Pramod Sharma — Introducing Indian cuisine to The Netherlands

Introduction

I was born and brought up in Delhi  (India) and graduated from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition in 1971. The hotel I was working for in Delhi asked me to join the first Indian Restaurant; which was being opened in Amsterdam in April 1973. I got married in 1976 and am blessed with a son and a daughter. I started my own business, a Fine Dining Indian Restaurant called Mayur in 1981 and was also involved in food trading.

Association with NIA and the Indian Diaspora

The Netherlands India Association (NIA) has always been very dear to me. NIA was the only organization, where many Dutch and Indian families were members and connected with both the cultures. The NIA Board, which was a perfect blend of Dutch and Indian Board members, always experienced amazing team work and jointly organized memorable family programs. This inspired me to become a part of the NIA Board as well. NIA always celebrated Indian and Dutch festivals, such as Diwali, Queen’s Day, Sinterklaas and multiple Indian fairs (Meela’s). Our first fair was organized in the Institute of Social Studies, Den Haag, where most of the member families  participated and made it a great success.  The festivals and fairs continued in different places in the 80s and 90s in Zoetermeer. Due to my interest in music, I was responsible for organizing the cultural part of the program and used to arrange the performances given by children of our NIA members.  I often used to play the Tabla during the cultural programs and also introduced many new talents in our NIA programs. To complete the Indian cultural experience, I took the initiative to arrange the catering with Indian food for our members during the events.  NIA was the only organization connecting Dutch and Indians through these different festivals and fairs. In the 90s Gujarat (India) had an earthquake disaster and  NIA, took the initiative to join hands with other organizations and collected donations, which resulted in more than 100,000 Dutch Guilders.

Since 1982, I have been an active member of our Indian Diaspora Community, a Board member of many Indian organizations and am a member of the International Rotary Club, Amsterdam. Four years ago,  I decided to step down as a NIA Board member to give chance to the younger members. I am still connected and will stay committed. I wish NIA and the Board members a great success for the future. I will always be available for any support or suggestions required.

Achievements

I am associated to the Indian Diaspora ever since the Indian Diaspora started in Holland. We organized the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas in Holland multiple times, with Indian Minister also attending the functions. I feel very proud that we were able to find the right balance between the Dutch and Indian culture while living in Holland and that we were able to teach our children the best of both the worlds. Professionally, I am very pleased to see that my restaurant, Indian Restaurant Mayur, which is being managed by my son. I feel proud that he has taken Mayur to the next level. It is also very pleasing to see that the third generation of my clients are visiting Mayur frequently.

Advice

My advice is to remain connected with your own and the local community in order to experience the best of both the worlds.