Latest news with #Jain-friendly
United News of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- United News of India
Easy Boba Unveils ‘Riddler's Saturday': A Refreshing Twist to Bubble Tea with a Brainy Spin
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 26: In a move that marries interactive storytelling with beverage innovation, Easy Boba, India's fastest-growing bubble tea brand, has launched Riddler's Saturday — a weekly Instagram-based riddle challenge designed to engage, reward, and delight its community of tea enthusiasts. Every Saturday at 11 AM, Easy Boba's Instagram story will present a new riddle, where followers get a single shot per level to crack the flavor of the week. Hints drop every three hours, culminating in a final reveal. The earlier participants crack the code, the better the rewards — from Buy One Get One Free Drink to exclusive discounts up to 10%. 'At Easy Boba, we believe every flavor tells a story. Riddler's Saturday brings that story to life — one sip and one riddle at a time,' said Adnan Sarkar, Founder of Easy Boba. 'It's about merging the joy of discovery with the joy of drinking something truly special.' This gamified approach isn't just fun — it reflects the brand's broader mission to blend innovation with authenticity. Known for reinventing traditional Indian drinks with a boba twist, Easy Boba offers a vibrant menu with dairy-free, plant-based, Jain-friendly, and low-calorie options, making it a favorite among health-conscious consumers and those with dietary restrictions. One riddle drops every Saturday at 11 AM. Users get one guess per level, per hint drop — no second tries. Two hints follow every three hours; the fourth story reveals the answer. Winners get featured on the Riddler Leaderboard and receive in-store rewards. Reward Levels: Level 1 (The Golden Sip): Buy One Get One Free Drink + Tag Level 2 (Silver Guess): 25% off Level 3 (Bronze Shot): 10% off Level 4 (The Big Spill): Answer reveal, game ends This playful, layered campaign fits into Easy Boba's larger branding strategy of creating 'Sip-worthy experiences.' With 20+ outlets and growing, the company continues to redefine India's café culture by offering not just a drink, but a flavourful adventure. The offer is applicable at select locations. Kindly confirm its availability at your nearest outlet. For more details or to play along, follow @easyboba on Instagram or visit If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ahead of 50th anniversary, Sion's iconic Guru Kripa, whose samosas were loved by Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, debuts in South Mumbai
In the late 1960s, Vishindas Wadhwa — whose family came to India during Partition and settled in Mumbai — found success selling samosas from a thela (hand cart). In 1975, he went on to establish what would become Sion's beloved Guru Kripa. Over the next five decades, it earned a loyal following for its samosas, tikki chole, and a range of savouries, as well as mithais like the Sindhi specialty Sev Barfi, made with khoya and sev. Its reputation spread far beyond the neighbourhood. But for South Mumbai residents, there was always one complaint: 'It's too far!' Ahead of its 50th anniversary this August, third-generation custodians Bharat and Sunaina have addressed this long-standing gripe by opening Guru Kripa's first branch — just a stone's throw from the Royal Opera House on Charni Road. 'What better gift to my grandfather than taking his culinary repository to a bigger audience,' said Bharat on a weekday afternoon, just two days after the shutters were lifted. Spread across 800 sq ft, the Charni Road outpost functions as a mithai retail outlet and delivery kitchen and offers an elevated experience. While the original 1,500 sqft store evokes nostalgia with its classic mithai-and-snack shop vibe, the new branch is more contemporary in design. There's a truck-style mithai station, a hamper counter, and a 'wall of fame' showcasing celebrity visitors and key milestones in the brand's journey. 'We wanted it to be an experience centre where every corner tells a story,' Bharat shared. 'So we gave it a retro South Bombay touch.' Pointing to a wall behind the savoury counter, he drew our attention to a series of black-and-white photos featuring the Asiatic Library, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the BMC building. 'This is our ode to South Bombay.' Unlike the original outlet, where customers can grab a quick samosa while standing outside or enjoy a full meal in the air-conditioned seating area, this new branch is strictly takeaway and delivery. 'We did want a small dine-in section,' Bharat admitted. 'But it didn't fit the space and what we set out to do with this experiment.' In the hour we spent at the shop, the counter stayed busy with walk-ins sampling mithai or picking up snacks for home. 'The response has been great, people are happy that it's now accessible,' he said, adding that early favourites include samosas, gulab jamun, sugar-free dates mithai and their recently launched Biscoff barfi, and Jain-friendly snacks like chole tikki, sandwiches, and Sindhi-speciality dal pakwan. Guru Kripa's samosas, of course, have a cult following of their own. Legend has it that Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were regulars, and that when Amitabh Bachchan suffered a near-fatal injury on the sets of Coolie, Vishindas Wadhwa distributed samosas while praying for his recovery. 'When Mr Bachchan learned of this, he visited us, enjoyed the samosas, and declared them his favourite,' Bharat recounted proudly. We asked him for the real marker of success: the number of samosas sold. He smiled shyly before revealing, 'We sold 1,000 samosas each on day 1 and day 2.' Fifty years on, it seems life has come full circle for Vishindas Wadhwa's Guru Kripa.
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Hospitality Is Becoming A Big Part Of U.S.-India Ties
The U.S. and India are experiencing a major surge in cross-border hospitality. American hotel giants are moving aggressively into India, seeing it as the next frontier for growth. With rising incomes, a booming domestic travel sector and a government eager to improve the country's tourism infrastructure, India is commanding unprecedented attention from the world's most prominent hotel brands. Marriott International, the largest hotel company globally, operates over 150 properties in India and plans to add 80 more in the next five years. Its hospitality pipeline spans luxury resorts, urban business hotels and midscale offerings tailored to India's fast-growing middle class. Hilton is scaling up rapidly with 25 hotels open, 20 more in development and four new brands launching in India by 2025. Hyatt has over 45 hotels there and continues expanding into so-called Tier-2 cities to serve both corporate and leisure travelers. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts operates 50 hotels in 35 Indian cities and aims to double that figure through partnerships in midscale and budget properties. Behind these ambitious plans are the fact that India was ignored by the big chains for decades—and, as a destination for international tourists, is hardly on the map. In 2019, India attracted just 10.9 million foreign visitors—a fraction of the 80 million who visited the U.S. or the 90 million who traveled to France. Almost as many visited a single city—London—last year. Within Asia, Thailand and Malaysia attract far more tourists than India. This gap, of course, presents a major opportunity. U.S. hotel brands are well-positioned not just to support India's thriving domestic travel base but to shape the next chapter of its rise. Then there is the other side of the coin. Indian travelers are reshaping the American hospitality market. India is now one of the fastest-growing sources of inbound tourism to the United States. In 2024, 2.2 million Indian tourists visited the U.S., a 24% increase over the previous year, making India the second-largest overseas market for U.S. tourism outside of North America. By 2025, India is projected to become the third-largest source of international visitors to the U.S., behind Canada and Mexico. Indian travelers are not just arriving in greater numbers—they are also spending more. In 2023, Indian tourists spent over $20 billion in the U.S. by some estimates, placing them among the top-spending international traveling demographics. American hotels are aware and seizing the opportunity. Luxury chains are expanding vegetarian, vegan and Jain-friendly dining options. Business hotels in New York, San Francisco and Chicago are offering India-specific amenities, from electric tea kettles to Indian news channels. In leisure destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu, hotels are tailoring packages for Indian weddings and multi-generational travel. Policy changes have helped build this momentum. Visa wait times for Indian travelers have dropped significantly, and direct flights between Indian and U.S. cities continue to expand. Indian travelers are no longer a niche segment: they are shaping design, staffing and service strategies across the U.S. hospitality landscape. Indian Americans form a kind of connective tissue binding both trends. Their economic footprint in the U.S. hospitality industry is deep and enduring. Today, over 60% of all motels and hotels in the U.S. are owned by Indian Americans, translating to more than 40,000 properties generating an estimated $40 billion in annual revenue and employing hundreds of thousands. That economic footprint is matched by political and organizational influence. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), founded in 1989, now represents more than 20,000 hotel owners and is the largest hospitality trade organization in the world by membership. Its members own nearly two-thirds of all economy and midscale hotels in the U.S., and the association plays an increasingly visible role in policy advocacy, regulatory engagement and workforce development. 'The ties between our two countries run deep, and no sector reflects that better than hospitality,' says incoming AAHOA Chairman Kamalesh 'KP' Patel. Indian American hoteliers are uniquely positioned to help shape the bilateral policy agenda on investment, workforce mobility, visa policy, and infrastructure. Indian companies are no longer just participating in the American market: they're reshaping it. In 2024, Indian hospitality company OYO acquired the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 in a $525 million all-cash deal, marking one of the most consequential cross-border acquisitions in the sector's history. This move reflects a broader shift. Indian hospitality firms are no longer looking outward for validation. They are now exporting capital, models and management expertise—embedding themselves in the heart of the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump's return to the White House introduces a distinctive variable into this evolving dynamic. His global business empire has long centered on hotels, resorts and branding. Trump brings a degree of familiarity with hospitality unmatched by any previous U.S. president. His administration may view the sector through a commercially attuned lens: opening space for bilateral engagement on tourism, infrastructure and services. At the same time, India is investing heavily in upgrading its physical and policy infrastructure to support international tourism. The convergence of U.S. brand interest, Indian consumer growth and diasporic leadership creates a rare alignment of interests as well as an opening for policy frameworks that reflect a new reality on the ground. The U.S. and India are experiencing a major surge in cross-border hospitality. American hotel giants are moving aggressively into India, seeing it as the next frontier for growth. With rising incomes, a booming domestic travel sector and a government eager to improve the country's tourism infrastructure, India is commanding unprecedented attention from the world's most prominent hotel brands. Marriott International, the largest hotel company globally, operates over 150 properties in India and plans to add 80 more in the next five years. Its hospitality pipeline spans luxury resorts, urban business hotels and midscale offerings tailored to India's fast-growing middle class. Hilton is scaling up rapidly with 25 hotels open, 20 more in development and four new brands launching in India by 2025. Hyatt has over 45 hotels there and continues expanding into so-called Tier-2 cities to serve both corporate and leisure travelers. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts operates 50 hotels in 35 Indian cities and aims to double that figure through partnerships in midscale and budget properties. Behind these ambitious plans are the fact that India was ignored by the big chains for decades — and, as a destination for international tourists, is hardly on the map. In 2019, India attracted just 10.9 million foreign visitors—a fraction of the 80 million who visited the U.S. or the 90 million who traveled to France. Almost as many visited a single city—London—last year. Within Asia, Thailand and Malaysia attract far more tourists than India. This gap, of course, presents a major opportunity. U.S. hotel brands are well-positioned not just to support India's thriving domestic travel base but to shape the next chapter of its rise. Then there is the other side of the coin. Indian travelers are reshaping the American hospitality market. India is now one of the fastest-growing sources of inbound tourism to the United States. In 2024, 2.2 million Indian tourists visited the U.S., a 24% increase over the previous year, making India the second-largest overseas market for U.S. tourism outside of North America. By 2025, India is projected to become the third-largest source of international visitors to the U.S., behind Canada and Mexico. Indian travelers are not just arriving in greater numbers—they are also spending more. In 2023, Indian tourists spent over $20 billion in the U.S. by some estimates, placing them among the top-spending international traveling demographics. American hotels are aware and seizing the opportunity. Luxury chains are expanding vegetarian, vegan and Jain-friendly dining options. Business hotels in New York, San Francisco and Chicago are offering India-specific amenities, from electric tea kettles to Indian news channels. In leisure destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu, hotels are tailoring packages for Indian weddings and multi-generational travel. Policy changes have helped build this momentum. Visa wait times for Indian travelers have dropped significantly, and direct flights between Indian and U.S. cities continue to expand. Indian travelers are no longer a niche segment: they are shaping design, staffing and service strategies across the U.S. hospitality landscape. Indian Americans form a kind of connective tissue binding both trends. Their economic footprint in the U.S. hospitality industry is deep and enduring. Today, over 60% of all motels and hotels in the U.S. are owned by Indian Americans, translating to more than 40,000 properties generating an estimated $40 billion in annual revenue and employing hundreds of thousands. That economic footprint is matched by political and organizational influence. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), founded in 1989, now represents more than 20,000 hotel owners and is the largest hospitality trade organization in the world by membership. Its members own nearly two-thirds of all economy and midscale hotels in the U.S., and the association plays an increasingly visible role in policy advocacy, regulatory engagement and workforce development. 'The ties between our two countries run deep, and no sector reflects that better than hospitality,' says incoming AAHOA Chairman Kamalesh 'KP' Patel. Indian American hoteliers are uniquely positioned to help shape the bilateral policy agenda on investment, workforce mobility, visa policy, and infrastructure. Indian companies are no longer just participating in the American market: they're reshaping it. In 2024, Indian hospitality company OYO acquired the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 in a $525 million all-cash deal, marking one of the most consequential cross-border acquisitions in the sector's history. This move reflects a broader shift. Indian hospitality firms are no longer looking outward for validation. They are now exporting capital, models and management expertise—embedding themselves in the heart of the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump's return to the White House introduces a distinctive variable into this evolving dynamic. His global business empire has long centered on hotels, resorts and branding. Trump brings a degree of familiarity with hospitality unmatched by any previous U.S. president. His administration may view the sector through a commercially attuned lens: opening space for bilateral engagement on tourism, infrastructure and services. At the same time, India is investing heavily in upgrading its physical and policy infrastructure to support international tourism. The convergence of U.S. brand interest, Indian consumer growth and diasporic leadership creates a rare alignment of interests as well as an opening for policy frameworks that reflect a new reality on the ground. The U.S. and India are experiencing a major surge in cross-border hospitality. American hotel giants are moving aggressively into India, seeing it as the next frontier for growth. With rising incomes, a booming domestic travel sector and a government eager to improve the country's tourism infrastructure, India is commanding unprecedented attention from the world's most prominent hotel brands. Marriott International, the largest hotel company globally, operates over 150 properties in India and plans to add 80 more in the next five years. Its hospitality pipeline spans luxury resorts, urban business hotels and midscale offerings tailored to India's fast-growing middle class. Hilton is scaling up rapidly with 25 hotels open, 20 more in development and four new brands launching in India by 2025. Hyatt has over 45 hotels there and continues expanding into so-called Tier-2 cities to serve both corporate and leisure travelers. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts operates 50 hotels in 35 Indian cities and aims to double that figure through partnerships in midscale and budget properties. Behind these ambitious plans are the fact that India was ignored by the big chains for decades — and, as a destination for international tourists, is hardly on the map. In 2019, India attracted just 10.9 million foreign visitors—a fraction of the 80 million who visited the U.S. or the 90 million who traveled to France. Almost as many visited a single city—London—last year. Within Asia, Thailand and Malaysia attract far more tourists than India. This gap, of course, presents a major opportunity. U.S. hotel brands are well-positioned not just to support India's thriving domestic travel base but to shape the next chapter of its rise. Then there is the other side of the coin. Indian travelers are reshaping the American hospitality market. India is now one of the fastest-growing sources of inbound tourism to the United States. In 2024, 2.2 million Indian tourists visited the U.S., a 24% increase over the previous year, making India the second-largest overseas market for U.S. tourism outside of North America. By 2025, India is projected to become the third-largest source of international visitors to the U.S., behind Canada and Mexico. Indian travelers are not just arriving in greater numbers—they are also spending more. In 2023, Indian tourists spent over $20 billion in the U.S. by some estimates, placing them among the top-spending international traveling demographics. American hotels are aware and seizing the opportunity. Luxury chains are expanding vegetarian, vegan and Jain-friendly dining options. Business hotels in New York, San Francisco and Chicago are offering India-specific amenities, from electric tea kettles to Indian news channels. In leisure destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas and Honolulu, hotels are tailoring packages for Indian weddings and multi-generational travel. Policy changes have helped build this momentum. Visa wait times for Indian travelers have dropped significantly, and direct flights between Indian and U.S. cities continue to expand. Indian travelers are no longer a niche segment: they are shaping design, staffing and service strategies across the U.S. hospitality landscape. Indian Americans form a kind of connective tissue binding both trends. Their economic footprint in the U.S. hospitality industry is deep and enduring. Today, over 60% of all motels and hotels in the U.S. are owned by Indian Americans, translating to more than 40,000 properties generating an estimated $40 billion in annual revenue and employing hundreds of thousands. That economic footprint is matched by political and organizational influence. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), founded in 1989, now represents more than 20,000 hotel owners and is the largest hospitality trade organization in the world by membership. Its members own nearly two-thirds of all economy and midscale hotels in the U.S., and the association plays an increasingly visible role in policy advocacy, regulatory engagement and workforce development. 'The ties between our two countries run deep, and no sector reflects that better than hospitality,' says incoming AAHOA Chairman Kamalesh 'KP' Patel. Indian American hoteliers are uniquely positioned to help shape the bilateral policy agenda on investment, workforce mobility, visa policy, and infrastructure. Indian companies are no longer just participating in the American market: they're reshaping it. In 2024, Indian hospitality company OYO acquired the iconic Motel 6 and Studio 6 in a $525 million all-cash deal, marking one of the most consequential cross-border acquisitions in the sector's history. This move reflects a broader shift. Indian hospitality firms are no longer looking outward for validation. They are now exporting capital, models and management expertise—embedding themselves in the heart of the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump's return to the White House introduces a distinctive variable into this evolving dynamic. His global business empire has long centered on hotels, resorts and branding. Trump brings a degree of familiarity with hospitality unmatched by any previous U.S. president. His administration may view the sector through a commercially attuned lens: opening space for bilateral engagement on tourism, infrastructure and services. At the same time, India is investing heavily in upgrading its physical and policy infrastructure to support international tourism. The convergence of U.S. brand interest, Indian consumer growth and diasporic leadership creates a rare alignment of interests as well as an opening for policy frameworks that reflect a new reality on the ground. In a relationship vulnerable to trade hostility, hospitality now offers an unexpected and promising path forward. 'Hospitality is more than business—it's people, culture and connection. That's why it has the potential to define the next chapter of U.S.-India ties,' Patel observes. 'We have a president in the White House who intrinsically understands this. 'We're only scratching the surface of what U.S.-India collaboration in hospitality can achieve,' he says. 'The sky truly is the limit."
