Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India

What Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India does

Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India (HRANI) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1950, headquartered in New Delhi, and operating as the Northern regional wing of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). It represents hotels and restaurants across nine Northern Indian states—Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Chandigarh—through advocacy on policy matters, member services, and capacity building. The association is governed by an elected Managing Committee led by President Surendra Kumar Jaiswal (also Vice President of FHRAI) and Secretary General Renu Thapliyal, with a small staff base of 1–10.

HRANI's service portfolio is anchored on four lines: (1) FOSTAC food safety training and certification, delivered as FSSAI-empanelled lead Training Partner for the organized sector across Northern India, with 850 cumulative sessions certifying 18,000+ professionals; (2) events, including annual HRANI conventions and regionally rotating conclaves (1st through 11th editions across cities like Lucknow, Ludhiana, Udaipur, Katra, and New Delhi) plus participation in the FHRAI Annual Convention; (3) member benefit programs, including a reciprocal discount card scheme offering 30% off rooms and F&B at member establishments and a bimonthly hospitality e-magazine; and (4) distribution partnerships, notably the MoU with IRCTC enabling over 7,200 member hotels to list inventory on IRCTC's booking platform with reduced commissions.

HRANI generates revenue through membership fees paid by hotels, restaurants, and associate/vendor members, supplemented by event and convention fees and FOSTAC training fees (Rs 1,500 + GST for members, Rs 2,000 + GST for non-members, per Advance Catering certification). The association has produced documented policy wins for its members, including GST tariff reductions on hotel rooms, COVID-era FSSAI license extensions, reinstatement of Commercial Airport Entry Permits for 4-star and 5-star hotels, and approval of charcoal as fuel for tandoors in Delhi. Technology is not a core focus; HRANI's primary assets are its regulatory access, member network, and institutional standing within the FHRAI federation structure.

Name

Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India

Legal name

Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India

Website

https://hrani.net.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HRANI is a 1950-founded non-profit trade association headquartered in New Delhi that serves as the Northern regional wing of FHRAI, representing hotels and restaurants across nine Northern Indian states through policy advocacy, FOSTAC food safety training, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Association generates revenue through membership fees from hotels, restaurants, and associate members across Northern India
2. Event and Convention Fees: Revenue generated from organizing annual conventions, conclaves, and training programs including FOSTAC certification sessions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HRANI is a nonprofit industry trade association representing hotels, restaurants, and allied vendors across nine Northern Indian states (Delhi, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, HP, Uttarakhand, J&K, and Chandigarh). It provides government policy advocacy, FSSAI-empanelled FOSTAC food safety training and certification, annual conventions and regional conclaves, a reciprocal member discount card program, and partnership-enabled distribution benefits such as IRCTC hotel integration.

Product overview

HRANI is an industry association serving hotels and restaurants across nine northern Indian states, offering a portfolio of member services centered on training (FOSTAC food safety certification), industry events (annual conventions and regional conclaves), membership discount programs, and IRCTC distribution partnerships. The association acts as an advocacy body representing member interests to government on policy matters including GST, licensing, and regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FOSTAC Food Safety Training and Certification FSSAI-empanelled food safety training and certification for hospitality professionals, delivered as classroom sessions across Northern India. HRANI is the lead Training Partner for the organized sector, offering Food Safety Supervisor courses required under FSSAI regulations.
• HRANI Conclaves Regional industry conclaves held across northern Indian cities covering topics like food safety, sustainable tourism, AI in hospitality, and hospitality awards of excellence.
• FHRAI Annual Convention Annual national convention of the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India, hosted in rotation by regional associations including HRANI, featuring business sessions, industry awards, and networking for hospitality professionals.
• HRANI Membership Discount Card Program Reciprocal discount card scheme providing 30% discount on rooms and F&B at all member establishments, with special courtesy cards offering 50% discount for Managing Committee members and past presidents.
• IRCTC Hotel Distribution Partnership

Quantifiable outcome

• GST on hotel room tariffs reduced from 28% to 12% for rooms above Rs 1,000 after HRANI representation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019MoU signed between HRANI and IRCTC to facilitate hotel members for listing their room rate and inventory on IRCTC booking engine portal. The partnership aims to promote domestic tourism and reduce customer acquisition cost. CMD IRCTC announced waiver of initial integration fee till July 31, 2021 and reduced commission rates for HRANI members.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHRANI is empanelled as lead Training Partner for organized sector in Northern Region for FOSTAC (Food Safety Training and Certification) programs. Conducts food safety supervisor training sessions across 9 states with FSSAI-certified faculty.
• Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRANI is the Northern regional wing of FHRAI. Participates in annual FHRAI conventions and represents Northern Region hospitality interests at national level. HRANI President serves as Vice President of FHRAI.
• HaldiramsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for HRANI FSSAI Conclave. Active supporter of food safety initiatives.
• GodrejminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for HRANI FSSAI Conclave.
• The Imperial, New DelhiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue partner for HRANI FSSAI Conclave on Food Safety Standards and Regulation.
• State Tourism Departments (UP, J&K, Punjab, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with state tourism departments for organizing webinars, promoting domestic tourism, and representing industry concerns. Collaborated with UP Tourism for rural development webinar.
• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRANI was the first hotel association in India to sign MoU with IRCTC. Over 7,200 hotels have integrated into IRCTC platform through this partnership. Reduced commission and waiver on integration fees negotiated for HRANI members.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI): National trade body for the restaurant industry, with direct overlap on restaurant-segment advocacy, FSSAI compliance, and policy engagement. Comparable in offering member services, industry events, and government lobbying.
• Indian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHAR): Mumbai-based hotel and restaurant association with a strong restaurant-segment focus, sharing HRANI's membership-based advocacy model and engagement with municipal and state regulators on FSSAI licensing, GST, and excise matters.
• Punjab Hotels and Restaurants Association: State-level hospitality trade association operating within HRANI's own 9-state footprint, with overlapping membership and advocacy mandates on state-level issues such as Punjab excise, GST, and tourism policy.
• Hotel Association of India (HAI): National hotel industry body representing hotel chains and properties, with parallel advocacy, policy engagement, and convention activity. HRANI members overlap with HAI's constituency on the hotel side of the business.
• Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI): HRANI is the official Northern regional wing of FHRAI, the apex national hospitality trade association representing hotels and restaurants across India. Both share the same membership model, advocacy mandate, and FOSTAC training delivery mechanism.
• Hotel & Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI): Regional hotel and restaurant trade association covering Western India, with the same membership-based advocacy model, event calendar, and government-relations mandate as HRANI but operating in a different geographic territory (Mumbai, Maharashtra).
• South India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA): Regional hospitality trade association covering South Indian states (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh). Mirrors HRANI's structure as a regional FHRAI affiliate with parallel advocacy, training, and convention activities.

Emerging players

• Indian Heritage Hotels Association: Specialty trade association for heritage and boutique hotel properties, with a narrower niche than HRANI but a similar membership-based advocacy and networking model. Represents a subset of the same hospitality industry HRANI serves.

Broad incumbents

• Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO): National trade body for tour operators in India, with a closely adjacent mandate around tourism policy, inbound and outbound tourism promotion, and government liaison. Works alongside HRANI on industry-wide tourism issues.

Others

• Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI): Federation of travel agents in India, with shared interest in tourism policy and industry advocacy but a distinct travel-trade (rather than hotel/restaurant) focus. Often co-engages with HRANI on tourism department collaborations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HRANI-1950
• Facebookfacebook.com/HRANINorth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hotel-restaurant-association-of-northern-india
• Instagraminstagram.com/hrani_1950

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India