Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences, Pune, emerged as the winner of the maiden PHDCCI National Young Chef Competition (NYCC) 2025–26, at the Grand Finale held at the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Pusa, New Delhi. Maharashtra State IHMCT, Pune, was declared the 1st Runner-Up, while IHM Pusa, New Delhi, secured the 2nd Runner-Up position. The prestigious Best Bhaja Dish Award was conferred upon Chef’s Kitchen Institute of Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Kolhapur.
The Grand Finale brought together ten leading hospitality institutions from across India, representing all four zones of the country, underscoring the truly pan-India character of the competition. Participating institutions included 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.
The finalists were assessed through a rigorous live cook-off format 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 Chief Guest, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, highlighted the role of Indian cuisine in nation-building and tourism growth. He stated, “Indian cuisine is among our most powerful cultural assets and a vital pillar of tourism-led growth. Our young chefs are the torchbearers of this legacy. 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, Government of India, the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) and the Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), NYCC marked the culmination of a six-month nationwide culinary journey celebrating India’s gastronomic heritage. Welcoming the delegates, Mr. Anil Parashar, Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, said that NYCC was envisioned as a national movement to restore pride in Indian cuisine among young professionals by encouraging them to rediscover and reinterpret regional food traditions.
The NYCC Steering Committee included Chef Manjit Gill, President, IFCA; Chef Anil Grover; Chef Sudhir Sibal; Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC; Prof. Kamal Kant Pant, Principal, IHM Pusa; and Mr. Amarjit Singh Ahuja, Director – Procurement, Le Meridien New Delhi.
Delivering the theme address, Chef Manjit Gill noted that Indian cuisine represents a philosophy shaped by history, science, and cultural memory, and emphasised the importance of understanding tradition before embracing innovation. The competition challenged participants to prepare a traditional Bhojan, including a bhaja, main dish, vegetables, pulses, curd, rice or bread, and a sweet, within two and a half hours, with evaluation based on technique, authenticity, innovation, sustainability, and presentation.
Presenting the NYCC journey, Ms. Shalini S Sharma, Assistant Secretary General, PHDCCI, outlined the vision to scale NYCC into a sustained national platform for talent identification, mentorship and global culinary representation. Proposing the vote of thanks, Ms. Meena Bhatia, Co-Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, reaffirmed PHDCCI’s commitment to institutionalising NYCC as a flagship national initiative in the years ahead.