History of HPMF and The Roadmap Ahead

HPMF is the youngest trade association in the hospitality industry in India. In the topic of discussion: History of HPMF and The Roadmap Ahead, speakers have been talking about how HPMF is formed and its roadmap towards in success. On introducing, Mr. Mohsn Deshpande, Dr. Sanjay Goyal, and Nitin Shankar Nagrale delight each other with the virtual appearance and glad to be part of the virtual exhibition – World Hospitality Expo (WHE).

Now, let’s go by each member’s perspective towards HPMF and its potential to become a huge success in the hospitality industry. 

Mr. Nitin Shankar Nagrale: Thank you everyone for joining in and thank you Aajjo.com for organizing this world hospitality expo. So the objective of this session is absolutely agile. We will be telling you what was the thought behind creating HPMF, what we have done so far, and what we wish to do in near future? I have two of my mentors, my father, Mr. Despandey, and, my very dearly respected. , pools always then on anything and everything, which we need, not just at a professional level, but for personal.

It's always with pleasure to coordinate and talk to these girls. And we have become a big family for the last several years. Um, do I know these partners have over 20 years now and girls have for around 20 years, but, but then it's, it's been like generations. We know each other, we share good camera DRI among ourselves and we have mutual respect for. So today, this one is having, I'm going to be taking you back to those 11, 12 years. We were just thinking about creating something, so though there was no name, we wanted to create a. “Association.” We initially felt that we call it a vision for the development of procurement professionals because we found that there was nothing which is available in the industry. And, we had that first advantage.

So we went into some trouble, a lot of discussions, which initially happened, with Goyal, we must come together, help each other. We must talk to each other. Well, you failed that. And then we approached the respondent and because this one is our work, then, working at the, at, MTA and, he had, worked with Lalit with

So we got together and we created this association forum college. So, over to you, the expanders up, if you can tell us how did it go with 11 years ago or what is the reason for we creating something a college? We every, yeah, I will give you a small speech. So everyone will live individually knowing, knowing how we came and taken this decision.

Ladies and gentlemen, as the chairman of the hospitality purchasing manager, Further, I extend a warm welcome to all of you at the virtual world hospitality expo. Before I begin, I hope you all are doing. And taking all necessary precautions during the pandemic, we must do everything in our control to rustic the spirit of ladders.

Please stay safe and take care. Hospitality, partitioning marriage, a Fordham, either consortium of like-minded purchasing managers from the hospitality industry, representing tar hotels, catering companies stand-alone, restoring chains, and. It believes in the power of networking and sharing off work experiences with each other.

There is a well-known phrase “necessity is the mother of invention.” And something similar happens with led to the birth of SPM. If I received a call from my successor at the Intercontinental decline to understand the procedure for importing wine, to mine. Can you be unable to the Excel process despite working in the industry for a long time?

This got me thinking, I reached out to the like-minded individuals. We all believe in the importance of a collective approach. A lot of networking and putting in our work experience together. We had the first meeting in March 2010 in Mumbai, which led to the birth of HPMF. We had our first event on 26, November 2010, and only a hundred members.

How attending. And how grown to a state of over 6,000 members spread across India, Dubai, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. When I started my career in the hospitality industry, there was no formal education Institute, all bodies assist everyone working in their organization. We are working in silos. I was the first purchase manager who lent material and supplies to fellow managers from different hotels and receive the favour in return because of our network. I, how to build in the importance of the network to get the right products to the right chain of supplies. After all efficient supply chain means profitability, hospitality, purchasing manager, Fordham was initiated with a vision of changing procurement knowledge.

Network all under one roof, it was created to help. I made sure the equipment managers gain the supplementary advantage of 10 and senior procurement professionals. We have arranged for factory visits to young professionals with first-hand information about the manufacturing process. 

All the procurement helps you negotiate better after all they didn't sell. Either penny on the Fordham is solely a non-profit organization with a clear vision of creating a stronger backbone for the hospitality business. We created this so new entrant to the. Visit how a hand to hold available to him on the very first date, without having a fear of doing mistakes or wasting time after silly activities.

Imagine a school of procurement that not just get you the job, but also train you on every level of your career. A famous author once said, and I think. Of journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And today we still have a long way to go in nurturing our dream. Of course, mine near setting our dream of becoming a pioneer in the field of hospitality while editing the quantitative. Did you do news of the industry? Thank you for your time and have a great day ahead. Thank you. , this one, this up, I'm listening to you after two years. 

That's a brilliant,

Thank you for putting this. So it's such a simple manner that now we understand the thought behind, ESPN over to you, Dr. Goyal. When, if you can add some more information. What was the reason and how did we form and then, what's happening? 

Dr. Goyal: Yeah. Good morning, everyone. , it says to, join this grid session and I think it's a brilliant idea to, take through the data differently through the journey of 11.

You know it, I still remember vividly, we were five-six of us meeting in Michelle, this one day's office and MCA in the basement and discussing. And there was a lot of debate about the name, which I remember. And Nitin was a very particular low. It has to be HPMF if it sounds good, it sounds beautiful.

And, so it was something like, you know, in Bombay, maybe 10, 15, 20, or purchasing managers, we will talk to each other share knowledge. And that was the small little thought, nothing beyond Bombay at that time. And, um, so it is, it happened in a very small way. We never had any big vision at that time. We just thought we will help each other, all of each other, and share knowledge about Bombay.

Then, this small event happened in November, which is our anniversary day foundation day 26, November 2010, GW. So Journey so far has been beautiful. That has been, it has been, for me, it has been a very emotional journey, you know, and, more than anything else, not sharing and all that, you know, we have become a big, big family.

It's a big part. He said we have got so many friends who have become. You know, some of them are in Nepal, some anyway, in every part of the country, we can go and find France. Then it goes there and goes to Shimla and he will just call up and they'll be five people lending them, it feels so good that you know, the power of networking, power of sharing, and more than the association, I would not call it associations into the activity like the family.

And that is the differentiation of HPMF with any other. The association we are, we are little ahead of the association in terms of culturally, you know, we haven't, we had like, we are like a family, so, that has happened and, older period of time, it has grown and my, and the way to protect weapons, three of us.

I always feel there's a blessing or Mr. Dish one day, every time, everything, what we do and nothing brings in his energy and his execution, his skills, and this, collaboration has brought us three of us, um, that to bring the BMF where it is today. So this part is, is a kind of visionary. He gives us blessings.

He gives us guidance. Sometimes he gets a little upset. That you know, but, you know, overall, as mitten said, we have a huge, comradery between three of us, you know, we respect each other. We love each other. We are like family to each other. Well, you know, we can call each one twenty-four seven, no need to check. Whether should I call, should I call, should I not call?

All right, so I'm going to stop you here. And, tell the world that the boy had a habit of sleeping around 9, 9:30 before we met. So he would go to bed around that time and then. His phone either most west of or not, definitely DND. And then slowly and steadily. We have quantum interaction where now we can even follow him around.

And he answers the fact that a few years ago you mentioned that. No fact, I think you're so, listening to my executive skills. He hasn't mentioned the ideas and creative mind. Anything and everything which we are doing today, all hats off to Dr. Goyal                                                                                                                                   

His vision is absolutely brilliant. He's the one who's gotten, which niche we have fucking industry, the hospitality, from government practices that were a vision when he got a book for industry and we created a manual. On behalf of, the industry had to create a manual for, food safety hygiene. , last year we introduced that we created a lot of policies, procedures, best practices. Um, great. then, give his time and energy and bring even many of our teams.

There are a lot of industry leaders who would agree with me. Oil has created. Not this temporary, work in procurement, but people who also train others and also ensure that the industry. So, I'm thankful that I know, the industry needed people like your take on this point because he's selfless.

He just, when he was working and when he, when we would. You will be able to support us in anything and everything. He would go up to the extent of calling the supplier and telling them to go and help him. So that was a case, today, now the next question is, 

Before and After HPMF

So, this part is over to you. You have worked before and. it's become events, in the industry where there's a lot of respect, which has come into, the industry. , so what's their opinion. So before this HPMF, it was very difficult to procure the material or find out new supplies.

God's nothing is available to you. How to work hard. You have to fight. Where are the supplies? Where is the material available? But slowly, slowly, because of a Europe page, we get some information there. It wasn't really, there. It is some sort of relaxation. Then we got judged. And we get, we started getting the information from the jail, but I will tell you this present generation, they're very, very lucky, the harder prosperity purchasing measure forum.

It is just like a Bible just to put something really quite a, you will get all eight types of supplies and lots of supplies in the judge. And you just you'll get three or four. And it depends upon if you want the first name on the Jeff Dell that you have to pay extra money to the Jeff Dunn. But when you get a recommendation from your colleagues, your associate that so-and-so will be available with so-and-so person.

So, and so supply you go with this. So it is an authentic supply. Did not check his quality, his bag alone, and a hundred percent you can. And go for purchasing. It is very lazy. There are a lot of change. There are a lot of chases even before now, the way the material is used to supply. And now the way material we are getting today, it is a fantastic change.

Dustin change. I left a light example, you know, we will in 10 degrees. And we were sitting with, with Mr. One gentleman. He is the one job CIA had and Nitin was explaining to him about SPMS. And, um, he said, what HPMS, how do you help at all that? And suddenly it's been asked, you know, you tell, do you, you tell us you want anything.

He said, you know, I'm looking for a vendor for paper glass, and the conversation was happening in the meantime with the net, put in the message in the groups and conversation went on and then, um, then within seconds he literally could show, listen, you can add on to this, So, he, so this gentleman owns a couple of hotels and then a chairman of the hotel.

I'm not taking it then, but, and then you were sending it to me with anything. We, we, we had created, A small event there. And we had gone to invite him when he said, oh, thank you for telling me what did HQ remember? We'll leave it to that. Okay. Tell us what, what is the most, in, an issue which you are finding, and then even I need some paper cups and glasses, maybe one minute, maximum 60 seconds. We've got more than 10 suppliers based in different parts of it there. And I just sorted by when you have this question and now you have. And he couldn't believe it. Oh my God, this is unbelievable. So 

also think that you can create industry suppliers. So obviously it would take the credit on your own.

You would think that pricing, you would check the quality, but then you don't need to worry over whether it's supplying to the hospitality industry with. And the expectations of your fraternity industry and just straight away against the filter and you get both respectable, supplies, supply partners, who you can deal with.

So, I agree with you. It was a great, learning. So can you tell me, how is the life after HBS license become, you know, a very vibrant, I would say, you know, And each city we go there. We haven't got so many friends, so maybe fraternity and you know, it is become a larger family, not about only purchasing managers.

, Lytton has gone database about 8,000 render partners. So they have become a family, you know, um, we don't treat our vendors as a supplier. They are out. They are partners too. They're like family, extended family, lightweight. There are so many when we, industry's stalwarts who have become our mentors and guides, the hotel owner.

They're all the media partners have supported us all the event, organizers. They have become a part of the extended family. You know, they, they come and they wait for our events. So, you know, some of them, are themselves very big, but they wait for the HPMF event to happen. 

Coming from a guy who does a whole, such a resource position and they organize their events. Very tasteful. This guy coming up. And so this has become much larger family than what we had thought of. We had thought of that we will bring purchasing managers together, but you know, over a period of time, so many well-wishers, whether it is in media people, event organizers or exhibitors, for example, has got a great relationship with all the exhibitors in the country or outside the.

And that has, um, that relationship is, beyond, just to buy it and sell it, you know? So, I, my, what I feel, I feel much of it yet today in terms of, you know, there are so many people we can just pick up the phone and talk for whether it is, organizing an event, whether it is helping each other, anybody needs anything.

And today we are in a much larger, transparent world where we can see through. That's all I've done, for the benefit of audience. I also want to tell you it's beyond, it's not just procurement. I can give several examples of blood donation, which has been done. Several examples of people helping others in. There was a drive wherein, one of our members doctor that needed some funds and it was like within three days he received what was needed. , gentleman based out of Goa. , there was an example of one person, family member getting stuck in. And coming out, and helping him. So that was fabulous.

I can give any number of examples, which were not just procured from government. It's our bread and butter. , Um, family. When people go to each other's houses, now they know each other's family, and there is some type of respect initially, as I said, so it's not just three of us, but most of us, we talk to each other at them.

You go to a city and then you are received like, that's fabulous. , I would say which, which we can find oil would agree that when we travelled together, I, all of us feel like celebrating wherein there is somebody on the, so that's really wonderful. And I, I really cherish those movements. , we'll talk about. Just so I went to code, see, I'll start is pyramid the gap between suppliers and purchasers. Maybe it has come, come very close. And now the suppliers are trusting purchase manager that the higher, the confidence that will, they will get the money also payment previously.

They used, they never used to get a full payment, but that was trust. And I cannot believe if I go to any other state. That is the relationship which we developed just like a family experience. , so this, so the gap, I definitely I've got reduced. And then similarly, the,

I have an example when I might feel like a buyer misfigured, a supplier and I, I, I was really, really upset. How, how. Um, I've, I've great learning from this. If you do not respect them, you don't get respect. And then you don't think you're seeing them Sierra. They will take a temporary momentary. As soon as you leave your chair, your character is.

But why not show your character, maybe you're on scene. So, those kinds of learnings, our own members, have led. And, you would find a lot of people who are members of HBM, who are connected with us and, who, who have learned the fact that you, New generation of purchase professionals. I'm so smart that it's easy for them to adapt technology, easy for them to learn new techniques, the same tech we get from these partners and people liked this part of it.

We have a really strong advisory board team. We have very strong, The, the chapter heads team and we have, within our team members, who are really wonderful. Um, you know, I can, I can name some you can, Mr. Pending, the lower things are, Brigadier proceedings, Mrs. ma'am, mother genital, it was inferences, bundling that so many of them they've, I'm missing many names, but in Europe you have heard these names for sure. They're all connected. They're all friends, they're all, helping the world, the industry to come up. Now we will close the session in the next five minutes. I just want to ask you a question.

We have reached a level where, and now we are all one family will help each and then for procurement needs, in terms of providing best practices, providing supply contacts, giving them options of the product. But what next, what do you think, is the next step for BMF? What should we do? Or what is planned for next two or three years?

What would you, Let's see, I'm thinking because see our objectives to help purchase managers, to what I'm thinking. We must how, our insurance policy group insurance policy for our, yeah. Our purchasing managers. So we can help them. So during the pandemic, we lost so many purchase major. So at least if there is any difficult time, our forum can help their family.

That is most important. And we should still it give some knowledge and training for participants.

Yeah. So, um, I call it four pillars. My favorite, one then of course, um, we have a global vision. So we, we have reached in Southeast Asia, like Nepal. . , Sheila Lanka middle east. Right? So, we have done some bit of groundwork. So we have to expand on that. You know, how to go global in a big way, second and most important thing, on which we started was education and training.

A lot of work has been done on so solid foundation work has been done. , build a, you know, a structure on that or, you know, build up processes on that. And third, as also said, is that, you know, some socially, then they went to work. We will, we need to do, you know, so though we don't have an idea right now that we create SPMS foundation or not.

Definitely at some point in time though, in bits and pieces and it and said, we had done some work in floods here in there, or during COVID time, we tried to help people, family with Russian and things like that. But, something on a more sustainable basis, socially relevant work, we need to do. And last point and most important thing is, technology is going to play a very important role.

So, my, my vision dream is to SPMS to have. Or any website where rest of a button, we can have the information coming in. And I think the team has already, already spoken to the agile team. You are the people who are going to be helping us in that vision. And we count on your support. Nothing can add.

Okay. And these are the four points in which I have, absolutely remembered. I have two questions for you for this last question. If you can elaborate on HPMS, it was created last year in 2020. If you can tell us what was it all about and how did it work? Okay. So, you know, last year when the, when the lockdown was announced around 23rd of a mile, And, so, um, we were very worried about job loss and all that, but we were not, hoping that it will happen that fast.

By the time we read in the first week of April, we could sense people, losing jobs. People are asked to sit at home. People are, have been already told salary, won't come, things like that. So everybody, all of us were very disturbed about job loss. The team came up with this idea that, let us create a core team that could, gather the data of the people losing jobs.

And we made a very quick team under the banner. We are all the best people of our team radish Naya was leading that initiative from the pouting chapter. He's, he's, you know, he's hard to get to BMF, you know, he's the heart of a DS PRS soul. , we have in SPF. So I just let this initiative hope. And, um, during that.

More than anything else. Financial health, what was important was to engage with people who are losing jobs, model support workshops, cry, happiness cupboard, shop crier, Omni interview or can he pay him?

Metro and getting a coffee, help get out medical pressure. So hope was I think very, um, very close to our heart, the initiative went on for exactly about nine months to one year where we are, where we used to meet weekly or monthly and, used to have. We had catered a DataBank of HR people. We had created a database of consultants where which can be shared with people.

A lot of people got jobs through the city. A lot of people could get financial assistance. All of us contributed some, some bit of it, you know, so hope while I think the most, um, the most precious and most. Close to the heart, initiative to my mind. Yeah. I agree with that. Yeah. I would, I could see that emotionally connect though.

You, you get that clear to me that the idea came from, came from, we know, it was your idea, which we implemented, except I've you were coming up with so many good things for the, for the industry. Um, in fact, they spent, As we consider as respectably when we, because our values are our upbringing.

It's good. Wherein all of us respect, not just. Each other, we're not owners. We have worked absolutely diligently. , honestly, we have a lot of integrity, and that has also brought into our life because, um, we, this is what we breathe. This is what we, we feel frustration. So you immediately lose it as big when you do something not so good.

And, and, and you cannot, you cannot even approach them what support. So my next question now, if we, we still have about nine minutes, What do you think about these conventions, which we do we have known for organizing conventions. We, we create good events. In fact, we get a lot of respect. In fact, many of us volunteer to check, how, where are you doing the next convention?

So, if you can elaborate on it, obviously I'll add, but then what is the objective of this convention and why do I do it?

This we are doing only because of give the knowledge to dollar procurement. They can meet suppliers and they can get the entire idea about the product. So when are negotiating the material or any item, you must know what product is, how it is manufactured and all that our sponsors are giving the entire information, how this product has been, how it made, what are the raw materials with, which is required.

So how much it should be, because it is really great. Paid into them to develop their skill for the negotiations. And also we exchanged a lot of thoughts, ideas we have good, good speakers also who gives up more and best input during our convention, which I like very much. Yeah. So, um, they spawn these and rightly so, the foundation of HQMF was funds for the basis of knowledge sharing and information sharing.

So it has become a great platform for, knowledge-sharing about the product, about the vendors, about, about the market, right. , but, um, over in the boat, you know, the way we, within scaled it up, you know, that the reschedules became so big, right from both nature ID collected. They really picked.

So I think from then time onwards, it has also become a very important branding activity for us. We have become larger than life in terms of people seeing a very big woman that think of SPF, they think something very big. So, it just started with knowledge. It just started with product knowledge, networking opportunities.

People come and stay together. Strip brings family culture with buyers and sellers. As desperate. And he said earlier, it has reduced the gap between buyer and seller. , so Mo Mo most important thing, it tends to, you know, kind of a, it is a kind of a nice, kind of a marriage between knowledge and funds. So we do run a fun also, you know, um, then the, before and after the event is a lot of fun that around culture, around food, around some playful activity or.

So I think it's a nice, nice get-together, which happens. it's like, I would say in a small way, it's like a big fat Indian wedding. You know, it happens in culture. There is a, there is knowledge, there is a posture, there's a speech. , and then there are the two words alongside that. Okay, brilliant. So, the, everybody else is solid. So I don't think they used to share, the information about the place where the city and the convention, is normally held, we talk about, for history legend stories, we tell about why it's important and take our, our. If it's a, it's a nightmare of logistics for them. It's a wonderful feeling of complete, the convention. And when people have. , it's a great feeling and all of us get a lot of blessing out of it. A lot of joy and we feel good.

We feel connected. So this year, last year we lost a lot, one of the closest, advisory board members and a family. And it was a very sad thing today when I looked back, in fact, I stopped travelling to, I just went in once after this. , let's celebrate his birthday only event at his house, but then, it's become, such as such, I would say an activity wherein I wouldn't have, I would have met them at least once visited jeopardy. I used to do at least three months, I would travel to his home. , but that since last one year, it's, it's not, not happening. It's sad that people come into our lives and then they make so much impact.

And this and go and, lone models have had a special place in HBMS mine. There would not be anybody who would be able to read the standards of the way you used to talk his personality and the one. So, I want to take his name on purpose. So then everybody knows that he is still part of HPMS. I'm sure.

Wherever he is blessing us. So today I want to thank, and everybody else who's connected. Hundreds of people who provide inputs who to give us idea on what can we do better? So there are many projects which are lined up and include this project to our heart, the education project. Soon we will start the education wing of HPMF and we will have tie-ups with several organizations, but basic work is already done is again the main idea.

And he's the one along with many of the senior advisory board members and senior members of HTML are implementing it. , but, there will be something coming in. All who belong to the hospitality procurement on students who would want to get into hospitality, procurement field. This field used to be one of the departments, but today to be working in this department and, and definitely, who have added value to the lifestyle.

Um, I also tend, our supply partners who not just keep on providing the solutions, giving us products, giving us ideas and also giving us an inch to reduce, bringing better products and also take us to the international level. One day, I want India to be the marketplace today. We buy from different other countries, but there will be a time out.

The supply partners are the ones who will be able to help us to create a niche for the country, today, yes, we have many products, but then we lack, Finishing off the product or, maybe we can still, we still have a lot to catch if we can compare ourselves to the industry, to the international product, goals, having these partners up, any last thoughts or any words of wisdom for the people who are attending, this is a recorded version, which we will celebrate and certainly led to people, at large as well.

So anything which you would like to say to close this, Vima you maximum educations to our industry people and let's grow as much as still I'm a hundred years old. I'm ready to give my entire support to HP myth. Thank you, sir. And we look forward to, for you to be, we will celebrate.

Yeah, I would like to end this session with a message for the fraternity at large, which is buyers as well as dissenters that we set the highest standards of work, ethics, venues, and highest standards of integrity and honesty in our workplace. The way we interact with people, there has to be an absolute, complete, transparent way of dealing with our vendor partners dealing with each those.

And there has to be a very high level of code of conduct in terms of people dealing because that's very important today. Three of us are standing here and talking to each other with, with high head high because of the, you know, our belief and in honesty and integrity. And I would like to give this man.

Through this platform of agile is that all of us together with our vendor partners, we follow very high standards of work, ethics and values and set example for honesty and integrity.”

Speakers: 

Dr. Nitin Shankar Nagrale: Dr. Nitin Shankar Nagrale is working with M/s Quality New Zealand as CEO of India and Emerging Markets since February 2020. Dr. Nitin Shankar Nagrale has been awarded various awards throughout his career. These awards include Top 50 Innovation Leaders 2018, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award 2018, and many more. He is the first person in the world to have completed the CERTIFIED HOTEL PURCHASE MANAGER certification course from American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute (AHLEI).

Mr. Mohan Deshpande: Mr. Mohan Deshpande is the Chairman of Hospitality Purchasing Manager Forum (HPMF). Mr Mohan Deshpande has been a veteran in Hospitality Procurement for over 45 years. He worked with Oberoi Group of Hotels, The Lalit Mumbai, Marriott Group of Hotels and Mumbai Cricket Club. Mr Deshpande has been recognized by several organizations with esteemed awards viz Lifetime Achievement Awards and Legend of the Industry Award. He also is considered a Dronacharya among the fraternity members.

Dr. Sanjay Goyal: Dr. Sanjay Goyal is the vice-chairman of the Hospitality Purchasing Manager Forum (HPMF). He has hands-on experience in cost optimisation, product development and vendor relationship management. Dr. Sanjay Goyal has been recently appointed as Co-Chairmanship of the National Council on Tourism & Hospitality of ASSOCHAM.