Vikas Duklan

Operations Leadership – North India

• Lead day-to-day villa operations across North India, ensuring financial growth, brand standards, and superior guest satisfaction.
• Develop and implement annual budgets, capital improvement plans, and operational strategies to drive ROI, and market leadership.
• Oversee villa readiness, preventive maintenance, and compliance with safety, regulatory, and brand requirements.
• Direct large cross-functional teams (villa managers, housekeeping staff, service staff) with a focus on performance, training, motivation, and succession planning.
• Champion guest experience by driving NPS improvements, OTA/Google reviews, personalized service, and community engagement.
• Act as a key liaison with villa owners, managing complex stakeholder expectations, and delivering operational excellence.

Food & Beverage Leadership – Pan India

• Head end-to-end F&B operations across India, including menu curation (meal plans and à la carte), costing, procurement, and vendor negotiations.
• Monitor and optimize food costs, wastage, and gross margins while ensuring 5-star hygiene, quality, and service standards.
• Drive sustainability initiatives in food sourcing, waste management, and kitchen operations.
• Lead vendor sourcing strategies (Hyperpure & local suppliers), supply chain optimization, and contract negotiations.
• Spearhead pre-opening setups for new villas: kitchen design, equipment selection, hiring, training, and compliance.
• Design and implement SOPs, audit systems, and training programs (Housekeeping, F&B, hygiene, service etiquette, and soft skills).
• Drive cross-selling of meals, curated experiences (BBQs, candlelight dinners), and ancillary services (spa, events).
• Collaborate with sales and marketing for promotions, events, and guest experience innovation.

• Spearheaded Food Services operations for seven business units, managing annual revenue of INR 25 crores.
• Consistently achieved sales and profit targets through strategic planning and operational excellence.
• Led Monthly Management Reviews (MMR) and Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR) with key clients to drive performance.
• Implemented cost-control measures that enhanced operational efficiency and profitability.
• Cultivated strong client relationships, achieving 100% retention and C-SAT scores above 80%.
• Identified cross-selling and organic growth opportunities by presenting single service solutions.
• Managed collections and debtor control to maintain healthy cash flow across all operations.
• Oversaw site mobilization within budget, achieving zero overruns post initial month of operations.

• Directed contracting provisions for 10,000+ meals daily across multiple sites in India.
• Negotiated conflict resolutions, achieving mutually beneficial agreements with stakeholders.
• Championed HSEQ standards, embedding safety and quality culture at all sites.
• Analyzed costs to drive optimization, reduce wastage, and enhance profitability.
• Oversaw comprehensive menu and production planning, dispatch, and audits for operational excellence.
• Designed audit schedules and executed periodic audits with regional teams for continuous improvement.
• Managed soft services operations across colleges, ensuring high standards of cleanliness and service.
• Recruited and trained cafeteria and housekeeping teams to maintain exceptional service quality.

• Accountable for sales and profitability of Foodhall Chanakyapuri with annual turnover of INR 60 Cr.
• Drove performance to exceed seasonal and annual EBITDA targets.
• Managed inventory valued at INR 8–10 Cr across over 5,000 SKUs.
• Guided store management teams in sales forecasting, budgeting, and planning to achieve goals.
• Implemented mid-course adjustments leveraging commercial acumen to maximize profitability and margins.
• Established Standardized Operating Processes (SOPs) to enhance efficiency and consistency.
• Delivered actionable business insights through designed MIS reports and dashboards.

• Directed vendor management processes, including sourcing, negotiations, onboarding, and performance tracking across various verticals.
• Oversaw workforce planning and performance appraisals to ensure optimal team management.
• Coached on-ground teams to deliver over 6,000 meals daily across multiple cities, emphasizing cost efficiency.
• Analyzed operational data to identify core issues and implemented corrective actions to enhance performance.
• Optimized food experience and revenue generation while adhering to budget constraints.
• Conducted kitchen operations audits to ensure compliance with hygiene, safety, and quality standards.
• Achieved operational excellence and customer satisfaction in a fast-paced multi-site institutional F&B environment.

• Launched F&B operations in OYO Rooms and scaled Cloud Kitchens to over 950 outlets nationwide.
• Managed end-to-end P&L for 25+ self-operated kitchens, driving revenue growth and profitability.
• Created standardized SOPs for cloud kitchen operations to ensure scalability across regions.
• Developed training modules for café staff and OYO teams focused on operational excellence.
• Collaborated with department heads to enhance P&L scope and promote cross-functional growth.
• Implemented tech-enabled process improvements to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
• Oversaw pre-opening operations nationwide, including kitchen setup, staffing, vendor alignment, and compliance.

Banquet Manager & All Restaurants Manager – ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad (Luxury Collection Hotel)

• Led banquet sales and operations with two teams to execute functions flawlessly.
• Coordinated comprehensive food and beverage service delivery for events, ensuring luxury standards.
• Assisted F&B Manager with budget preparation, forecasting, and marketing initiatives while controlling hiring costs.
• Achieved budgeted revenues consistently while improving banquet profitability.
• Managed multiple outlets, including Deccan Pavilion (24x7), Dakshin, and K&K restaurants.
• Oversaw daily breakfast operations for 150–200 covers, ensuring five-star guest experiences.
• Elevated Deccan Pavilion’s TripAdvisor ranking from 15 to 3 within one month through service excellence.
• Recognized in Times Food Guide and achieved TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for outstanding performance.

• Trained in 3 different ITC properties at various levels in different functions, completing supervisory training at the ITC GrandBharat - A Luxury Collection Hotel, Gurgaon.
• Concluded understudy training in Food and Beverage Service as specialization in ITC Maurya - A Luxury Collection Hotel, Delhi.
• Accomplished Six Sigma training and a functional project in the effects of Club ITC- loyalty program of ITC Hotels at ITC Grand Chola.
• Was part of the restaurant setup and other project related work for the restaurant.
• Liaised with the projects team on the décor and setup of different sections and its layout.
• Conducted menu training and other service-related trainings with the trainees & staff of Hotel.
• Creation of the forms and formats for restaurants & banquets.
• Assisted in the Arravali Pavilion & Apas Promenade micros setup and menu prices inputting along with food and beverage controls and the other managers.

• Responsible for coordinating the delivery of all food and beverage offerings for the functions and meetings.