HPMF chairman Mohan Deshpande dies in Pune
Mohan Deshpande, chairman of the Hospitality Purchasing Managers' Forum, died in Pune on 28 September 2026, Hospitality Biz India reported that day.
The report said HPMF members and colleagues remembered him for his leadership, guidance and contribution to the organisation, and described him as a mentor and father figure to the association and its members. It said details of the funeral and last rites were not immediately available.
The forum he chaired
HPMF describes itself as a consortium of purchasing managers from the hospitality industry. Its members come from star hotels, catering companies, stand-alone restaurant chains and airlines.
The forum states that it is a non-profit registered with the Charity Commissioner's office, and that it was the first body of its kind in India formed to give hospitality buyers a platform.
Its registered office sits at Kandivali West in Mumbai. It counts more than 6,000 members, drawn from India and from the Middle East, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
Its team page lists Deshpande as chairman, Dr Sanjay Goyal as vice chairman and Dr Nitin Shankar Nagrale as founder and general secretary.
His part in the forum's formation
HPMF's own account of its formation places Deshpande at the centre of it. The forum records that the idea came from Nagrale, who spent more than a year bringing a core team of purchasing professionals together, and that the team worked under Deshpande's guidance and leadership.
The mandate it states runs to training and development of procurement professionals, product standardisation, consolidated procurement, vendor development, green initiatives and sustainability.
The legacy series launched in his name
On 28 July 2026, HPMF marked Deshpande's 75th birthday with the launch of the Chairman's Legacy Series. The programme covers leadership development, professional recognition, education, mentorship and sustainability.
Its parts are the annual Chairman Mohan Deshpande Leadership & Excellence Award, a mentorship programme, a scholarship for hospitality students, an annual leadership lecture and a sustainability initiative called 75 Trees for 75 Years.
HPMF said the series would become one of its flagship institutional programmes, with the inaugural roadmap to be presented at the HPMF Convention & Awards 2027, scheduled for 28 to 31 January 2027 at The Leela Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
The forum's words on him
Dr Nitin Shankar Nagrale, founder and general secretary, said at the launch: "Today marks a truly historic moment in the journey of HPMF. We are not merely celebrating the 75th birthday of our respected Chairman; we are establishing a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of hospitality professionals."
He said Deshpande "has always led with integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to serving our fraternity".
Nagrale also said: "For me personally, Mr. Deshpande has been far more than a Chairman. He has been a mentor, a guiding force and a source of immense inspiration."