Global IndianstoryAnshu Ahuja and Renee Williams: Making takeaway in London sustainable with DabbaDrop

Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams: Making takeaway in London sustainable with DabbaDrop

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(February 10, 2024) Dressed in a white outfit and traditional Gandhi topi, an army of about 5000 dabbawallas push through every nook and corner of Mumbai to satiate the hunger of over 200,000 Mumbaikars daily with home-cooked food for 125 years. This very lifeline of Mumbai inspired a Mumbaikar, who is now settled in London, to start DabbaDrop – London’s first plastic-free, waste-free and emissions-free takeaway. In just five years, co-founders Anshu Ahuja and Renee Williams have saved 2,03,370 plastic containers and prevented 2,500 kg of food waste from going into landfills through DabbaDrop.

“In the past few years, people have started ordering a lot, thanks to the arrival of food delivery apps. After having that food, we end up with a bin full of plastic. The packaging is very wasteful and greasy. You can’t recycle it. So, I wanted to find a better way to order in,” the Global Indian said in an interview.

Renee Williams and Anshu Ahuja

Zero wastage takeaway

Growing up in Mumbai with a Tamilian mother and a Punjabi father, food remained a big part of Anshu’s life. As a teenager whenever she stepped out to try some food, she would end up recreating the same in her kitchen upon her return. “This way I could continue to taste the flavours.”

However, after moving to London and working a high-pressure job as a TV producer, she would often end up ordering food. But the options for vegetarian food were very limited and the food always arrived in plastic containers. Keen to find a better way, she quit her 15-year-long stint in TV production to start Dabba Drop. It began with her reproducing her family’s recipes, packing them in reusable metal tiffin or dabbas, and delivering it by bike in the nearby areas of Hackney. She texted a handful of friends about the idea, and the first week saw six people ordering in, and later the number rose to 25. In just 18 months, DabbaDrop was feeding 300 people weekly across Hackney, Leyton and Walthamstow.

Eco-friendly delivery

One of her first messages landed in Renee William’s textbox, who was a restaurant event producer. Coming from New Zealand, she believes in nature and sustainability and instantly fell in love with the concept of DabbaDrop. “I loved the theatre of not knowing what was inside the dabba before I opened it, and the wholesome food and sustainability element really ticked all the boxes for me,” Renee said in an interview. In no time, the conversations between the two turned into how to make this idea bigger and better.

Offering healthy South Asian cuisine

They work on a flexible subscription-based system that allows people to sign up weekly or fortnightly, with a set menu for every week. They curate the mains, and customers can add the sides. “We cook all our dals, curries and subzi’s from scratch in our commercial kitchen, using 100% natural ingredients – vegetables, lentils, legumes, healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Our handmade spice mixes are made fresh every week and everything is made in small batches,” reads their website. With DabbaDrop, Anshu and Renee wanted to introduce Londoners to Indian flavours and textures. “What we serve is not something that is easily available in a traditional Indian restaurant.”

“Our meals are vegan and South Asian. We want to follow the journey of the curry. This way, we are uncovering the history of Indians as they emigrated across the world,” added Anshu, who avoids wastage, thanks to pre-orders. The chefs cook for the exact amount of people who have ordered, as one dabba can easily serve two people.

DabbaDrop | Global Indian

The dabbas that serve meals from Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Kerala, Delhi, and Hyderabad are then mounted onto bicycles, e-bikes, and other emission-free vehicles for delivery in Zones 1-3 of London And the empty dabbas can be picked up during the next delivery. “We use everything that is reusable. We are constantly trying to improve our packaging. We want to leave a better planet for our kids,” added Anshu.

Dabbadrop has more than 2,000 subscribers and delivers food all over East London. They want to grow bigger in the future. They got £500,000 in their first funding round, which made the company worth £2.7 million. “We want to change the way London does take away,” said Anshu.

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Published on 10, Feb 2024

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Kolkata biryani with potato confit? British Chef Shaun Kenworthy is rewriting the rules of Bengali cuisine

(March 3, 2024) Chef Shaun Kenworthy’s career graph is the definition of going against the norm. While most chefs love the idea of travelling around the world, working with multiple brands across cuisines, once Shaun based himself in Kolkata, he was happy to travel across India doing what he loves best. With no plans of going back to England, in the near future at least. Oh Kolkata! Growing up in a town near Manchester, United Kingdom, Shaun worked as a pastry chef at some of the most happening restaurants and bars in London. He was voted one of the top ten pastry chefs in London when he was barely 25. In an exclusive with Global Indian, Chef Shaun recalls, “At that time, I was working with the restaurant Quaglinos in London – the usual 14 to 15-hour days where you barely get four-and-a-half hours of sleep; and you burn out before you are 30. I met Rohit Khattar of India Habitat Centre at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, in the year 2000; an event attended by restaurateurs and chefs from all over the world. Rohit invited me to come to India for a couple of weeks in June 2000

attended by restaurateurs and chefs from all over the world. Rohit invited me to come to India for a couple of weeks in June 2000 and thereafter, with a few emails back and forth, in October 2000, I decided to come here and get out of London for a bit. I was the Executive Sous Chef for India Habitat Centre in Delhi. I had every plan of going back in a year; but one month prior, 9/11 happened and nobody was boarding flights. I also didn’t have a job to go back to.”

ALSO READ: Chef Lakhan Jethani brings Japan’s Shoji Ryori cuisine to India

He stayed back and happened to meet Priya Paul of The Park Group of Hotels. She asked him to join them as they were launching new hotels in Bengaluru and Chennai. “I joined the Park Hotel, Kolkata as Executive Chef and had a two-year contract, but they renewed it after one year to extend it for three more years. Those four years were brilliant; I was almost given carte blanche. I spent time in Chennai for the opening of the Park there, and in Delhi for the re-opening of their hotel. I was part of the renovation and relaunch of Flury’s, also owned by the Paul family, in December 2024.”

Here is where he made his mark in Kolkata. With no less a brand than the legendary Flurys; the tea room and patisserie that has been around since 1927. He recalls, “As a pastry chef they wanted me to revamp the menu. I even had Lord Swaraj Paul calling me from England, asking me not to change this or that dish on the menu. The entire Paul family was involved in the revamp.”

Chef Shaun left The Park in 2005. Somewhere along the way, he met Pinky, a model who he married in 2004. “When my time was up, we wondered whether we should go back to England; I also had offers in Beijing, Melbourne and Singapore. But I liked it here, so we stayed back.”

One Chef, Many Hats

That was sheer serendipity because it led to Chef Shaun getting consultancy offers, teaching assignments and setting up new hospitality brands. He says, “I have worked on more than 120 projects over the last 17 years – everything from small boutique properties to high end hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, patisseries, QSR venues and remote properties in places such as the Himalayas, Rajasthan, Kutch and cities across India.”

Chef Shaun was also briefly part of a restaurant called The Blue Potato in Kolkata serving modern global cuisine – which had Bollywood stars and international celebs like Ricky Martin and Antonio Banderas dine there. It shut down in two years because it didn’t have a liquor license. The British chef has also mentored many students, as the Director, Culinary Arts for IICM – the Indian Institute of Culinary Management across several cities. “Thousands of young people have passed through my hands and so many of my students have worked with me.”

Projects he has recently worked on include the premium segment property, Suryagarh, in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan and Rann Riders in Kutch, and Sitara, in the Himalayas. He says, “I like to work on places that tell a story of the region through the food, in a modern context. These places get lots of international guests, so the stories of the place must be retold through the local ingredients and traditions.” He likes taking on selected projects, some on turnkey basis; creating a brand-new all-day menu, masterclasses, pop-ups… “I like loads of variety – doing one thing is boring for me,” he says.

ALSO READ: Chef Vijay Kumar: Meet the man behind Semma, the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the US

The place still close to his heart and one Chef Shaun is still involved with since the planning stages over a decade ago, is The Glenburn Penthouse, which opened its doors in the middle of 2018. “We [Glenburn Tea Estate’s Anshuman and Husna-Tara Prakash] decided to launch an elegant, boutique nine-room venue. It stands on Russell Street overlooking the magnificent Victorian Memorial and the Kolkata maidan. Other than focus on the rooms, we host intimate, bespoke events with 20-40 people over dinner. We are open for lunch and dinner and offer a traditional ‘Full English afternoon tea.’ We also did curated menus for special occasions.”

Chef Shaun reiterates that he does not personally cook Indian food. “I play around with flavours and Indian ingredients, but the food I make is more European and modern. I have been using Bandel cheese from Kalimpong for more than 20 years now in my risottos and pastas.”

Bengali Cuisine, International Touch

Bengalis have, more so than Indians from other states, a proprietary approach towards their cuisine. Any criticism or experimentation is often taken as a personal affront. Yet, Chef Shaun has experimented with ingredients and techniques, as he says, “a million times.” To great success. Even the sacrosanct elements of Bengali food – the hilsa fish, mishti doi and the Kolkata biryani –have been modernised and completely transformed under his creative touch. As have puchkas, pani puri to the rest of us, kasundi or mustard paste and paanch phoron – the Bengali tadka medley. The famed sweets too are served in unrecognisable avatars. He says, “To make the Kolkata biryani, I broke it down into its four main components – rice, meat, potato and egg. I overcooked the rice, the goat was cooked overnight for 12 hours so the meat would just melt in your mouth. I served it with a potato confit and a soft-boiled egg. And topped it with crispy fried onions and a dollop of ghee because everyone loves them. Of course, people criticised it initially, but I told them to taste it first and not jump to conclusions. Similarly, with the hilsa, I serve it pan-seared alongside roasted arbi and green gondhoraj [the local lemon] Hollandaise sauce.” Chef Shaun has also served the much-revered hilsa as a mousse among other Bengali favourites turned upside down.

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Puchkas have been tweaked into various starters and dessert much before doing so became a trend. He recalls, “I like to experiment as the food is about telling a story. I’ve served puchkas dipped in white chocolate, or with crab mousse, a beetroot chaat, or Bengali sweets inside – in a million different ways really. I treat the aam papad or shoto as it is known here, as a fruit leather and play around with it as a glaze. The paanch phoron too is so versatile. Among desserts, which are the easiest to make for me, I made a mishti doi burnt basque with mishti doi and cheese; and served angoori rasmalai with little fruit pieces.”

ALSO READ: Bhupender Nath: Redefining modernist Indian cuisine through Tresind

Global trends according to him are moving towards innovation. He says in conclusion, “India is in a great position and there are so many inspired young chefs doing intelligent stuff with Indian ingredients. Look at Goa, five or six years ago, nothing was happening and so much has changed now. There are so many trendy restaurants in Goa and it is a melting pot of cuisines. A lot of chefs are also reviving regional cuisines and reinventing recipes that have been there for a long time.”

While travelling, Chef Shaun Kenworthy likes to eat at:

Yauatcha, Kolkata: Crispy prawn Cheung fun
Comorin, Gurgaon: Any and many of their small plates; I love the bheja fry
Ode, Mumbai: Yellow fin tuna loin with avocado pachadi
La Chapelle, London: For a good Sunday roast
Amazonico, Madrid: For the most incredible Brazilian rib eye steaks
The Canton house, Chinatown, Bangkok: Their dim sums are to die for

You can follow Shaun on Instagram here: Chefshaunkenworthy

Mausam Narang: The girl who mastered artisanal Norwegian cheese and got a “silver”

(December 1, 2021) Brunost cheese may be of Norwegian origin, but a Mumbai-based artisan cheesemaker knows how to make it better In the heart of Mumbai is a UK-studied and Italy-trained artisan cheese maker making Norwegian cheese. Mausam Jotwani Narang, from Mumbai, entered an elite club of cheese connoisseurs and makers with her carefully handcrafted brunost, a Norwegian-style whey cheese that is standing shoulder to shoulder with cheese royalty. The cheese maker became the first Indian to win a silver in the brown cheese category at the prestigious World Cheese Awards 2021 in Oviedo, Spain. She stole their cheese Narang did an MBA in human resources at the University of Birmingham, studied German for four years, and has a B.Com from RA Podar College in Mumbai. She worked at Cape Gemini in HR for a while and then cheese mongering became her calling. [caption id="attachment_17117" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Mausam Narang at Eleftheria[/caption] It is widely believed that cheese travelled to India from the West, even though the local favourite cottage cheese (paneer) finds pride of place in most households. The more gourmet varieties are a tad exclusive. As a cheese artisan who has put India on the world cheese map, Narang,

om the West, even though the local favourite cottage cheese (paneer) finds pride of place in most households. The more gourmet varieties are a tad exclusive. As a cheese artisan who has put India on the world cheese map, Narang, has been dedicated in learning the craft for a few years. She began her initial training at informal workshops in Italy where she heard about the World Cheese Awards for the first time in 2019. Learning and fine-tuning her skills at two Italian creameries, she was on song. “I thought, ‘Why can’t any Indian cheese maker participate?’” she tells Global Indian. The self-taught cheese maker who has no formal course in cheesemaking, was helped with the insights she got in Italy. Today, Mausam is enthused and proud of her handcrafted brunost.

When the world slowly started opening up in 2020 after the first wave of Covid-19, Mausam got her hands wet in the whey, literally, with the awards on her mind.
The World Cheese Awards are a platform to identify varieties of cheese from across the world, that are then judged by technical experts, buyers, retailers and food writers. This year, India-crafted cheese sat pretty confident with the other 4,000 entries from 45 countries. Then it was down to business – as 230 judges went on their tasting and observation medley and chanced upon this Indian-made brunost. That Narang was among the winners was monumental, and she inadvertently opened the doors for other Indian cheese makers with her delicious brown cheese. “I was ecstatic when I heard the news. It was a huge moment for all Indian cheese artisans,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_17109" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Cheese Cheese by Eleftheria[/caption]

As for the coveted brunost, it has a unique taste, “That’s quite like a fusion of khoya (milk cake), the traditional Indian milk solid and whey,” she explains.

Prepared from discarded whey, brunost was already a well-known cheese when Narang experimented with it. It took her a few weeks to perfect the texture and flavour of the brown cheese. “It was exciting to do that. The cheese is also unique to the Indian market. It tastes almost like salted caramel milk fudge. Brunost goes well with your morning breakfast of toast and pancakes too,” she suggests.

How the “umami” came together

Narang's interest in fromage began nine years ago. Working at Capgemini, she missed her comfort food of bread and cheese from her years at Birmingham, which is also where she first fell in love with a wide variety of cheese. “Back then, my fridge had a huge collection,” she smiles.

When she came back to Mumbai, Mausam baked bread and crafted homemade cheese to complement her loaves. An idea that began with an inherent urge to taste good cheese, her passion saw her parents wondering where to store the cheese she was churning out. “My parents are very supportive, but they were worried about the amount of cheese I was making during weekends. We Indians don't learn about cheese-making from our forefathers. Similarly, my parents were clueless,” she laughs. After a great response for her milk-laden bites from loved ones, she decided to quit corporate life to pursue cheese and became a true turophile and cheesemonger.

[caption id="attachment_17113" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Mausam Narang[/caption]

The freedom to “cheese”

Eleftheria, her brand was born in 2015, which is the Greek word for “freedom.” She tackled it with the same spirit. Three years of R&D on cheese making, creating new varieties, attending workshops and meeting fromagers - she was ready with the artisanal Eleftheria. The micro creamery in Mumbai’s north-east suburbs supplies artisanal cheese to over 50 restaurants across Mumbai, Pune, Calcutta, Bengaluru, Delhi, etc. It is also available at Foodhall. “We plan to expand to Chennai soon,” she adds. What started as a venture with two people, is now 25 staff strong. A 150 gm brunost costs Rs 350, 200 gm burrata Rs 400 and 200 gm mozzarella is Rs 350.

The resourceful fromagere is at the creamery every morning when the first milk arrives. “I don't like getting up early, but the milk forces me,” she laughs. She personally monitors the quality and processes.

One thing that cheese has taught Narang is patience. “The craft teaches you to be patient. Milk is the main ingredient and it's so tricky, especially when preparing a fermented product. You have to be very careful, and never give up. With lots of patience, you can achieve great results,” she says. Her personal favourite cheese is a well-aged cloth bound traditional cheddar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSDaKp0uX0o

Chuffed about flying the Indian flag high, she is hopeful, “India is not that big for cheese artisans, but the number is increasing steadily. People are travelling and have developed a palate and now know about different food combinations. I feel a lot of cheese makers will come up from India in the next five to six years,” says cheese story teller.

Follow Eleftheria on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Rewriting the rules: CEO Nikesh Arora’s unconventional path to billionaire status

(January 9, 2024) In a twist on the usual tale of billionaires rising through entrepreneurship, the global rich list now includes a tech CEO who isn't a company founder. Meet Nikesh Arora, the former Google-employee-turned-CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks Inc. Unlike many on the billionaire's roster, Arora isn't a company originator, yet he's made it into the exclusive billionaire's club. Nikesh received a substantial $125 million stock and options compensation package when he took on the role of chief executive officer in 2018. Since then, Palo Alto Networks Inc. has seen a remarkable surge in its share price, more than quadrupling in the wake of increased demand for cybersecurity software. According to Bloomberg, the Global Indian's initial stake of $125 million is now valued at a staggering $830 million. When one factors in substantial pay awards from his earlier career, Arora's overall net worth stands at an impressive $1.5 billion. This distinctive position makes him a noteworthy figure as a non-founder billionaire tech CEO - the only one after Apple's Tim Cook - marking a shift from the usual entrepreneurial path to wealth. Talking about the exceptional growth of his company, the CEO said, "Today, we're the largest

mpressive $1.5 billion. This distinctive position makes him a noteworthy figure as a non-founder billionaire tech CEO - the only one after Apple's Tim Cook - marking a shift from the usual entrepreneurial path to wealth.

Talking about the exceptional growth of his company, the CEO said, "Today, we're the largest cybersecurity company, we've outstripped our competitors. When I joined we identified cloud and AI as the overarching new technology trend for the coming decade. So, we designed our portfolio, bought 15 companies, and spent $4 billion. That was unique in cybersecurity, most companies would capture the trend of the moment, figure the business, and then as the trend shifted, a new cybersecurity company was born."

From square one

Born in Ghaziabad to Indian Air Force officer Jagdish Kumar Arora, Nikesh was a curious child, who loved to experiment with the things surrounding him. Nikesh's mother was a huge influence in his life. "My mother had a master's in mathematics and Sanskrit - which was a very big thing back in those days. She was all about ensuring I always put myself into learning something new. So, I and my sister not just learnt from the book, but by experimenting with things. I also moved around a lot - maybe to six different schools before I graduated high school, that also was a great learning process," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SExW_Erpz0

A student of The Air Force School (Subroto Park), Nikesh went on to pursue a bachelor's in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, BHU in Varanasi. In 1990, Nikesh moved to the United States of America to pursue an MBA from Northeastern University. "It was one of those years when the recession was in swing. My degree from Northeastern University wasn't as good in those days as it is ranked today. I was looking for a job in finance, which I was told I would get mostly on Wall Street. So, I found the college's Alumni directory and wrote to over 450 contacts requesting them for a job. I had graduated top of my class, I thought someone would want to hire me," laughed the CEO, adding, "Interestingly, I received 450 replies from everyone I wrote to saying 'Thank you for writing to us, but no thank you.'. I still have all those letters with me, telling me that I don't qualify for a job."

His journey in the financial sector commenced at Fidelity Investments. In 2000, Nikesh founded T-Motion, a subsidiary under Deutsche Telekom focused on delivering value-added services for the 3G Services of Deutsche Telekom. Within a few years, T-Motion seamlessly became an integral part of T-Mobile's core services.

Climbing to the top

Interestingly, Google recognised his talents in 2004. Over the next decade, Nikesh served as VP of Europe Operations (2004-07), as President, of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from 2007 to 2009, and finally as President of Global Sales Operations and Business Development from 2009-10. "I met several amazing people at Google. When I joined the company was still figuring out how to organise its Europe operations, and I met Lawrence Edward Page and Sergey Brin - the co-founders of Google - for my initial interview. And I got the job," shares the CEO.

[caption id="attachment_48107" align="aligncenter" width="550"] CEO | Nikesh Arora | Global Indian Nikesh with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland[/caption]

Contrary to many expectations, Nikesh departed from his role as senior vice president and chief business officer at Google in 2014 after a decade of service. He made a significant move to SoftBank Corp, taking on the positions of President and Chief Operating Officer. During his tenure, Arora set a Japanese record by receiving a total compensation exceeding $200 million.

Nikesh Arora’s recipe for success: Keep on learning

Sharing his mantra for success, the CEO said in an interview, "The one thing that has kept me going and has inspired me is that I have always found myself in situations where I am learning. Half the stuff that I do in any job that I have had, is stuff that I have never done before. I spent a lot of time learning about cybersecurity when I joined Palo Alto Networks Inc., and in fact, I am still learning. Back when I was at Google, I worked very hard on learning how marketing is done, and later at SoftBank I learnt how to do investment banking. And that is what is exciting for me - being able to go to work every day and thinking that I can master a skill I have never worked on before."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aykoBDLhsLQ

Currently, as the CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh is looking to evolve his company's platforms. "I believe the industry is still in the early stages of this transformation. At Palo Alto, we are beginning to think about a long-term cybersecurity strategy and starting to build longer-term cybersecurity architectures to create this integrated platform, which gives a better outcome," shared the CEO.

Follow Nikesh Arora on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram

Reading Time: 6 mins

How Sonam Kalra went global with the Sufi Gospel Project

(September 16, 2023) Sonam Kalra is the only Indian musician to win three times in a single edition of Global Music Awards and the first Indian Woman to win a Gold Medal. Sonam Kalra, creator of the internationally acclaimed 'Sufi Gospel Project,' is a US Grammy Recording Academy member who has won numerous awards and performed at venues like the Sydney Opera House, sharing the stage with legends like Abida Parveen. Known for her unique blend of Sufism and universal faith, Sonam is a celebrated voice at global festivals advocating Peace and Oneness. [caption id="attachment_45022" align="aligncenter" width="449"] Sonam Kalra, creator of the 'Sufi Gospel Project.'[/caption] Music Matters Growing up in Delhi, Sonam Kalra’s home was always filled with music, from Begum Akhtar to Harry Belafonte, Ella Fitzgerald to Bhimsen Joshi, and Kumar Gandharva to Leonard Cohen and the Beatles. “I remember sitting on my mother’s lap and listening to music. There was a certain calm, a surrender almost, a deep emotion that was apparent on my mother’s face when she listened to music and she made sure I exposed to all types of it.” When she was four, Sonam began learning music herself, egged on by her mother’s belief in

that was apparent on my mother’s face when she listened to music and she made sure I exposed to all types of it.” When she was four, Sonam began learning music herself, egged on by her mother’s belief in her talent. “I grew up in a liberal household with a deeply grounded belief system which stressed on the virtues of kindness, equality, justice and liberty,” Sonam says, in a free-wheeling chat with Global Indian. “My parents were my best friends and my greatest Gurus. I belong to the Sikh faith and deeply believe in the syncretic values of Sikhism. As she grew older, she was fortunate enough to learn Indian classical music from some wonderful Gurus like The Dagar Brothers, Smt. Shubha Mudagl and Pt. Sarathi Chatterjee.

In college, she took a break from music and went to art school and focussed on design. She joined the ad industry as a writer and graphic designer and worked there for a few years until she eventually found her way back to music. “That was when I realised I had something to say through my music and that was when my musical style and journey really started to take shape,” Sonam says. “When I am asked if I lost those years not singing, I always say that everything I learnt during that time also finds place in my music and the way that I present it or approach it.” Again, the deep-seated values she had learned from her family came into play – where great importance had been given to virtues of kindness, compassion, honesty, integrity and sincerity. “The truth, and the importance of being true to oneself also reflects in the music I am trying to create.”

Making Music

Kalra’s creative process is to deep dive. It usually starts with her researching poetry. She finds her early inspiration in the beauty of the lyric itself, and then, begins the process of interpreting it, structuring it, working out the composition and the arrangement. “And then I focus on it completely – even when I am not working on it, it is in the back of my mind always,” Kalra explains. Because I have been trained in many diverse styles of music from Hindustani classical, Sufi, gospel, and jazz - my music always tends to have influences of all these styles- sometimes it is subtle and sometimes more obvious. I like to create and then revisit the composition after a while to take a fresh look at it and add more layers and nuances,” she explains.

[caption id="attachment_45032" align="aligncenter" width="605"] Sonam Kalra with A.R. Rahman[/caption]

She created The Sufi Gospel Project, which was her personal, contemporary take on Sufism as an attempt to blend the many voices of faith and create one universal voice of faith. It is an attempt, through music, to break down the walls that separate people.

World Stage

At the recently held The Global Music Awards, Kalra won three awards, an experience she describes as ‘absolutely incredible.’ What makes it more special is that she won for original compositions and pieces that resonate very strongly with her. ‘BOL’ based on the words of the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, won her two gold medals for Best Female Vocalist and the other for Best Song. She also won a silver medal for Outstanding Achievement in the World Fusion Music category for another original composition, Alfat, based on the poetry of poet-saint Baba Bulleh Shah. A year ago, she also received an invitation to become a part of the Grammy Recording Academy.

Journey Ahead

As someone who has performed across the globe in over 30 countries and at prestigious festivals and venues including The Sydney Opera House and MTV’s Coke Studio, Kalra believes music is a journey of learning. She has shared the stage with legendary musicians like Sir Bob Geldof, Vikku Vinayakram and Sufi Legend Abida Parveen.

[caption id="attachment_45031" align="aligncenter" width="605"] Sonam Kalra with Sufi legend Abida Parveen[/caption]

“The experience of performing is always special to me and each performance has been a gift and an experience to learn. I just feel like I have so much more to do, so much more that I must create and get better at, that it drives me to work harder.” Her advice to young singers is to create original music. “Find your own voices and tell your truths, your stories through your music. Emulate but do not imitate and know that there is no shortcut - practice, practice, practice. Work so hard at your craft that it has no option but to give you results,” the Global Indian signs off.

Follow Sonam Kalra and the Sufi Gospel Project on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and her website.

From heritage to fine dining: Hotelier Roop Partap Choudhary’s inspiring entrepreneurial saga

(September 13, 2023) When his parents began their journey of conceptualising and building the Noormahal Palace, they spent a considerable time on the project. Naturally, this helped expose Roop Partap Choudhary to the many discussions and the extensive work that went on for years. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the Noormahal Palace Hotel (India), Choudhary is the founder of Colonel Saab in London and an award-winning hotelier. [caption id="attachment_44857" align="aligncenter" width="603"] Hotelier Roop Partap Choudhary[/caption] "I have inherited the love for our royal heritage, hospitality, and creativity from my parents. This process of building Noormahal Palace gave me a chance to give the right outlet to my natural aptitude. I went through formal education in the field and then earned the opportunity to work with some reputed organisations to understand the functionality of an organisation. My ultimate goal was to make myself capable enough to take on the role of an entrepreneur," shares the hotelier as he connects with Global Indian. Building a magnum opus After completing his schooling in Shimla, he moved to the United States for his undergraduate degree, and later relocated to Singapore for his master's degree. For someone who travelled extensively across the country,

trong>Building a magnum opus

After completing his schooling in Shimla, he moved to the United States for his undergraduate degree, and later relocated to Singapore for his master's degree. For someone who travelled extensively across the country, courtesy his father’s service in the Indian Army, Choudhary was exposed to India’s glorious heritage at a young age.

“My parents have been my inspiration, on one side was the army background of my father, and on the other my mother’s passion for art and their dedication towards family. What left a lasting impression on me was also their passion for hospitality and their respect for our rich royal heritage. I am a hotelier both by profession and passion. Before embracing the family legacy of heritage hospitality, I started my career by doing internships at Galaxy Hotel and ITC Maurya, then graduated to join Kingdom of Dreams in Corporate Sales. This was the invaluable time I spent in learning about the luxury hospitality industry. But my biggest learning experience has been Noormahal Palace as I have been associated with it from a very young age,” says the hotelier.

[caption id="attachment_44860" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Hotelier | Roop Partap Choudhary | Global Indian (L-R) Roop Partap Choudhary, Col. Manbeer Choudhary and Binny Choudhary[/caption]

During the time that his parents were building the Noormahal Palace, Choudhary was captivated by the entire concept. "I was fascinated with the idea, the thoughts, the details, the architecture, the décor, and everything else that went with it," says the hotelier. The major years of his career were spent in Noormahal Palace, which he calls his unofficial first-hand experience in the hospitality industry when he got a sneak peek into what really goes into building a palatial hospitality brand. “I joined Noormahal Palace officially in 2014 and soon took over the leadership role. It was a huge responsibility but I had the right support to help me pass through the initial phase,” he adds.

Leading by example

Noormahal Palace has evolved dramatically through the years, especially during his tenure, seamlessly adopting good new practices, improving sustainability, and upgrading technology as a natural progression. In recent years, the brand has changed its image. It has also changed the way it connects with guests and audiences, the focus on digital marketing and dialogue have been key in the marketing strategy. Through this time the brand has also built a strong team which is helping it to grow every day. Noormahal Palace has grown and added many new venues in the existing campus for MICE, weddings, and wedding functions of all sizes.

[caption id="attachment_44861" align="aligncenter" width="654"] Hotelier | Roop Partap Choudhary | Global Indian Noormahal Palace, Karnal[/caption]

The Noormahal brand took a leap by making its first presence on the global canvas with the Indian fine dining restaurant ‘Colonel Saab', right in the heart of London. A feat that's nothing short of an achievement as it worked well despite the pandemic.

London Calling

He conceived the idea of Colonel Saab in early 2019 and started planning as the year progressed. “As we were working on the project, the COVID pandemic hit us hard and we had to stop the physical work for a good amount of duration. Colonel Saab is an ode to my journey with my father who has had a decorated service as an officer of the Indian Army and my mother who supported him throughout. It is not only an expression of my journey with my parents but also my passion for showcasing the depths of Indian cuisine to the global food-lover community. The hospitality industry trends of London rather than the global trends are very different from India. Here Indian food is our food, but there it is seen from an outsider’s point of view. I am delighted that in a very short span of time, we have been able to get it right and Colonel Saab has made a significant mark in the global food lovers’ community,” says Choudhary.

[caption id="attachment_44862" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Hotelier | Roop Partap Choudhary | Global Indian Colonel Saab, London[/caption]

As a second-generation entrepreneur, who comes after people who have created brilliance, the task of filling in such big shoes is always one of the biggest challenges. “Being an entrepreneur means never giving up, always trying to find solutions, and always being on top of any situation. There have been difficult situations some of which are common to all hospitality businesses or all businesses and some as huge as the COVID pandemic which are unprecedented. But one can overcome all these situations with persistence and the right team to support,” he says.

Being an entrepreneur means learning every day. Work is the biggest teacher and the most valuable lesson it teaches is that it’s never the end, there is always a way ahead. “Someone who wants to embark on the entrepreneurial journey should be open to learning from anyone, no matter their seniority,” he adds.

Looking Ahead

The hospitality industry is very demanding and that makes it very difficult to maintain work-life balance. “Still, I try my best to maintain a healthy work-life balance. In my personal time, I like to read books, especially autobiographies of inspirational people. I also invest time into exploring and enriching my art collection, some of the artworks and antiques that I have acquired are displayed at Noormahal Palace and Colonel Saab. I also like to spend time with my family when we all can take off time from work,” says Choudhary.

[caption id="attachment_44863" align="aligncenter" width="526"] Hotelier | Roop Partap Choudhary | Global Indian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala Yousafzai at Colonel Saab, UK[/caption]

With Noormahal Palace and Colonel Saab already making their mark, the next step is to expand the brand, both in India and across the globe. His family and he are now looking at making more investments towards the expansion of the brand.

Follow Roop Partap Choudhary on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Follow Noormahal Palace on Instagram and their website
Follow Colonel Saab on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and their website

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