We caught up with Restaurateur Ankkit Bahadur and asked him what trends could define the hospitality market in the coming decade. He said to watch out for the word ‘Sustainability’ across sectors – He said it's going to be the defining word of the next decade. With consumers becoming more and more socially conscious and aware about the environment it will be a keyword in the coming decade will be the way forward for the food industry among many others. We could well be entering an era socially conscious dining & health based dining with plant-based meats, lifestyle bowls and vegan restaurants. He said his next project will definitely focus on food sustainability. He said particularly plant-based meat was a great step in this direction and would have a huge impact on the environment.

Ankkit Bahadur’s grandfather Suraj Prakash Ghulati is an author and has written several books focused on sustainable agriculture over the last two decades. My grandfather found it very tough to create awareness about the use of sustainable agriculture practices, today it's much easier. Social media has played a crucial role and so has original content on digital platforms – it has helped in educating everyone & creating a conscious consumer.

He added that he together with his grandfather is working on educational agricultural content for farmers. New mobile phone users are now going to come from smaller cities and rural areas – that’s where the growth will happen -we need to create content for them. Not just the food industry sustainability will have an impact on luxury retail as well. The younger affluent generations are indeed more conscious of the environmental and social impact of their purchase decisions and are more likely to buy from a brand that resonates with their own personal values. High-end brands that want to retain their status in the luxury market need to evolve to keep up with this growing trend towards ethical and sustainable luxury.

A study from Nielsen showed that 73 percent of Millennial respondents were willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable or socially conscious brand.  Furthermore, 81 percent of Millennials expect the brands that they buy into to be transparent in their marketing and actively talk about their sustainability impact. Expo2020 Dubai also has sustainability as one of its main themes, The various pavilions will highlight global projects on sustainability and creating awareness about the need to focus on our planet.  He also went to add that marquee luxury brands like Louis Vuitton opening their first café is great for both sectors as it will boost growth and numbers.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 21, 2020 02:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).