FHRAI Unveils a Transformative Roadmap at FPO–Hospitality & Farmers’ Benefit Summit 2025 to Power India’s Rural Agri-Economy

In a landmark move with wide-ranging implications for India’s agricultural and hospitality sectors, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) hosted the FPO–Hospitality & Farmers’ Benefit Summit 2025 at Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi.

Organized in association with HRANI (Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India) and in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, the Summit was themed “Bridging Fields to Forks: Strengthening Agri–Hospitality Linkages for Inclusive Growth.”

The event signalled a decisive shift in how India’s hotels source their ingredients—ushering in an era where Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) emerge as central players in the premium hospitality supply chain. For the first time, leading hoteliers, policymakers, and FPOs came together to lay the foundation for structured, transparent, and sustainable farm-to-hotel procurement frameworks, aligning hospitality demand with agricultural supply on a unified national platform.

Hospitality Leaders Commit to a New Sourcing Paradigm

The Summit opened with insights from industry leaders—Mr. Ajay Bakaya (Sarovar Hotels), Mr. Rahool Macarius (Wyndham Hotels & Resorts), Mr. VishvaPreet Singh Cheema (Lemon Tree Hotels), and Mr. M.P. Bezbaruah (Hotel Association of India).

They underscored that India’s hospitality sector is ready to embrace direct, traceable, and ethically sourced farm produce as a core pillar of quality, authenticity, and sustainability. The message was clear: the industry is prepared not merely to buy from farmers, but to partner with them.

Government Endorsement Strengthens the Vision

The participation of Mr. Devesh Chaturvedi, IAS (Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare) and Mr. Suman Billa, IAS (Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Tourism) reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to strengthening rural–urban market linkages and enabling farmers’ access to high-value institutional markets. The convergence of both ministries at a hospitality-led platform marks a significant policy milestone in India’s approach to rural livelihood enhancement and sustainable tourism.

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Technical Deliberations: A Blueprint for Agri–Hospitality Integration

A high-powered technical session, moderated by noted food writer Mr. Sourish Bhattacharyya, decoded the operational mechanics of building a national farm-to-hotel supply chain. Expert contributors included:

• Ms. Asha Sota, Director (NRM), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare

• Mr. Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya, Co-Founder & Director, Ekgaon Consulting Services & CEO, Ekgaon Group

• Mr. Kirti Prasanna Mishra, Co-Founder & Director, Ecociate Consultants

• Mr. Ashwni Kumar Goela, Area General Manager (Rajasthan & Agra), Radisson Hotel Group, and GM, Radisson Blu Plaza Delhi Airport

• Ms. Meena Bhatia, Vice President & General Manager, Le Meridien, New Delhi

• Chef Davinder Kumar, Executive Chef & VP F&B, Le Meridien, New Delhi

• Chef Rakesh Sethi, Corporate Chef, Radisson Hotel Group

The panel laid out a clear, actionable roadmap for operationalising direct farm-to-hotel procurement:

• Establishing uniform national quality standards for produce

• Creating predictable logistics and delivery cycles

• Implementing digital traceability systems for sourcing assurance

• Launching capacity-building programmes for FPOs to meet institutional requirements

This blueprint represents one of India’s first industry–government–FPO-aligned frameworks for nationwide direct procurement.

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Celebrating India’s Agri-Identity

The Summit highlighted the growing demand among five-star hotels for region-specific and GI-tagged products such as:

• Yellow tea from Cooch Behar

• Kashmiri mamra almonds

• Himalayan saffron

• Katarni rice

• Makhana

• Black turmeric

• Forest honey

• Kandhamal haldi

These products were showcased as both culinary assets and cultural treasures, underscoring the hospitality sector’s role in elevating India’s agricultural heritage.

FHRAI’s curated FPO Exhibition of 50 distinct farm products sparked unprecedented direct engagement—facilitating sourcing conversations, sampling, and business negotiations. Several hotel groups signalled readiness to launch pilot procurement projects for millets, jaggery, honey, spices, fruits, and heritage grains, setting the stage for scalable, replicable procurement models.

A major outcome was industry-wide consensus on creating a structured onboarding and quality-compliance mechanism, including a unified quality assurance protocol—India’s first formal attempt to integrate FPOs into hotel-level institutional supply chains.

A Turning Point for Farmer–Hospitality Collaboration

Reflecting on the Summit’s significance, Mr. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, President, FHRAI, stated:

“This Summit is not just an event—it is the beginning of a national movement. By bridging India’s farms with its hotels, we are unlocking value for both producers and consumers. The hospitality industry is ready to champion a sourcing ecosystem that is transparent, fair, and future-ready.”

He emphasized FHRAI’s commitment to spearheading collaboration with ministries, FPO networks, and hotel brands to build a scalable, sustainable, nationally aligned farm-to-hospitality architecture.

With participation from FPOs representing 17 states—from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir to Bihar—the Summit became a vibrant demonstration of India’s agricultural diversity and the hospitality industry’s potential to uplift it.

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The Verdict

The Summit delivered a clear and unified message:
India is ready to build its first integrated Agri–Hospitality supply chain—one that respects farmers, enriches hotels, preserves culinary heritage, and drives rural prosperity.