followed which many rarely do as it costs huge investment and
as well as passionate people. Some norms are – the school needs
to have a Cambridge Curriculum that is expected worldwide, you
need to have a time table that should include academics, art,
music, sports etc, you need to have International faculty, world-
class Infrastructure etc,” said Ratan Luth.
Science languages, music & arts, physical education, addition-
al mathematics, social skills, field trips, industrial visits, business
studies, economics, IT, communication technology are all part of
FIA. At FIA, each grade has special tasks, projects and events.
They use teacher-made materials, original sources, experts, the
library, the internet, and all kinds of references. The curriculum is
based on making sure that each child has a strong foundation in
the basic skills, and a desire to apply them to everyday life.
Students have many opportunities to extend their interests
through individual reports and projects, computer research, small
group activities, field trips and cultural events. FIA collaborates
with the local community for community service projects to keep
its students grounded with family values and social values.
“Ours is the only school in India where Children's Day on
November 14 is celebrated as "Secularism Day". We want to
make sure our
next genera-
tions respect all
religions and
we encourage
young minds to
have a quest
for truth and
knowledge.”
said Ratan
Luth.
E d u c a t i o n
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 15
Fravashi International Academy
Education at its best
Nashik takes pride in having one of best international residential schools in India. Fravashi International
Academy has is not only well known for its academic excellence but also for its par excellence in sports
education, visual and performing art and other extracurricular activities
Ratan Luth

11. Boarding Facility
FIA caters to the need of national as well as international
students who are looking for safe, culturally rich and value based
educational, amidst pollution free environment within Nashik. To
develop body, mind and soul of the students in boarding, the
school has three dormitories -The Senior Boys' Home, The Senior
Girls' Home and The Home of Junior. There are exciting activi-
ties and events planned for the weekends. Boarders nights, treks,
seminars, workshops by internal and external faculties, movies,
shopping, lunch and dinner with senior members of management.
Each boarder gets a chance to be part of a committee or a club
ranging from food, entertainment, academic, discipline, sports,
quiz, debate, theater, music or art. Buddy system followed at the
dormitories helps every child to develop a spirit of bonhomie and
comradeship.
“But its Diners' Hub that has won a lot of appreciation from
parents as well as our students. Unlike many other schools where
the food is outsourced we have a well-qualified team of chefs.
The whole aim is to provide balanced, nutritious and best quality
cuisine and ensuring the students develop good eating habits. We
also feed the kitchen staff first before our students are served – a
different process from many schools and organisations,” said
Ratan Luth. I was also surprised to know that the school does not
have a canteen anywhere on campus as students are provided
with sumptuous meals at regular intervals.
Extracurricular activities
At FIA, physical activities and exercises to enhance the agility,
stamina, sportsmanship and team-work of the student are
sincerely implemented to develop the mind and body.
A cricket ground, fields for soccer and hockey, volley ball
courts, an indoor hall for table tennis, an eight lane 400 meter
athletic track for field and track events with a covered grandstand
seating for 2000 spectators, two tennis courts, two basketball
courts, a state of art squash court, a gymnasium, multipurpose
hall for yoga, aerobics & chess; meditation tower, a 10 m small
arm indoor shooting range, Point 2 outdoor shooting range,
obstacle training course, swimming pool, boxing rink, skating
rink reflect the seriousness towards sports as these are some of
the best in our country.
A wide spectrum of visual and performing arts are taught at
FIA in its well-equipped Music and Art Studio. Drawing &
Painting, Pottery, Collage-Making, Origami, Thermocol Craft,
Quilling, Pencil Sketching are some of the forms taught to the
students. Madhubani, Warli, Gonda, Sara and different kinds of
Rangoli created by students and the tutors adorn the walls and
floors of the school on various occasions throughout the year.
They have also integrated dance and music classes in the daily
time table of each grade.
CSR Activities
“Giving back to the society has been a priority for us since the
schools inception. Apart from the regular support local orphan-
ages, blind schools etc, it’s our work for Anganwadis that has
won us accolades,” said Ratan Luth.
The students of FIA experience the real joy by sharing food on
their visits to Anganwadis at Dugaon and Dhondegaon. The
school has been providing fresh breakfast to these Anganwadis
through its students every single day since last 12 years. The reg-
ularity of getting fresh delicious breakfast every morning
attracted the children in the age group 1 year to 6 years and
recorded highest attendance in these Anganwadis. This activity
teaches the students, the value the food and makes them aware of
thousands around them who cannot even afford a single meal
every day.
The Nashik Police Public School, a joint venture of R.S. Luth
Education Trust and the Police Department was inaugurated on
8th September, 2008. The objective of this school is to give
quality education to the wards of police personnel. This school is
completely managed by the trust on No Profit No Loss basis
taking care of its administration, academics, co-curricular as well
as extra- curricular activities.
Apart from this the trust host yearly blood donation camps and
hemoglobin test for women, participation in various social
campaigns such Anti- Tobacco, Clean India mission, Traffic sense
etc . They also provide number of opportunities for the sports
achievers.
E d u c a t i o n
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201818
Fravashi International Academy has marked the
excellence in the field of education, by being
awarded as the Best School Brand 2016 for being a
symbol of Excellence in school by The Economic
Times, Best Day Boarding and Boarding School in
Western India by the Brands Academy, Delhi and
also as the 10th Best School in India & 3rd in Maha-
rashtra by Education World India School Rankings
2017. FIA is also the first boarding school to receive
the ISO-22000:2005 certification for the Food
Safety and Management System for its diners’ hub.

12. I n d u s t r y
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201820
W
hen for the first time I had the pleasure of meeting
Suresh Shah, I was pretty impressed by his thought
process and knowledge in his numerous fields of oper-
ations. What truly surprised me was when my friend Sumit Sikdar
told me his age – 74 years. What an entrepreneur – still going
strong and with enthusiasm to launch a few more companies and
extend support to upcoming startups. “But this is how I am been
throughout my life. After doing my engineering I pursued M.S.
(Indl. Engg.) in U.S.A. with a major in Operations Research and
minor in Economic Analysis. Both have helped me grow up in my
career,” said a smiling Suresh Shah.
Starting his career as a system analyst he soon started his own
company as a consultant and had stalwarts like Peter Drucker as
his clients. But it was in 1975 when he made the smallest PC
capturing 80% market share that brought fame to him. By then he
was also involved in helping sick units turn around earning him
the nick name of The turnaround man. “It’s all a question of being
systematic and doing a SWOT analysis,” said Suresh Shah.
Now this never aging youngster runs an ESCO company
engaged in LED street lights. I was surprised to know that his
company will make 100% project investment with zero invest-
ment from customer’s side. Also they will maintain it for 10 years
with no maintenance burden to customer. “Energy conversation
is ahimsa and being a true follower of this path, I think the field
chosen is perfect. Smart Energy Savings is the need of the hour,
when today whole world is falling short of energy, and where
lighting is one of the major contributor determining demand &
supply. Looking at the social need & business perspective, we are
bound to support most effective energy saving lighting products
with latest trends & technology,” said Suresh Shah.
Named "eSmart Energy solutions Pvt. Ltd." its aim is to
develop technology based energy saving lighting products. They
are focused at addressing the needs of the customers through
rugged, efficient, reliable & economic way to supply the products
ie, providing value for customer’s money.
eSmart Energy solutions is fully equipped with state of the art
manufacturing setup in Nashik along with knowledgeable staff
with whom we had an opportunity to interact.
What is ESCO?
ESCO is an Energy Service Company that provides integrated
energy services to its customers that ensures energy efficiency
improvement in electrical system. It identifies opportunity and
provides technology product and finance to achieve energy effi-
ciency. Its remuneration is directly tied to the energy saving
achieved. Turnkey project are generally undertaken for 10 years
duration. “We will have a 24x7 helpline to receive complaints and
redress. We commit an up time above 97% and service solutions
within 48 Hours. In case of for non-performance we expect the
customer to put penalty charges,” said Suresh Shah.
eSmart provides smart solutions for smart cities
Suresh Shah
I n d u s t r y
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 21
As a part of this ESCO model eSmart Energy solutions offers
outdoor public lighting as well as indoor lighting for municipal
corporations as well as corporate. Under ESCO model eSmart
Energy Solutions will take care of the investments and mainte-
nance of the same for the agreement period (5years to 10years)
and the ESCO will get paid through the Energy Savings. Which
means the customer gets all the benefits with LED Lights such as
good ambiance, great energy savings, long life, no maintenance
cost and state-of-the art technology at zero investment. ESCO
will undertake replacement of existing lighting fixtures with cor-
responding equivalent wattage of the LED and its maintenance.
eSmart is considered as the pioneer in implementing ESCO
projects and the company has executed many prestigious
projects. eSmart has more than 150K street light installations and
this number is rapidly increasing with additional projects.
eSmart energy solutions has been in ESCO business from last
5 years and have replaced conventional fittings with their LED
Street Lights Fittings. They already executed these projects in
11 different cities in India with many more in the pipeline. The
company has been interacting with municipalities across India to
make Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Smart City
a feasibility. They are now vying for the International market.
“For the success of a smart city we will play a vital role. But our
solutions are not just limited to India as I see a huge potential
globally and will pursue our goal of make the world energy
friendly,” said Suresh Shah.
Case Study of Bhubaneswar
Street lighting infrastructure in Bhubaneswar, the capital
of an Indian state - Odisha, used to be outdated, ineffi-
cient, and in poor condition. Although the main roads
were well-lit, smaller streets and residential areas were
lit with dim, patchy lighting or none at all.
The cause of this
problem was no secret.
First, street lighting
infrastructure was
outdated and in poor
condition. Second, the
entire system was
operated manually and
only with few
personnel available,
maintenance was
insufficient. Only six
people handled pro-
curement, installation and replacement of luminaries
and customer complaints for a city with about 20,000
street lights. Third, no monitoring system was in place
over 75% of the street lights lacked meters and
inventory records existed. The city could neither monitor
nor control burning hours.
Bhubaneshwar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the
responsible authority, understood that it did not have a
technical or financial capacity to modernize and manage
its street lighting system. It considered entering into
performance based contract with the private sector,
whereby an Energy Service Company (ESCO) would
upgrade the street lighting infrastructure and improve
management through metering, remote monitoring,
compliance with national lighting standards, and the use
of inventory records. ESCO would recover its investment
by claiming a share of energy saving realized. But the
track record of ESCO contracts in other Indian cities
were mixed. Many failed because of poor preparation
and risk allocation.
BMC asked for IFC's assistance to design and structure
the transaction, and manage a public private partnership
process to identify a qualified private sector partner to
upgrade and manage the street lighting system.
Shah Investments, Financials, Developments, and Con-
sultants Private Limited, an Indian Energy Services
Company, was awarded the tender. It will invest in and
manage Bhubaneshwar's street lighting system and
receive payments generated by realized energy savings.
IFC worked closely with BMC throughout the process.
The team carried out technical, commercial and legal
vigilance, designed and transaction structure, drafted
bid documents, marketed the project, and provide the
assistance throughout the bidding process. IFC also
analyzed similar projects in India and interacted with
several ESCOs to identify best practices and potential
impediments. The findings were integrated in the
project design.

13. What made you enter the food industry?
Everyone likes food. But there are some people who really love
food I was one of them. I didn't have an ideal career in mind while
was growing up, but one thing I did know that I was a foodie and
I loved seeing happy faces as people relished good food.
Food & Hospitality industry was one where I could see my
passion and dream come true and surprisingly my father also had
the same thoughts and wanted me to get into the hospitality
industry. Opting for Hotel Management and later for Bakery &
Confectionery course I stepped into the foodie world.
What is the Bakery & Confectionery scenario in Nashik?
Due to the population rise, western influence, the emergence of
a female working population and the fluctuating eating habits of
people, food industry has gained popularity among people, con-
tributing significantly to the growth trajectory of the bakery
industry.
With regard to bakery products, Nashikites are demanding
newer options, and the industry has been experiencing fortifica-
tion of bakery products in order to satiate the burgeoning appetite
of the health-conscious Indian.
What are your best selling items?
We are the best in Cakes and people have repeatedly proved it
by letting us cater to all occasions. Be it birthday anniversary
baby shower wedding cake or even an achievement celebration
we have been a part of our client’s celebration. We also take pride
in our Healthy Breads & Cookies. Infact this year we have
doubled our sales in this category. We have won local awards and
state awards for being the best brand and bakery in Nashik.
Our aim is to promote Good Hygienic Quality Food and
Beverage to our clients at the best possible rates. ‘Serving Good
Food Even Better’ is our motto and we live up to it. Anyone
looking for a fresh, tasty and healthy snack at any time of the day
can have one at our stores or carry a bagful for his family and
guests
You recently entered into restaurant business. How do you
differentiate yourself?
Having always been into garments and land development food
was purely out of passion. I have seen people in copying our
menus our designs but one thing they will never be able to do is
copy my passion. We have always given high end quality
products by outsourcing the best Ingredients from India and
abroad. Best Ingredients and Quality Product make us stand apart
from the regulars.
What are your expansion plans?
Firstly we are all set for expansion in and around Nashik would
love to spread our wings and explore the metro cities through
franchise model. We
take pride that we
have the best and
biggest range of
products in Bakery &
C o n f e c t i o n e r y
industry. We are
starting with a multi
cuisine Restaurant in
Satpur and a Luxury
Resort in Nashik.
G a s t r o n o m y
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201822
‘Serving Good Food Even Better’ is our motto and we live up to it
Having a heard a lot about the famous Nashik based bakery chain Puffs ‘n’ Rolls and
the dynamic always well-dressed and articulate Shahrukh Patel I decided to make a
visit to his factory. Meeting him was a pleasure and he took me around the factory
as well as his bakery units.
Established in 2001 as a manufacturer of Bakery & Confectionery products Puffs ‘n’
Rolls soon established itself as a preferred choice for Nashikites for any baked
goodies and cakes. “One of the major reasons for our success is that we have main-
tained our quality. As we deliver customized cakes many customers approach us for
their birthday and wedding anniversary cakes,” said Shahrukh as he pointed out to
a beautiful multilayered cake that was ready for dispatch to a client.
His stores spread across the city are also quite unique in design with a pleasing
atmosphere. But the best part is the rage of food items that are available - Coffee
blends, Iced tea, Hot beverages, Sundaes, Mocktails, Pizza, Croissants, Puffs, Breads, Rolls, Pasta, Snack
bites - Fried snack food and Baked snack food, Khari & toast, Burger, Sandwich, Gateau’s & cakes,
Pastries & desserts as well as Cookies.
As the group gets ready to expand we caught up with Shahrukh Hoshi Patel founder and MD,
Puffs ‘n’ Rolls. Excerpts
A
mong the real estate companies in Nashik, Karda Con-
structions has created a niche for itself with their push for
affordable housing segment by coming up with schemes
such as Capsule Homes. Driven by the dynamic Chairman &
MD, Naresh Karda who is a diploma holder in Civil Engineering
Karda Constructions has completed more than 36 projects and
delivered 2,500 homes successfully in Nasik City.
Taking time out from his busy schedule I was able to spend
some time with him – though his phone also kept him busy as I
was able to hear him take all calls courteously. “It’s required in
this business. Most of my customers I know personally and they
have easy access to me and my team. Our efforts have paid off
over the years and today we are one of the most reputed builders
in the city,” said Naresh Karda.
With over 23 years of experience in the field of real estate and
construction he has won several awards including the “Business
Icon of Nasik” by Lokmat which he receivedat the hands of
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Karda Construction recently opted for the IPO route which was
oversubscribed. “The idea was to undertake company’s existing
activities as well as use the funds for part repayment of overdraft
facilities and term loans. Also the listing of the equity shares has
enhanced company’s visibility and brand image among existing
and potential
customers,” said
Naresh Karda.
Karda Construc-
tions was founded
by Naresh Karda in
year 1994 but was
oncorporated in
2007 as Karda Con-
structions Private
Limited. In 2008
they started opera-
tions for Project
“Hari Sankul I”.
After its success in
2010 they Started operations for Project “Hari Vishwa”, “Hari
Sankalp” and “Hari Sneh”. The response from Nashikites made
them launch several projects – seven to be precise in 2011. Since
then there has been no looking back.
The company is primarily in construction of residential projects
and has 11 RERA registered ongoing projects under which the
development of about 20 lakh square feet is in progress and
roughly 14 lakh square feet of saleable area has been delivered till
the date.
“We have presence across all segments – Low, Medium and
Premium Segments. Another salient feature which identifies with
our brand name is the term ‘Hari’. The names of most all of our
sole projects begin with ‘Hari’as in ‘Hari Vihar’or ‘Hari Sankul’.
We believe it to be sacred for us as well as our customers well
being,” said Naresh Karda.
The focus to provide cost effective abodes with luxurious
amenities for each market segment with equal thought and dedi-
cation made the company launch the concept of Capsule Homes.
Capsule homes the new style of modern living with amazing
space management.
Affordable Housing is expected to be new growth driver in
Real Estate industry due to Government policy and impetus on
housing for everybody. The company has built a separate brand
"Capsule homes" for affordable housing. The highlights of the
project is attractive pricing and packaged deals including all
expenses taxes and stamp duty. The project received excellent
response on launch and already sold 100+ flats on launch day in
phase 1.
Karda Constructions is also diversifying into Infrastructure and
Govt Contracts whereby it is currently constructing Residential
Quarters and Bungalows for Goa Housing Board, Commercial
complex and community hall for Goa State urban Development
Agency. “We are already executing three projects in Goa for the
state government. Getting into the government construction
contracts is our new area where we are ambitiously expanding.
The company has obtained PWD license and already won three
projects in Goa and more projects are in the pipe line,” said
Naresh Karda.
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 23
Karda Constructions: Affordable Housing
through Capsule Homes

15. H e a l t h c a r e
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201826
A
pollo hospital – one of Nashiks largest hospitals not only
looks impressive from outside but with 120 beds (and a
capacity to expand to 150 beds) + excellent infrastructure
with latest medical equipment’s and some of the best doctors is
equally impressive from inside too. The hospital caters to a lot of
specialized fields including Cardiology, Cardiac surgery,
Neurology, Neuro Surgery, Orthopaedics and joint replacement,
Nephrology, Urology, Paediatrics, Paediatric Surgery, Obstetrics
and Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Recon-
structive surgery, Minimally invasive surgery, Emergency
Medicine, Critical Care and Dental surgery along with diagnostic
services (Radiology, Pathology, Physiotherapy and dietary
services).
The hospital has a thirty bedded ICU and special Paediatric and
Neonatal ICU, advanced Endoscopy (Gastroduodenoscopy,
Colonoscopy ,ERCP), well equipped Dialysis Unit
(HD,CRRT,SLED), a 128 Slice CT Scan(CT-Angiography, 3D
Reconstruction), 1.5 tesla MRI (MR Angiography), advanced
Mammography etc.
The hospital has added quite a few specialties. The important
one is “Renal Transplant”. They have also started “Obesity
clinic” and provide end to end solutions including “Bariatric
surgery”, “Liposuction” and other reconstructive surgery.
They have been a pioneer in the area of preventive healthcare
in Nashik through their Apollo Preventive Health Check pro-
grammes.
The hospital is moving towards complete digitization to ulti-
mately make it paperless. They have started e-prescription, where
consultants endorse the notes and prescription on line and
medicines are delivered by pharmacy. This reduces medication
errors and makes record keeping easier. They have also started
digitization of all medical records and same can be retrieved by
consultants on line on next visit of patient.
Now all appointments for health checks, and consultation can
be booked by patients online from our portal of ‘askapollo.com’
and lab reports can be accessed. Facility for e-consultation (tele-
phonic and video) are also available and appointments can be
booked online. Profiles of all consultants are available on this
site. Patients can also give their feedback on ‘apollohospital-
snashik.com’.
Taking a tour of the hospital we found the patient rooms quite
spacious. Even the shared rooms are airy and comfortable.
Private rooms have spacious sitting area with a cable TV and a
computerized personal nurse call system. The suite has an addi-
tional sofa bed for attendant. The hospitals ambulance services
can be termed as a hospital on wheels. The hospital has fully-
equipped air-conditioned, modular ambulance with ventilators,
monitors, oxygen, defibrillators, ambu-bags, infusion pumps,
syringe pumps, spine board, life-saving drugs with doctor and
trained paramedics. The guest cafeteria located on the 2nd floor
serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
For those with insurance the hospital provides cashless hospi-
talization. For cashless treatment it is mandatory for the hospital
to have an approval from your TPA. Apollo Hospitals Nashik has
a tie-up with several TPA's.
On the Corporate Social Responsibility Apollo Nashik is
actively engaging doctors to conduct free health screening camps.
Apollo Hospitals Nashik: A Hi-Tech Hospital
One of the major successes for the hospital has been the
way it has handled multiple medical emergency cases.
They have created a separate entrance for such patients so
time is not lost. In any medical crisis, the quality of care
provided in the first few hours is instrumental in saving
lives and determining the prognosis of the victim. The
Nashik Apollo Hospital’s emergency room has the reputa-
tion for immediate response, trauma patients being of the
highest priority. All laboratory and imaging test results are
available without delay leading to quick diagnosis and
rapid treatment. The scope of services includes everything
from critical care transport and definitive surgical care for
trauma victims to comprehensive rehabilitation services.
Due to the unplanned nature of patient attendance, the
department provides initial treatment for a broad
spectrum of illnesses and injuries, some of which may be
life-threatening and require immediate attention.

16. K
ohinoor Group’s Hospitality Division is growing rapidly
as the dynamic Mukund Kamat, Vice-President, Hotel
Division, Kohinoor Group is all set for the group’s first
International participation at ITB Asia. “We have been attending
global events like WTM, London and ITB, Berlin and as visitors
we got an excellent response at these events with convertible
leads. Now for the first time we will be exhibiting at ITB Asia,
Singapore and will look forward to more fruitful tie-ups and rela-
tionship + brand building,” said Mukund Kamat who has 40 years
of experience in the hospitality industry and is considered a
veteran, as VP of the Hotels Division he looks after three hotels
and a banquet hall.
Hotel Kohinoor Continental
Starting operations in 1986 with just 50 rooms and branded as
a three-star hotel Kohinoor Continental Mumbai, the flagship
hotel of Kohinoor Group’s Hospitality Division has grown sub-
stantially over the years. In 1998 they renovated the property -
added 70 rooms and a few years back they added 17 rooms
making it a 137 room property. The 137 rooms are classified into
118 Superior rooms, 17 Premium rooms and 2 Suites (Sapphire
and Topaz). The suites are an experience as they have a tasteful-
ly decorated dining room, living room, and well-equipped
bedroom with an attached bath and toilet.
As one enters the lobby one is impressed by its spacious size as
well as authentic Indian décor.
The grand curvy staircase
alongside the corner has turned
out to be an excellent spot for
selfies. Just across the lobby is
The Café Lounge – an all-day
lounge - serves an extensive
beverage menu and some tasty
bites including the sandwiches. Across the lobby just before the
grand staircase is located the Kohinoor Continental Art Gallery
where both renowned artist and upcoming artists display their
paintings. Quite a few Solo-Art Exhibitions have been held at the
venue.
Up the grand staircase is the famous Solitaire Restaurant, a
preferred destination for food connoisseurs in the city thanks to
the right mix of superior quality, delicious and healthy food. The
expert chefs make a whale of a difference as multi-cuisine delica-
cies are served to entice the diverse palates from across the world.
The best part is that the large bay windows overlook the pool and
lush greenery giving a soothing feeling to the guests and ideal
venue for luncheon business meetings. The swimming pool is
truly a beauty and many use it as a venue to host parties.
Another popular venue is Kohinoor Continental's bar lounge,
The Beryl Club. This stylish pub features spacious interiors with
wooden and earth toned decor and comfortable seating with
stylish wicker chairs. The club offers an extensive range of hand-
picked spirits from around the world with delicious appetizers
that blend to perfection in taste.
MICE has been a major revenue earner for hotels and foresee-
ing this Kohinoor Continental is equipped with latest state-of-the-
art facilities making it an ideal destination to host all high profile
business conclaves and seminars. Emerald Banquets can accom-
modate upto 250 people and can also be divided into three
different parts for smaller events. It is equipped with all business-
friendly amenities to make your event a grand and successful
affair. The Ruby hall is quite popular for social events. The hotel
also has a state-of- the-art boardroom.
The hotel has also starting promoting itself on digital platform
H o s p i t a l i t y
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201828
Kohinoor Hotels to exhibit at ITB, Asia
While Mumbai has several hotels, Kohinoor group has created a niche for itself
with two distinctive properties – Kohinoor Continental and Kohinoor Elite both
targeting select audiences and being quite successful.
Mukund Kamat in a big way. “We have started encouraging our guests to do
online booking through our website with special offers including
lowest price and discounts on F&B. Our business package has
also become quite popular where we have included complimen-
tary dinner and free high speed wifi. We recently introduced
executive day room at a competitive price providing 8 Hours of
accommodation,” said Mukund Kamat.
Hotel Kohinoor Elite
It’s truly a brainchild of the group and certainly an innovation
in hospitality. The hotel has USP like its unique single Bill
Concept wherein a guest is offered accommodation, all meals,
laundry and internet service all in a single value package.
Situated in Uptown Mumbai off LBS road in Vidyavihar-Kurla,
Kohinoor Elite is located in the heart of Mumbai's new commer-
cial hub - merely 3km away from Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
With Mumbai International and Domestic Airport just 6 km away,
Kohinoor Elite is an ideal choice for business travellers and vaca-
tioners alike. The US Consulate is located in the vicinity of Hotel
Kohinoor Elite (just 3 kms) making it an ideal option for those
applying for US Visa. The MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority) exhibition centre.
As a budget accommodation in Mumbai, Hotel Kohinoor Elite
comprises of a selection of 100 well-appointed rooms, including
77 Double rooms and 23 Twin rooms each of which spans over
an area of 270 sq. ft. making it one of the largest rooms in its
category. The décor is of the highest standards with carefully
crafted blend of aesthetics with modern amenities to cater to the
needs and the taste of our varied guests. The corridors are also
spacious and they have beautiful pictures/paintings focusing on
Mumbai culture and lifestyle.
Every floor has one small meeting room. These meeting rooms
are attached to a single guest room with a connecting door. For a
nominal cost the guest can have a private meeting room. This can
be used for Interviews or for having small office parties. Another
major utility can be used as a temporary office for those guests
who don’t have an office in Mumbai.
A massive LCD screen at the reception provides the guest with
real time flight information, news and world time to keep them
updated with the latest happenings around the world. Another dis-
tinguishing factor is that unlike other hotels where you have to
stand and wait for check-in (I have experienced it and its quite
uncomfortable if you have a couple of bags) here they have
facility to not only sit and check-in but also during check out you
can sit and relax while the staff does the needful.
Adjacent to the lobby is the restaurant, which is quite spacious
for a 100 room property and has a seating capacity for 88 people.
It’s the hotels all day multi-cuisine restaurant that has a one of its
kind 18 hour buffet service - the one aspect that sets the Elite
restaurant apart from the rest and is considered one of the finest
dining restaurant in Mumbai. You can blend with the metro’s
elites at this hip venue as the city’s who’s who throng our restau-
rant throughout the week.
Again the colour combination of white and yellow makes the
restaurant look pleasing as well as spacious. The restaurant has a
see-through kitchen and a bar counter - a bit small, but for those
keen on having a few drinks its sufficient.
Hotel Kohinoor Elite is also home to a classy and state-of-the-
art banquet hall, which is ideal for all corporate events and private
gatherings. With an area of 1500 sq. ft., it can accommodate up to
65 guests. It is equipped with all business-friendly amenities that
ensure a smooth rendition of your events with no room for
glitches.
Vows Banquet
The Vows Banquet located in Prabhadevi, Mumbai right
opposite Siddhivinayak Templeand a couple of kilometers from
Dadar Staion. It has a banquet hall as well as a terrace banquet
hall. A combination of Hall + Terrace can accommodate upto 300
guests in seating and 500 guests in floating. The venue also offers
DJ, firework display, in-house decorators and audio-visual
equipment. The venue is fully customisable as per the wishes of
the clients. Both Vegetarian and Non Vegetarian food is served at
the venue. The venue is suitable for various occasions including
Wedding, Engagement, Corporate Event, Team Outings/Party,
Birthday Party, Cocktail Party or just a Get Together.
H o s p i t a l i t y
Global DestinationsSept - Oct 2018 29

17. W
hen I was invited to cover a technology event in Brazil
as well as Argentina, I requested the organisers to fly
me on Ethiopian Airlines. Though a bit surprised, the
organisers heeded to my request (though later they did agree that
Ethiopian gave them the best connection). I then approached my
good friend Tadesse Tilahun Regional Director, Indian Sub-
continent Ethiopian Airlines with a request for an upgrade. He
like as always was kind enough to consent and also showed me
online that the airline not only had excellent connections to Sao
Paulo from Addis Ababa with waiting time of less than 3 hours
and then the same flight goes on to Buenos Aires – thus making
it convenient to passengers planning to visit both countries. “A
direct flight from Addis to Sao Paulo makes it one of the shortest
ways of getting to Brazil from India. Not just that if you notice
apart from the least time spent to reach the destination we are also
having the best price,“ added Tadesse Tilahun.
Considering I had a 20+ (while going) and 24+ (on my return
from Buenos Aires) flight hour’s experience, resting becomes one
of the most important requirements - so a business class seats
make all the difference. It was also only the second time I was
flying fifth-freedom routes (i.e., a flight between two countries
operated by an airline from a third country) from Argentina and
Brazil on an Ethiopian flight.
Ethiopian Airlines markets its business
class cabin as “Cloud Nine”, and my flight
had all forward-facing seats arranged across
four rows in a 2-2-2 configuration. The flat
bed seats are quite comfortable with
controls embedded in the central console
between the two seats. There’s a good
amount of legroom for each seat, but for the
window side passenger to access the aisle
he/she has to cross over you. On my leg
from Sao Paulo to Addis Ababa, a girl was
allotted the window seat. It being a 12 hour
flight, this was what came to my mind and
fortunately after takeoff the next aisle seat
was empty and I shifted so that both of us
can be comfortable.
I look forward to Ethiopian airlines
putting in Apex Suites (each of the window
seats offer direct aisle access as they have a private walkway
leading to the seat, and you can raise or lower the partition
between seats for full privacy).
There are separate check-in queues for Business and
Gold/Platinum Star Alliance which are strongly adhered to. Also
being a part of Star Alliance, makes it the preferred choice for
many frequent travellers who would love to earn miles or redeem
them.
Inspite of being relatively a small airport - Addis Ababa airport
has several lounges - while the Cloud 9 lounge caters exclusive-
ly to Business Class passengers there are separate lounges for
Gold Class Star Alliance members and one for Platinum
members. The lounges all have low red sofas with charging plugs
on the walls. The internet is quite good but speed drops down
when the lounge gets crowded.
Being a vegetarian I was surprised by the good quality of veg-
etarian food on board. “That’s one of the task that I have person-
ally taken. To keep our flyers happy we have to provide them with
the type of food that they prefer and preferably the taste should
be the same. For this our catering department is getting trained by
an Indian chef,” said an enthusiastic Tadesse Tilahun.
On the flight apart from the excellent vegetarian options one
can relish the Ethiopian national dish called
‘Injera’ (leavened and flat bread like our
Indian dosa). Lots of spicy stew accompa-
nies ‘Injera’ and they can be both vegetarian
and non vegetarian. Kolo was available as a
snack served with pre-meal drinks. Kolo is
simply roasted grain mix and quite tasty +
nutritious. And as always service was with a
smile and warmth.
They have unique amenity kits in three
colours - bright yellow, red and green – the
colours of the Ethiopian flag. Truly appreci-
ate the concept. The surprising part is that
it’s provided for flights even 3 hours long –
while many airlines prefer to give it for 6 +
hours flight and only during night flights.
The overall experience was great and for
those travelling to Latin America, Ethiopian
Airlines can be one of the best options.
A i r l i n e s
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201830
Ethiopian hospitality in the skies

18. For Your Information
Global Destinations Sept - Oct 201832
September 12-14 PATA Travel Mart, Langkawi – Malaysia
September 16-18 Luxperience, Sydney, Australia
September 18-20 IT&CM Asia and CTW, Bangkok – Thailand
September 18-21 WYSTC (World Youth & Student Travel Conference), Edinburgh, Scotland
September 19-20 Seatrade Cruise MED, Lisbon, Portugal
September 26-29 IFTM (Top Resa), Paris, France
September 26-27 Hotel Investment Conference Europe, London, UK
September 27-30 Kerala Travel Mart, Kerala, India
October 2-4 Africa Hotel Investment Forum, Nairobi, Kenya
October 4-7 International Fair of Tourism Sport Expo, Novi Sad, Serbia
October 5-7 TTF Mumbai, Mumbai – India
October 11-13 Cambodia Travel Mart, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
October 16 – 18 IMEX America, Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA
October 23 – 26 INTERBAD (Swimming Pools, Saunas & Spas), STUTTGART, Germany
November 01-04 Luxury Travel Fair, UK
November 05-07 World Travel Market (WTM) London, ExCeL, London, United Kingdom
November 06-08 Cruise Connect Summit, Manila, Philippines
November 07-09 CruiseWorld, Florida - USA
November 09-11 Philoxenia, Thessaloniki - Greece
November 13-14 Future Travel Experience Asia Expo, Singapore
November 22-24 TT Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
November 22-24 BITM (Beijing International Travel Mart), Beijing, China
November 27-29 IBTM World, Barcelona, Spain
Nov 30- Dec 02 IITM (India Int'l Travel Mart - Pune), Pune, India
December 03-06 ILTM (Int'l Luxury Travel Market), Cannes, France
December 06-08 Travel Turkey Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
December 07-09 Athens International Tourism Expo, Athens, Greece
December 09-12 BestCities Global Forum, Bogota, Colombia
December 13-14 Inspire Summit (International Luxury Hotel Assoc), Las Vegas, USA
January 10-13 Ferien Messe Wien, Vienna, Austria
January 10-11 Meetings Morocco, Marrakech, Morocco
January 11-13 SITE Global Conference, Bangkok, Thailand
January 14-22 ASEAN Tourism Forum, Quang Ninh, Vietnam
January 16-20 MATKA, Helsinki, Finland
January 16-18 SATTE (South Asia Travel & Tourism Expo), New Delhi, India
January 23-24 CONVENTA, Ljubljana, Slovenia
January 23-27 FITUR, Madrid, Spain
January 23-25 TTF/OTM, Mumbai, India
Jan 31- Feb 03 EMITT (East Mediterranean Int'l Tourism & Travel Fair), Istanbul, Turkey
February 04-05 MICE Place Marsaille, France
February 10-12 BIT, Milan, Italy
February 12-13 IMTM (Int'l Mediterranean Tourism Market), Tel Aviv, Isreal
February 13-14 CONVENE, Vilnius, Lithuania
Exhibitions and conferences not only give you an opportunity to see and hear about the latest destinations, services
and products but also becomes a venue to meet and interact with International partners. One should plan much in
advance to participate in an expo so that he can get in touch with existing and prospective customers. We have
compiled a list of travel related Exhibitions for 2018-19
If your event is not listed, please e-mail us at editor@globalfeatures.info. It's free!
Your Dateline
If you are organizing an exhibition/Conference not listed above please get in touch with us at-
Global Technologies, B-701, Customs Colony, Military Rd, Marol, Andheri(E), Mumbai-400 059, India.
Phone - 91-22-29252569, Mobile - 9224339001 / 9223419060 e-mail: chandraguptaa@hotmail.com