Outbreak of Covid and the resultant lockdowns brought businesses to a standstill, and the pain and disruption was greater for the hospitality sector, leading to losses and closures for many players in this sector. However, some individuals and businesses responded proactively by perceiving this disruption as an opportunity to reorient their businesses for breakthrough results. With an objective to learn from these experiences, Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management & Technology (GGNIMT), Civil Lines, Ludhiana organized a Webinar, Nutritious Food as an Opportunity for the Hospitality Sector today.Prof. Manjit Singh Chhabra, Director GGNIMT asserted that as the food sector was getting crowded with most players offering similar cuisines, it would be difficult for new players to survive, so they must come up with new ideas and concepts. With a view to encourage out of box thinking, GGNIMT had organized this Webinar. Dr. Punam Jain Promoter Taru Naturals, a multi faceted personality was the resource person for this Webinar. In her introductory remarks she built the need for nutritious foods, pitching them as health insurance. She also emphasized that there was a growing interest in the society to adopt traditional Indian food items due to their nutritive and environmental benefits. She asserted that creative entrepreneurs were creating value chains by adopting branding, high quality packaging and offering unique farm to fork experiences, for which the discerning customers are prepared to pay a little bit more. She advised budding hospitality professionals to research and create combinations that not only suit the taste buds of their customers, but also lead to quick business growth and protect our environment. In her presentation she Dr. Jain focused on elaborating organic food choices across meals, snacks and ingredients. She also shared case studies to explain the benefits of collaboration and co working with farmers, hospitality majors, chefs, nutrition experts, dieticians and government bodies for business growth. Jain also suggested that students should think about creating holistic living hospitality experiences for society.
Prof. Shantimani , Head, Department of Hotel Management, GGNIMT hoped Dr. Punam Jain would mentor GGNIMTians on a regular basis through internships, category specific seminars and synergies in offering nutritious food as an opportunity for their students. Dr. Parvinder Singh, Principal GGNIMT thanked Dr. Punam Jain for introducing the dimension of Nutritious Food as an opportunity to differentiate and grow in the Hospitality Sector. He advised the students to experiment in this niche market with traditional Indian foods in their raw, processed or ready to serve categories due their growing national and global demand. Devyani, a student was amazed by the range offered in organic foods and their benefits, while Kabir wanted to enter global markets by offering Indian Nutritious Products. Rajat was impressed by the impact of organic farming on soil and its benefits for sustainable agriculture.