The event recap was written by:
The FCSI India Fellowship Dinner, held at Mountbatten, The Oberoi, New Delhi on 10th March 2026 during day one of AAHAR 2026 (India’s largest Food & Hospitality Fair), received an overwhelming response from the Hospitality & Food Service Industry in India and the Subcontinent.
As one of the Directors of FCSI APD, it was an honour to co-host the First FCSI Fellowship Dinner in the country’s capital, New Delhi with Mr. Joseph Rajakumar, the Regional Representative for India.
As the first FCSI event of its kind in India, we received an astounding response with the event being attended by 74 industry professionals, ranging from consultants to allied members & Industry professionals waiting to join the event.
The rooftop venue on the ninth floor of the hotel, featuring both indoor and al fresco areas, offered a sweeping view across the Delhi Golf Course and Humayun’s Tomb. This spectacular view of New Delhi’s Green cover enabled relaxed conversations fostering a comfortable environment that helped facilitate connections and build genuine relationships among participants without any pressure.
A key highlight of the event was Mr. Joseph Rajakumar’s keynote. He began by acknowledging that we couldn’t accommodate many industry partners & professionals due to an unprecedented, overwhelming response to the event registration.
He then officially started his keynote, discussing FCSI, its history, global footprint, role as a professional body, purpose, professionalism, ethics, ongoing professional development, global connectivity, & other objectives in the region.
Mr. Joseph also discussed upcoming FCSI events, including industry conferences, Trade Shows, Educational Webinars, Publications & Our Direction for India. He also announced an outreach initiative to Institutes of Hospitality Management in India to support students & future talent in the Foodservice Consulting domain.
Mr. Jospeh also announced that the fellowship dinner will be an annual event during the upcoming AAHAR Shows, with subsequent knowledge sessions held annually in other regions of India (South, West, & East), keeping India’s large geography in mind. This announcement was welcomed by the august audience.
Mr. Joseph also announced FCSI’s next event in India, which will take place in cooperation with The India Horeca Expo in Coimbatore, TN, India, from July 1st to 3rd, 2026. He also announced FCSI’s participation at the FHA Singapore in April 2026 with a series of panel discussions scheduled there, along with other upcoming events.
We were glad to open the Registration for the FCSI Asia Pacific Conference taking place on 22 – 25 July 2027 at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang, Malaysia.
Our Gold Sponsors – Cambro Nilkamal India, Chefmate Technologies & Meiko Clean Solutions – gave short presentations.
No event is possible without our sponsors. We took time to acknowledge representative members from each of your sponsors, starting with Gold Sponsors: Cambro Nilkamal India, Chefmate Technologies & Meiko Clean Solutions, and Our Silver Sponsors: Alto Shaam, Cornell India, Everpure (Pentair), Halton, Hatco, MG Pro, Rational India, Robot Coupe, SSS India, Swastik Synergy, T&S Brass, V-Tex, Welbilt.
I delivered a vote of thanks to the august gathering for gracing the evening with their presence and for their support in making The FCSI India Fellowship Dinner 2026 a grand success.
I also take this opportunity to thank the fellow consultants from India, Sri Lanka & other regions, who travelled and took time to join us at the India Fellowship Dinner. Their engaging presence and leadership continue to strengthen our Impact in India and Asia Pacific Region.
Following the presentation the cocktail dinner opened in the al fresco area. Guests enjoyed an exotic selection of beverages from the tavern, the chef’s curated delicacies, appetizers, salads, soups, a live station, and a buffet spread featuring delicacies from Southeast Asia & India.
It was personally heartwarming to see such an exceptional gathering for the first event of its kind in India. In the days following the AAHAR Show, the FCSI India Fellowship Dinner was still being discussed. Many Allied Members & sponsors reached out to share their experience of a small yet high-quality gathering, which enabled purposeful dialogue and engagement.