On2Cook Unveils Smart Cooking Tech at AAHAR 2025, Transforming Commercial Kitchens

On2Cook Unveils Smart Cooking Tech at AAHAR 2025, Transforming Commercial Kitchens

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on March 9, 2025

On2Cook, the world’s fastest and most advanced smart cooking device, is making waves at the 39th edition of AAHAR 2025, an international food and hospitality fair known for showcasing cutting-edge innovations. Designed by Indian inventor Sanandan (Sandy) Sudhir, On2Cook is redefining the way commercial kitchens operate by offering a revolutionary AI-driven cooking solution that significantly cuts down cooking time while optimizing efficiency and energy consumption.

AAHAR 2025, organized by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), brings together key players from the food and hospitality industry. This year, On2Cook is drawing the spotlight with its breakthrough technology, which has earned 12 patents across India, the US, the UK, and Russia. The device has already gained traction among over 50 brands, including WOW Momos, Salad Days, Pink Adrak, and Green Salad, by addressing key challenges such as space constraints, high operational costs, ventilation complexities, and ingredient wastage. Designed to streamline commercial kitchen operations, On2Cook is eliminating cost leakages and maximizing profitability for restaurants, food chains, and cloud kitchens.

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Live demonstrations of the smart cooking device are currently being held at stall number 12A-19E at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from March 4 to March 8, 2025, between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Restaurant owners, cloud kitchen operators, hoteliers, and food service professionals are getting a hands-on experience of how this 6-in-1 device enhances efficiency while preserving the color, texture, and nutrients of ingredients. By reducing cooking time by up to 70% and cutting energy consumption by at least 40%, On2Cook is setting a new benchmark in kitchen automation.

The innovative device, which debuted on Shark Tank India Season 1 Finale, amazed judges by preparing chicken curry in just seven minutes. Combining microwaves and induction technology, On2Cook simplifies the cooking process by eliminating the need for constant stirring with an integrated stirrer in the lid and an automated water addition system, making cooking completely hands-free. It can prepare samosas in four minutes, bake pizzas in three minutes, grill chicken in two to three minutes, steam idlis in three to four minutes, and transform frozen food into ready-to-eat meals in under five minutes. The company, On2Cook India Pvt. Ltd., is currently valued at ₹200 crore and is leading the charge in smart cooking innovation.

As an offshoot of Sanandan Sudhir’s INVENT INDIA, a startup dedicated to fostering innovation, On2Cook India Pvt. Ltd. is on a mission to revolutionize both commercial and domestic kitchens. Its AI-powered combination cooking technology ensures food is crispy on the outside and soft and well-cooked on the inside, offering the best of both traditional and modern cooking techniques. By merging microwave and induction or flame cooking, the device significantly reduces cooking time while preserving essential nutrients, texture, and flavor. With its rapid adoption and groundbreaking impact on the food industry, On2Cook is shaping the future of smart kitchens, making cooking faster, smarter, and more efficient than ever before.


Mews expands Digital Key with Salto integration for seamless guest access

Mews expands Digital Key with Salto integration for seamless guest access

By Nishang Narayan

Published on July 12, 2025

Mews has announced a strategic integration with Salto’s smart locking system, enhancing its Digital Key offering and paving the way for a more seamless, contactless guest experience. Through this partnership, hotels using Salto’s access control can now enable guests to unlock rooms via their mobile devices using the Mews Hospitality Cloud—eliminating the need for physical keys altogether.

This move streamlines the check-in process, reduces manual front desk tasks, and strengthens overall security. Matt Welle, CEO of Mews, said, “Every step of the guest journey should be effortless. With Salto smart access for hospitality compatibility, more properties can reduce the friction around arrival and check-in. Digital Key is a win-win because it’s as much about operational efficiency as it is about improving guest satisfaction.”

Early results from Belgian brand YUST, which operates a hybrid model for short and long stays, show the integration’s impact. At its Antwerp property, 12% of guests checked in using Digital Key in the first month without any promotional push, and 64% of those with an active digital key used it to access their rooms. Dirk Van Gompel, CTO of YUST, shared, “Digital Key makes it easy for guests to go straight to their room, while creating real-time savings for our team, who can then focus on building real human connections.”

Salto’s Nora Urquiza highlighted the value of this collaboration, stating, “Our integration with Mews reinforces our commitment to delivering a seamless, secure, and modern digital experience through strong technology alliances.”

Beyond convenience, the integration also cuts down on environmental waste by removing the need for plastic keycards and supports a fully digital, on-the-go check-in and check-out process. Fully embedded within the Mews Hospitality Cloud, the Digital Key capability allows hotels to customise and automate the guest experience, opening new avenues for upselling and enhanced guest engagement.

Mews has been on a roll with tech enhancements, recently rolling out a Multicurrency feature for customers across Europe.


OYO Joins Hands with Yatra to Strengthen Business Travel Offerings

OYO Joins Hands with Yatra to Strengthen Business Travel Offerings

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on July 12, 2025

Hospitality tech firm OYO has entered a strategic partnership with leading online travel platform Yatra, bringing over 500 company-serviced hotels under mid-premium and premium brands to Yatra’s booking platform for the first time. These hotels will cater specifically to the rising demand in the business travel segment across India.

The hotels listed include OYO’s SUNDAY, Palette, Clubhouse, Townhouse, Townhouse Oak, and Collection O brands. The collaboration covers key business hubs like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, along with fast-growing industrial and transit corridors.

OYO plans to list 1,000 more company-serviced hotels on Yatra by September 2025, enhancing Yatra’s accommodation offerings in emerging metros, where business travel is expanding due to infrastructure growth and regional economic activity.

India’s business travel sector reached $38.2 billion in 2024, making it the 8th largest market globally and 4th in Asia-Pacific. The OYO-Yatra partnership aligns with this growth by offering curated business accommodation solutions with added benefits such as:

  • Standardized amenities like clean linen, AC rooms, Wi-Fi, and hygienic washrooms
  • Centralized billing and GST-compliant invoicing
  • Flexible cancellation/rescheduling policies
  • Expense tracking and dedicated account managers for corporate bookings

Yatra, with over 800 large corporate clients and 10,000+ SMEs, earns 65% of gross bookings from corporate and B2B travel. This partnership adds substantial value to its users by expanding quality lodging options in previously underserved regions.

Earlier this year, OYO launched Oravel Travel Solutions, a vertical focused on corporate travel, offering end-to-end services like smooth check-ins, meal plans, event support, and custom holiday packages.

Speaking on the development, Varun Jain, COO of OYO, shared:

“While direct demand continues to be our mainstay, contributing nearly 80% of our total business, we are now looking to tap into a niche segment of business travelers who are exploring emerging business hubs. This partnership also opens up opportunities to cater to companies embracing blended travel programs, combining business and leisure.”

According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the business travel market is on track to return to pre-2019 levels by 2025, backed by strong corporate earnings and a rise in in-person meetings. This trend suggests a sustained increase in demand for reliable and quality stay options.

With this partnership, OYO and Yatra are set to redefine India’s corporate travel landscape, delivering convenience, flexibility, and consistency for the modern business traveler.


XECH Eyes Pan India Retail Growth, Launches Experience Centres in Ahmedabad & Hyderabad

XECH Eyes Pan India Retail Growth, Launches Experience Centres in Ahmedabad & Hyderabad

By Nishang Narayan

Published on July 3, 2025

XECH is making bold strides in its retail journey with the opening of its latest Experience Centre in Ahmedabad, located at Dhanlaxmi Complex, Ashram Road, Usmanpura. Designed to provide an immersive, hands-on shopping experience, the store caters to walk-in customers, resellers, and corporate buyers alike. This is XECH’s third major retail expansion, following the successful debut of its Hyderabad Experience Centre on 31st May, 2025, at Rudram Towers, PG Road, Secunderabad, and its flagship outlet in Pune which launched on 19th October, 2023.

The Ahmedabad inauguration saw participation from the company’s leadership team and local channel partners, making it a standout moment for tech enthusiasts and the retail community in western India.

Each of XECH’s stores is strategically set in high-growth urban centres, functioning as brand hubs where customers can explore the expanding range of lifestyle tech products, smart gadgets, and premium corporate gifting solutions. With robust expansion plans in place, XECH is targeting a 2X revenue growth this fiscal year, driven by its omni-channel approach, innovative product portfolio, and scalable business model. These Experience Centres are central to XECH’s goal of bridging the digital-physical divide — creating spaces where quality, speed, and tangible engagement meet.

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Speaking on the expansion, Mr. Pranay Punjabi, Founder and CEO of XECH Technologies Pvt. Ltd., shared,

“Each city plays a strategic role in our retail vision. Pune gave us our first physical touchpoint, Hyderabad validated our scale strategy in a dynamic tech market, and Ahmedabad will strengthen our presence in western India — connecting us to customers who value smart, dependable tech. These are more than just stores; they’re brand experience hubs where people can interact with our innovations firsthand. We’re focused on making practical, well-designed technology accessible to those who need it — whether at home, work, or in business.”

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Shoppers visiting these stores can explore XECH’s entire tech ecosystem, including its bestsellers and upcoming launches, all in an interactive setting. From portable kettles and cordless vacuum cleaners to Bluetooth clocks, eye massagers, tyre inflators, and garment steamers, XECH’s range is sharply focused on addressing real-world needs with intuitive, multi-functional, and thoughtful tech — equally suited for individual users and corporate gifting.

To celebrate the Ahmedabad launch, XECH is offering an exclusive 10% in-store discount throughout July, inviting customers to experience their innovations firsthand.

Looking ahead, XECH plans to continue expanding its retail footprint across India in the coming quarters, building more such immersive spaces that blend tactile experiences with the convenience of modern retail.

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