HRAWI elects Dilip Datwani as President for the second term

Dilip Datwani has been re-elected as President of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) at its 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held recently in Mumbai. Datwani has been serving in the role of the President for the year 2016 – 17 and will now continue to serve in the same capacity for the term of 2017 – 2018. Mr. Gurbaxish Singh Kohli also will continue to serve as the Senior Vice President for the same tenure while Mr. Pradeep Shetty takes a sabbatical for this year and Mr Sherry Bhatia replaces him as the Hon Secretary. Datwani is also the Vice President of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), the apex body of all the regional associations of hotels and restaurants across the country. He has been an active voice and part of the hotel and restaurant fraternity for over two decades. Datwani has previously served as Chairman of the Membership Committee, Chairman of the Classification Committee, and Senior Vice President of HRAWI. He is Chairman & Managing Director of Datwani Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and owns and operates Shatranj Napoli, a landmark restaurant at Pali Hill, Bandra. “Firstly, I thank all our members for re-electing me as the President. The last one year has been an eventful time for the hotel and restaurant industry, be it the recent issue of liquor ban along the State and National highways, GST, demonetization or service charge. I must mention that through all these tough times HRAWI petitioned, engaged and diligently followed up with the concerned authorities and ministries to resolve the issues faced by hoteliers and restaurateurs. The introduction of GST brings forth both opportunities and challenges. In the short run, it is expected to be one of the biggest disruptions for the industry. To bring about a smooth transition HRAWI has urged the law authorities to review unfavorable clauses that have brought along certain hardships for the industry. Other than this we will continue working inclusively with various Government authorities on several fronts which the association has been pursuing in the interest of hospitality and tourism in India,” says Mr. Datwani.