Ahmedabad, 18 August 2026: Ahead of the 5th NRAI Food Delivery Summit 2026, India’s biggest food business summit, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) today highlighted Gujarat as an increasingly important market for India’s restaurant and food services industry, with growth extending across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot and new opportunities emerging around GIFT City. The observations were shared at a press conference in Ahmedabad ahead of the summit, which will be held on 20 August.
Gujarat’s restaurant landscape has developed well beyond its traditional food culture. Ahmedabad alone has more than 20,000 restaurants, including cafés and QSRs, with the city’s restaurant sector estimated to be growing at 10–12% annually. Across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, NRAI has 500+ members, reflecting the breadth of the state’s restaurant ecosystem like The Secret Kitchen, Gopi Dining Hall, Old School Eatery, 22nd Parallel and Jagdish Foods to brands such as La Pino’z and Baskin-Robbins amongst many other leading F&B Brands. The market is seeing growing acceptance of premium dining, international cuisines, cafés, QSRs and experience-led formats, while businesses originating in Gujarat are increasingly building a presence beyond the state with the potential to scale across India and international markets.
Gujarat is also building a strong sports and infrastructure ecosystem, with Ahmedabad set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and emerging as a key city in India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As this ecosystem develops, NRAI will work with stakeholders across the state to bring the restaurant and food services industry into these conversations, particularly around the food, hospitality and catering requirements that will accompany the growth in sporting events, tourism and infrastructure.
Speaking on the broader industry opportunity and the role of the NRAI Food Delivery Summit in bringing these conversations to the forefront, Mr. Pranav Rungta, Vice President – NRAI, Director – Mint Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, said, “The restaurant industry in India is seeing its next phase of growth come from markets that have strong entrepreneurial ecosystems and increasingly diverse consumers. Gujarat is an important example of this shift. The strength of its restaurant businesses across Gujarat, combined with the emergence of new consumption centres such as GIFT City, creates a strong opportunity for the industry. The NRAI Food Delivery Summit is designed to bring the industry together around these changes and discuss how technology, entrepreneurship and evolving consumer behaviour will shape the next generation of restaurant businesses.”
GIFT City is adding another dimension to this opportunity by bringing together a growing financial, corporate and international business ecosystem in the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar region. For restaurants and hospitality businesses, this is creating potential across business dining, corporate catering, premium food experiences and new formats designed around a growing business and professional audience. The summit’s focus on GIFT City also reflects this emerging intersection between the region’s food businesses and a rapidly developing global business environment.
For Gujarat’s restaurant community, the opportunity is also closely linked to the changes already taking place in the industry. Technology and AI are increasingly being used across menu engineering, demand forecasting, inventory management, ordering, customer engagement and restaurant operations. As businesses look to improve efficiency and scale, technology is becoming a core part of restaurant strategy rather than simply an operational tool.
Speaking on the evolution of Gujarat’s restaurant ecosystem and the opportunities emerging across its key markets, Aanal Kotak, Chapter Head, NRAI Ahmedabad and Founder, The Secret Kitchen (India & Global), said, “Gujarat’s food ecosystem is becoming more diverse, and the change is visible across cities and across formats. Ahmedabad has a strong base of established and emerging restaurant businesses, while Surat and Rajkot add significant depth to the state’s overall market. At the same time, GIFT City is creating a new business and consumption environment that can open up opportunities for food and hospitality businesses. The combination of entrepreneurship, changing consumer preferences and this new economic activity makes Gujarat an important market for the future of the restaurant industry.”
The Gujarat NRAI leadership and chapter ecosystem includes Dilip Thakkar, Co-Chapter Head; Chirayu Aggarwal, Treasurer, Ahmedabad; Pankaj Pathak, Joint Secretary; and Darshan Dasani, Joint Secretary, bringing together industry voices from across the state.
The national opportunity remains significant. According to NRAI’s India Food Services Report 2024, India’s food services market was valued at ₹5.69 lakh crore in 2024 and is projected to reach ₹7.76 lakh crore by 2028, with the overall market growing at a CAGR of 8.1% and the organised segment expected to grow at a faster 13.2% CAGR. India is also the second-fastest-growing food services industry globally and is expected to become the third-largest food services market by 2028.
The 5th NRAI Food Delivery Summit 2026, presented by Petpooja, in association with Nestlé Professional and supported by GIFT City, will bring together 5,000+ attendees, 70+ speakers, 1,500+ brands and delegates from 30+ cities at The Forum – Hotel & Convention, Ahmedabad, on 20th August 2026. The summit will bring together leading voices from across India’s food and restaurant ecosystem, representing brands and businesses including The Rameshwaram Cafe, Hocco Ice Creams, Burma Burma, The Belgian Waffle Co., Rebel Foods, Chai Point, Daryaganj, La Pino’z, Wow! Momo, McDonald’s, Baskin-Robbins, Chaayos, The Beer Café, The Black Sheep Bistro, Café Arabia, Honest Pav Bhaji, Massive Restaurants, Hunger Inc Hospitality, The Secret Kitchen, Swiggy, Coca-Cola, ITC Foods, Nestlé Professional, Petpooja and Reelo, among others.
The summit will explore the next decade of India’s food and restaurant industry, with sessions spanning building India’s next ₹1,000 crore food brand, franchising, direct ordering, AI and intelligent restaurant platforms, marketing, loyalty, restaurant valuation and “GIFT City for the Global Kitchen: Intersection of Innovation, Capital and Food Brands.” The programme will also feature workshops on smarter growth, online acquisition, AI, sales, packaging, menu innovation and content creation.
