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A very warm welcome to the inaugural issue of Catering Insight. Some of you will already know the title from within the pages of our sister magazine – Hotelier India. The decision to launch the title as an independent publication during what might be called ‘questionable economic times’ has been based on one reason; we expect to see growth in this sector over the medium to long-term.

No one yet knows the size of the foodservice sector in India. The stand-alone, 20-seater outlets in the small alleys of a town, right up to the huge international chains dotted along the arteries of the metros, all fall into this description. And so far there has been no attempt to evaluate exactly how big a contribution these businesses, when combined, make to the Indian economy.

That will change when the NRAI’s white paper on the sector is published in the coming months. And we are sure that when it is, a picture will be drawn of an industry primed for expansion.

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Of course it will not be an easy ride. Bureaucracy, the shortage of skilled labour, excessive taxation and numerous other hurdles can all make catering in India a frustrating business. But as you will see from our interviews inside, the downturn is not having the impact on this sector it is elsewhere.

The influx of foreign cuisine into India in recent years has also helped create a much more adventurous and internationally-aware consumer palate, and the skills of our talented chefs are consistently being tested. I am glad to say this challenge, in my experience anyway, is being met and often exceeded. With talent like this to draw on, the future is promising.

Our aim is to be the platform on which all these issues can be discussed, dissected and disseminated, to ensure the industry has a voice that will be heard by the people that matter.

I hope you enjoy this inaugural issue and take as much as much from it as we have put into it. But I must stress that we can only cover the issues that matter with your help. So please do write in with any suggestions or comments you care to make and together we can ensure we are all eating from the same plate.

Bon appétit!

James Durston, Editor