“Young chefs are torchbearers of India’s culinary heritage,” says Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences, Pune, emerged as the Winner of the maiden PHDCCI National Young Chef Competition (NYCC) 2025-26, while teams from Maharashtra State IHMCT and IHM Pusa, New Delhi were declared the 1st Runner-Up and 2nd Runner-Up respectively, at the Grand Finale held on Monday at the Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi. The award for the Best Bhaja Dish was conferred upon the team from Chef’s Kitchen Institute of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Kolhapur. 

The Grand Finale witnessed participation from 10 leading hospitality institutions representing all four zones of the country, including Asian Christian Culinary & Agricultural Science Institute, Hosur; Chef’s Kitchen Institute of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Kolhapur; Culinary Academy of India, Hyderabad; IHM Bhubaneswar; IHM Kolkata; IHM Kufri; IHM Pusa, New Delhi; IHM Hyderabad; Maharashtra State IHMCT, Pune; and Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences, Pune, underscoring the pan-India character of the competition.  

The finalists were evaluated by an eminent jury comprising Chef Nand Lal Sharma, Deputy General Manager, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation; Chef Debjeet Majumdar, Consultant Chef & Co-Founder, Passion 4 Hospitality; Chef Nitin Shende, Professor – Food Production, GIHMCT Nagpur; Chef Srinivas V, Executive Chef, Travel Food Services; and Chef M. Prabu, Joint Registrar, Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, under the chairmanship of Chef Anil Grover, Certified WorldChefs Judge.  

Gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture, said, “Indian cuisine is among our most powerful cultural assets and a vital pillar of tourism-led growth. Our food traditions reflect the diversity, wisdom and lived heritage of our regions and our young chefs are the torchbearers of this legacy. He noted that rapid urbanisation and changing consumption patterns present Indian chefs with a unique opportunity to lead innovation in value-added, nutritionally balanced, and ready-to-eat food solutions rooted in India’s traditional knowledge systems. Platforms like NYCC are essential in nurturing chefs who are deeply rooted in tradition, yet globally confident and capable of representing India’s culinary excellence on the world stage.”  

Organised by PHDCCI in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism; Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA); and Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), the National Young Chef Competition marked the culmination of a six-month nationwide culinary journey celebrating India’s rich gastronomic heritage while creating a focused national platform for Indian cuisine. 

Anil Parashar, Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, said, “NYCC was envisioned not merely as a competition, but as a national movement to restore pride in Indian cuisine among young professionals. By providing a credible, national platform, we are encouraging students to rediscover their regional food traditions and reinterpret them with contemporary relevance. The overwhelming response from institutions across India validates the relevance and timing of this initiative.”  

The Steering Committee of NYCC comprised Chef Manjit Gill, President, IFCA; Chef Anil Grover, Certified WorldChefs Judge; Chef Sudhir Sibal, Founder Member, IFCA; Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council; Prof. Kamal Kant Pant, Principal, IHM Pusa; and Amarjit Singh Ahuja, Director – Procurement, Le Meridien New Delhi. 

Chef Manjit Gill, President, IFCA and Chair of the NYCC Steering Committee, said, “Indian cuisine is not merely a collection of recipes; it is a philosophy shaped by history, science and cultural memory. Before innovation comes understanding. NYCC encourages young chefs to respect the roots of Indian cooking and then reinterpret them with honesty, skill and responsibility. This is how we safeguard our culinary identity while preparing chefs for global kitchens.”   

Rajan Sehgal, Co-Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, said, “NYCC is a strong example of what collaboration between industry, academia and government can achieve. When young talent is supported through mentorship, national exposure and fair evaluation, it results in confident, employable and future-ready professionals.” 

The Grand Finale followed an intense live cook-off format, challenging participants to prepare a traditional Bhojan comprising a bhaja preparation, main dish, vegetable preparation, pulses preparation, curd preparation, rice or bread preparation and a sweet dish within two and a half hours, with evaluation based on technique, authenticity, innovation, sustainability and presentation.  

Meena Bhatia, Co-Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, said, “The successful culmination of the first edition of NYCC reflects the collective commitment of government, industry, academia and our young chefs. PHDCCI remains firmly committed to institutionalising NYCC as a flagship national initiative and expanding its impact in the years ahead.”