Technology Transforming Indian Food Service Industry
The food industry as we know it continues to innovate increasingly with each passing day. The extensive use of technology and the consequential positive disruption is thus inevitable.
Thanks to the internet and social media platforms, more and more folks are becoming increasingly aware, conscious and curious about where and how their food is being sourced, what the nutritional benefits of the ingredients are and so on.
The ongoing transformation of the industry was pushed into overdrive with technology focused on kitchen/supply-chain monitoring, hygiene and minimising contact being added to the pre-pandemic efforts to improve the health of our food ecosystem through better distribution and preservation.
Aggregators took centre stage, the ubiquitous Kirana stores re-gained their market share through digitisation, cloud kitchen majors amped up their tech to become the AWS equivalent for restaurants and the industry has moved towards beginning to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to inform every problem solving decision.
The market size, which is currently in excess of $900 BN, is too large to be ignored. Foodpreneurs know it. Investors know it. The industry will rise to the challenge and pave the path for Foodtech to be one of the most, if not the most promising sectors in the Indian start-up ecosystem.
Various brands, including ours are using tech to maximise the efficiencies & scope of the food tech sector. Automating their brands, some new age startups are leading the way for the market to adapt to current requirements by integrating AI-enabled mechanisms. This further includes cameras that monitor everything from contaminants to food portions, to the temperature of the kitchen staff, sensors used to manage inventory; automate the procurement process, and facilitate food prep at scale machine learning to build efficiencies, minimise wastage and gather customer preferences. Business leaders are also investing in IoT-inspired supply chains and making the most out of tech-savvy applications to match pace with the people's changing needs.
The use of machines and robotics in the kitchen, though at a nascent stage in India (compared to their global counterparts), is set to be the next big thing. It’s perhaps set to be one of the primary drivers of keeping costs low by keeping food fresh and increasing production efficiency and productivity. 3D food printing is already a reality. As is delivery by drones in some countries. A futuristic look at the industry brings to mind visuals of a Star Trek-inspired world! It may sound fantastical but one thing though, is crystal clear – technology is going to be the secret sauce for a profitable F&B business!
The author is Vaibhav Arora, Founder of Bhojan
