Kolkata, 18 May 2026: The National Restaurant Association of India in collaboration with Reelo hosted a major Learning & Development session titled “Stop Renting Customers: Build Growth Beyond Discounts & Aggregators” in Kolkata on 14 May 2026.
The event witnessed participation from more than 150 restaurant owners, operators, marketers and hospitality industry leaders who came together to discuss sustainable restaurant growth, customer retention and long-term profitability in today’s competitive food service sector.
The session focused on helping restaurants reduce overdependence on third-party aggregators and discount-driven customer acquisition models by building stronger direct customer relationships and loyalty-driven growth strategies.
One of the key highlights of the evening was a fireside chat between Rahul Singh and Parin Sanghvi, where both industry leaders shared insights on CRM-led growth, personalised customer engagement, loyalty programmes and data-driven retention strategies.
Speaking during the session, Rahul Singh said, “Aggregators are not the enemy, dependency on aggregators is,” stressing the need for restaurants to focus on memorable customer experiences and long-term engagement instead of relying only on discounts.
Parin Sanghvi highlighted how restaurants can leverage customer behaviour analytics, automation and personalised communication to improve repeat visits and build stronger customer loyalty over time.
Addressing the gathering, Piyush Kankaria said the restaurant industry is rapidly moving towards sustainable and relationship-driven growth models, adding that the initiative aimed to create meaningful industry dialogue around customer ownership, retention and long-term profitability.
The discussions also revolved around CRM adoption, loyalty-building, customer engagement strategies and the importance of differentiated dining experiences in the evolving restaurant ecosystem.
The initiative is part of NRAI’s ongoing efforts to promote industry learning, collaboration and knowledge-sharing opportunities for the restaurant community across India.
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