“Young chefs are torchbearers of India’s culinary heritage,” says Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
PHDCCI hosted the Grand Finale of the maiden National Young Chef Competition (NYCC) on 19 January 2026 at the Institute of Hotel Management Pusa, New Delhi, marking the culmination of a six-month nationwide culinary journey dedicated to celebrating India’s rich gastronomic heritage and nurturing future culinary leaders.
Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences, Pune emerged as the Winner of NYCC 2025-26, while Maharashtra State IHMCT, Pune and IHM Pusa, New Delhi secured the 1st Runner-Up and 2nd Runner-Up positions respectively. The Best Bhaja Dish Award was conferred upon Chef’s Kitchen Institute of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Kolhapur, following an intense live cook-off.
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 event was graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, as the Chief Guest, along with senior officials, industry leaders, culinary professionals and academic representatives.
The event was also graced by Chef Manjit Gill, President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA); Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council; Prof. Kamal Kant Pant, Principal, IHM Pusa. PHDCCI was represented by Mr. Anil Parashar, Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee; Mr. Rajan Sehgal and Ms. Meena Bhatia, Co-Chairs – Tourism & Hospitality Committee; and Ms. Shalini S Sharma, Assistant Secretary General.
The finalists were evaluated by an eminent jury comprising Chef Nand Lal Sharma, Deputy GM, 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, under the chairmanship of Chef Anil Grover, Certified WorldChefs Judge.
NYCC was supported by leading industry partners including TATA Consumer Products, Lee Kum Kee, Nestle Professional, Cremica Food Industries, Venus Industries, Hospitality & Kitchen Solutions (HAKS), Hilton, Roseate Hotels & Resorts, Wagh Bakri Tea Group, Welbilt India, McCain Foods, Chefs Unlimited, Le Meridien New Delhi and Purchasing Professional Forum India (PPFI), whose continued engagement underscores strong industry confidence in the initiative.