ET F&B Conclave North India 2026: Celebrating the leaders, innovators and iconic brands shaping India's hospitality industry

The food and beverage industry continues to evolve, driven by changing consumer preferences, innovative dining concepts and a new generation of hospitality entrepreneurs. Recognising the visionaries and brands contributing to this transformation, The Economic Times presented the ET Food and Beverage (F&B) Conclave North India 2026, bringing together prominent restaurateurs, hospitality leaders, entrepreneurs and industry experts for an evening celebrating excellence and innovation.


Held at Le Méridien New Delhi, the conclave brought together distinguished personalities from the food, restaurant and hospitality ecosystem for an evening of recognition, networking and meaningful industry conversations. Le Méridien New Delhi was the hospitality partnerfor the event.


The conclave recognised distinguished achievers across the restaurant, hospitality and food and beverage ecosystem, honouring F&B business leaders, Top Women Achievers and leading F&B brandsfor their contribution, vision, and impact on the industry.

The prestigious gathering was graced by renowned celebrity Chef Kunal Kapur, who joined industry leaders and distinguished guests in celebrating the achievements of India's vibrant hospitality sector.

Bringing industry leaders together for meaningful conversations

Beyond recognising excellence, the conclave provided a platform for meaningful discussions on the changing dynamics of the food and beverage industry.

The first panel discussion, titled 'How Has the Delhi Diner Changed?', explored evolving dining preferences, consumer expectations and the changing relationship between restaurants and their customers. The discussion featured Ajay Kakkar, Vice President, Radico Khaitan; Vineet Wadhere, Director F&B, Le Méridien New Delhi; Varun Sahgal, Co-founder & Director, Chokhi Dhani Forest Retreat and Mehak Dhawan, Digital Creator. The session was moderated by Emcee Swati.

The second panel, 'Made in Delhi for the World', focused on the growing influence of Indian restaurant brands and their potential to establish themselves on the global culinary map. The panel brought together Priyank Sukhija, MD & CEO, First Fiddle F&B Pvt Ltd; Zorawar Kalra, Founder & MD, Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd; Dinesh Arora, Founder & Director, Qavalli Restaurants Pvt Ltd; and Vikas Gupta, Founder & CEO, Three Sixty. The session was moderated by Amin Ali, Senior Journalist, Editor and Advisor.

The conversations highlighted the importance of innovation, brand building, customer experience and the growing aspirations of India's hospitality entrepreneurs.

Recognising the people and brands driving the industry

A key highlight of the evening was the recognition of outstanding contributors across multiple categories. The ET Top Women Achieverscategory celebrated women entrepreneurs and leaders making a mark in the F&B industry. The ET F&B Business Leaderscategory recognised accomplished industry professionals. the Top F&B Brandswere recognised for their contributions across dining, culinary innovation, restaurant experiences, hospitality and specialised food categories.

Celebrating excellence and shaping the future

The conclave also acknowledged the contributions of hospitality establishments and brands across Delhi-NCR, recognising excellence in areas ranging from luxury hospitality and premium dining to regional cuisine, restaurant concepts, wedding venues and innovative culinary experiences.

With changing consumer expectations, new dining formats and increasing competition, the food and beverage sector is entering an exciting phase of growth. Platforms such as the ET F&B Conclave provide an opportunity to recognise the people behind this transformation, encourage industry dialogue and celebrate businesses setting new benchmarks.

The ET F&B Conclave North India 2026 reaffirmed The Economic Times' commitment to recognising the visionaries, entrepreneurs and iconic brands shaping the future of India's food and hospitality industry.

Research methodology

The ET F&B Conclave North India 2026 recognitions were supported by a research exercise conducted by Avance Insights Pvt Ltd, with the objective of identifying leading women achievers, F&B business leaders and prominent food and beverage brands across the north region. The study was conducted in the north region and commenced in the second week of August 2026.

Industry partners share their perspectives

The ET F&B Conclave North India 2026 received valuable support from industry partners who shared the vision of recognising excellence, celebrating achievements and creating meaningful platforms for the hospitality ecosystem.

Radico Khaitan – Celebration partner- Ajay Kakkar, Vice President, Radico Khaitan, highlighted the importance of celebrating the people and businesses shaping India's food and beverage industry. He further highlighted the conclave's focus on leadership and influential women in F&B, celebrating resilience, innovation and inclusivity, and applauded the visionaries taking Indian hospitality to the global stage.

Le Méridien New Delhi – Hospitality partner- Meena Bhatia, Vice President & General Manager, Le Méridien New Delhi, expressed her enthusiasm about hosting the industry gathering. The association reflected the importance of hospitality destinations in bringing together industry leaders and creating memorable experiences.

Thershaw – PR partner- Ranjita Shaw, Founder & Managing Director, Thershaw, emphasised the importance of creating platforms that spotlight influential voices in the hospitality industry. The association reinforced the importance of industry storytelling and recognising the people behind the sector's growth.

The ET F&B Conclave North India 2026 celebrated more than individual achievements. It brought together the leaders, entrepreneurs, women achievers and brands shaping India's evolving hospitality landscape, reaffirming the importance of innovation, collaboration and excellence in the future of the food and beverage industry.

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