Minor Hotels Appoints Puneet Dhawan as Head of Asia

Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as Head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report to Minor Hotels CEO Dillip Rajakarier.

Dhawan, a seasoned professional with a 30-year hospitality career spanning Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His most recent role as Senior Vice President of Operations – India & South Asia at Accor saw him lead the group’s business development, owner management, hotel operations and commercial team, driving Accor’s growth in the region. Notably, he oversaw the opening of the first Raffles hotel in India. His 25-year tenure at Accor also included time as the group’s Vice President of Operations, Middle East, and several General Manager roles. Dhawan’s journey in the hospitality industry began with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he held positions at its properties in the Philippines and Hong Kong.

Dhawan holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He will be based in the group’s Bangkok Corporate Office when he joins Minor Hotels in July.

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotels and Group CEO of Minor International, commented, “We are excited to welcome Puneet to the Minor Hotels family. His operational experience and empowering leadership will be invaluable as we work to achieve our growth ambitions in Asia and India in the coming years.”

In January, Minor Hotels unveiled its target to add more than 200 new openings to its global portfolio, with approximately half in Asia, by the end of 2026. More recently, the hotel group announced its plan to 50 new openings in India within the next ten years, including the debut of its luxury Anantara brand later this year in Jaipur.

Indo Nissin Elevates Sandeep Bakhshi to Managing Director

National, September 2023 - Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd., one of the world’s leading instant noodle companies, has announced a restructuring of its senior leadership to pave the way for the next level of business growth. Sandeep Bakhshi, the Chief Business Officer, has been elevated to the post of Managing Director of its Indian subsidiary, Indo Nissin Foods Private Ltd (hereafter referred to as “Indo Nissin”). He succeeds Gautam Sharma, who built the Indo Nissin business from 2014 onward.

With an extensive background spanning over 25 years in Sales, Sandeep Bakhshi brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has held positions at reputable companies such as SC Johnson (now Brillon), Mars-Wrigley, Pidilite, AkzoNobel, and Asian Paints. His proficiency lies in fostering growth through capacity enhancement and seamless digital integration.

Commenting on the management transition, Hiroyuki Yoshida, Chairman of Indo Nissin, said, “We are really pleased to announce the appointment of Sandeep Bakhshi to the Managing Director position. He has been instrumental in growing the Indo Nissin business in the last eight years and we are confident of his ability to lead the company in its next phase of transformational growth.”

“We take this opportunity to thank Gautam Sharma for his years of service to Indo Nissin and his outstanding contribution to the India business. He leaves behind a strong legacy, a high-performing team and a business that has been consistently growing.”

About Nissin Food Products Co.

Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. is the inventor of instant noodles and was founded in Japan in 1948. With its philosophy of “Earth Food Creator”, the company remains committed to developing brands that communicate the wholesome taste, satisfaction and fun of instant noodles along with food safety and consumer enjoyment.

Indo Nissin Foods Private Limited, a subsidiary of Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd., Japan, was set up in 1991 and has launched some of the most beloved brands in this category; Top Ramen, Cup Noodles and Geki Korean Noodles. It also entered into distribution partnerships with leading international and local consumer packaged goods brands and does contract manufacturing of noodles for many modern trade retailers for their private labels.