Ventive Hospitality Debuts Ventive Crown, a Talent-First Luxury Hospitality Initiative
Ventive Hospitality Debuts Ventive Crown, India’s first unified, cross-brand culinary recognition platform bringing an entire luxury hotel portfolio together to honour excellence.
By SOH Edit Team
Ventive Hospitality has unveiled Ventive Crown, a quarterly internal recognition and competition platform designed to celebrate, challenge, and honour exceptional talent across its hotel portfolio. As a pioneering initiative in India, Ventive Crown brings together multiple global luxury brands within Ventive’s Pune hotels under a single company-led platform, creating a unified moment to recognise craftsmanship across properties. In a hospitality landscape where dedicated recognition platforms for chefs remain rare, Ventive Crown offers a focused stage for culinary excellence within the hotel ecosystem.
Ventive Crown was conceived with a clear purpose: to recognise internal excellence across key hospitality functions and to foster engagement across properties. By celebrating the talent that defines luxury behind the scenes, the initiative positions Ventive Hospitality as a thought leader in talent-first luxury hospitality in India. The platform underscores the company’s belief that recognition is a vital component of sustaining excellence and motivation in the workforce.
Inaugural Edition: Chef’s Edition
The first edition of Ventive Crown, themed the Chef’s Edition, brought together six teams and twelve chefs from Ventive’s Pune hotels. The competition was designed as an intense culinary challenge, culminating in a final-day showdown featuring three shortlisted teams and a special wild-card entry.
What distinguished this event was not only the technical mastery of the chefs but also the deeply personal stories behind each dish. Creations drew inspiration from memory, heritage, and emotion — from a bold reinterpretation of Rabbit Rogan Josh to Chena Lasooni Saag, inspired by a chef’s mother’s cooking, and Patthar Ka Chaap, rooted in regional tradition. Each dish reflected the chef’s identity as much as their culinary skill, merging innovation with authenticity.
The competition concluded with four exceptional dishes being awarded the coveted Ventive Crown: Butter Chicken from DoubleTree by Hilton, Nizami Gosht Dum from Oakwood, Tripolia Dal from JW Marriott, and Bread Kheema Kachori from The Ritz-Carlton. Recognised for their flavour, technique, authenticity, and presentation, these dishes have been incorporated into the menus of their respective hotels, allowing guests to experience the celebration of culinary excellence firsthand.
Leadership Insights
Ranjit Batra, CEO of Ventive Hospitality, emphasised the transformative role of recognition: “Our chefs and teams are the backbone of our food and beverage strength, and this platform honours their craft, commitment, and quiet excellence. Ventive Crown exists to celebrate the people who make our experiences exceptional. Recognition gives our people the visibility, confidence, and stage they deserve.”
Mayur Tiwari, AVP–Food & Beverages and Culinary, highlighted the cultural significance of the platform: “Ventive Crown is more than an event. It builds culture, honours creativity, and brings together the true heroes of hospitality. This Chef’s Edition was created by chefs, for chefs — to celebrate our craft and elevate the guest experience.”
Ventive Crown is designed as a multi-disciplinary platform that will eventually extend recognition to other areas of hospitality, including mixology, housekeeping, and guest service. By celebrating those who deliver luxury every day, the initiative reinforces Ventive Hospitality’s commitment to the principle that recognition is as important for those who create the experience as it is for those who enjoy it.