The International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) has officially announced the launch of Young Chef India 2025, the prestigious national selection platform to identify India’s student chefs who will represent the country at the 12th edition of the Young Chef Olympiad (YCO) in February 2026.
Conceived in 2015 by IIHM in association with the International Hospitality Council (IHC), London, the Young Chef Olympiad has grown into the world’s largest culinary competition for student chefs. Every year, more than 70 countries participate, making YCO a unique global celebration of skill, culture, and culinary diplomacy.
As India gears up for YCO 2026, Young Chef India 2025 offers thousands of final-year hospitality students a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase their talent and carry the nation’s pride onto the world’s biggest culinary stage.
Dr Suborno Bose, Chairman, IIHM, said: “The Young Chef Olympiad is not just a contest; it is a global stage for talent, diplomacy, and learning. Young Chef India gives our student chefs the chance to showcase their skills and carry the pride of India to 70 nations at YCO 2026.”
The Young Chef Olympiad, a proud Indian initiative, has emerged as a global benchmark in culinary education and talent. It is widely recognised as a “melting pot of culinary diplomacy,” where food transcends borders to become the language of friendship, innovation, and cultural exchange.
The Young Chef India 2025 competition will unfold in three stages. In the preliminary round, hospitality institutions and universities across India will nominate their most promising final-year student chefs. Shortlisted candidates will then progress to the qualifier round, which will be held across IIHM campuses in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune. From there, the top eight chefs—two from each city—will advance to the national final in Kolkata, where they will compete for the honour of representing India at YCO 2026.
The global Olympiad itself will take place from 1st to 6th February 2026, spanning six Indian cities before culminating in a spectacular grand finale in Kolkata.
IIHM remains committed to inclusivity and accessibility. In line with this vision, there is no participation fee for Young Chef India 2025. Registrations are open until 26th September 2025 at www.youngchefindia.com/register-now. The national selection process will be conducted between the end of September and mid-November 2025.
IIHM invites hospitality and culinary institutions nationwide to nominate their finest young chefs. By participating, institutions not only highlight their talent at the national level but also strengthen India’s standing in the global culinary arena.
For students, this is more than a competition—it is a golden gateway to international recognition, a platform to test their skills against the best in the world, and an opportunity to carry the Indian tricolour proudly into kitchens across the globe.