India Food Court finds its roots in the Café Kudumbashree India Food Court which was an initiative by Kudumbashree to consolidate its food services business during 2008-12. Kudumbashree Mission attempted to develop an umbrella brand “Café Kudumbashree” with selected food enterprises adopting a set of standard procedures and practices. The efforts were mainly to support the Kudumbashree member women running food services enterprises in various small formats including canteens, small restaurants, dhaba shops, and catering units. Improving quality of services with an emphasis on hygienic practices was one of the key components. Adebha Institute for Food Research and Hospitality Management (AIFRHM) emerged as a specialist community organisation providing technical handholding support in the process for branding enterprises under ‘Café Kudumbashree’.

It was also during this period that Kudumbashree started conducting ‘food festivals’, along with other major events. The events where both of government and promoted by private businesses, the early ones being large media houses. It was AIFRHM that curated the ‘food festivals’; somewhere around 2012-13, Kudumbashree started calling these ‘food courts’, and regional food courts became popular events during 2012-13.

The first food court outside Kerala was set up in 2013 in Pragati Maidan, Delhi at the venue of the India International Fair. Subsequently, Kudumbashree curated a food court in Dubai, the first one outside the country the same year, as part of an event promoted by a large media house in Kerala.

In the third year of its work as a National Resource Organisation (NRO), Kudumbashree launched the ‘Café Kudumbashree India Food Court, India on Your Plate’ at a trade fair organised by another large media house in Thiruvananthapuram in 2015. True to Kudumbashree’s work as NRO, the event brought in women’s groups from various States of India and helped them set up food stalls at a common facility with around 15,000 square feet floor area. The idea evolved from the Café Kudumbashree India Food Court, an event which aimed to bring rural SHG women from across the country to a common platform where they cook their traditional cuisines and sell food. 

2.Concept and Objective:

India Food Court (IFC) leverages on the stories that only traditional food can tell. Food holds memories of the journeys undertaken , adaptations made to adjust and survive, a culinary story is the story of survival, it’s a story of how traditions and cultures took shape. India being a country of manifold traditions and culture with each heritage having its own distinctive flavours and culinary practices, it is hardly possible for anyone to explore such diversity at one place. With no exposure and no platform to showcase these culinary stories, these noteworthy stories are often unnoticed. Hence, IFC appears to be a quirky model where these culinary stories are celebrated and brought to one place for people to explore. 

IFC, with its tagline “India on Your Plate,” is an initiative that brings together rural first-generation entrepreneurs, to present India’s rich culinary heritage across metropolitan food courts. This platform provides these women, often homemakers, with valuable income and hands-on training in managing food enterprises. Supported by technical experts and mentors, the women gain practical skills in areas such as bulk cooking, maintaining hygiene standards, diverse food preparation, safety protocols, and customer service. Through IFC, SHG women receive the support and training needed to build sustainable businesses while celebrating and sharing regional flavors with a broader urban audience.

3. Conduct of IFC:

Once the Ministry of Rural Development communicates the requirement for organising India Food Court, a team from Kudumbashree NRO visits the proposed venue for primary assessment. NRO professionals then establish coordination with other stakeholders, whether it be SARAS Mela or any NRLM event where IFC is to be set up. This group being the stakeholder of the initiative, facilitates the arrangement of essential requirements like accommodation, appliances, utensils, etc for the conduct of the event. 

The objective of the event, along with the details and particulars are communicated to all the SRLMs in the form of an invitation letter from the Ministry of Rural Development. The SRLMs then have to register on the NRLM portal with the details of participating enterprises and entrepreneurs. 

Management Team

The event is facilitated by the team of trained thematic team. Thematic teams are created to facilitate IFC. These teams are composed of Café Mentors, Senior Mentors Resource Persons, and Kudumbashree NRO professionals. 

Layout of IFC

The layout is developed in collaboration with the event management agency and representative from Kudumbashree NRO. The primary concern in layout is ensuring the safety and ease of operations for women entrepreneurs while providing for infrastructure and facilities for meeting the requirements of food production, service, operations management, hygiene, and safety.

Entrepreneurs Selection

The entrepreneur identification and selection is a process undertaken by the respective SRLMs. A set of criteria is shared along with the invitation for the factors to be considered. It is always recommended that new enterprises and entrepreneurs are given a chance to participate in the food court. It is important for the enterprises to have valid FSSAI licence to participate in the event.

Training of the Entrepreneurs 

The entrepreneurs set up and run their own kitchens in a new urban environment, adhering to specific protocols for the space. To prepare them for the challenges of daily operations, regular training and orientation sessions are provided by Mentor Resource Persons and Café Mentors from Kudumbashree NRO. These sessions cover a wide range of essential skills, including bulk food production, live cooking procedures, personal and food safety measures, customer service etiquette, and management techniques for both raw materials and waste. Entrepreneurs also receive guidance on systematic storage, kitchen cleanliness, and premises maintenance, equipping them with the knowledge needed for efficient and professional cafe operations

4. Highlights of the IFC:

Awards to inspire:

Each and every entrepreneur who participates in IFC is a winner for us. It takes a lifetime worth of courage for these entrepreneurs to be a part of such a huge event. However to maintain a healthy competition we present the entrepreneurs with awards. The entrepreneurs receive the awards according to their overall performance during the IFC. There are standard parameters set with a monitoring system in place. 

Cashless billing in all stalls:

India Food Court provides the customer with an advanced experience in terms of billing. With the aim of making the billing completely cashless the IFC professionals have sourced for software which is completely cashless. Cashless payment in the stalls of IFC facilitated smooth and seamless payments in return making our visitors satisfied. Along with making the payment process easier, this payment software prepared ground for more learning for the SHG entrepreneurs. The software also helps us track the stalls performance and let us know the visitor’s demands according to the venue.

Unique work culture:

Running a business for around 12 hours straight for 17 days may lead to undesirable circumstances in terms of mental wellbeing and physical health, both for the SHG entrepreneurs as well as the IFC team, hence we have curated sessions in the mornings and evenings which aims to reduce the work stress. Aiming at mental well-being the sessions include breathing exercises, yoga, exercise etc. Along with mental wellbeing, these sessions also include training on different aspects of bulk cooking, safety measures and customer handling. 

Participation in World Food India:

On request from the Ministry of Rural Development, IFC team facilitated a food court in the World Food India 2024, a mega event organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, for the popularisation of food processing sectors in the international markets to attract potential investors. 

Diversity at one stop:

The most valuable highlight of India Food Court is surely the diversity it is able to bring at one stop. Over the years the participating states have increased 11 to 25, the number of stalls has increased from 20 to 47 and the number of participating entrepreneurs have increased from 86 to 245. In India Food Court aims to bring the flavours from the remote part of each state, hence different districts from every state get a chance to participate in the food court.

Creating a community:

India Food Court is a community of its own where diverse cultures meet at one stop and unexpected friendships are forged. Team spirit and unity in diversity are not taught in IFC but it is an inherent quality of it. Our aim is not just to sell food but it is to empower women with the simple act of selling food. 

5. Imprints of IFC: