ITC Royal Bengal Wins ‘Best Energy Efficient Commercial Building/Hotel’ Award at CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2024

ITC Royal Bengal Wins ‘Best Energy Efficient Commercial Building/Hotel’ Award at CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2024

By Nishang Narayan

Published on July 23, 2024

ITC Royal Bengal has been awarded the prestigious ‘Best Energy Efficient Commercial Building/Hotel’ during the CII National Energy Efficiency Circle Competition 2024. This accolade acknowledges ITC Royal Bengal’s dedication to sustainability, state-of-the-art energy efficiency practices, and unwavering commitment to ITC Hotels' ethos of Responsible Luxury.

ITC Hotels have always prioritized environmental stewardship without compromising on luxury and guest comfort. ITC Royal Bengal’s recognition in this national competition accentuates its status as a paragon of sustainability. As a LEED Platinum-certified building, ITC Royal Bengal underscores its steadfast adherence to global standards in eco-friendly design and operations.

Significant Strides in Energy Efficiency

ITC Royal Bengal has made significant strides in energy efficiency and decarbonization, aiming for Net Zero Carbon. By integrating advanced HVAC and electrical technologies, the hotel ensures exceptional energy performance. Recent initiatives include:

  • Replacing diesel boilers with electric ones

  • Installing heat pumps for hot water

  • Using electronically commutated fans and patented Continewm Nets for air handling units

  • Implementing automated tube cleaning for chillers

  • Converting multiple laundry and kitchen equipment to electrical heating

  • Utilizing IE5 motors for water management

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“These innovations have enhanced energy performance and reduced fossil fuel usage, ensuring our hotel’s lead in energy efficiency and decarbonization,” said Parveen Kumar, Head of Technical Services at ITC Royal Bengal and ITC Sonar.

Commitment to Sustainability

“This recognition is a testament to ITC Hotels’ commitment to embedding sustainability into the core of our operations. At ITC Royal Bengal, we believe that luxury and sustainability can coexist harmoniously. This award reflects our continuous efforts towards creating an eco-friendly environment while delivering unmatched luxury experiences to our guests,” said Gaurav Soneja, Cluster General Manager, ITC Royal Bengal & ITC Sonar.

ITC Royal Bengal’s architectural grandeur and sustainable innovations make it a landmark in Kolkata. The hotel seamlessly integrates local culture and modernity, offering guests a memorable stay and a planet-positive experience.


MakeMyTrip Launches Multilingual Generative AI Trip Assistant for Conversational Travel Planning

MakeMyTrip Launches Multilingual Generative AI Trip Assistant for Conversational Travel Planning

By Nishang Narayan

Published on August 9, 2025

MakeMyTrip has launched its multilingual Generative AI-powered Trip Planning Assistant, designed to transform how travellers plan and book their journeys by enabling real-time, conversational interactions.

Currently in beta, the assistant is built on an agentic AI framework and supports travel categories including flights, hotels, holidays, ground transport, visas, and foreign exchange. It allows users to engage in back-and-forth conversations through both voice and text, making the experience more natural and accessible.

Initially available in English and Hindi, the platform will expand to include more Indian languages after user feedback and further testing. The assistant is capable of handling both open-ended and specific queries, such as “Where can I go in August for a relaxing holiday with my children?” or “Mujhe Udaipur mein 3-star hotel 3500 ke budget mein chahiye”, providing results based on live availability, pricing, and preferences.

Unlike traditional travel tools that stop at suggestions, the MakeMyTrip assistant allows users to move from discovery to booking within the same conversation. The company aims to make travel planning more intuitive for non-English-speaking audiences and to improve accessibility in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.

Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said: “This assistant converts intent into action, particularly for users from the Bharat heartland who have been underserved by previous online travel interfaces.”

Group CTO Sanjay Mohan highlighted the platform’s technical sophistication, noting that it uses multi-agent architecture, custom language models, and verification protocols to provide accurate, real-time responses. The assistant builds on MakeMyTrip’s previous AI-led innovations, including Fare Lock, Zero Cancellation, voice-led support, and predictive rail booking tools.

Future updates will add image and video-based interactions as well as semantic search, enabling travellers to plan trips using visual and abstract inputs for more personalised recommendations.

The launch reinforces MakeMyTrip’s commitment to investing in AI infrastructure to create a highly responsive, multilingual platform capable of supporting complex travel decisions.


Meet Chai Magic: Your New Best Friend for Brewing Chai

Meet Chai Magic: Your New Best Friend for Brewing Chai

By Hariharan U

Published on July 31, 2025

Wonderchef has introduced something every chai lover will want in their kitchen "Chai Magic", the world’s first fully automatic tea maker built just for Indian-style tea. The launch, hosted in Kolkata, saw the presence of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Mr. Ravi Saxena, co-founders of the brand, as they showcased what might just be the future of chai-making.

How It Works

 All it takes is loading your ingredients—tea, spices, water, and milk—into the machine, pressing a button, and letting Chai Magic handle the rest. Milk gets added at just the right moment, and the tea brews to perfection. Once it’s done, the machine switches off on its own. That’s right—no more burnt milk or tea spills.

"Chai Magic brings tradition and technology together. It makes everyday tea-making simple, stress-free, and delightful," said Chef Sanjeev Kapoor during the live demo.

He added, "You can add any masala—ginger, clove, pepper, saffron—and Chai Magic will brew it just the way you like it. It’s consistent, hands-free, and honestly, a joy to use."

Mr. Ravi Saxena, CEO of Wonderchef, called it a “magical appliance”, built for daily use in Indian homes. “It’s a product rooted in our tea culture but powered by modern convenience,” he said.

Coming Soon Near You

 Chai Magic will be available across retail stores and Wonderchef’s website in the coming weeks.

New Store Launch in Kolkata

 Wonderchef also marked the launch of its 31st exclusive store—and the first in East India—at City Centre Mall, Salt Lake, Kolkata. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor inaugurated the outlet, part of the brand’s plan to double its store count over the next two years.

 About Wonderchef
Founded in 2009, Wonderchef is known for its premium cookware and kitchen appliances. With over 600 products, it has built a strong presence both in India and globally—spanning 22,000+ retail outlets, 80,000+ women entrepreneurs, and availability in 25 countries.

This new launch adds one more feather to their innovation-first approach, making everyday cooking smarter, easier, and a little more magical.


Invisible Infrastructure: Reimagining Security in Hospitality Spaces

Invisible Infrastructure: Reimagining Security in Hospitality Spaces

By Author

Published on July 29, 2025

In luxury hospitality, the guest experience is meticulously crafted to feel effortless. Yet, behind the polished marble floors and ambient lighting lies an invisible yet vital layer — security. When done right, it’s not just a system; it’s an ecosystem of trust that operates quietly in the background, ensuring safety without ever disrupting elegance.

Today, hotel security has evolved beyond conventional surveillance. It’s not about how many cameras you install — it’s about where, why, and how they integrate into the environment. Smart surveillance strategies combine analytics with human insight, mapping guest behavior, anticipating pressure points, and aligning seamlessly with the tempo of operations. Think of it as an unseen concierge — alert, adaptive, and always one step ahead.

Access control, too, has become a sophisticated architecture of trust. Whether it’s guest keycards, staff movement, or vendor logistics, every access point is an opportunity to blend efficiency with discretion. The best frameworks balance hierarchy with hospitality — offering layered security that respects both guest privacy and staff autonomy.

But even the most intelligent infrastructure is only as strong as the people who operate it. Hotels that foster a proactive security culture — through training, simulations, and clearly defined accountability — gain an unmatched edge in both daily operations and crisis management. In such environments, security is not just protection; it’s empowerment.

Importantly, security should never be a generic overlay. It must reflect the soul of the brand. A wellness retreat in the hills may need subtle, almost invisible systems, while a corporate hotel in the heart of a city might benefit from visible, high-tech deterrents. Every hotel has a story and its security design should narrate it with purpose.

This is where independent expertise becomes invaluable. Too often, security is bundled into IT or MEP contracts as an afterthought. In reality, it deserves its own voice — one that understands physical risk, guest psychology, operational rhythms, and architectural intent. A seasoned security consultant can decode these variables and craft bespoke, scalable systems that serve both safety and sophistication.

Col Deepak Kajla, a techno-security expert with over 22 years of military and corporate experience, offers exactly this level of insight. His unique approach blends strategic thinking with hands-on implementation, helping hospitality brands design security that is intuitive, unobtrusive, and deeply effective. From five-star properties to eco-resorts, he brings clarity, control, and creativity to every project — transforming security from a backend function into a seamless extension of guest experience.

For hotels aiming to modernize their security approach without compromising on brand or ambiance, the path forward begins with a simple idea:

"Invisible infrastructure creates visible confidence"

CONTACT deepak.kajla@securesec.in 
https://www.securesec.in/

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