With the theme “Serving the Future” this year’s summit welcomed 2500+ industry professionals, 300+ leading brands, and 80+ distinguished speakers, making it India’s largest restaurant industry annual event. From all over the country, restaurateurs, chefs, investors, delivery partners, policymakers, and technology innovators attended. Discussions highlighted evolving culinary trends, with a growing emphasis on ethnic cuisines, alongside the transformative influence of technology and Gen Z on the future of the F&B industry.

The event began with an exclusive Google CEO Roundtable, featuring insightful deliberations with leading restaurateurs. The summit day commenced with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony graced by Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, IT, and E&C, Government of Goa, Rohit Monserrate, Mayor Goa, along with the NRAI leadership team. This was followed by three days of insightful sessions, hands-on workshops, engaging exhibitions, and networking forums.

Speaking at the summit, Sagar Daryani, President, NRAI, said, “The NRAI Indian Restaurant Summit has always been more than just a discussion; it is about shaping the future of our industry together.  In Goa, we witnessed unparalleled energy and collaboration among all stakeholders.  From sustainability and digital transformation to profitability and policy advocacy, the discussions here will help define the roadmap for India’s food and beverage sector in the coming decade.”

“Our industry has faced immense challenges in recent years, but what sets us apart is our resilience. From neighbourhood cafés to large restaurant chains, we have fought back with determination, continued to innovate, and above all, served our guests with warmth and a smile. This spirit of perseverance is what keeps India’s restaurant community strong and thriving”, he further added.

Prahlad Sukhtankar, Chapter Head, NRAI Goa, added: “The success of this year’s summit demonstrates the strength and resilience of India’s restaurant community. Goa proved to be the perfect setting to celebrate innovation, culture, and collaboration and is rapidly emerging as a culinary hub, drawing a diverse set of tourists from across the world and offering a melting pot of global tastes and experiences. As India’s emerging culinary hub, it continues to attract talent, creativity, and fresh ideas, making it the ideal destination for such a gathering. We are excited to carry forward the ideas and partnerships forged here.”

The summit featured a fireside conversation between Gauri Devidayal and keynote speaker Roni Mazumdar, CEO, Unapologetic Foods, Board Ditrector, National restaurant Assiociation (USA). He noted that this is the biggest event of the year for the F&B industry, which has successfully made its mark in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai, and now in Goa, a remarkable achievement and a proud milestone for the community.

Furthermore, there were other discussions on a variety of topics, including Dining as Theatre, Raising the Bar: India’s Present and Future, Staying Relevant in Changing Times, The Evolution of QSRs, Cafés, and Fast Casual in India, and How Regional Cuisines are Going Mainstream. The event concluded with the grand finale session, Food Fight – Culinary Capitals Clash: The Race for India’s Food Frontier.

In addition, attendees participated in deep-dive workshops and masterclasses that dived into key industry trends and growth strategies.  Highlights included The Economics of Cloud Kitchens in India with Sumit Gulati and Ashish Tulsian, Digital Supercharging for Restaurants by the Google team, Building Growth Beyond Discounts with Parin Sanghvi and Rahul Singh, The Perfect Serve: Crafting Beverage Experiences with Tim Du Gardijn and Ishrat Kaur, Automation That Cooks Up Profits with Jyoti Sudhir, Sunil Shrivastava, and Mirnal Sethi, Scaling & Optimising Kitchens for Profitability with Chef Ashish Massey.

The summit also brought together some of the most eminent speakers and industry leaders, including Ankit Ahuja, Nitin Saluja, Chef Ashish Massey, Ankush Grover, Chef Shankar Krishnamurthy, and Mister Tikku (Influencer & Food Personality), whose diverse perspectives enriched the discussions around growth, profitability, sustainability, consumer behavior, and the future of India’s restaurant industry.

Culinary and tech showcases complemented these sessions, allowing participants to see innovations in restaurant technology, food delivery, packaging, automation, and new cloud kitchen profitability models that attract decision-makers from across the F&B value chain. The summit also emphasized networking and community building, with an exclusive Poolside Welcome Sundowner, which brought together over 2,500 distinguished guests, after parties, and curated networking forums, as well as the NRAI Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the exciting NRAI Premier League (NPL), which featured cricket and beach volleyball, fostering collaboration and camaraderie among the restaurant community.

The 2025 edition was made possible with the support of partners like Restroworks (Presenting Partner) and industry leaders such as Coca-Cola, Google, Goa Tourism, Nestlé Professional, AWL, Reelo, Foodservice India, Hyfun Foods, Grant Thornton, EazyDiner, UEngage, Pernod Ricard, McCain, MasterChef Creations, and Prasuma, among others. The NRAI is grateful to its sponsors, partners, speakers, and delegates for their enthusiastic participation and support in making the 4th Indian Restaurant Summit a resounding success.

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The event will host workshops, exhibitions and panel discussions, alongside dedicated networking sessions with 500+ brands and 300+ partners. Key focus tracks will include, sustainable dining, regional cuisines, artisanal trends, and technology adoption, making it a comprehensive platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

This time, the Summit is coming to Goa, which ranks 12th in India’s organised food services market with an estimated size of INR 1,940 crore. The state boasts 15,147 restaurants, including 8,331 in the organised sector. Themed “SERVING THE FUTURE” this year’s edition reflects the evolving dynamics of India’s thriving food service industry, bringing together restaurateurs, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, chefs, and technology innovators to explore emerging opportunities and address key challenges.

The Summit will be graced by Guest of Honour Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, IT, E&C, and Printing & Stationery of Goa, and will open with a keynote address by Roni Mazumdar, CEO, Unapologetic Foods and Board Director, National Restaurant Association (USA), the visionary restaurateur behind New York city’s most acclaimed restaurants such as Adda, Dhamaka, Semma, Rowdy Rooster, Masalawala & Sons, Naks, and the soon-to-launch Kebabwala.

The event will feature 60+ distinguished speakers, including industry stalwarts such as A.D. Singh (Olive Bar & Kitchen), Ashneer Grover (The Big Chill Café), Anurag Katriar (Indigo Hospitality), Riyaaz Amlani (Impresario Entertainment), Ashish Tulsian (Restroworks), as well as celebrated chefs Manish Mehrotra, Ranveer Brar, Saransh Goila, Vicky Ratnani, and Avinash Martin.  Another key highlight of the event will be a series of engaging discussions on themes such as “Regional Goes National,” “The F&B Experience Economy: When Dining Becomes Entertainment,” “India as a Cocktail Destination: The Country’s Return to the Top of the Asian Bar Scene,” “The Evolution of Café Culture in India,” and “Culinary Capitals Clash: The Race to Be India’s Most Forward-Looking Food City.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sagar Daryani, President, NRAI, said, “The NRAI Indian Restaurant Summit 2025 is more than just an annual gathering of industry leaders; it represents a movement to unify Indian restaurateurs’ voices, foster innovation, and create long-term growth paths for the sector.  This time, the event is coming to Goa, an emerging hospitality hub where we will unlock new opportunities for the future of India’s vibrant dining industry.”

According to the Indian Food Services Report 2024, the restaurant industry is valued at INR 5.69 lakh crore, making it the third-largest sector in India and contributing 1.9% to the nation’s GDP. The industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1%, reaching INR 7.76 lakh crore by FY28. In addition, it contributed INR 33,809 crore in taxes in 2024, a figure expected to rise to INR 55,594 crore by 2028. As the country’s second-largest employer, the sector currently provides 85.5 lakh jobs, with employment projected to grow by over 20% by 2028.

Prahlad Sukhtankar, Chapter Head, NRAI Goa, added, “The Indian Restaurant Summit 2025 focuses on Goa’s transformation from a tourist destination to a serious global culinary hub.  With the assistance of Goa Tourism and key state officials, we hope to address region-specific issues such as seasonality, licensing, and infrastructure, while also highlighting Goa’s unique potential to lead tourism-driven culinary growth.”

The summit has previously been hosted in Hyderabad, Kolkata, and most recently in Chennai, where it played a pivotal role in driving policy advocacy, fostering industry collaboration, and introducing innovative growth models. With each edition, it has expanded in both scale and impact, establishing itself as one of the most anticipated annual events in India’s food and beverage industry.

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